VERDICT NO SURPRISE LOCALLY

Local people asked by the Southeast Missourian for their reactions to Timothy McVeigh being found guilty Monday all said they were pleased with the jury's decision and hope he gets the death penalty.

McVeigh was found guilty in the April 9, 1995, bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building that killed 168 people and injured hundreds.

Everyone polled supported the conviction and said the trial's climax will end a traumatic experience from the nation's worse incident of internal terrorism.

"I think if enough evidence was there -- and it all seems like it was -- then he's guilty," said Ivan LaGrand of Cape Girardeau. "Maybe this will set some precedence for people who don't care anything about their fellow countrymen."

Jackie Romann of Cape Girardeau agreed and said she expected the guilty verdict. "That's what I assumed would happen," she said. "I think the verdict was justifiable. I'm for the death penalty in certain cases when it's something major like this."

Many people expressed concern for the families of the victims and hoped the guilty verdict would help ease the pain and bring closure to the incident. "It's difficult for the families; they've suffered a lot through all of this," said Sayumi Yokouchi, a San Francisco resident visiting friends in Cape Girardeau.

"I think it's probably good," said Lois Koehler of Jackson. "The jury probably feels bad because of what they had to do, but he was guilty, so they had to do what was right."

Jeanie Troy of Marble Hill agreed, and said she believes the jury presented the verdict based upon facts rather than emotions. "I would have been uncomfortable with a guilty verdict after only a few hours' deliberation," she said. "But after that many hours, it looks to me like they considered the evidence and made an informed decision."

Stephanie Gattis of Cape Girardeau was surprised by the length of the trial. Many trials followed closely by the media are drawn out, she said, and this trial seemed very short in comparison.

"I think he was guilty," said Gattis. "As far as the trial, it was a lot shorter than I expected. I think everyone was expecting with the O.J. Simpson trial that it was going to be a lot lengthier trial."

All of those polled favored the death penalty. "I hope they hang him," said Donnie Jestus of Jackson. "I think he got what he had coming to him."

Miguel Phillips of Cape Girardeau had a different punishment in mind. "I think that if he's guilty, they should do him the same way he did those innocent children and all of those people who had nothing to do with his personal agenda and beliefs," said Phillips. "They should find an old, abandoned building and put him in it, load it up with powerful explosives and set it off. If he dies, or whatever happens to him, will be fine."