Lockerbie Victim's Brother: 'We Got One'

NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2001 — -- They lost their sons, daughters and spouses when Pan Am Flight 103 blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland. For 12 years, they fought with the American and British governments — and sometimes each other — seeking justice.

Today, they gathered in New York, Washington and Europe, and finally got some of the justice they were looking for: A man prosecutors described as an agent of Libya was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison by unanimous vote of three judges in a special Scottish court at Camp Zeist, an American military base in the Netherlands. An accused accomplice, Lamen Khalifa Fhimah, 44, was acquitted.

"For 12 years, we've been doing things honoring Mark," said Barbara Zwynenberg of West Nyack, N.Y., referring to her son, a 29-year-old investment banker who was one of 270 people killed in the explosion.

"Today will definitely be one of the most satisfying days I've had in many, many years," added Mark's brother, Paul.

The life sentence most likely means Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, 49, will serve at least 20 years in prison for blowing the commercial flight from London to New York out of the air over Lockerbie in December 1988.

For dozens of relatives gathered in a federal building in downtown Manhattan around 5 a.m. ET, the stress of the moment was heightened when a sound failure on the closed circuit television feed of the trial left them trying to read lips to get the verdict.

There was "a lot of tension, extreme silence," said Bert Ammerman, of River Vale, N.J., whose brother Tom died in the bombing. "The sound didn't go on and that was frustrating and agonizing."

Finally, word of the verdict came by telephone and was announced to the room.

"There was a pause," Ammerman said. "There were cheers. There was some crying. … There was a feeling [that] we got one."

"My stomach was in a knot and after the verdict came in there was tremendous relief," said Matt Coyle of Wallingford, Ct., who lost his 20-year-old daughter, Tricia.