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Richard Jewell, Security Guard Wrongfully Accused of Olympic Park Bombing, Dies
Richard Jewell, the security guard that was wrongly accused of setting off a bomb at Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park during the 1996 Games, has died at the age of 44.
Jewell had suffered from diabetes and kidney failure and his death was from natural causes.
Jewell had originally been hailed as a hero for identifying a suspicious package left on the ground of the park and but suspicion quickly mounted that he had actually planted the bomb that claimed one life when it detonated.
For nearly three months following the Olympic bombing Jewell was the subject of an intense FBI investigation as well being publicly criticized by several media outlets.
In 2005 Eric Rudolph admitted to the July 27, 1996 bombing. Rudolph had been convicted of multiple bombings in the southeast and is currently serving four consecutive life sentences plus 120 years for his crimes.
