Olympic bombing suspect cleared, threatens to sue

October 26, 1996
Web posted at: 9:45 p.m. EDT

ATLANTA (CNN) -- A U.S. Attorney has cleared Richard Jewell in the Centennial Olympic Park bombing, and his attorney has said the former security guard will likely sue media organizations that hounded him in the 12 weeks since the bombing.

"There is no question there will be legal action against the media, and I think it's a good possibility that we will down the road institute action against members of the FBI," said Lin Wood, one of Jewell's attorneys. "This is a good and decent man who did his job on the night of the Olympic Park bombing. He is not a criminal."

Wood said Jewell considers the letter and an accompanying statement by U.S. Attorney Kent Alexander as good as an apology. "This is the way the government apologizes," he said. "I view this letter as the government's apology to Richard Jewell."

The letter, issued to one of Jewell's other attorneys, Jack Martin, cleared Jewell as a "target" of the federal criminal investigation for now.

"We are overjoyed," said Jack Martin, another of his attorneys. "It says what we have known all along -- that he is no longer a suspect in the bombing."

Jewell was working as a private security guard in Centennial Olympic Park when the pipe bomb exploded before dawn on July 27, killing one person and injuring more than 100. A Turkish television cameraman died from a heart attack rushing to the scene.

Jewell was originally hailed as a hero after the bombing for moving people away from the unidentified package that turned out to be a bomb. But that was before news reports identified him as a suspect in the case, exposing him to a barrage of media scrutiny.

"The first step was a long process," Jewell said to reporters at his apartment. He told them he would have more to say at a news conference Monday, leaving them with a hometown World Series cheer, "Go Braves!"

Highly unusual move

Saturday's letter is a highly unusual move by the government trying to clear the name of someone thrust into the media spotlight in the course of an investigation, sources told CNN's Art Harris.

The letter reads: "This is to advise you that based on the evidence developed to date, your client, Richard Jewell, is not considered a target of the federal criminal investigation into the bombing on July 27, 1996, at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. Barring any newly discovered evidence, this status will not change. I am hopeful that Mr. Jewell will provide further cooperation as a witness in the investigation."

The letter also was accompanied by a statement released Saturday.

"In this case, the Jewells have regrettably also endured highly unusual and intense publicity that was neither designed nor desired by the FBI, and in fact interfered with the investigation," the statement said. "The public should bear in mind that Richard Jewell has at no time been charged with any crime in connection with the bombing."

The U.S. Attorney's office agreed to issue the letter after Jewell agreed to an interview earlier this month with investigators. But Jewell did refuse to take a polygraph at that time.

In their investigation, the FBI searched Jewell's Atlanta apartment he shared with his mother and his cabin in the north Georgia mountains.

Sources told CNN that a key fingerprint from the bombing did not match Jewell's prints. Now the FBI must look more closely at a half dozen other suspects it has been watching since the bombing 12 weeks ago.

Jewell will do no interviews about the matter over the weekend but has scheduled a press conference for Noon on Monday, his attorneys said.

Wood said the government letter ends a dreadful episode for his client. "Obviously he is relieved," said Wood. "At the same time I think he realizes that this is just one step along the road. This ends one part of his nightmare."

Correspondent Art Harris and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Olympic bombing suspect cleared, threatens to sue

Highly unusual move

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