The real culprit, whose misguided intervention and stubbornness led to the Richard Jewell debacle, was Louis Freeh, then the FBI director. In 2005, Eric Rudolph pleaded guilty to that bombing and three others. "Mom," said Richard turning to Bobi, his voice cracking with emotion. I love you.". I was more nervous about meeting Bobi than I was Clint, because Clint and I have a certain commonality based on what we do for a living. When she went after a story she did what was necessary to get the story, within legal and ethical bounds., She was never at peace or at rest with this story. He is today 53 years old. Without Jewells watchful eye, the tragedy could have been many times worse. You can read his full confession here. "She had very good contacts with the police department. She cursed. It was three days after a lethal explosion killed one woman and injured more than 100 people at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlantas Centennial Olympic Park. Llewellyn; and special agents Diader Rosario and Don Johnson. They were accused of trying to get Jewell to star in a training video that was really a ruse to see if he would incriminate himself. READ NEXT: Richard Jewells Cause of Death: How Did He Die? Jewell's lawsuit accused Cleere of describing Jewell as a "badge-wearing zealot" who "would write epic police reports for minor infractions. Shortly after the bombing, Jewell was labeled the principal suspect in the FBIs investigation. WebOn August 29 he died at the age of 44. agents scoured the home and towed away Jewells truck. Kathy Scruggs was a modern, independent woman whose personal life should not detract from her accomplishments.. He settled with CNN for an undisclosed amount. Donating today will help ensure that the paper stays run by its student staff. In the frenzy to find the perpetrator, an innocent man became a suspect. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. The AP article said that Jewell worked for a security company that was hired by AT&T to provide guards for its Centennial Olympic Park pavilion. He asked the first questions about it, raised the first hue and cry to a Georgia Bureau of Investigation officer.. The representation of a real person in this manner is troubling, especially since Scruggs portrayal in the film is cartoonish compared to the rest of the films performances. He was 44. Jewell died of complications of diabetes in 2007, at age 44. "[3][18][19], Jewell worked in various law enforcement jobs, including as a police officer in Pendergrass, Georgia. Richard Allensworth Jewell (born Richard White;[1] December 17, 1962 August 29, 2007) was an American security guard and law enforcement officer who alerted police during the Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Bomb experts quickly determined that the knapsack contained a crude pipe bomb, and while police were clearing the area, the bomb exploded.. "Thanks for standing byme and believing in me. Richard Jewell is unquestionably a tragic figure, the appeals court said in its conclusion, which favored the newspaper. Jewells story is chronicled and perhaps a bit dramatized in Richard Jewell, Clint Eastwoods latest directorial work, now in theaters. [16] Rudolph later agreed, in April 2005, to plead guilty to the Centennial Park bombing and other attacks on an abortion clinic and a lesbian nightclub, as part of a plea bargain to avoid the death penalty. Witnesses offer conflicting accounts, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. Ive just thought, Im glad I was there.. Scruggs died five years after the controversy. Leading up to Richard Jewells release, controversy has erupted over perspectives seemingly deprioritized in the films telling, especially in its portrayal of real-life journalist Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde) as a man-eating, less-than-ethical scoop artist. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Her second husband John Jewell adopted Richard. He read. Also, Richard Jewell rarely features a musical score in the background. It would be so easy to play Kathy as a love interest, as something less than the competent reporter she was. [10], The New York Times reported in October 1996, when he was cleared as a suspect, that "a number of law-enforcement officials have said privately for months that they thought Mr. Jewell had been involved in the bombing, even though there was no evidence against him and some evidence seemed to rule him out. Today, she is not here to tell her side of the story, played on screen by Olivia Wilde. GettyRichard Jewell with his mother, Bobi Jewell. The bomb exploded 13 minutes later, killing Alice Hawthorne and injuring over 100 others. There is an actor who plays Rosario in the movie, but thats not the Tom Shaw or Dan Bennett character, according to the IMDB cast list for the Eastwood film. [36] The film was directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. Paul Walter Hauser attends the Richard Jewell screening at Rialto Center of the Arts on December 10, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. Three days later, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution