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The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle
A contributing source for the Warner Bros.’ film Richard Jewell starring Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde and Paul Walter Hauser.
The masterful true-crime account of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing that captured the world's attention, and the heroic security guard-turned-suspect at the heart of it all
On July 27, 1996, a hapless former cop turned hypervigilant security guard named Richard Jewell spotted a suspicious bag in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, the town square of the 1996 Summer Games. Inside was a bomb, the largest of its kind in FBI and ATF history. Minutes later, the bomb detonated amid a crowd of fifty thousand people. But thanks to Jewell, it only wounded 111 and killed two, not the untold scores who would have otherwise died. With the eyes of the world on Atlanta, the Games continued. But the pressure to find the bomber was intense. Within seventy-two hours, Jewell went from the hero to the FBI’s main suspect. The news leaked and the intense focus on the guard forever changed his life. The worst part: It let the true bomber roam free to strike again.
What really happened that evening during the Olympic Games? The attack left a mark on American history, but most of what we remember is wrong. In a triumph of reporting and access in the tradition of the best investigative journalism, former U.S. Attorney Kent Alexander and former Wall Street Journal reporter Kevin Salwen reconstruct all the events leading up to, during, and after the Olympic bombing from mountains of law enforcement evidence and the extensive personal records of key players, including Richard himself.
The Suspect, the culmination of more than five years of reporting, is a gripping story of the rise of domestic terrorism in America, the advent of the 24/7 news cycle, and an innocent man’s fight to clear his name.
The masterful true-crime account of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing that captured the world's attention, and the heroic security guard-turned-suspect at the heart of it all
On July 27, 1996, a hapless former cop turned hypervigilant security guard named Richard Jewell spotted a suspicious bag in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, the town square of the 1996 Summer Games. Inside was a bomb, the largest of its kind in FBI and ATF history. Minutes later, the bomb detonated amid a crowd of fifty thousand people. But thanks to Jewell, it only wounded 111 and killed two, not the untold scores who would have otherwise died. With the eyes of the world on Atlanta, the Games continued. But the pressure to find the bomber was intense. Within seventy-two hours, Jewell went from the hero to the FBI’s main suspect. The news leaked and the intense focus on the guard forever changed his life. The worst part: It let the true bomber roam free to strike again.
What really happened that evening during the Olympic Games? The attack left a mark on American history, but most of what we remember is wrong. In a triumph of reporting and access in the tradition of the best investigative journalism, former U.S. Attorney Kent Alexander and former Wall Street Journal reporter Kevin Salwen reconstruct all the events leading up to, during, and after the Olympic bombing from mountains of law enforcement evidence and the extensive personal records of key players, including Richard himself.
The Suspect, the culmination of more than five years of reporting, is a gripping story of the rise of domestic terrorism in America, the advent of the 24/7 news cycle, and an innocent man’s fight to clear his name.
359 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2019
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August 28, 2023
“Standing less than ten feet from the bench, [Richard] Jewell watched [FBI Bomb Technician Bill] Forsyth and [ATF Agent Steve] Zellers study the package. Forsyth dropped to his knees for a better look. Penlight in hand, he crawled on his stomach toward the pack. His training was clear: Do not touch the bag. The flap or buckles could be booby-trapped. But sometimes bomb techs go with their gut. Forsyth broke protocol and peered inside. In the flashlight beam, there was no missing the danger. Wiring. Pipes. End caps. Timing device. Forsyth froze for a second, then jumped back. He froze again, waiting for an explosion…”
- Kent Alexander & Kevin Salwen, The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle
On July 27, 1996, a bomb exploded in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, killing one person directly, killing a second indirectly via a heart attack, and wounding hundreds.
Though it’s been twenty-seven years, I’ll never forget hearing about it for the first time. I was halfway through my first summer with a full-time job, working at a candy-and-tobacco warehouse. The job was nowhere near as fun as it sounds – I mostly put tax stamps on cigarettes – and it required me to get up real early. The night before, I’d gone to sleep watching the Olympics, and had set my television to wake me up at 5:30 a.m. When it turned on, the darkness in my room filled with the flashing lights of rescue vehicles, and the sound of breathless reporters speculating like mad.
