Jon Hersley, questioned by Merrick Garland

The first step in Timothy McVeigh's trial was a preliminary hearing held on April 27, 1995, to determine if the prosecution had enough evidence to support its contention that Timothy McVeigh bombed the Murrah federal building. If, at the conclusion of the hearing, the judge determined there was probable cause to believe that McVeigh was the bomber, the charge would be sent to the grand jury who could then issue an indictment against the accused.

The first witness called by the prosecution in McVeigh's preliminary hearing was Jon Hersley, an agent for the FBI. Hersley was questioned by Merrick Garland, the associate deputy attorney general with the U.S. Attorney's office in Oklahoma City. In the following testimony from the hearing, Hersley recounts how the FBI found pieces of the Ryder van that was used in the bombing...