revealed that the FBI was treating him as a possible suspect, based largely on a "lone bomber" criminal profile. Bryant wasnt exactly a hot-shot defense lawyerat the time, he was practicing real-estate law. What's the real story behind Richard Jewell, the new Clint Eastwood movie? Sometime after midnight, July 27, 1996, Eric Robert Rudolph, a terrorist who would later bomb a lesbian nightclub and two abortion clinics, planted a green backpack containing a fragmentation-laden pipe bomb under a bench. After his ordeal, Jewell sued or threatened to sue ABC, CNN, NBC, the New York Post and the AJC/Cox for defamation, as well as his former employer, Piedmont College, which he said gave false information about him to newspapers and the FBI. Did he blow those people up? They would yell, You should both die. All she was trying to do was walk her dog.. At issue is the films portrayal of the late reporter Kathy Scruggs. My mother lived a nightmare," said RichardJewell in a 1996 news conference after he was cleared by the FBI. However, its true she got a tip from an FBI agent that Jewell was under investigation. Kathy never quietly entered a room, she exploded into it., A woman who knew her wrote on Kathys relatives Facebook page, I remember Kathy from Athens Academy days! The lawsuit remained pending for several years, having been considered at one time by the Supreme Court of Georgia, and had become an important part of case law regarding whether journalists could be forced to reveal their sources. Richard Jewell is portrayed by Cameron Britton.[44]. For that, we have the greatest sympathy. The bombing occurred July 27, 1996, and three days later, On July 30, FBI agents Don Johnson and Diader Rosario asked Jewell to follow them to FBI headquarters to participate in a training film, the newspaper reported, citing Jewells lawyer. He had a cameo in the September27, 1997, episode of Saturday Night Live, in which he jokingly fended off suggestions that he was responsible for the deaths of Mother Teresa and Diana, Princess of Wales. The article called Jewell a beefy 33-year-old with a checkered law enforcement career who had appeared on the Today Show to recount his heroic deeds. It reported that his name was splashed across Page 1 of an extra edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: FBI suspects hero guard may have planted bomb.. (Never mind the lack of evidence.). They even took a Mary Poppins video. [11][14], The separately issued statement said that Jewell "endured highly unusual and intense publicity that was neither designed nor desired by the FBI, and in fact interfered with the investigation," and that "The public should bear in mind that Richard Jewell has at no time been charged with any crime in connection with the bombing, and the property that was seized pursuant to court-authorized search warrants has been returned." A skilled outdoorsman, Rudolph had managed to elude law enforcement officials for five years while hiding out in the mountains after bombing four sites in Georgia and Alabama. [5][6], Jewell's life has been the subject of popular culture, including the 2019 film Richard Jewell and the ten-episode drama Deadly Games, the 2020 season of the anthology series Manhunt. Eastwoods movie depicts a female reporter offering sex, Max Frankel wrote in the papers magazine. agent in exchange for it. A person who always wanted to be a cop, Jewell saves hundreds of lives by identifying a bomb at She dated an editor who allegedly beat her with a telephone. By July 30, 1996, news organizations were reporting that Jewell had emerged, in the words of an Associated Press story, as the prime target of the FBI investigation. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the Clint Eastwood-directed film salaciously and falsely portrays former reporter Kathy Scruggs trading sex for FBI tips. He discovered a backpack containing three pipe bombs on the park grounds[1] and helped evacuate the area before the bomb exploded, saving many people from injury or death. The article added: The simple fact was that Bryant had no qualifications for the job. The bombings really sprang from his own unique biases and prejudices. A full body orgasm at the L.A. Phil? She was proud of the way she reported it to begin with, her brother Lewis Scruggs told AJC. At the time, Vanity Fair reported, Watson Bryant made a modest living by doing real-estate closings in the suburbs, but Jewell and his lawyer had formed an unusual friendship a decade earlier, when Jewell worked as a mailroom clerk at a federal disaster-relief agency where Bryant practiced law.. The pipe bomb, inside the bag, exploded minutes later. She spent all the money she had and more and would go into the depths of depression., The headline on the original story was, FBI suspects hero guard may have planted bomb.. WebThe prosecutor, Elisabeth MacNamara, found the incident disturbing enough to suggest that Jewell was overzealous to the point he might be off-balance. