Tabloid Prints Photos Of 'Dead' McVeigh

Delay Forces Magazines Into Errors

BOCA RATON, Fla., 2:49 p.m. EDT May 23, 2001 -- The tabloid fight to get a final picture of Timothy McVeigh led one publication to jump the gun.

The Weekly World News tabloid, on stands this week, featured what the paper claims is a picture of the convicted Oklahoma City bomber on a "morgue slab."

Inside the magazine, a story talks about McVeigh's May 16 execution in the past tense. That date was pushed back to June 11, however, by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft after the FBI revealed that it had failed to turn thousands of documents over to defense attorneys.

The publication of a photo of an event that has not happened seems to confirm what many have assumed for years -- tabloids publish stories that have not been confirmed or which may not be true at all.

There are reports that other tabloid magazines will pay thousands of dollars for authentic photos.

Rob Nigh, one of McVeigh's attorneys, found the drive to get post-execution photos upsetting.

"Anytime anyone dies, somebody has to take responsibility (for) disposition of the remains. Tim is no different," he said. "It's beyond me how someone could be interested in such a photo."

Other tabloids published stories about McVeigh's supposed final hours, some purporting to recount how McVeigh was breaking down as his execution approached.

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