Driving to work that morning, I listened to more news on the radio. Over the next few days, I’d learn – along with the rest of the world – that a portly security guard named Richard Jewell had spotted a suspicious backpack under a park bench, and set in motion a response that likely saved dozens of lives.
With the schoolyear approaching, my attention waned, and though I probably heard – at some point – that Jewell had become the suspect, I cannot really recall. By the time Jewell was convicted by the media, and then cleared by the FBI, I had moved on with my life, assuming I had most of the details.
After reading Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen’s The Suspect, it turns out I didn’t really know much at all, entirely unaware of this tale’s myriad twists and turns and meanings.
The Suspect provides a comprehensive account of an all-American true crime story – told with the benefit of hindsight and reflection – and is worthwhile on that level alone. But it is also a trenchant examination of myopic law enforcement, an out-of-control media, and the collision of well-intentioned but deeply flawed individuals.
***
Whatever else there is to say about The Suspect, it is thorough. Alexander and Salwen do not simply recount the bombing and its aftermath, but delve into the process whereby the Olympics came to Atlanta in the first place, present biographical sketches of the main players, and eventually cut away from the main storyline to follow Eric Rudolph, the domestic terrorist who actually planted the bomb that the FBI tried to pin on Richard Jewell.
One of the best compliments I can give to The Suspect is that when I finished, I didn’t have any lingering questions. To the contrary, it answered questions that hadn’t even occurred to me.
***
Structurally speaking, The Suspect unfolds how you’d expect. It begins with a teaser prologue set on the fateful night, which ends just as the bomb is discovered. From there, Alexander and Salwen jump back in time to show us how we got to that moment.
The writing is crisp and engaging. The subject matter is fascinating, though often in horrifying ways. The research is extensive. Events are shown from all sides, with the differing perspectives contrasted meaningfully. As an added bonus, Alexander was a United States Attorney in the Northern District of Georgia in 1996, and actually played a role in the proceedings. In terms of reporting and readability, The Suspect is beyond solid.
***
Alexander and Salwen’s great inspiration is to run the narrative through the lives of three very distinct individuals.
The first, of course, is Richard Jewell, the wannabe-cop-turned-security guard whose lifelong overzealousness regarding police work paid off in a remarkable way. At the time of the Olympic bombing, Jewell had lived an unremarkable existence. Having always wanted a career in law enforcement, he’d blown his opportunities through a series of poor decisions, and was living with his mother. Given this failure to launch, I fully expected Jewell’s biographical sections to be a slog of useless minutiae. Instead, Alexander and Salwen show in exacting detail the acute relevance of his background. Jewell’s past experiences not only made him vigilant enough to spot the bomb, but it provided a false motive that led others to think he might have planted it.
The second is FBI agent Don Johnson, who came to suspect Jewell was the bomber, and refused to let go of that notion, even as similar bombs started exploding elsewhere. He is, in short, a stark illustration of confirmation bias, a man who’d made a choice, and saw every circumstantial scrap of information as supporting it. Johnson’s spotty track record in the Bureau, his toeing of the ethical/legal line, and his ultimate wrongheadedness could have made him an outright villain of the piece. It is a testament to Alexander and Salwen’s humanizing touch that it does not happen.
The final character is Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs, who broke the news that Jewell was a suspect. Scruggs comes across as a throwback to the old-school journalist: hard-drinking, hard-living, and leaning hard on her sources. Had she been a man, she might have been celebrated for these traits. Because she was a woman, just the opposite occurred.
This is best illustrated by Clint Eastwood’s film, Richard Jewell, where Eastwood implies that Scruggs slept with an FBI agent for her story. Had Scruggs been alive – she died young, in 2001 – this would’ve been actionable slander. Instead, it’s just morally repugnant. The fact that Scruggs is identified by name, but allegedly has sex with a fictional composite character, aptly demonstrates the misogynistic premises of the filmmakers.
The main reason I mention this is that The Suspect was one of two different works that served as a basis for Eastwood’s movie. Importantly, Alexander and Salwen make no such claim.
***
One big advantage of The Suspect is that it was published in 2019, meaning that it can provide the full picture with the benefit of time, contemplation, and archival access.
One big disadvantage of The Suspect is that it was published in 2019, meaning that all three of the major participants – Jewell, Scruggs, and Johnson – were already dead, Scruggs at 42, Jewell at 44, and Johnson at 57. Only Rudolph – the deluded, bug-eating bomber – still breathed, and he refused to talk. This meant that backstories had to be filled-in by family and friends.
While I’m certain vivid impressions were formed, science tells us that old memories are fallible. A memory is not a photograph that captures an instant; it is a piece of furniture that gets moved around a room, with the room itself changing. One stark example occurs when Alexander and Salwen quote a witness to the bombing who stated that – upon seeing the bodies – his “mind flashed to the movie Saving Private Ryan, with its vivid, brutal scenes of battle.”
Saving Private Ryan, of course, would not be released until the summer of 1998, two years after the Centennial Park Bombing.
***
The Suspect achieves a rare kind of balance. It is searing in its critique of systems, especially an FBI loathe to admit mistakes, and a profit-driven media that doesn’t care if mistakes are made.
It also puts us in the shoes of Jewell, Scruggs, Johnson, and others, to show us how the situation looked to them as they were living it, not knowing that they were becoming a small yet painful part of history, and that their actions would be scrutinized for years afterward, even after they were dead.
- Kent Alexander & Kevin Salwen, The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle
On July 27, 1996, a bomb exploded in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, killing one person directly, killing a second indirectly via a heart attack, and wounding hundreds.
Though it’s been twenty-seven years, I’ll never forget hearing about it for the first time. I was halfway through my first summer with a full-time job, working at a candy-and-tobacco warehouse. The job was nowhere near as fun as it sounds – I mostly put tax stamps on cigarettes – and it required me to get up real early. The night before, I’d gone to sleep watching the Olympics, and had set my television to wake me up at 5:30 a.m. When it turned on, the darkness in my room filled with the flashing lights of rescue vehicles, and the sound of breathless reporters speculating like mad.
Driving to work that morning, I listened to more news on the radio. Over the next few days, I’d learn – along with the rest of the world – that a portly security guard named Richard Jewell had spotted a suspicious backpack under a park bench, and set in motion a response that likely saved dozens of lives.
With the schoolyear approaching, my attention waned, and though I probably heard – at some point – that Jewell had become the suspect, I cannot really recall. By the time Jewell was convicted by the media, and then cleared by the FBI, I had moved on with my life, assuming I had most of the details.
After reading Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen’s The Suspect, it turns out I didn’t really know much at all, entirely unaware of this tale’s myriad twists and turns and meanings.
The Suspect provides a comprehensive account of an all-American true crime story – told with the benefit of hindsight and reflection – and is worthwhile on that level alone. But it is also a trenchant examination of myopic law enforcement, an out-of-control media, and the collision of well-intentioned but deeply flawed individuals.
***
Whatever else there is to say about The Suspect, it is thorough. Alexander and Salwen do not simply recount the bombing and its aftermath, but delve into the process whereby the Olympics came to Atlanta in the first place, present biographical sketches of the main players, and eventually cut away from the main storyline to follow Eric Rudolph, the domestic terrorist who actually planted the bomb that the FBI tried to pin on Richard Jewell.
One of the best compliments I can give to The Suspect is that when I finished, I didn’t have any lingering questions. To the contrary, it answered questions that hadn’t even occurred to me.
***
Structurally speaking, The Suspect unfolds how you’d expect. It begins with a teaser prologue set on the fateful night, which ends just as the bomb is discovered. From there, Alexander and Salwen jump back in time to show us how we got to that moment.
The writing is crisp and engaging. The subject matter is fascinating, though often in horrifying ways. The research is extensive. Events are shown from all sides, with the differing perspectives contrasted meaningfully. As an added bonus, Alexander was a United States Attorney in the Northern District of Georgia in 1996, and actually played a role in the proceedings. In terms of reporting and readability, The Suspect is beyond solid.
***
Alexander and Salwen’s great inspiration is to run the narrative through the lives of three very distinct individuals.
The first, of course, is Richard Jewell, the wannabe-cop-turned-security guard whose lifelong overzealousness regarding police work paid off in a remarkable way. At the time of the Olympic bombing, Jewell had lived an unremarkable existence. Having always wanted a career in law enforcement, he’d blown his opportunities through a series of poor decisions, and was living with his mother. Given this failure to launch, I fully expected Jewell’s biographical sections to be a slog of useless minutiae. Instead, Alexander and Salwen show in exacting detail the acute relevance of his background. Jewell’s past experiences not only made him vigilant enough to spot the bomb, but it provided a false motive that led others to think he might have planted it.
