Survivors Seek Answers at Nichols Trial

Sunday, March 21st 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) _ Since her two grandsons were killed in the Oklahoma City bombing, Jannie Coverdale's thoughts have been locked on the horrific event and on answering the question that has haunted her ever since: Why?

``The last nine years, I've just put my life on hold,'' Coverdale said. ``Almost everything I do, it has something to do with the bombing.''

Coverdale hopes to find answers in bombing conspirator Terry Nichols' trial on 161 state murder charges. Opening statements are scheduled Monday.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty _ something many victims' family members and survivors believe he deserves.

They are bitter about the life prison sentence Nichols was given after his 1997 federal bombing conviction. Bomber Timothy McVeigh was executed.

``In this country we execute people for committing a single murder,'' Coverdale said. ``If Terry Nichols does not get the death penalty, we might as well abolish the death penalty in this country.''

Nichols was convicted of federal conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter charges for the deaths of eight law enforcement officers in the bombing, which killed 168 people. The state charges are for the 160 other victims and one victims' fetus.

Prosecutors allege that Nichols worked with McVeigh to plan and execute the April 19, 1995, bombing that destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

Defense attorneys claim Nichols was set up by unknown coconspirators. They plan to introduce witnesses who claim they can identity others involved in the plot, including John Doe No. 2, a mystery man some claim to have seen with McVeigh on the day of the bombing.

``I will always feel that there were other people involved,'' Coverdale said.

Many who lost family members in the bombing feel Nichols should be held legally accountable for the deaths of victims who were not part of his federal trial.

``I still don't think that my wife has been vindicated or my purposes satisfied for him killing her,'' Roy Sells said of his wife, Lee, a legal secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

``Someone has to be accountable for my daughter's death.'' Doris Jones said of his daughter, Carrie Lenz, a Drug Enforcement Agency worker.

Others oppose the trial because of its cost and the fact that Nichols is already serving life in prison. The case already has cost the state about $3.4 million, not including prosecution expenses and security costs.

``We think it's a waste of money, a waste of time,'' said Jim Denny, whose two children were injured at a day-care center in the building. ``This is a black mark on our justice system.''

Bud Welch, a death penalty opponent whose daughter, 23-year-old Julie Marie Welch, was killed, said the trial ``has nothing to do with the healing process.''

``Family members are being victimized again,'' he said.

The trial was moved to McAlester, about 130 miles from Oklahoma City, because of pretrial publicity.

A handful of survivors and victims' family members came for jury selection, and more are expected when testimony begins.

A fund created in 1996 to pay family members' expenses at Nichols' federal trial in Denver will pay for up to 10 people each week to attend Nichols' state trial, said Diane Leonard, whose husband, Secret Service agent Donald R. Leonard, was killed in the blast.

People who watched the trial's early stages expressed support for the judge's careful, methodical approach to picking a jury, which took just nine days of questioning.

``We saw what happened when you don't get a good jury with the federal trial,'' said Darlene Welch, an aunt of bombing victim Ashley Eckles.