Convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was formally sentenced to death yesterday for the 1995 explosion that killed 168 people and injured 500 more.
Before being sentenced by Judge Richard Matsch in Denver, Colorado, McVeigh broke his courtroom silence for the first time.
He quoted the late Supreme Court justice Louis Brandeis as saying: "Our government is the hope and omnipotent teacher for good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example."
McVeigh (29) had hardly spoken a word during his 11-week trial which ended in June with a jury finding him guilty of bombing the Alfred Murrah federal building on April 19th, 1995, in the worst attack on civilians in US history.
Judge Matsch said: "It is the judgment of this court that the defendant be sentenced to death on each of the counts of the indictment."
He added only that McVeigh had written to him about his legal representation and indicated he would make the letter public.
McVeigh, in a newspaper interview published this week, said he was dissatisfied with his chief lawyer and wanted to dismiss him.
McVeigh's lawyer, Mr Stephen Jones, said: "Today is a solemn day of judgment to follow through on the jury's verdict." He said he had already filed a notice of appeal.
Relatives of victims sat stony-faced in the court.
The jury at McVeigh's trial had decided the bomber should face the death penalty and by law Matsch had formally to impose that sentence.
On Wednesday, Matsch heard arguments on several motions filed by co-defendant Terry Nichols, who is scheduled to stand trial September 29th.