Richard Jewell

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Richard Allensworth Jewell (born December 17, 1962 in Danville , † August 29, 2007 in Woodbury ) was an American security guard and a central figure in the bombing of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta .

Life

Jewell worked for a private security company and on July 27, 1996 discovered a pipe bomb in Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. He alerted the police and helped with the evacuation. In doing so, he prevented numerous injuries and possibly deaths. At first he was hailed as a hero by the media, but later he became a suspect himself. Although he was never charged, he had already been found guilty by a massive media incitement to the general public, which seriously affected his life. So after the slander he suffered from chronic obesity and diabetes , then kidney failure. The real culprit, Eric Robert Rudolph , was later caught. Jewell led several lawsuits to restore his reputation and atone for injustices.

Jewell sued senior employees of his former employer Piedmont College , Raymond Cleere (president) and Scott Rawles (press officer). They spoke to journalists and the FBI and spread false information there. Cleere described him as a " Zealot with a badge" who wrote "epic reports on trivialities". Piedmont College paid an undisclosed sum. The NBC paid Jewell $ 500,000.

The New York Post had written of Jewell that he fit into the "lone bomber" scheme. He was a "fat, failed former deputy who had worked most of the time as a student pilot and had failed to achieve more." Another article spoke of a "failure and a shame for all real law enforcers". "Everyone should be glad they caught this guy." Photos and caricatures of Jewell have been published. The New York Post paid Jewell an undisclosed amount.

Jewell sued the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , which alleged that Jewell was "an individual with a bizarre career and a split personality." Furthermore, Jewell "fit into the scheme of the lone bomber". The Atlanta Journal compared Jewell to serial killer Wayne Williams. The newspaper was the only one that refused to come to an agreement with Jewell. Four months after Jewell's death, Judge John R. Mather's lawsuit was dismissed in December 2007.

Even though CNN agreed to pay Jewell an undisclosed sum, CNN continued to claim to have reported fairly and appropriately. Richard Jewell worked in a police department during the last years of his life. He died at the age of 44 as a result of numerous health problems.

The story of Jewell's role in the bombing of the 1996 Olympic Games was released as a drama in 2019 ( The Richard Jewell Case ) . In addition, the second season of the series Manhunt , released in 2020, revolves around this case.

reception

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Kevin Sack: Richard Jewell, 44, Hero of Atlanta Attack, Dies . In: The New York Times . August 30, 2007, ISSN  0362-4331 ( nytimes.com [accessed April 9, 2020]).
  2. a b c Jewell sues newspapers, former employer for libel. CNN, January 28, 1997, accessed April 9, 2020 .
  3. Jewell settles with college . In: Lakeland Ledger , August 27, 1997. Retrieved May 5, 2010. 
  4. ^ CBS, 60 Minutes II: Falsely Accused. CBS. June 26, 2002
  5. ^ The wheels of justice: After five years, Richard Jewell v. AJC a long way from over, August 1, 2001 ( Memento of the original of November 12, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / atlanta.creativeloafing.com
  6. ^ Judge dismisses Olympic bombing libel suit . In: United Press International , December 13, 2007. Archived from the original on September 5, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2010. 
  7. Commentary: Don't name 'person of interest' . In: CNN.com , September 17, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2010. 
  8. ^ Fritz Göttler: "The Richard Jewell case": strange and familiar at the same time. Retrieved July 18, 2020 .
  9. Clint Eastwood's new film: Trailer for the post-terror drama "Richard Jewell". In: filmstarts.de. October 6, 2019, accessed October 6, 2019 .