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FBI agent reveals Arizona's connection to Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh

Within 48 hours, connections were made between McVeigh co-conspirator Terry Nichols and a Kingman, Arizona address.

KINGMAN, Ariz. - It took less than two hours for an Oklahoma State trooper to pull over Timothy McVeigh after he set off the Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people in 1995.

Nineteen of the dead were children, and more than 500 others were injured.

The FBI had its man, but he did not act alone.

Within 48 hours connections were made between McVeigh co-conspirator Terry Nichols and a Kingman, Arizona address.

"When we did our homework on the Kingman address, we identified Michael and Lori Fortier," said FBI Special Agent Kenneth Williams, who was in charge of the Fortier investigation.

Michael Fortier served with McVeigh in the Army -- in fact, McVeigh was living with the Fortiers just a few months before the bombing.

We sent a SWAT team up there. We sent a bunch of investigators initially," Williams said.

The FBI questioned Fortier for more than a dozen hours over several interviews, but his story remained the same: He had no idea his roommate was planning a terror attack.

Even though FBI officials believed Fortier, Williams thought he was hiding something.

"You get a gut feeling sometimes when you talk to a potential suspect," Williams said.

Slowly but surely, he found holes in Fortier's story. Search Warrants of Fortier's trailer provided more evidence, including more than 100 detonators.

Williams interviewed Fortier again, this time showing him photos of the bombing victims -- many children -- making an emotional appeal.

"He pushed away from the table and he said 'What about all the kids you guys killed in Waco, Texas?'" Williams said.

That's when it was clear Fortier was involved, but the extent was still unknown.

A semi-naked photo of Lori, Fortier's wife, was the final clue. It was taken when Michael was at the VA hospital in Prescott. The photographer was Timothy McVeigh.

Fortier asked Williams for a deal, offering to roll over on McVeigh.

The Fortiers may not have been in Oklahoma during the bombing, but they likely knew what would happen.

"He is just as responsible for the deaths of those people," Williams said.

Michael Fortier was sentenced to 12 years. Lori Fortier received immunity.

Williams called the Fortiers' punishment "one of the biggest deals I've ever seen in my professional career."

While McVeigh carried out the largest domestic terrorist attack in United States history in Oklahoma, he practiced for it in Kingman, Arizona.

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