Thread by @briOKC

The FBI informant in the Jerry Drake Varnell trial took the witness stand this morning. Here’s a quick courtroom doodle I did before lunch

Our past coverage: FBI sting to foil Oklahoma City bomb plot based on informant with violent history readfrontier.org/stories/fbi-st…

FBI detonated large ammonium nitrate explosive as part of case against man accused in OKC bomb plot readfrontier.org/stories/fbi-de…

Testimony: Varnell texted an FBI informant “Fuck Trump, Fuck monopolies, shit needs to burn.”
Also, I can’t draw people in 3/4-view

Informant takes the witness stand in Oklahoma City bomb sting trial readfrontier.org/stories/inform…

Trial update: FBI weapons expert testified today about how Varnell built/tried to detonate an inert bomb from materials provided by the FBI

Varnell’s attorneys argued that Varnell never passed college chemistry and did not have the means or ability to build the bomb on his own

defense successfully fought to keep the jury from seeing video of a test bomb the FBI detonated to show the power of such a bomb

Jury still got to see photos though

Also from testimony today-undercover agents repeatedly asked Varnell to get barrels/cargo van to build a bomb, but he never followed through

The FBI provided Varnell with all of the materials for the intern bomb and even written instructions on how to detonate it

A computer forensics expert also testified today that the FBI found writings on Varnell’s computer related to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing

according to one rambling screed: Varnell believed the 1995 Murrah bombing was some kind of coverup orchestrated by Bill and Hillary Clinton

“The government is not going to like my research. It’s going to be dangerous to them. I’m going to be dangerous to them.” Varnell wrote

The defense has argued that Varnell struggles with mental illness and his parents have legal guardianship over him.

Update: under cross-examination today: FBI Agent Eric Larsen said he was aware informant Brent Elisens smoked pot with Varnell

Larsen said the FBI admonshed Elisens for smoking pot with Varnell.

In one text exchange between Elisens and agents, Elisens warned that there would be marijuana present at a meeting with Varnell.

“It’s going to be a botanical situation” Varnell texted the agents.

A 2-hour recording of a meeting between Varnell and Elisen has sounds of “rolling, smoking, inhaling and coughing” according to the defense

Agent Larsen said he didn’t listen to the entire recording and make note of he drug use until months after it was made.

sketch I made of the defendant.
He looks like he’s wearing his dad’s clothes-also very pale from being held in a jail w/no outside rec time

Update: Varnell’s mother Melonie testified her son “Drake”has been hospitalized for mental health issues multiple times since the 9th grade.

Melonie Varnell said her son’s delusions included believing he could turn rocks into gold by burying them in the ground on the family farm

She also said her son once believed she was the Virgin Mary and he was Jesus.

Varnell started to think he was a race car driver after hearing the Primus song “Jerry was a Race Car Driver”

Varnell believed he had discovered a cure for cancer after his grandmother was diagnosed with lung cancer.

He also believed he had discovered a drug called “Narnia” that would cure people of “mind control”

He launched a gofundme page for it and even paid to have labels made for it