Jones says former client is sane, appears resigned to sentence

Thursday, December 14th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

DENVER (AP) _ Convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, who asked this week that all his death-penalty appeals be dropped, is sane and appears to be resigned to his sentence, his former lawyer said.

Stephen Jones of Enid, Okla., said Wednesday that he does not believe McVeigh wants to die.

``I'm satisfied he's competent, that he's made a knowing and intelligent decision,'' Jones said.

He said the request may represent ``a realistic appraisal that his chances are poor, a willingness to accept the court's judgment.''

In documents made public Tuesday, McVeigh said against his attorneys' advice, he wants to end appeals in his case and be executed within four months. He offered no explanation for his decision, but said he reserved the right to seek executive clemency.

McVeigh, 32, was convicted of murder and conspiracy and sentenced to death in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that killed 168 people and injured more than 500 on April 19, 1995.

Jones said McVeigh might want to die for motives similar to those of Irish partisans who starved themselves to death in protest of British rule of Ireland.

Federal prosecutors have contended that McVeigh, a former soldier, bombed the building to retaliate for the government siege of a compound near Waco, Texas, that ended in the April 19, 1993, deaths of about 80 members of the Branch Davidian religious sect.

Nathan Chambers of Denver, McVeigh's current attorney, said it is wrong to assume his client wants to die. He said asking that an execution date be set is a legal prerequisite to a bid for presidential clemency.

``All he's said is, `I don't want to participate in the judicial process any more,''' Chambers said. ``It's dangerous to try to read into that what his motives are.''

U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch, who presided over McVeigh's trial, is considering McVeigh's request.

Unless a judge finds McVeigh mentally incompetent, he has the right to end his appeals. His request said he would submit to a psychological evaluation but would not discuss why he wants to end his appeals.