U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
810 Seventh Street NW.
Washington, DC 20531

Janet Reno
Attorney General

Daniel Marcus
Acting Associate Attorney General

Mary Lou Leary
Acting Assistant Attorney General

Kathryn M. Turman
Director, Office for Victims of Crime

Office of Justice Programs
World Wide Web Home Page
ojp.gov

Office for Victims of Crime
World Wide Web Home Page
www.ovc.gov

Message From the Director

Acknowledgments

Executive Summary

Bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building

The Immediate Crisis Response

Postcrisis Victim Assistance

The Criminal Pretrial and Trial Phases

Long-term Victim Needs

Legal Issues Pertaining to Victims of Terrorism

Recent International Terrorism Cases

Lessons Learned

Policy Recommendations

Conclusion

Notes

Preparation of this document was funded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The document is based on interviews with those tasked with assisting the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing in the investigative and prosecutorial phases of the criminal justice system. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Office for Victims of Crime is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.