Severed Leg Belonged To A Black Woman

A leg found in the rubble of the federal building bombing belongs to an unidentified black woman, the state medical examiner said Wednesday.

The leg belonged to a woman approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall between the ages of 16 and 30, according to DNA analysis by the FBI. The badly decomposed limb did not match any of seven known victims of the bombing who were missing left legs, said Dr. Fred Jordan.

The official death count from the attack was raised to 169.

Earlier tests found a 75 percent probability that the leg had belonged to a light-skinned male. Jordan’s release said that conclusion was based on statistical data for Caucasians.

Defense attorneys for bombing suspect Timothy McVeigh speculated that the leg might have belonged to the “real bomber.” The leg was found wearing a size 7-1/2 military-style boot and an olive-drab strap.