Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph agrees to plead guilty
Eric Rudolph agrees to plead guilty to a series of bombings including the fatal bombing at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta in order to avoid the death penalty.He later cited his anti-abortion and anti-homosexual views as motivation for the bombings.Eric Robert Rudolph was born September 19 1966 in Merritt Island Florida.
He served a brief stint in the U.S.Army and later supported himself by working as a carpenter.On July 27 1996 a 40-pound pipe bomb exploded in Atlantas Centennial Olympic Park killing one woman and injuring over 100 people.
A security guard named Richard Jewell was initially considered the prime suspect in the case.Then on January 16 1997 two bombs went off at an Atlanta-area medical clinic that performed abortions injuring seven people.In February of that same year a bomb detonated at a lesbian nightclub in Atlanta injuring four people.
On January 29 1998 a bomb exploded at a Birmingham Alabama womens health clinic killing a security guard and critically injuring a nurse.Rudolph became a suspect in the Birmingham bombing after witnesses reported spotting his pickup truck near the clinic before the bomb went off.Authorities then launched a massive manhunt in North Carolina where he was spotted stocking up on supplies.In February 1998 Rudolph was officially charged as a suspect in the Birmingham bombing.
In March 1998 Rudolphs brother Daniel cut off his hand to protest what he saw as the mistreatment of Eric by the F.B.I and the media.In May of that same year Eric Rudolph was named to the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and a 1 million reward was offered for his capture.In July a North Carolina health food store owner reported that Rudolph had taken six months of food and supplies from him leaving 500 in exchange.In October 1998 Rudolph was officially charged in the three Atlanta bombings.
He continued to elude authorities who believed he was hiding in the Appalachian wilderness and possibly getting assistance from supporters in the region.Then on May 31 2003 after over five years as a fugitive Rudolph was arrested by a rookie police officer who found him digging through a grocery store Dumpster in Murphy North Carolina.On April 8 2005 just weeks before his trial was scheduled to begin the Department of Justice announced that Rudolph would plead guilty to the charges against him in all four bombings.
He was later sentenced to four life terms without parole and in August 2005 was sent to the supermax federal prison in Florence Colorado.