The second is FBI agent Don Johnson, who came to suspect Jewell was the bomber, and refused to let go of that notion, even as similar bombs started exploding elsewhere. He is, in short, a stark illustration of confirmation bias, a man who’d made a choice, and saw every circumstantial scrap of information as supporting it. Johnson’s spotty track record in the Bureau, his toeing of the ethical/legal line, and his ultimate wrongheadedness could have made him an outright villain of the piece. It is a testament to Alexander and Salwen’s humanizing touch that it does not happen.
The final character is Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs, who broke the news that Jewell was a suspect. Scruggs comes across as a throwback to the old-school journalist: hard-drinking, hard-living, and leaning hard on her sources. Had she been a man, she might have been celebrated for these traits. Because she was a woman, just the opposite occurred.
This is best illustrated by Clint Eastwood’s film, Richard Jewell, where Eastwood implies that Scruggs slept with an FBI agent for her story. Had Scruggs been alive – she died young, in 2001 – this would’ve been actionable slander. Instead, it’s just morally repugnant. The fact that Scruggs is identified by name, but allegedly has sex with a fictional composite character, aptly demonstrates the misogynistic premises of the filmmakers.
The main reason I mention this is that The Suspect was one of two different works that served as a basis for Eastwood’s movie. Importantly, Alexander and Salwen make no such claim.
***
One big advantage of The Suspect is that it was published in 2019, meaning that it can provide the full picture with the benefit of time, contemplation, and archival access.
One big disadvantage of The Suspect is that it was published in 2019, meaning that all three of the major participants – Jewell, Scruggs, and Johnson – were already dead, Scruggs at 42, Jewell at 44, and Johnson at 57. Only Rudolph – the deluded, bug-eating bomber – still breathed, and he refused to talk. This meant that backstories had to be filled-in by family and friends.
While I’m certain vivid impressions were formed, science tells us that old memories are fallible. A memory is not a photograph that captures an instant; it is a piece of furniture that gets moved around a room, with the room itself changing. One stark example occurs when Alexander and Salwen quote a witness to the bombing who stated that – upon seeing the bodies – his “mind flashed to the movie Saving Private Ryan, with its vivid, brutal scenes of battle.”
Saving Private Ryan, of course, would not be released until the summer of 1998, two years after the Centennial Park Bombing.
***
The Suspect achieves a rare kind of balance. It is searing in its critique of systems, especially an FBI loathe to admit mistakes, and a profit-driven media that doesn’t care if mistakes are made.
It also puts us in the shoes of Jewell, Scruggs, Johnson, and others, to show us how the situation looked to them as they were living it, not knowing that they were becoming a small yet painful part of history, and that their actions would be scrutinized for years afterward, even after they were dead.
December 28, 2019
The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle is a thoroughly researched book about the bombing at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. It covers the various parties involved, including Richard Jewell, the original primary suspect, as well as members of the FBI, the media, Richard’s family and friends, the legal teams involved, and eventually, the actual bomber.
On July 27, 1996, Jewell was working at the Olympics, specifically at a post in Centennial Park, as a security guard. He spotted a suspicious bag under a bench and began following protocol, alerting others and clearing the space. It was, in fact, a bomb that exploded, killing 2 people and injuring more than 100. While devastating, thanks to Jewell’s swift action, he likely saved countless other guests in attendance at the park that night.
I felt terrible for Jewell who was wrongly accused as the suspected bomber and was irritated on his behalf at the hasty suspicion by both the FBI and the media. I understand some people were just trying to do their jobs and vet all possible outcomes but I don’t think that was the case for everyone involved in this particular investigation. Jewell seemed like a nice, genuine guy who maybe didn’t always fit in, but wanted to be liked, wanted to help people, and wanted to climb the ranks in a career in law enforcement. I didn’t necessarily agree with all of his decisions but he really came off as harmless from how he’s described in The Suspect. I can’t say the same for Don Johnson of the FBI or reporter Kathy Scruggs from the Atlanta Journal Constitution (newspaper) who are extensively detailed in the book as well.
