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Feds plan to blow up Rudolph's pickup
AP via NR ^ | September 14, 2005 | Jay Reeves

Posted on 09/14/2005 5:17:09 PM PDT by Rebelbase

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The government has seized Eric Rudolph's gray pickup truck, which he was driving when he bombed an Alabama abortion clinic, and plans to blow up the vehicle in a training drill rather than risk letting it fall into the hands of admirers.

Some of Rudolph's victims said Wednesday the truck should come to them, however, as partial compensation for the pain and injuries they endured.

The truck — a 1989 Nissan with the North Carolina license plate KND-1117 — likely will be loaded with explosives and detonated by either the FBI or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said Jim Cavanaugh, regional director of ATF.

Both agencies routinely blow up vehicles in classes to teach officers about explosives and bomb reconstruction.

"They were like, 'That may be better than having it show up as some kind of morbid trophy on the Internet,'" Cavanaugh said in an interview. "You've got to think of the victims. That would be bad for them."

But nurse Emily Lyons, who was badly wounded in the clinic bombing, believes the truck should go to Rudolph's victims, who are unlikely to get any other compensation, according to her husband, Jeff Lyons.

In 2003, a state court judge awarded the couple $115 million in a lawsuit against Rudolph, who was declared indigent in federal court and hasn't paid anything.

"We had the judgment before they did the seizure," Jeff Lyons said Wednesday.

FBI spokesman Jeff Fuqua said talks were still under way about which agency would get to destroy the vehicle, which two witnesses spotted in Birmingham after the clinic bombing. The bombing killed a police officer aside from critically injuring Lyons.

A witness recorded the truck's license plate number shortly after the bombing and reported it to police, who used the information to identify Rudolph as a suspect in the Alabama explosion. He was later tied to the 1996 Olympic park bombing and two other bombings in Atlanta in 1997.

The truck has been in temporary federal custody since 1998, when two hunters found it in woods in western North Carolina after Rudolph disappeared into the wilderness. He was finally captured in May 2003.

Rudolph pleaded guilty in four bombings, which he said were linked to his hatred of abortion and a desire to embarrass the federal government.

With Rudolph now in federal prison serving four life terms, a federal judge in Birmingham last month approved the government's request to permanently seize the truck, which had been held as evidence for Rudolph's trial.

"It was done partly out of concern that it would show up on eBay," said Assistant U.S. Attorney James Ingram, referring to the Internet auction site. "Somebody would plunk down some money for it."

Similar trucks have a retail value of about $1,700, according to Kelley Blue Book, a pricing guide for used vehicles.

Donald Spitz, an abortion opponent who has corresponded with Rudolph and posted some of his writings on the Internet, said he doubted anyone in his movement would want to purchase the truck, "but there are people out there who would do it."

Spitz, a leader of Pro-Life Virginia, called the government's plan to use Rudolph's truck for explosives training "bizarre." It would be "more cautious" to dismantle the truck and melt down the parts, he said.

"To blow it up to a lot of people would indicate a lot of hostility on their part," Spitz said.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: batf; ericrudolph; fbi; jimcavanaugh; loonyleos
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1 posted on 09/14/2005 5:17:09 PM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: Rebelbase

Too bad Rudolf won't be inside.


2 posted on 09/14/2005 5:18:56 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative (France is an example of retrograde chordate evolution.)
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To: Rebelbase

I really feel sorry for all those folks Eric hurt at the Olympics, but this Emily Lyons is a mass murderer herself. She is due no sympathy by anyone with a conscience.


3 posted on 09/14/2005 5:18:56 PM PDT by muawiyah (/ hey coach do I gotta' put in that "/sarcasm " thing again?)
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To: Rebelbase

Phew! That Rudolph.


4 posted on 09/14/2005 5:19:51 PM PDT by frankjr
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To: Rebelbase

5 posted on 09/14/2005 5:19:59 PM PDT by Clemenza (What's Puzzling You is Just the Nature of My Game)
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To: Rebelbase

and this helps why? Kinda extreme and rather odd imop.


6 posted on 09/14/2005 5:20:07 PM PDT by mcg2000 (Wolf Blitzer: "They're all so desperate, so poor and so black.")
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To: Paleo Conservative

Careful. There were some Freepers awhile back who were claiming that Rudolph was a "hero" for blowing up abortion clinics.


7 posted on 09/14/2005 5:20:39 PM PDT by Clemenza (What's Puzzling You is Just the Nature of My Game)
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To: Rebelbase

They might demolish the original but they won't be able to stop replicas from being made.


8 posted on 09/14/2005 5:24:06 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (No wonder the Southern Baptist Church threw Greer out: Only one god per church! [Ann Coulter])
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To: mcg2000
Feds don't want it to become a side show like Bonnie and Clyde's car.


9 posted on 09/14/2005 5:28:52 PM PDT by Rebelbase ("Run Hillary Run" bumper stickers. Liberals place on rear bumper, conservatives put on front bumper)
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To: Rebelbase

So by destroying the truck - they've eliminated the reality of it happening?


10 posted on 09/14/2005 5:30:36 PM PDT by mcg2000 (Wolf Blitzer: "They're all so desperate, so poor and so black.")
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To: Rebelbase

No! They should blow up Richard Jewell's truck! Then, the white panel van that white, kill crazed Viet Nam vet was driving when he was the DC Sniper.

If it weren't for the comic relief of "Retired FBI Profiler" Clint VanZandt, I don't think I'd ever watch MSNBC.


11 posted on 09/14/2005 5:37:31 PM PDT by AlexandriaDuke
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To: Rebelbase
"Message" plate KND-1117 is available from North Carolina DMV.

(The Plate text is subject to DMV approval.)

12 posted on 09/14/2005 5:45:08 PM PDT by F-117A
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To: F-117A

I want my plate to read sucmynuz


13 posted on 09/14/2005 6:11:24 PM PDT by Xenophobic Alien ("It gives me a headache just trying to think down to your level.")
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To: Rebelbase
This is incredibly stupid. Rudolph is the criminal, not the truck. Besides, replicas are available if someone is interested. What about the home he grew up in - will that also be blown up? Reminds me of the reasoning of some of those pushing for gun controls.

I read once where a criminal stole an irreplaceable antique gun, used it in a crime in New York, and then the gun had to be destroyed by law.

14 posted on 09/14/2005 6:19:48 PM PDT by Dante3
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To: Rebelbase
Feds don't want it to become a side show like Bonnie and Clyde's car.

But why not, if the victims get some benefit?

The federal enforcers emotional needs should not come into play in this.

15 posted on 09/14/2005 6:46:57 PM PDT by marktwain
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To: mcg2000
FWIW

Koresh car sells for $37,500

Koresh drove the Camaro routinely and had stamped "David's 427 go God" on the engine block.

16 posted on 09/14/2005 7:14:57 PM PDT by perfect stranger ("Hell Bent for Election" by Warburg)
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To: perfect stranger

And?


17 posted on 09/14/2005 7:34:44 PM PDT by mcg2000 (Wolf Blitzer: "They're all so desperate, so poor and so black.")
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To: mcg2000

What do you want?


18 posted on 09/14/2005 7:38:30 PM PDT by perfect stranger ("Hell Bent for Election" by Warburg)
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To: Xenophobic Alien

Didn't the SMN guy get banned?


19 posted on 09/14/2005 7:52:38 PM PDT by TaxRelief (follow the money...)
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To: TaxRelief

Last I heard he got a time out for awhile, don't know if they let him back yet.


20 posted on 09/14/2005 9:05:31 PM PDT by Xenophobic Alien ("It gives me a headache just trying to think down to your level.")
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