Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was weighing his options today and could decide to fight his death sentence after a blunder by the FBI forced the US government to delay his execution.
The 33-year-old Gulf War veteran, who has admitted killing 168 men, women and children in the 1995 bombing and waived all appeals, saying he was prepared to die for his actions, was described by his lawyers as frustrated and distressed at the one-month delay in the execution, which had been set for May 16th. It is now set for June 11th.
McVeigh had prepared himself mentally to die but would now consider appealing his execution order, his Tulsa, Oklahoma-based lawyer, Mr Rob Nigh, told reporters yesterday outside the federal prison in Terre Haute.
Mr Nigh said the stay of execution was appropriate but the whole affair showed it was time for a moratorium on all federal executions.
"Mr McVeigh is very resilient", he said.
"He's capable of evaluating new information and making a decision based on that information".
Asked if McVeigh would now challenge the death penalty imposed on him in 1997 for the April 19th, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building, Mr Nigh responded: "It is certainly possible. He is going to make an informed decision.