
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, October 21, 1995                   TAG: 9510230116
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: OKLAHOMA CITY                                LENGTH: Short

U.S. SEEKS EXECUTION FOR BOMB

Prosecutors gave formal notice Friday that they were seeking the death penalty for the two men accused in the federal-building bombing that killed 169 people.

Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols ``committed the offenses after substantial planning and premeditation to cause the death of one or more persons and to commit an act of terrorism,'' U.S. Attorney Patrick Ryan argued in separate but nearly identical notices filed in federal court.

Ryan cited 13 aggravating circumstances to justify seeking the death penalty, including that ```various victims were particularly vulnerable due to old age, youth and infirmity.''

The Alfred P. Murrah Building housed a day-care center that was devastated by the April 19 blast and some of those killed in the Social Security office were elderly or disabled. McVeigh and Nichols face a May 17 trial on murder and conspiracy charges

Phones calls to the offices of Stephen Jones, the head of McVeigh's defense, and Michael Tigar, Nichols' lead attorney, were not immediately returned Friday.

by CNB