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.

‘One of the Most Satisfying Days’

"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.

‘Sorrow and Horror’

Jack Flynn of Montville, N.J., who lost his son J.P., a college student, attended every day of the trial either at Camp Zeist or via the closed-circuit hookup in New York.

"You cannot believe the sorrow and horror families go through when something like this happens," Flynn told reporters after the verdict, tears filling his eyes as his voice quavered. "You can't believe it.

"After waiting 12 years, it was some level of justice," Flynn said. "Obviously, you can never bring your kid back. Hopefully, the U.S. government takes some substantial action against Libya.

"It was an act of war," he added. "It was killing Americans."

Nevertheless, for now, he and other relatives took the split verdict as a victory. Many of them believed the case would never come to trial, and at times accused the American and British governments of being poorly attuned to their concerns and not pushing aggressively enough for justice.

Flynn said he is "in agreement with the judges' verdict." He realized there might not be enough evidence to convict Fhimah of murder because nobody saw Fhimah place a bag believed to have contained explosives on the airplane.

"It was very emotional for me," Flynn added. "I knew in my heart they were guilty."

Closure Not Likely

Jeannine Boulanger of Shrewsbury, Mass., whose daughter, Nicole, was a 21-year-old senior at Syracuse University when she died, said she was "a little numb" as she heard the verdict. She said she regarded as a victory, and seemed happy as she spoke to reporters, but she does not feel closure.

"That word closure, I think, needs to be eliminated from the vocabulary," she said. "The worst, we have survived, and anything else [including the verdict] would diminish in importance.

"I have learned to experience the moment and realize I have no guarantees," she said "I think we honor our loved ones by valuing our lives. I carry her with me every day."