Richard Jewell

Richard Jewell
Name	Richard Jewell
Birth date	December 17, 1962
Birth place	Danville, Georgia, U.S.
Death date	August 29, 2007
Death place	Woodbury, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation	Police officer, security guard
Known for	Wrongly suspected in the Centennial Olympic Park bombing

Richard Jewell. He was an American security guard and former police officer who was wrongly identified as a suspect in the Centennial Olympic Park bombing during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. His initial praise as a hero for discovering the bomb and helping clear the area turned into a national media frenzy that falsely portrayed him as the likely perpetrator. Jewell was fully exonerated after a grueling 88-day investigation, and his case became a seminal example of trial by media and law enforcement misconduct.

Early life and career

Born in Danville, Georgia, he attended Piedmont College and worked in various law enforcement and security roles. He served as a deputy sheriff in Haberham County and later worked for the Peidmont College police department. His career included a stint as a security guard at the Small Business Administration office in Atlanta. Prior to the 1996 Summer Olympics, he was employed by AT&T and subsequently hired by the private security firm Anthony Davis to work at Centennial Olympic Park.

Centennial Olympic Park bombing

On July 27, 1996, while working a late-night shift, he discovered an unattended backpack near a sound tower at a concert in the park. He alerted officers from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Atlanta Police Department, helping to evacuate the area before the pipe bomb inside exploded. The blast killed spectator Alice Hawthorne and injured over 100 others; a Turkish cameraman, Melih Uzunyol, died of a heart attack while rushing to the scene. The incident was a major security crisis for the Olympic Games and prompted a massive investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Media coverage and public perception

Initially hailed as a hero by media outlets like The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and CNN, the public narrative shifted dramatically three days later. The FBI, considering his profile as a lone, eager law-enforcement aspirant, began to view him as a potential suspect. This suspicion was leaked to the press, with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and later NBC News identifying him by name. Outlets engaged in intense speculation about his personal life, with profiles appearing in TIME (magazine) and The New York Post, creating a widespread perception of guilt. The frenzy was later criticized by organizations like the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

Legal proceedings and exoneration

For 88 days, he lived under the scrutiny of a constant FBI investigation and a media siege at his mother's home. His legal team, led by attorney L. Lin Wood, fiercely maintained his innocence and criticized the investigation's tactics. In October 1996, the United States Department of Justice formally notified him that he was no longer a target. The true perpetrator, Eric Rudolph, was identified years later after attacks including the Atlanta lesbian bar bombing. In 2005, United States Attorney General John Ashcroft publicly praised Jewell for his actions during the bombing.

Later life and death

After his exoneration, he worked in law enforcement again, serving as a deputy for the Meriwether County sheriff's office and later as a police officer in Luthersville, Georgia. He settled a series of defamation lawsuits against various media organizations, including CNN and NBC, with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution settling shortly after his death. He suffered from deteriorating health, including diabetes and kidney disease. He died at his home in Woodbury, Georgia on August 29, 2007, from complications related to heart failure.

Legacy and portrayals

His case remains a landmark study in media ethics, law enforcement procedure, and the perils of premature judgment. It prompted discussions about the Presumption of innocence and led to reforms in how some leaks are handled. He was posthumously awarded the Order of the Griffin by Piedmont College. His story has been depicted in several films and series, including the 2019 film *Richard Jewell* directed by Clint Eastwood, with actor Paul Walter Hauser portraying him. The bombing investigation was also featured in documentaries by HBO and episodes of CNN's *The Nineties*.

Category:American security guards Category:People wrongfully convicted of murder Category:1962 births Category:2007 deaths