Rear Axle Housing with Partial VIN

Why was finding the partial VIN a big break in solving the crime?

This rear axle housing was found approximately 575 feet from the bomb crater outside of the Regency Tower apartments. It contains a partial VIN (vehicle identification number) that was used to identify the truck containing the bomb, the first big break in the case.

Mike McPherson, an Oklahoma City Police Department Tech, recorded this VIN number on a spare business card, which helped to get a search started for the identification of the vehicle. The VIN was traced through the National Insurance Crime Bureau and was matched to a Ryder Truck rented out of Junction City, Kansas. This allowed officials to gain momentum in the identification of a culprit, giving them the name “Robert D. Kling.” Timothy McVeigh used this alias to rent the truck.