Former U.S. Attorney Patrick Ryan, key figure in Oklahoma City bombing trials, passes away

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma City National Memorial announced Friday that former U.S. Attorney Patrick Ryan unexpectedly passed away earlier this week.

Ryan was sworn into office for the Western District of Oklahoma in June 1995, just two months after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

He was instrumental in working with families and preparing for the trials of Timothy J. McVeigh and Terry L. Nichols. Pat, along with a few others, was picked by U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno to represent Oklahoma City as part of a national team of prosecutors for the case.

"He led the office through three challenging years during the OKBOMB federal trials of United States v. Timothy J. McVeigh and United States v. Terry L. Nichols," said the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum on social media. "He had enormous responsibility for victims’ advocacy and evidentiary material."

The museum reflected on the time that Ryan would be in and out of court for the trials.

"Pat Ryan always wore his white cowboy hat to remind the family members, survivors and first responders there was an Oklahoman fighting for them," said the museum.

The cowboy hat sits on display at the memorial museum to this day.

We are grateful for Pat’s Oral History and for his collection as part of our historical archives that will forever tell the critical role and responsibilities he assumed with this case that remains the largest domestic terrorism case tried on American soil.

Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum