Relative Of Victims In Oklahoma City Bombing Wants To Meet Nichols

Convicted bombing conspirator Terry Nichols has made a friend in Oklahoma City. <br><br>Nichols was in court Friday where a judge set August 7th as the date for his preliminary hearing on state murder

Saturday, February 12th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Convicted bombing conspirator Terry Nichols has made a friend in Oklahoma City.

Nichols was in court Friday where a judge set August 7th as the date for his preliminary hearing on state murder charges. Two separate times Nichols was mouthing words to someone in the room. He was giving friendly gestures, at one point, a thumbs up.

Actions that were never seen from him at his federal trial in Denver. The person he was communicating with, a woman who lost her two grandsons, Chase and Colton Smith. They were in the daycare when the bomb went off.

â€œIâ€™ve corresponded with him on a limited basis. Iâ€™d like to have opportunity to talk more,â€ says Kathy Wilburn.

Since the bomb went off Wilburn and her husband had been asking questions. Questions she says still have no answer.

â€œI believe more people were in the crime than just Terry Nichols and Timothy McVeigh,â€ says Wilburn.

Kathy attended both federal trials. While watching Nicholsâ€™ case unfold she became acquainted with Nicholsâ€™ mother and sister and says she grew to like them.

â€œI felt like they were forgotten victims of this crime and we became friends and they probably communicated that to Terry and thatâ€™s probably why Terry was motioning me,â€ says Wilburn.

Wilburn says she has to try to get the answers even if other victims and survivors donâ€™t agree with her contact with the man convicted of conspiracy in the plan that killed 168 people. The letters written to Wilburn from Nichols have not been released.