Fifteen years after the Oklahoma City bombing, Rachel Maddow brings viewers the inside story on the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil prior to the events of Sept. 11. 168 lives were lost and more then 500 people were injured that day and now, on Monday, April 19 (9-11 p.m. ET), Msnbc viewers will hear Timothy McVeigh's chilling confession in his own words for the first time in "The McVeigh Tapes: Confessions of an American Terrorist."
Drawing from 45 hours of never-before-released interview audiotapes recorded during McVeigh's prison stay, the film reveals the bomber's descriptions of the planning and execution of the horrific attack and offers insight into how a decorated American soldier became a dangerous, anti-government terrorist.
The two-hour documentary employs state-of-the-art computer recreations of the interview with McVeigh and his actions on and leading up to the day of the bombing. It also provides biographical background of McVeigh's life and the path that led to his transformation into an ‘American terrorist.’ In addition, survivors and family members of the bombing victims are given a voice in the film, bravely stepping forward to offer the final word on the true impact and meaning of McVeigh’s brutal attack.
Nine years after his execution, McVeigh's voice from the grave resonates today as once again anti-government extremism is on the rise. The audiotapes acquired for the film were originally recorded as research for the book ‘American Terrorist: Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing,’ by Buffalo News reporters Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck, who are interviewed in the film. Excerpts from the audiotapes will be released in the coming weeks.
"The McVeigh Tapes: Confessions of an American Terrorist," is co-produced by msnbc and Peacock Productions. Mike Rubin is Vice President, Long Form Programming, msnbc. Scott Hooker is Senior Executive Producer, msnbc. Timothy Smith is Senior Producer, msnbc. Sharon Scott is the Executive-in-Charge of Peacock Productions; Keith McKay is Executive Producer; Toby Oppenheimer is the Producer; and Benjamin Ringe and Knute Walker are Executive Producers, Peacock Productions.