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As in the New York case, a car fragment proved crucial: this time, the vehicle-identification number of a rented Ryder truck that ultimately delivered some 4,000 pounds of explosives was found at the site of the blast. That clue gave investigators in Oklahoma the start they needed. From there, it was a simple routine to trace the truck back to a Ryder outlet in Junction City, 270 miles from the site of the attack. The feds arrived in Junction City around 8 p.m. Wednesday, got a description of the two men who had rented the truck, and the hunt for the John Does was on. By Friday, McVeigh was in federal custody.
The search for clues continues. Though hampered by rain and the instability of the Oklahoma building, forensics experts sifted through rubble in search of bodies and fingerprints. Meanwhile, some militia activists took to the airwaves and the computer networks to denounce last week's violence, while others continued down their paranoid paths. At Paladin Arms, a gun shop in Boulder, Colorado, the business in AR-15s, AK-47s, Uzis and an assortment of ammo has picked up. "There's a fear that Clinton and Reno will take advantage of the tragedy to restrict freedoms and pass further crackdowns on weapons," says owner Bob Glass. "People feel it will be used against them." And Joseph Nee, a Colorado militia leader, distanced himself from the "scumbags" responsible for the bombing, then suggested it was all a "federal setup to make the militia look bad." With the anger stirred up by their fellow travelers, members of the extreme right are certain to face their toughest scrutiny yet. --Reported by Edward Barnes/Herington, Adam Cohen/New York, S.C. Gwynne/ Perry, Michael McBride/Decker, Elaine Shannon and Douglas Waller/Washington, Joseph R. Szczesny/Detroit and Richard Woodbury/Denver