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The rear axle of a large truck was found about a block from the Murrah Building. A partial Vehicle Identification Number which is unique to every vehicle, was found on the axle. A trace through the NICB revealed the full VIN number and that the truck was registered to Ryder Rental, Incorporated, in Miami, Florida. This evidence led investigators to Elliott's Body Shop in Junction City, Kansas.

Employees provided descriptions of the individuals that rented the truck and then sketches were made and John Doe #1 was identified as Timothy McVeigh. The truck was rented under the name Robert Kling.

After sketches of John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 were released, investigators canvassed the area motels to see if anyone recognized the individuals. Dreamland Motel owner Lea McGown recognized John Doe #1 as someone who rented room #25 from April 14-April 17. She said he asked if he could park a moving truck there during his stay. The name on the registration card was Timothy McVeigh and the car he listed was a Mercury, the same type of car he was driving when he was arrested.

On April 15, an order was placed from room #25, registered to McVeigh, at the Dreamland Motel under the name Kling, the same name used to rent the moving truck. The description provided by the delivery person matched McVeigh's facial features.

Chemical residue was found on McVeigh's clothing and earplugs, indicating recent handling of explosives

McVeigh's pant pockets and shirt had PETN residue on them which is found in detonation cord

McVeigh had a set of earplugs in his pants pocket which had EGDN residue, which is found in dynamite.

McVeigh had told Michael Fortier that he and Terry Nichols had used a cordless drill to drill the locks from the storage buildings that housed the explosives they stole at a rock quarry near Nichols home. A Makita cordless drill was found at Nichols home along with drill bits. When the drill bit impressions were compared to those left on the locks, one of the bits matched.

1. As a kid, he was a collector of survivalist and gun magazines, and by his teens he had become deeply interested in firearms, often shooting with his grandfather. He was also known for being a quiet, polite student who excelled in academics but struggled in social settings. 

2. He served in the Army during the Gulf War as a gunner in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and earned a Bronze Star. He became disillusioned by what he saw as bureaucratic issues and failed to qualify for Special Forces, which contributed to his rapidly growing anti government views. 

3. After he left the army, he sold military surplus items at gun shows and became involved in the militia movement. He also distributed copies of The Turner Diaries, a novel that influenced his ideology. 

4. He chose the date of the bombing (April 19, 1995) to coincide with the anniversary of Waco and the Battle of Lexington and Concord, viewing it as a symbolic resistance against all federal authority.

5. In prison, he requested to be executed by a firing squad instead of lethal injection, but it was denied. He also wrote letters expressing no remorse and continued to use government overreach as a justification for his actions.

1. His father who was a musician named him after 2 guitarists, Pekka Järvinen and Eric Clapton. 

2. People described him as a shy student who isolated himself and blushed easily when he was embarrassed. Reports indicate he experienced long-term bullying. 

3. His parents attempted to get psychiatric outpatient care for his depression and anxiety in late 2006-early 2007, but the referral was denied because his symptoms were deemed mild. He irregularly used SSRIs a year or so before the shooting.

4. He named his .22-caliber Sig Sauer Mosquito pistol Catherine

He first began to hear commanding voices in his head at the age of 12, including one telling him to “kill everyone.” He later believed the Disney corporation and U.S. government had implanted a chip in his brain as the source of the voices. 

Kip regularly made homemade bombs (majority were gasoline based) and detonated them in a nearby quarry specifically to vent his feelings of anger.

He had an extensive knife collection and enjoyed setting objects on fire, which disturbed the family’s longtime housekeeper enough that she quit her job and warned his parents repeatedly.

He wrote violent threats on his Spanish class worksheet including “I will hunt you down and put a hole in your head. With explosives,” along with drawings of sad faces marked “RIP” and “You must DIE.” The teacher’s response was minimal. 

Three weeks before the shooting, he blurted out in class “God damn this voice inside my head.” The school’s “respect sheet” response to this focused only on not saying the word “damn” and was signed by Kip, his mother, and the teacher.