Episode 8: Bombs in the desert

On April 19th 1995, 26 year old Timothy McVeigh committed the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in American history.

In investigating the events that led up to the attack, journalist Leah Sottile learned that at the heart of McVeigh’s story were inherently American things: an Army boy. A love of guns. And a version of the great American road trip.

In the years leading up to the bombing, McVeigh drove across America; touring gun shows, visiting acquantances who would go on to be accomplices, even paying a trip to area 51.

But there was one place he spent longer than anywhere else, a town way out in the desert of Arizona.

Journalist Leah Sottile tells the story of Kingman Arizona, a place where the wild west cowboy myth persists.

Presenter: Leah Sottile Producer: Georgia Catt Editor: Philip Sellars

Narration recorded by Joe Preston Additional Research by Robbie Wojciechowski

Archive recordings from Dave Hawkins.