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He was 44. Tom Shaw and Dan Bennett are not real. [26][27], The newspaper was the only defendant that did not settle with Jewell. Tom Shaw and Dan Bennett appear to be loosely based on Don Johnson and Diader Rosario but are also composite characters, and some of it is completely fictionalized. The actress said people have a hard time accepting sexuality in female characters without letting it define the character entirely. WebNearly 25 years after she lived through "88 days of hell," Bobi Jewell's emotions seem just as raw as they were when her son, Richard Jewell, was first identified as the main The young, jolly revelers, many waving cups of beer, didnt take directions very well, reported the 1996 TIME cover story on the bombing. You have reached your limit of free articles. In real life, it took many more years and a good deal more police work to bring the real bomber to justice. Richard Jewell's mother says movie was '200 percent' accurate, "Hero for a Moment: The Richard Jewell Story". Asked if Jewell should be named as a suspect, Bryant said, No but he should be along with everyone else that was in the area when the bomb exploded.. While the film does allow its actors to shine, its understated nature also leads to a film that struggles to keep viewers attentive. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. According to Bobi, who is now 83 years old, the movie is "200 percent accurate.". Youre doing things like him that you dont even know youre doing. She even brought treats to the set, THR added. With only days left before Richard Jewell hits theaters, lawyers for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and its parent company, Cox Enterprises, have demanded that Warner Bros. slap a disclaimer on the Clint Eastwood film. And its true, as the movie shows, that the timing pretty much exonerated Jewell from the start. Jewell. Her daughter was also injured. He said the lawsuits were about clearing his name. [3] An autopsy found the cause of death to be severe heart disease with diabetes and related obesity complications as a contributing factor.[46]. This page was last edited on 19 April 2023, at 15:34. In fact, the biggest changes Manhunt made was not with the Jewell story but with that of Rudolph, who eventually went to prison for the crime after spending five years hiding out in the mountains. Anyone can read what you share. An Associated Press story in the Scranton Times-Tribune, dated August 6, 1996, describes how Bryant explained to the news media that bombing fragments found in Jewells apartment were souvenirs. Perdue said Jewell "deserves to be remembered as a hero. Jewell bought a home with the money. [1], Centennial Olympic Park was designed as the "town square" of the Olympics, and thousands of spectators had gathered for a late concert and merrymaking. I worry about Eastwoods version of Kathy. She drank. When she left to go to work the next day, she would take it with her, tear it up, and put it in the trash! Here is a man whose valor and quick thinking catapulted him from obscurity to beloved national hero almost instantaneously, who then saw those universal accolades vanish in the blink of an eye. WebJewell, then 33, had noticed an abandoned backpack under a bench near the tower and alerted an agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Richard Jewell died in 2007 at age 44 from heart failure. fits the profile of the lone bomber. The story had a double byline, Scruggs and Ron Martz. And he certainly wasn't convicted. He couldnt go outside not without setting off a high-speed car chase of government vehicles and media vans, anyway. [12][4][13], On October 26, 1996, the US Attorney in Atlanta, Kent Alexander, sent Jewell a letter saying "based on the evidence developed to date Richard Jewell is not considered a target of the federal criminal investigation into the bombing on July 27, 1996, at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta." Get our L.A. "[29], Jewell sued NBC News for this statement made by Tom Brokaw, "The speculation is that the FBI is close to making the case. Kathleen Scruggs died as a result of acute morphine toxicity, the report says. The article said that Jewell was mobbed by reporters as he returned home from FBI questioning. He declared, Im innocent. Alice S. Hawthorne, a spectator from Albany, Ga., died in the blast; Melih Uzunyol, a Turkish cameraman running to cover the explosion, died of a heart attack soon after. The AP story says that Jewell was credited with spotting an unattended olive-drab knapsack near the AT&T pavilion. Wilde defended her portrayal of Scruggs last week, saying she had an immense amount of respect for the reporter, who died in 2001 from an overdose of prescription pain pills. Jewell was first referenced in The Times on July 28, 1996 not by name, but as an AT&T security guard, in the papers initial story on the explosion. [33], Jewell filed suit against his former employer Piedmont College, its president Raymond Cleere, and college spokesman Scott Rawles. [10], Richard Jewell, a biographical drama film, was released in the United States on December 13, 2019. