Olympic Bombing and The Wrong Man, Richard Jewell | 12
History of the 90s
Kathy Kenzora
4.7 • 610 Ratings
🗓️ 11 December 2019
⏱️ 45 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In July 1996, a back pack bomb rocked the Summer Olympics in Atlanta killing one person and injuring over 100 others. The bomb had been left under a bench in the middle of Centennial Olympic Park on the eighth day of the games.
On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the tragedy that struck the 100th games and the police investigation that followed. Security Guard Richard Jewell who discovered the bomb before it exploded was first hailed a hero. Then just a few days later he was identified as the main suspect by the media who had a field day with his reputation.
This is the story of Richard Jewell, a cautionary tale about what happens when the police and the media rush to judgment.
Contact:
Twitter: @1990shistory
Facebook: @1990shistory
Instagram: @that90spodcast
Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca
Guests:
Kent Alexander, former US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia
Twitter: @Kentbale
Kevin Salwen, Journalist
Twitter: @KevinSalwen
They co-authored: The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, The FBI, The Media and Richard Jewell, The Man Caught in the Middle.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey there, it's Kathy. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to History of the 90s |
| 0:04.7 | early and ad-free on Amazon Music, included with Prime. |
| 0:10.7 | Every four years for two weeks, the world is united as it cheers on the greatest athletes |
| 0:16.8 | to go faster, higher, and stronger at the Summer Olympics. |
| 0:22.2 | In 1996, millions cheered when Muhammad Ali took the stage |
| 0:27.0 | at the opening ceremony in Atlanta to light the Olympic cauldron. |
| 0:32.1 | His body had been slowed by Parkinson's, |
| 0:35.2 | but with shaking hands, he managed to ignite both the flame and the spirit |
| 0:39.8 | of the 100th Olympic Games. The Olympic spirit burned bright that night and continued until |
| 0:48.3 | eight days later when tragedy struck. On this episode, we look back at the deadly bombing that rocked the 1996 Atlanta |
| 0:59.8 | Summer Olympics, and the man wrongfully placed at the center of it all, Richard Jewel. |
| 1:06.8 | I'm Kathy Kanzora, and this is the history of the 90s, a podcast about a decade that changed the world. |
| 1:18.2 | On July 26, 1996, the security guard responsible for watching over a sound and light tower at the center of Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta |
| 1:29.7 | arrived a half hour early for his overnight shift. |
| 1:34.3 | It was the eighth day of the summer games. |
| 1:38.0 | And the park, with its pavilions, stages, and exhibits |
| 1:41.7 | was a hub of activity. |
| 1:49.0 | It was the crown jewel for the Atlanta Organizing Committee, a place where people could come together and feel the Olympic spirit for free. |
| 1:55.0 | Like every law enforcement or security job he ever had, |
| 2:00.0 | this guard took his position at the Olympics |
| 2:02.9 | very seriously. He was alert to any signs of trouble. When he clocked in that night, he had |
| 2:12.3 | no idea just how much trouble lurked around the corner. He had no idea that his life would never be the same. |
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