I was in elementary school during the 1996 Olympics so while I remember a few things, the details were hazy. This book did a great job filling in the gaps for me. Many of the places referenced are well-known and familiar to me, including Centennial Park, now as an adult and former ATLien. I had no idea it took so long ( 7 years) for authorities to find the bomber or that he was responsible for additional incidents in Atlanta and Alabama.
”Today more than two decades have passed since the Centennial Park bombing. Perhaps revisiting the tale of Richard Jewell will encourage the current media to pause longer and presume innocence before rushing to suggest guilt. Perhaps law enforcement will use the Jewell case as a rallying cry to treat leaks of individuals’ names as criminal acts, not just inevitabilities. And perhaps all of us in the news-consuming public will reconsider our expectation of immediacy and ponder the benefits of returning to an era when accuracy was prized over speed.”
An interesting and informative account shedding light on a major U.S. event, The Suspect chronicles the 1996 Olympics, Richard Jewell’s unfortunate position as a temporary scapegoat, and the long-standing aftermath of this positioning.
On July 27, 1996, Jewell was working at the Olympics, specifically at a post in Centennial Park, as a security guard. He spotted a suspicious bag under a bench and began following protocol, alerting others and clearing the space. It was, in fact, a bomb that exploded, killing 2 people and injuring more than 100. While devastating, thanks to Jewell’s swift action, he likely saved countless other guests in attendance at the park that night.
I felt terrible for Jewell who was wrongly accused as the suspected bomber and was irritated on his behalf at the hasty suspicion by both the FBI and the media. I understand some people were just trying to do their jobs and vet all possible outcomes but I don’t think that was the case for everyone involved in this particular investigation. Jewell seemed like a nice, genuine guy who maybe didn’t always fit in, but wanted to be liked, wanted to help people, and wanted to climb the ranks in a career in law enforcement. I didn’t necessarily agree with all of his decisions but he really came off as harmless from how he’s described in The Suspect. I can’t say the same for Don Johnson of the FBI or reporter Kathy Scruggs from the Atlanta Journal Constitution (newspaper) who are extensively detailed in the book as well.
I was in elementary school during the 1996 Olympics so while I remember a few things, the details were hazy. This book did a great job filling in the gaps for me. Many of the places referenced are well-known and familiar to me, including Centennial Park, now as an adult and former ATLien. I had no idea it took so long ( 7 years) for authorities to find the bomber or that he was responsible for additional incidents in Atlanta and Alabama.
”Today more than two decades have passed since the Centennial Park bombing. Perhaps revisiting the tale of Richard Jewell will encourage the current media to pause longer and presume innocence before rushing to suggest guilt. Perhaps law enforcement will use the Jewell case as a rallying cry to treat leaks of individuals’ names as criminal acts, not just inevitabilities. And perhaps all of us in the news-consuming public will reconsider our expectation of immediacy and ponder the benefits of returning to an era when accuracy was prized over speed.”
An interesting and informative account shedding light on a major U.S. event, The Suspect chronicles the 1996 Olympics, Richard Jewell’s unfortunate position as a temporary scapegoat, and the long-standing aftermath of this positioning.
September 25, 2019
This is a thoroughly researched book about the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the bombing that happened. It also goes into the suspicion of Richard Jewell and all of the media surrounding the whole thing. There were reasons for them to look at Jewell, but he was just a little too convenient a patsy. I liked the look at some of the media’s role in the story, one writer in particular. This book was even better than I expected, and refreshed my memory on what happened with the case. It also has updates on all of the main players from the story, which I really liked, and wrapped it all up nicely. A very good read for anyone who has any interest in the story. I learned quite a lot I didn’t know. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, authors Kent Alexander & Kevin Salwen, and the publisher.
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First published on my WordPress blog viewed here:
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October 4, 2019
There were certainly many good moments that came out of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta such as Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic Cauldron during the Opening Ceremonies and Kerri Strug competing on an injured ankle and securing a gold medal for the U.S. women's gymnastics team. However, tragedy also struck after a pipe bomb attack in Centennial Park killed one person, Alice Hawthorne, and injured 111 people. A cameraman also died when he suffered a fatal heart attack while running to the scene. Law enforcement rushed to figure out who was responsible for the attack and unfortunately the case turned into a gigantic mess.