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. The lawyers full name is G. Watson Bryant. He was a suspect in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing, and is now the subject of Clint Eastwoods new film. or redistributed. But the F.B.I. Jewell, a former sheriffs deputy and later a campus police officer, was working security at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta when he came across a suspicious backpack near his post at a light and sound tower at Centennial Olympic Park. WebRichard Jewell was never officially charged with any crimes, but he spent 88 days being under investigation as the person responsible for the 1996 bombs in Centennial Park. ), Jack Nicholson returns courtside to cheer beloved Lakers to playoff win, Aging beloved YA author Judy Blumes inevitable foil isnt so bad after all, Review: The entertaining Peter Pan & Wendy charts a familiar course to Neverland, Rihanna has Smurfs on the brain for her next movie: Hope this gives me cool points, Review: In Guardians 3, ultra-weird superhero fun doesnt have to be Rocket science. It would take time for officials to track down the right one: Eric Robert Rudolph, an anti-abortion militant who, in 1998, was linked to other bombings, but evaded police for years. These said conversations are shot with little flair or style due to the basic shot-reverse-shot manner, a film technique in which one character is shown looking at another character during a conversation and then vice versa. He had his own way of looking at the world and didnt get along with a lot of people.. He is currently serving four life sentences without possibility of parole. Go to Fox Nationto start a free trial and watch the extensive library from Tomi Lahren, Pete Hegseth, Abby Hornacek, Laura Ingraham, Ainsley Earhardt, Greg Gutfeld, Judge Andrew Napolitano and many more of your favorite Fox News personalities. Still, the constant media attention he received at the height of the investigation had turned him into a public figure. That article says that Jack Martin, a more experienced criminal defense attorney, had joined the team. GettyRichard Jewell (C) his mother Barbara (L) and attorneys Watson Bryant (R) and Wayne Grant (far R) look on during a press conference 28 October in Atlanta, Ga. Jewell was cleared as a suspect in the July 27 bombing of Centennial Olympic Park. Apparently he was also approached for a book contract. The law caught up with Rudolph in 2003. GettyThis dawn 27 July photo shows the five-story sound tower (L) in the Atlanta Centennial Olympic Park where a bomb exploded early 27 July during a rock concert. Kathy may be gone, but she is still a vibrant part of our family and we love her very much., In a book on the case called The Suspect, Scruggs is described as a delightful throwback to the 1930s newspaper wars. Poynter.org wrote that There is no evidence that Scruggs slept with anyone to get the story. Nevertheless, for all of the reasons noted supra, we conclude that the trial court did not err in denying Jewells motion to compel or in granting the Media Defendants summary judgment on Jewells claims.. No character in Richard Jewell more thoroughly embodies the films view of an amoral, mercenary media than Kathy Scruggs, the cackling, trash-talking crime reporter who breaks the story on the FBIs Jewell probe after (as the movie strongly implies) offering a liaison with Hamms Agent Shaw. Sam Rockwell and G. Watson Bryant Jr. attend the Richard Jewell screening at Rialto Center of the Arts on December 10, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. The FBI had him under 24-hour surveillance. "[34] The college settled for an undisclosed amount. Yet to this day people think he had something ugly to do with the bombing when hes the guy that, but for him, it would have been raining body parts when that bomb went off. According to an Associated Press story from July 29, 1996, the bomb killed a woman and injured more than 100 people. She dated Lewis Grizzard. During a Jack Mack and the Heart Attack performance, Jewell and other security guards began clearing the immediate area so that a bomb squad could investigate the suspicious package. "[11], At a press conference in July 1997, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno expressed personal regret over the leak that led to intense scrutiny of Jewell. Children asked for autographs. [30] Jay Leno also apologized during a Tonight Show episode on October 28, 1996. On July 30, 1996, the media identified Richard Jewell as the F.B.I. Scruggs newspaper has defended its reporting as accurately reflecting the state of the FBIs investigation at the time; the FBI was investigating Jewell in the bombing, although he was completely exonerated. It reported that Scruggs had good contacts in the Atlanta police, and she was tough but one former staff member called her a police groupie to Vanity Fair, and an editor, while praising her talents, told Brenner: Kathy has a hard edge that some people find offensive. The story also describes the subsequent media frenzy, which extended far beyond AJC, and the FBIs initial pursuit of Jewell. The young, jolly revelers, WebThe attorney for Richard Jewell, who came under