Full Description
On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh detonated a two-ton truck bomb that felled the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people. On June 11, 2001, an unprecedented 242 witnesses watched him die by lethal injection.
In the aftermath of the bombings, American public commentary almost immediately turned to "closure" rhetoric. Reporters and audiences alike speculated about whether victim's family members and survivors could get closure from memorial services, funerals, legislation, monuments, trials, and executions. But what does "closure" really mean for those who survive—or lose loved ones in—traumatic acts? In the wake of such terrifying events, is closure a realistic or appropriate expectation?
In Killing McVeigh, Jody Lyneé Madeira uses the Oklahoma City bombing as a case study to explore how family members and other survivors come to terms with mass murder. The book demonstrates the importance of understanding what closure really is before naively asserting it can or has been reached.
Contents
Acknowledgments The Oklahoma City Bombing: A Time Line Preface Part I: Blood Relations 1 "A Rude Awakening": The Origins of the Victim-Offender Relationship 2 "He Broke into My Life": Experiencing the Victim-Offender Relationship 3 Opening Up "Closure": Redefining a Controversial Term Part II: Traumas and Trials 4 "We Come Here to Remember": Joining Advocacy Groups 5 "God Bless the Media": Negotiating News Coverage 6 "Making Sure Justice Was Served": Pursuing Accountability Part III: The Road to Execution 7 Emotion on Trial: Prosecuting Timothy McVeigh 8 Reaching Law's Limits: Trying Terry Nichols and Welcoming the McVeigh Jury to Oklahoma City 9 The Storm before the Calm: Awaiting McVeigh's Execution 10 The Weight of an Impossible World: McVeigh Confronts His Public Image vi | Contents 11 Done to Death: The Execution and the End of the Victim-Offender Relationship Conclusion: McVeigh Memorialized Appendix: Methodology Notes Index About the Author
