Richard Jewell

For the film, see Richard Jewell (film). For the president of Grove City College, see Richard G. Jewell. For the architect, see Richard Roach Jewell.

Richard Jewell
Born
Richard White[1]

(1962-12-17)December 17, 1962
Danville, Virginia, U.S.[1]
DiedAugust 29, 2007(2007-08-29) (aged 44)
Woodbury, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation(s)Security guard
Police officer
Deputy Sheriff
Known forAlerting the police and public prior to the Centennial Olympic Park bombing during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, saving the lives of hundreds of attendees in the process, and then being falsely accused of the bombing
Spouse
Dana Jewell
​
(m. 1998)​
[2]

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. 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.[3] For months afterward he was suspected of planting the bomb, resulting in adverse publicity that "came to symbolize the excesses of law enforcement and the news media".[3]

Initially hailed by the media as a hero, Jewell was soon considered a suspect by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) based on psychological profiling. Though never charged, Jewell experienced what was described as a "trial by media", which took a toll on his personal and professional life. He was cleared as a suspect after 88 days of intense public scrutiny.[4] In 2005, Eric Rudolph confessed and pleaded guilty to that bombing and other attacks.[5][6]

Jewell's life has been the subject of popular culture, including the 2019 Oscar-nominated film Richard Jewell directed by Clint Eastwood and the ten-episode 2020 season of the anthology series Manhunt, Deadly Games.[7][8]

  1. ^ a b c d "American Nightmare: The Ballad of Rick Jewell". Vanity Fair. February 1, 1997. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  2. ^ "Richard Jewell's widow: 1996 Olympics hero 'scarred' by FBI accusation and media smears". Fox News. December 16, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Sack, Kevin (August 30, 2007). "Richard Jewell, 44, Hero of Atlanta Attack, Dies". New York Times. Richard A. Jewell, whose transformation from heroic security guard to Olympic bombing suspect and back again came to symbolize the excesses of law enforcement and the news media, died Wednesday at his home in Woodbury, Georgia. The cause of death was not released, pending the results of an autopsy to be performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. But the coroner in Meriwether County said Jewell died of natural causes and that he had battled serious medical problems since learning that he had diabetes in February.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Anthrax Investigation (online chat with Marilyn Thompson, Assistant Managing Editor, Investigative)". The Washington Post. July 3, 2003.
  6. ^ "Anthrax: FBI Denies Smearing Former US Army Biologist". National Journal Global Security Newswire. August 13, 2002. Archived from the original on April 19, 2005. Retrieved September 28, 2006.
  7. ^ "Manhunt: Deadly Games synopsis". spectrumoriginals.com. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  8. ^ Aqullina, Tyler (September 21, 2020). "See another take on the Richard Jewell story in clips from Manhunt: Deadly Games". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 23, 2020.