McVeigh Death On Closed-Circuit TV?
Attorney General John Ashcroft met Tuesday with survivors and families of the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing as he gets ready to help the Federal Bureau of Prisons set the ground rules for Timothy McVeigh's execution.
"I'm going to do whatever I can to harmonize the needs of these individuals who have been victims, with the processes of the Justice Department," Ashcroft said.
That could mean providing closed-circuit television to the 250 victims and families who've requested to see Mcveigh, 32, lethally-injected on May 16 for the April 19, 1995 attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that resulted in 168 deaths.
The death chamber at the prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, where the execution will take place seats only eight, reports CBS News Correspondent Teri Okita, so families have asked for a closed-circuit broadcast to accommodate everyone.
Ashcroft has asked the Federal Bureau of Prisons to provide him with a plan that meets the needs and feelings of the families and also reflects the interests of justice regarding the execution.
"I think it's about time somebody listened to us and give us what we want. ... We want to watch the execution," said Jannie Coverdale, a relative of one of the victims.
The Justice Department is finalizing even more details. More than 1,400 media outlets have applied for credentials to get near the execution site, and requests have piled up for interviews with McVeigh himself.
But, the attorney general seems to be hinting that more conversations between McVeigh and reporters are unlikely.
"I am not interested in providing any additional tools to an individual who wants to disrespect this culture," said Ashcroft.
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