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The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution
July 30, 1996
Section: LOCAL OLYMPICS
Edition: The Atlanta Journal
Page: X1
Memo: This story was archived from a Replate edition of The Atlanta Journal.
ATLANTA EXTRA
P.M. EDITION
FBI suspects `hero' guard may have planted bomb
Kathy Scruggs and Ron Martz STAFF WRITERS
The security guard who first alerted police to the pipe bomb that exploded in Centennial Olympic Park is the focus of the
federal investigation into the incident that resulted in two deaths and injured more than 100.
Richard Jewell, 33, a former law enforcement officer, fits the profile of the lone bomber. This profile generally includes a
frustrated white man who is a former police officer, member of the military or police "wannabe" who seeks to become a hero.
Jewell has become a celebrity in the wake of the bombing, making an appearance this morning at the reopened park with
Katie Couric on the Today Show. He also has approached newspapers, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, seeking
publicity for his actions.
He has told members of the media that he spotted a suspicious knapsack near the tower that was damaged in the blast. He
said he reported the find to the GBI agent and helped move people from the area.

FBI agents are reviewing hours of professional and amateur video tape to see if Jewell is spotted setting down the military-
issue backpack that contained the bomb. Acquaintances have told agents that he owned a similar knapsack. Agents have

not seen Jewell in NBC tape of the 20 minutes following the blast.
Three undercover law enforcement cars were parked outside his mother's apartment on Buford Highway this afternoon. He
refused to open the door when a reporter from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution knocked.
Jewell resigned two former law enforcement jobs in north Georgia, the latest at Piedmont College on May 21. He also was a
deputy sheriff at the Habersham County Sheriff's Department, where he received bomb training.
Just before the Olympics Jewell got a job with Anthony Davis Associates, a Los Angeles security firm hired by AT&T after
the company dismissed Borg-Warner Security Corp.after allegations of theft by employees.
Investigators are checking to see if his voice matches that of a 911 caller who phoned in a warning of the park bomb. The
call was placed from a phone a few minutes' walk from the park.
Agents also are checking an earlier report from a plumber that pipes were stolen from his contruction area near the park.
Staff writer Kent E. Walker contributed to this article.
Copyright 1996 The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution