In the final days before leaving the Imperial Motel in Kingman, McVeigh tried calling Richard Coffman, a representative of the National Alliance. If any group might be willing to suggest a place he might seek refuge after the bombing, McVeigh figured, the National Alliance—an oranization chaired by the author of The Turner Diaries—would be it.



McVeigh left three messages on Coffman's answering machine. Identifying himself as Tim Tuttle, he said he would be leaving the Kingman area soon. McVeigh knew that he had to play it cautiously in asking for help, though; he didn't want to tip his hand. He'd tell the National Alliance that he was making a "serious request for a safe haven," but would remain vague about why.



But Nichols cooperated, giving the FBI permission to search his truck and his home. The residence provided a treasure trove of evidence. They found ammonium nitrate and Primadet explosive, which Nichols and McVeigh had stolen from the stone quarry in Kansas.



They found books on bomb-making and a copy of Hunter, William Pierce's follow-up to The Turner Diaries. In one of its chapters, Hunter provided a virtual how-to manual for making a truck bomb that could take down a government building.

- March 30, 2019excerpts from American Terrorist by Lou Michel & Dan Herbeck: