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I wanted to post some more bits and pieces about Hinrichs's bench.

First, I posted an observation from a SoonerFan forum member on Saturday night that proved prophetic as the facts unraveled:

" ... The driver of the bus parked just behind us (another of the three buses impounded) happened to be looking at the guy who was sitting on a bench outside the George Lynn Cross Botany building, which is RIGHT AT where our bus was. ...."

Then a number of articles were published that mentioned the bench as being where Hinrichs was seated. The Daily Oklahoman wrote:

" ... FBI investigators packaged and removed the bench where the bomber was seated when the explosives went off.

A scorched patch marred the sidewalk where the bench had been removed. ... "

Later, a local OKC person posted:

"On the news they showed the bench where that kid was sitting when he blew himself up.

Let em rephrase that. They showed the bolts in the concrete where the bench used to be where that kid was sitting when he blew himself up."

Asa Highsmith, an architecture senior at OU, may have been the closest person to the bombing. He estimated he was 20-30 yards away, saw black smoke, walked up to about 15 yards away and "could tell the guy was dead." He told the OU Daily that AFTER the explosion:

" ... “I couldn’t tell details but could see him sitting on the bench, and the buses nearby were intact,” he said. ... "

That seems to conflict with what another student, Drake Melson, said he saw:

" ... Drake Melson, University College freshman, said he went past a police barricade and saw a bomb robot near the bench where the bomb had detonated.
'What I saw from the video feed from the bomb robot was pretty graphic. Just imagine someone who was wearing pants and seeing nothing from the waist up. It was really disturbing,' he said. ... "

Others who have been to the crime scene described the bench as located on the south side of the front of Cross Hall, between it and Gould Hall, one of the journalism buildings. A winding sidewalk connects the buildings and the bench is near the end of the sidewalk, but close to the South Oval. The bench faces west towards the east side of the South Oval. There is an identical bench 10 feet north of the original one.

Several windows were shattered in the two buildings, one in Cross and more in Gould.

Others who have visited later said there were no marks at all on the sidewalk and some have described the bench as not being damaged, but they're obviously looking at the twin bench which is still there. (I post this for those who read such observations and wonder why the disparity in descriptions--two benches, one taken into evidence, one remaining.)