An appeals court orders federal judge Wayne Alley to recuse himself from the case because bomb damage to his court and chambers could raise doubts about his impartiality. The case is handed over to Chief U. S. District Judge Richard Matsch of Denver, who presided over the 1987 trial of members of The Order, a right-wing racist group accused of assassinating a Denver talk show host Alan Berg. He specifically raises the possibility of a connection involving Kirk Lyons, a North Carolina attorney who is related by marriage to member of the Order, who briefly represented David Koresh, and who represented Andy Strassmeir, and arranged his residence at Elohim City. The pastor of Elohim City confirms that two days before the bombing, McVeigh called the community looking for an acquaintance, Andy Strassmeir. Strassmeir, a German national, had lived at Elohim City.
Mourners gather at the bomb site for a memorial service.
But questions arise as to how it will be constructed, where it will be viewed, and who, for purposes of admittance, is a victim. Stephen Jones says the delay has been, in some cases more than a year and a half. He also refuses again to allow victims to sit in on the proceedings if they plan to testify as witnesses. Matsch grants separate trials for McVeigh and Nichols. His decision is based on the fact that Nichols has given investigators lengthy statements incriminating McVeigh, but that McVeigh's attorneys will not be able to question him about those statements without violating Nichols's right not to incriminate himself.