'Now I'm prepared to die', says Oaklahoma bomber

Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh has abandoned all legal efforts to delay his execution and is prepared to die on Monday, for the worst terrorist attack on US soil.

McVeigh’s decision came last night within minutes of learning that a three-judge panel of the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled that his lawyers ‘‘utterly failed to demonstrate substantial grounds’’ why he should not be put to death next week for the blast in 1995 that killed 168 people.

McVeigh, 33, could have petitioned the full appeals court or taken his case directly to the Supreme Court.

‘‘Mr McVeigh does not want to proceed any further in legal actions in order to try to stop his execution,’’ said his lawyer Rob Nigh, who appeared shaken and close to tears.

Attorney General John Ashcroft issued a statement in Washington, saying:

‘‘Today’s ruling by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals is a ruling in favour of justice.

Timothy McVeigh is responsible for the brutal murder of 168 people, including 19 children, and he will now be brought to justice.’’

McVeigh also declined to ask President George W Bush for clemency, Nigh said.

‘‘I think his resolve was clear. He takes this much more in stride than probably his lawyers do, most certainly,’’ Nigh said.

He said McVeigh now would prepare to die by injection at a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.

‘‘He has family and friends that he must say his goodbyes to. The kind of introspection and psychological preparation he has to go through only he can know and other people in his position can know,’’ Nigh said.

McVeigh’s lawyers had wanted more time to review nearly 4,500 pages of belatedly-released FBI documents for information they felt could have helped in his defence during the 1997 trial.

The lawyers argued that US District Judge Richard Matsch was caught up in the horror of the Oklahoma City bombing and ‘‘lost sight of the demands of fairness’’.

On Wednesday, Matsch, who presided over the trial in Denver, denied McVeigh’s request to delay his execution.

The appeals court also refused to reopen McVeigh’s appeal, noting ‘‘our complete agreement with McVeigh’s candid concession in his district court filings that the newly produced materials do not satisfy the standard’’.

McVeigh was originally scheduled to die May 16.

Just days before, however, the Justice Department began turning over FBI evidence that should have been given to McVeigh’s lawyers before his trial, and Ashcroft postponed the execution.