McVeigh grew up in Pendleton, a small upstate New York town. He had a happy childhood swimming in his family's pool, hiking and playing with the neighborhood kids. He enjoyed organizing parties and games for local kids on the block. His father and mother divorced when he was ten-years-old. He grew closer to his dad, helping him cultivate his vegetable garden. His mom moved to Florida with his younger sister Jennifer, and she married a coast guard. With a normal and healthy pattern, in Starpoint High School, McVeigh participated in track and field and was a member of the honor society. He worked at a local fast food chain and dated high school girlfriends. In his senior year, he grew interested in computers. After graduation in 1986, he enrolled in the local business college, but soon became bored with his computer classes. In 1987, he moved to Buffalo, New York and took a job as a security guard.

Looking for excitement, he signed up for the U.S. Army on 5/24/1988. McVeigh took to military life and the comradeship with his fellow troops at Fort Benning, Georgia, becoming a straight-arrow soldier. He was promoted to corporal and then to sergeant. During the Persian Gulf War, McVeigh was sent to Iraq as a gunner on a Bradley fighting vehicle. On returning to the States, he sensed a major shift in the U.S. Army. The post-cold-war army downsizing changed his life as he watched his companions leave military service. In March 1991, he dropped out of the Special Forces qualification course at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Allowing himself to get out of shape cut his chances for reaching the upper echelon of military duty. Discharged from the army, McVeigh tried to adjust to civilian life.

In 1993, he arrived in Waco to watch the standoff between the Branch Davidians and federal agents. McVeigh started selling guns and ammo at gun shows across the country. McVeigh became close friends with James Nichols, Terry's older brother and spent time on his farm in Decker, Michigan.

On 4/19/1995, at 9:02 AM CDT*, a bomb of massive carnage and destruction exploded at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK. Two hours after the bombing, McVeigh was stopped by a policeman for a traffic violation 70 miles from Oklahoma City. McVeigh was almost released until the police recognized him as one of the possible suspects in the terrorist act. Due to information located on Tim's drivers license, James Douglas Nichols (born 4/03/1954) was implicated in the bombing as well. Terry Nichols turned himself in to the Harrington, Kansas P.D. when learning they were listing him as a suspect in the bombing.

McVeigh was found guilty on 5/29/1997 for conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, use of a weapon of mass destruction, destruction by explosive, and eight counts of first degree murder. On 6/13/1997, he was sentenced to death.

On 12/28/2000 McVeigh requested U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch, who presided over his trial, to let him drop all of his appeals of the death sentence and set a date for his execution. The judge complied and scheduled a date for his execution by lethal injection on 5/16/2001.

In a startling twist, it was revealed in early May that all the documentation of evidence had not been disclosed, leading to a stay of execution. On 5/31/2001, Timothy McVeigh asked for a stay of execution and immediately the Justice Department denied his lawyers' assertion that the government still has failed to provide documents relating to the Oklahoma City bombing investigation.

McVeigh faced his execution by lethal chemical injection on 6/11/2001, 7:00 AM EST, United States Penitentiary, Terre Haute, Indiana, 87W25, 39N28. News reports stated that he died at 7:14 AM local time, about 10 minutes after the execution began.