Andreas Strassmeir

Andreas Carl Strassmeir^[5][6] is a German national^[7] and the former head-of-security for the white separatist community, Elohim City, Oklahoma. He gained media attention for his alleged connection to the Oklahoma City Bombing and has become an important figure in its conspiracy theories.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Early life[]

Strassmeir came from a German family known for its right-wing nationalist sympathies. He was the son of Günter Straßmeir, the Chief of Staff to German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. His grandfather was also a co-founder of the Nazi Party.^[12][13]

Strassmeir studied at a military university in Hamburg, and then went on to serve in the German Army in 1979. His military service lasted for a total of five years.^[14]

Time in the U.S.[]

After resigning from the British Welsh Guard, Strassmeir moved to Washington, D.C. to pursue a career within the U.S. Department of Justice. According to Strassmeir himself, he had hoped to work for the operations section of the Drug Enforcement Administration.^[15] His efforts to obtain a career within the federal government were aided by , a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who had apparently met Strassmeir's father while he (Petruskie) was stationed in Berlin. In interviews, Strassmeir has referred to Vincent Petruskie as "a former CIA guy my father had known".^[16] Petruskie confirms that he had assisted Andreas Strassmeir in finding such a job, but denies having any connection to the CIA.

Strassmeir moved to Houston, Texas, in 1986 where he started working as a salesman for a computer company.^[17] During this time, he became involved with the Texas Light Infantry militia before eventually getting expelled due to speculation from members that Strassmeir was a government agent.^[18][19] Afterwards, he became active in right wing and neo-Nazi circles where he eventually met his future attorney, .^{[citation needed]}

Andreas Strassmeir was also reported to have spent some time in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he obtained a state drivers license. According to Ray Woodruff, a landlord of Strassmeir's, he had rented a 1,300-square-foot house which was located on 7613 Thorngrove Pike but never actually lived in it - simply only claiming residency.^[20][21]

Elohim City[]

In 1991, Kirk Lyons introduced Andreas Strassmeir to Elohim City - a white separatist community in Oklahoma. A year later, Strassmeir moved there and became the chief of security and weapons training.^[22] According to Lyons, Strassmeir hoped to marry an Elohim City woman and gain permanent resident status in the United States.

During this time, he struck a friendship with Michael William Brescia, a member of the Aryan Republican Army. The two shared a room together on the compound.^[23]

While working as a confidential informant (CI) for the ATF, Elohim City resident, Carol Howe informed her agency handler about Andreas Strassmeir and how he would frequently talk about "blowing up federal buildings" and using "direct action against the U.S. Government".^[24] At the time, Carol Howe was unaware of Strassmeir's full name, and simply knew him as "Andy the German".

After the OKC Bombing, Strassmeir fled the compound with fellow Elohim City residents Pete and Tony Ward.^[25]

Oklahoma City Bombing[]

McVeigh's Phone Call[]

On April 5, 1995 - exactly two weeks before the bombing - Timothy McVeigh telephoned Elohim City just minutes after he had reserved the Ryder rental van that was used to blow up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. This telephone call was answered by community resident Joan Millar, the daughter-in-law of Robert G. Millar.^[26][27]

Relationship With McVeigh[]

Information from various sources, regarding the relationship between the two, tend to conflict with one another - making it difficult to determine such an aspect. However, it is known that Andreas Strassmeir and Timothy McVeigh first met at a gun show in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1993.^[28][29]

According to Strassmeir himself, he says that he provided Timothy McVeigh with a business card which had Elohim City's phone number on it when they had met.^[30]

On April 8th, 1995 (eleven days prior to the Oklahoma City bombing), Andreas Strassmeir was allegedly spotted in the company of McVeigh and Brescia at a topless strip club in Tulsa known as Lady Godiva's. Strassmeir was identified by witnesses at the club, including a stripper who worked there.^[31][32]

A week before the bombing occurred, Strassmeir, along with Brescia and McVeigh were all reportedly seen together in Herington, Kansas. Two additional witnesses by the names of Larry and Cathy Wild, claimed they saw and talked with Strassmeir at a lake north of the city. There have been allegations that this is the location where McVeigh and his accomplice, Terry Nichols had purchased and stockpiled the ingredients of an ANFO bomb - the type of bomb used in the Oklahoma City bombing. Additionally, it has been alleged that Herington was also the place where the Ryder truck used in the attack (by McVeigh) was rented.^[33]

Departure from the United States[]

Robert Millar quickly "expelled" Andreas Strassmeier from Elohim City soon after he became aware that the FBI was looking at Strassmeir for possible ties to McVeigh and the bombing.^[34]

Notes from a 1997 FBI investigation state that sometime after the bombing, CIA pilot flew Andreas Strassmer out of the United States.^[35] While that same report records that Strassmeir was flown to Berlin, many have speculated that he was instead flown to Mexico.^[36] However, in a letter to the McCurtain Gazette from Strassmeir's attorney (Kirk Lyons), he says his client's sudden departure from the U.S. was aided by members of Germany's elite counterterrorism unit, GSG 9.^[37]

References[]