The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 1

Summer stzzlers: Great new fiction Tempo, C4 TnTTOvTl CMOIMT 1 A Gannett Newspaper 501,100 Readers Daily Tuesday June 3, 1997 Final EditionEast 35 cents Worst mass killer in U.S. now faces death penalty (o rs- V9 J. -k. A I "TV Families of victims shed bittersweet tears BY MICIIAEL FLEEMAN The Associated Press DENVER Timothy McVeigh was convicted Monday in the deadliest act of terror on U.S. soil, a verdict that brought jubilation and bitter tears to relatives of the 168 people killed in the Oklahoma City bombing.

The jury will now decide whether he should pay with his life. Mr. McVeigh sat at the defense table with his hands in a white-knuckle clasp and an impassive expression as U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch announced the verdict of guilty on all 11 counts of murder and conspiracy. In the audience, tears welled in the eyes of the more than two dozen bombing survivors and victims' relatives.

After the court session, they broke into sobs and embraced one another. One man thrust his fists into the air. "We were holding Vyv)' V. -i t-. j' HEARTLAND The McVeigh Verdict hands and praying and crying," said Katherine Alaniz, whose father, Claude Medearis, died in the bombing.

"My mom reached into her purse and handed me his wedding ring and, of course, I just lost it. I started crying. It was wonderful." The joy was tempered by memories of the losses in the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The blast shattered the U.S.

sense of security and belief that this level of terror could never have come from within. The same jury that took 23)4 hours over four days to convict Mr. McVeigh returns Wed I i Two full pages inside The key players in the bombing trial, A6 Prosecutor Joseph Hartzler tackled complicated case, A6 Chronology of events, A6 Analysis: The case against Terry Nichols could be more difficult to win, A7 Tristate legal experts praise handling of case, A7 Editorial: A victory for the legal system, A8 Borgman on verdict, A8 nmr. The Associated PressMichael Caulfield Cindy Flenniken, left, and Lodell Battle, right, embrace Jannie Coverdale as they leave the federal courthouse in Denver on Monday after the verdict. Ms.

Coverdale lost two grandchildren and Ms. Battle lost her parents in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Defense shifts into battle for client's life What's next Here's what's ahead in the bombing trial: Penalty phase: Jurors begin hearing evidence Wednesday to decide Timothy McVeigh's punishment. Sentencing: Mr.

McVeigh faces death by injection, life without parole or a lesser sentence to be determined by the judge. Appeals: The defense almost certainly will appeal to the 1 0th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Terry Nichols' trial: He faces the same charges as Mr. McVeigh.

No trial date has been set. State charges: Oklahoma City plans to try Mr. McVeigh and Mr. Nichols on murder charges after Mr. Nichols' trial.

nesday to hear evidence on whether the worst mass murderer in American history should die by injection. Prosecutors contended Mr. McVeigh drove a Ryder truck loaded with a fuel-and-fertilizer bomb to the Murrah building and set the fuse in a plot to avenge the disaster at Waco, Texas, exactly two years earlier and spark a second American revolution. When the verdict was read, Mr. McVeigh stared at the judge.

None of his attorneys said anything to him. After Judge Matsch dismissed the jury, Mr. McVeigh was escorted out by four U.S. marshals. He shook lead attorney Stephen Jones' hand and the two exchanged whispered words.

Prosecutors Joseph Hartzler and Patrick Ryan spoke at a gathering of more than 100 victims' relatives and survivors at a nearby church they had been using as a (Please see McVEIGH, Page A7) BYPAULQUEARY The Associated Press DENVER Timothy McVeigh's lawyers will try to save his life by putting on character witnesses who can humanize him and by offering testimony about the disaster at Waco, Texas the event prosecutors say inspired the Oklahoma City bombing. The penalty phase in the case begins Wednesday. After convicting Mr. McVeigh on Monday of 11 murder and conspiracy charges, the jury must now focus on whether he should die by injection or go to prison for the April 19, 1995, bombing. If they agree on the death penalty, the execution date may be set no sooner than 60 days after sentencing.

It would take place at the U.S. Penitentiary atferre Haute, Ind. If the jury cannot unanimously agree on the death penalty, U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch can impose a sentence of up to life in prison without parole. If the jury decides Mr.

McVeigh should be executed, the judge cannot overrule that (Please see PENALTY, Page A7) Timothy McVeigh WEATHER Friend: Fight spurred killing "V' Afternoon storms fL'-t -1 nine trarmnnt1 A I i i i i 'My wife's been shot' Richard Morrison found his wife, Linda, lying in an upstairs hallway of their Madison Township home. Excerpts from the tape of the 91 1 call he made, A4. Hlgh73Low61 Dense fog this morning could slow traffic. More scattered showers and storms will pop up this afternoon, and rain could be heavy. have just taken a gun and put it up to her mom's head and pulled the trigger," said Mr.

Hinkle, who, like Miss Morrison, oh- Details, back page this section Reds drop call for bridge site Reds Managing Executive John Allen says a site west of the Suspension Bridge is no longer a viable option for a baseball park because it would be overshadowed by the Bengals' stadium and there's no political support for it. Baseball on Main, also known as The Wedge site, is still an option, he says. Metro, Bl Cures for kids' summertime blues From the library to a lemonade stand, from camping to crafts, here are 30 ways to answer a child's dreaded summer refrain of "I'm bored. There's nothing to do." Tempo, CI INDEX Four sections, 157th year, No. 55 Copyright 1997, The Cincinnati Enquirer family argued over abortion, he says BY STEVE KEMME and KATHLEEN HILLENMEYER The Cincinnati Enquirer HAMILTON Renee Morrison, a 16-year-old accused of fatally shooting her mother Saturday at their Madison Township home, had argued with her parents over whether she should have an abortion, her boyfriend said Monday.

Chris Hinkle, 17, of Middle-town, who said he is the baby's father, thinks the close-range shooting Saturday was an accident. "I don't believe she would their custody. At 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Re-nee's father, Richard "Rick" Morrison, found his wife, Linda, lying in an upstairs hallway in their rural Madison Township home. Mrs.

Morrison, 49, had been shot once in the forehead. Police said when they arrested Miss Morrison in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Middletown later Saturday, they found a (Please see KILLING, Page A4) Las. jected to the Renee Morrison abortion. "She told me it was an accident." Distraught over her mother's plans to take her to a Dayton-area clinic Saturday for the abortion, Mr. Hinkle said, Miss Morrison ran away from home Friday.

He said his girlfriend called him that night to the Dixie Motel in Middletown, where police found the teen-age couple, alerted Miss Morrison's parents and released the girl to Abby C2 Nation A2-3, 6-7 Business B10 Obituaries B4 Comics C6 Puzzles C7 Editorials A8 Sports D1 Horoscope C6 Tempo CI Lotteries A10 The Talk C2 Metro B1 TV C3 Movies C7 World AM Classified D6-13 The Associated PressMark Hall Memorable memorial: Vijay Singh won the rain-shortened Memorial Tournament on Monday at 14-under-par. Sports, D1. ENQUIRER ONLINE: http:enqulrer.com bmjlWniiMiiimah.