[4], He attended ninth grade at the Nantahala School but dropped out after that year and worked as a carpenter with his older brother Daniel. Rudolph was captured in May 2003 while “rummaging through a trash bin behind a rural grocery [store] in Murphy, North Carolina.” He’d already made the FBI's top 10 fugitive list. "An inmate does not lose his freedom of speech," she said. Oct. 14, 1998 _ Rudolph is charged with the Olympic bombing and the two other attacks in the Atlanta area. He remains incarcerated at the ADX Florence Supermax prison near Florence, Colorado. For five years, Rudolph was listed as one of the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives until he was caught in 2003. for bombings at a Birmingham abortion clinic, an Atlanta abortion clinic, a … [29] In the same article, the Post reported that some FBI investigators believe that Rudolph may have written letters in which he claimed responsibility for the nightclub and abortion clinic bombings on behalf of the Army of God, a group that sanctions the use of force to combat abortions and is associated with Christian Identity. Out of all the reindeers, you know you're the mastermind. [38] Rudolph remained unrepentant for his actions and, in a statement before the court, called his acts against abortion providers a “moral duty.” “As I go to a prison cell for a lifetime, I know that ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith,’” Rudolph said, quoting scripture. Rudolph confessed to three other bombings: of an abortion clinic in the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs on January 16, 1997; of the Otherside Lounge of Atlanta, a lesbian bar, on February 21, 1997, injuring five;[11] and of an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama on January 29, 1998, killing Birmingham police officer Robert Sanderson, who was working off-duty in uniform, and critically injuring nurse Emily Lyons. The incident killed three people and injured 150 others. When Rudolph was 18, he spent time with his mother at a Christian Identity compound in Missouri known as the Church of Israel.[5]. Run Rudolph Run. Bumper stickers were spotted in North Carolina at the time which read "Run Eric Run,” according to the same AP report. Run Rudolph Run. Rudolph was born on September 19, 1966 and raised in Merritt Island, Florida. In reality, there is no evidence to suggest that Randolph got by with any local assistance. As “Manhunt: Deadly Games'' depicts, Rudolph continued his reign of terror after Jewell took the fall. Even though Jewell's vigilance saved lives, he was identified as the culprit during the immediate aftermath, instead of a hero. [43], In a fictionalized portrayal, Rudolph appears as the primary antagonist in season 2 of the drama anthology series Manhunt. TV-14 | 42min | Biography, Crime, Drama | Episode aired 3 February 2020. Rudolph was first identified as a suspect in the Alabama bombing by the Department of Justice on February 14, 1998, following tips from two witnesses, Jeffrey Tickal and Jermaine Hughes. Rudolph set off two bombs at an abortion clinic in the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs in January 1997, which resulted in seven people being injured,Â. High on a mountainside, in a thicket 700 vertical feet above the nearest Forest Service road, suspected serial bomber Eric Rudolph may have found the perfect hiding place. The FBI identifies serial bomber Eric Rudolph and gives chase, but Eric escapes into the forest. "[37] Nevertheless, Rudolph has said, "The truth is I am a Christian". [18][19], Rudolph was arrested in Murphy, North Carolina on May 31, 2003 by rookie police officer Jeffrey Scott Postell of the Murphy Police Department while Rudolph was looking through a dumpster behind a Save-A-Lot store at about 4 a.m. Postell, on routine patrol, had initially suspected a burglary in progress.[20]. Run, run Rudolph, Randalph ain't too far behind. There is also no evidence that Rudolph killed anyone while on the run, following his bombing spree. In his statement, he claimed that he had "deprived the government of its goal of sentencing me to death," and that "the fact that I have entered an agreement with the government is purely a tactical choice on my part and in no way legitimates the moral authority of the government to judge this matter or impute my guilt. Some books and media outlets have portrayed Rudolph as a "Christian Identity extremist"; Harper's Magazine referred to him as a "Christian terrorist. Also, Richard Jewell proves his innocence and decides to appeal to the press for help, on MANHUNT: DEADLY GAMES, Monday, Oct. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. I do appreciate their charity, but I could really do without the condescension. [23], Rudolph released a statement explaining his actions; he rationalized the bombings as serving the cause of anti-abortion and anti-gay terrorism. Rudolph's statement cleared Richard Jewell, a Centennial Olympic Park security guard, of any involvement in the bombing. Eric Robert Rudolph (born September 19, 1966), also known as the Olympic Park Bomber, is an American terrorist convicted for a series of bombings across the southern United States between 1996 and 1998, which killed two people and injured over 100 others,[1][2] including the Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In 2005, as part of a plea bargain, he pleaded guilty to numerous state and federal homicide charges and accepted four consecutive life sentences in exchange for avoiding a trial and a potential death sentence. [26][27], After Rudolph's arrest for the bombings, The Washington Post reported that the FBI considered Rudolph to have "had a long association with the Christian Identity movement, which asserts that Northern European whites are the direct descendants of the lost tribes of Israel, God's chosen people. Did Eric Rudolph kill anyone while on the run? Season 2 | Episode 4. The FBI considered him to be armed and extremely dangerous, and offered a $1 million reward for information leading directly to his arrest. The details of what Rudolph did between 1998 and 2003 aren't exactly clear. Convicted serial bomber Eric Robert Rudolph is asking that his life sentence be set aside and that he be released from a Colorado prison for time served. And don't miss our own podcast, Martinis & Murder! The FBI identifies serial bomber Eric Rudolph and gives chase, but Eric escapes into the forest. Rudolph was captured in May 2003 while “rummaging through a trash bin behind a rural grocery [store] in Murphy, North Carolina.” He’d already made the FBI's top 10 fugitive list. [39], Essays written by Rudolph that condone violence and militant action have been published on the Internet by an Army of God anti-abortion activist. [8] Melih Uzunyol, a 40 year-old Turkish news cameraman who had "survived coverage of wars in Azerbaijan, Bosnia and the Persian Gulf," suffered a fatal heart attack while running to the scene.[9][10][8]. At the age of 18, he spent some time at a Christian Identity compound in Missouri with his mother, though he stated after his … Rudolph is wanted by the F.B.I. But just seconds before they arrive at his trailer, he has moved out into the wilderness. There was, however, evidence to suggest that he did garner at least some sympathy. He launched an effort earlier this year to get out of the supermax, filing a handwritten request in June explaining that he wants either a new sentencing hearing or a chance to change his plea. Bumper stickers were spotted in North Carolina at the time which read "Run Eric Run,” according to the same AP report. In a new depiction of the events and aftermath of the 1996 Summer Olympics bombing in the series “Manhunt: Deadly Games,” the man behind the attack goes on to terrorize communities and even murder a man in his bed, all while a wrongfully accused scapegoat is ripped apart by the media.Â. Even though Jewell's vigilance saved lives, he was identified as the culprit during the immediate aftermath, instead of a hero. [6] In 1988, the year before his discharge, Rudolph had attended the Air Assault School at Fort Campbell. "[34] The Voice of America reported that Rudolph could be seen as part of an "attempt to try to use a Christian faith to try to forge a kind of racial and social purity. Eric Rudolph continued to set off bombs after security guard Richard Jewell was wrongfully accused of the 1996 Olympics bombing in Atlanta — but did he murder anyone that helped him while on the run?