suspicion in the 1996 Olympic Park bombing before he was exonerated, criticized the movie "Richard Jewell" on Thursday She had been there a few years and she had contacts with the FBI. She called the shots as they were, be it good or bad. Soon, Jewell was a reviled national laughingstock. Much has been made about the movie making it appear that the lead journalist character, Kathy Scruggs, offered to trade sex for the tip about the Jewell investigation. The primary concern, as I Kathy Bates as Bobi Jewell, Richard's mother, Sam Rockwell and Paul Walter Hauser in 'Richard Jewell', The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election. GettyThe crime scene at the Atlanta Olympics. Postell while rummaging through a trash bin behind a rural grocery story in Murphy, North Carolina, the FBI explains. In the movie, Tom Shaw and Dan Bennett are the names given to the FBI agents relentlessly pursuing the former hero security guard turned suspect in the Atlanta bombing at the Olympics. It was described as a crude pipe bomb.. The 1997 article in Vanity Fair on the Richard Jewell case gives extensive details on the effect on Bobi at the time. Such a portrayal makes it appear that the AJC sexually exploited its staff and/or that it facilitated or condoned offering sexual gratification to sources in exchange for stories. [4] He appeared in Michael Moore's 1997 film The Big One. Jewell was working as a security guard for the event. WebThe misdirected pursuit of Richard Jewell in 1996 should have served as a bellwether of change in how the FBI conducted sensitive investigations. She said, "I'm very sorry it happened. Market data provided by Factset. Abortion is murder. The pressure began to ease only after Jewell's attorneys hired an ex-FBI agent to administer a polygraph, which Jewell passed. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles. Jewell was chosen in keeping with the parade's theme of "Unsung Heroes. Within two days of the bombing, the media was labeling Jewell a hero. His battles with the church arent over, How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! He worked as a deputy sheriff in Meriwether County, Georgia, until his death. And, most of all, he wants to be a police officer.. He was 45 years old, with strong features and thinning hair, a southern preppy from a country-club family, it reads. [10], A Justice Department investigation of the FBI's conduct found the FBI had tried to manipulate Jewell into waiving his constitutional rights by telling him he was taking part in a training film about bomb detection, although the report concluded "no intentional violation of Mr. Jewell's civil rights and no criminal misconduct" had taken place. There are still some holes in this case. [23], After he was dropped as a suspect, Jewell filed libel suits against NBC News, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, CNN, the New York Post, and Piedmont College. Richard Jewell would have been excited but humbled at the Wednesday ceremony honoring him and members of law enforcement at Centennial Olympic Park, his widow said. Their interrogation, agents told him, would be used for a training video. WebRichard Jewell is based on the real-life trials and tribulations of the title character. The article said there were more than 150 people close to the bomb before they were moved, so its believed that Jewell, in real life, did save many lives. The progress was slow. WebThe slanted angle of Richard Jewells dramaturgy is the sort of thing that Eastwood fans will defend using the omelettes to break eggs defenseyou cant truly produce a movie 's prime suspect in the Olympic Park bombing. I did not do this Mom.'" Jewells moms Tupperware really was confiscated by the FBI, for example, and he really did land a job at a local police department after being cleared. Check out the performances that shook the campus. I am looking forward to seeing this movie although I am still saddened by the tragedy.. The letter did not include an apology, but in a separate statement issued by Alexander, the U.S. Justice Department regretted the leaking of the investigation. Scruggs obituary in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution explained that she had suffered a variety of health problems for the past year., I would characterize her as a very good reporter who was very fair, Atlanta Police Chief Beverly Harvard told the newspaper. Read more . [43], The 2020 season two of the crime drama anthology series Manhunt, also called Manhunt: Deadly Games, centers on the story of the Centennial Park bombing and the other bombs planted by Eric Robert Rudolph. [20], Jewell married Dana Jewell in 1998; they remained married until his death. Maybe he wanted to play hero for 15 minutes. . Despite the portrayal of Scruggs, Richard Jewell is a serviceable yet unspectacular film. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. In an apartment complex overlooking his building, four stations ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC paid a tenant $1,000 a day to set up a command post in her unit.

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