Was the FBI lab work competent?
PHIL PONCE: And is the defense expected to mount a serious attack against the competence of the lab work done by the FBI to support this evidence against Mr. Nichols? TIM SULLIVAN: Yes, they are, and they began that effort over the past couple of days with cross-examination of Steven Burmeister, the chemist in the FBI lab who told the jury that he found crystals of ammonium nitrate at the bomb scene, ammonium nitrate being a component of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, which the government claims Terry Nichols purchased two tons of several months before the bombing. On cross-examination the defense brought out through Mr. Burmeister that the evidence may have been mishandled. These crystals that he says he found of ammonium nitrate mysteriously disappeared at the FBI laboratory, and most importantly, they brought out evidence or testimony that superiors in the FBI determined or concluded that this was an ammonium nitrate fertilizer bomb before the testing at the lab was even completed. PH
