Key FBI witness made, then retracted allegations about lab

(Washington-AP) -- A prominent F-B-I science witnesses told federal investigators that his lab colleagues performed shoddy work in the Timothy McVeigh case. <br><br>That according to a transcript of statements

Sunday, May 4th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Washington-AP) -- A prominent F-B-I science witnesses told federal investigators that his lab colleagues performed shoddy work in the Timothy McVeigh case.

That according to a transcript of statements made by explosive expert Steven Burmeister. He later retracted several statements before appearing as a prosecution witness at the Denver trial of the Oklahoma City federal building bomber.

F-B-I officials defend Burmeister, saying he asked to make the changes after seeing a summary of his first interview and that he was under no pressure to change any testimony to help the McVeigh prosecution.

McVeigh was convicted of the bombing and executed in an Indiana prison in 2001.