Security guard Richard Jewell was working at Centennial Park the night of the bombing. He was the person who alerted higher ups of a suspicious looking bag that had been left unattended. While he helped secure the area, the bomb went off. Given the thousands of people in the park at the time, Richard was hailed a hero because without him taking action, the casualties could have been significantly greater. But within a few days, the FBI considered him a suspect and word leaked out to the media. Richard's world was turned upside down as the public perception of him quickly changed from hero to villain and he became a frequent punchline for late night comedians. Guess what? He wasn't the bomber.
I was a teenager back in 1996 and even decades later this still remains one of the more bizarre things I have ever seen played out in the media. First Richard is the man who saved lives with his quick thinking. Then because he fits the lone wolf type profile he turns into a suspect. Oh no, we hate him now! But wait, looks like after law enforcement searches his home and digs more into past, maybe he didn't do it. After some bombings in Alabama, the authorities move on to a new suspect. It's okay people, Richard really is a good guy. We can like him again. The whole sage was just a roller coaster and I can't imagine what it was like to be in Richard's shoes. And that's why I wanted to read this book, as I almost felt like I owed it to him to learn more about what he went through and hopefully get a more well-rounded view of him as a person instead of the more sensationalized version the media put out.
This is certainly a well-researched book and my guess is there probably will never be another book on the market that takes this close of a look into the case. While some of the key players involved are deceased, the authors were able to piece together the facts of the case by interviewing friends and family, combing through old news articles, watching television interviews, etc. Co-author Kent Alexander was actually involved in the case as he was the U.S. attorney who sent Jewell a letter formally clearing him. This was something negotiated ahead of time with Jewell's lawyers and after it was released it went a long way in shifting the public's perception of him as the man responsible for the bombing.
I think the authors do a good job in painting the picture of everything going on during this time period. They write about everything leading up to the Games, including the security measures that were put in place. The internet and cable news channels really starting to gain popularity at this time helped contribute to the 24-hour news cycle. Law enforcement needed to find the person or persons responsible for the bombing quickly in case future attacks had been planned. There was a lot going on as it was like the perfect storm and unfortunately for Richard Jewell he got caught up in the middle of it.
I think each reader will draw their own conclusions about the case. I think most of us can agree that Richard Jewell was put through the ringer which is extremely unfortunate given he was innocent. Now whether or not you can assign blame for what happened is where it becomes more of a grey issue. Was it law enforcement or the media that caused this absolute circus? Both? Should certain individuals take most of the blame like the reporter or the FBI agent? After reading the book, I can't say my opinions on the case have changed but I do think I have now gotten much more of a complete picture. The authors for the most part just present the facts without interjecting their opinions but I was left with the impression they didn't think too highly of a particular FBI agent.
Definitely recommend reading this book if you want a definitive look at the case. Obviously a big part of the story is Richard Jewell, but the book does go into detail about Eric Rudolph, the man responsible for the Olympic bombing as well as other bombings. Once law enforcement correctly identified him as a suspect, the hunt for him took years before he was successfully apprehended. Chances are you are like me and can never remember the name Eric Rudolph as the media coverage wasn't as extensive with him as it was with Jewell. And how many people out there incorrectly associate Richard Jewell with the bombing and as memories fade, forget he was innocent? Eric Rudolph is responsible for the Centennial Park bombing as well as three other bombings. I think we owe it to Richard to remember that.
Thank you to Netgalley and Abrams Press giving me an opportunity to read an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
Security guard Richard Jewell was working at Centennial Park the night of the bombing. He was the person who alerted higher ups of a suspicious looking bag that had been left unattended. While he helped secure the area, the bomb went off. Given the thousands of people in the park at the time, Richard was hailed a hero because without him taking action, the casualties could have been significantly greater. But within a few days, the FBI considered him a suspect and word leaked out to the media. Richard's world was turned upside down as the public perception of him quickly changed from hero to villain and he became a frequent punchline for late night comedians. Guess what? He wasn't the bomber.
I was a teenager back in 1996 and even decades later this still remains one of the more bizarre things I have ever seen played out in the media. First Richard is the man who saved lives with his quick thinking. Then because he fits the lone wolf type profile he turns into a suspect. Oh no, we hate him now! But wait, looks like after law enforcement searches his home and digs more into past, maybe he didn't do it. After some bombings in Alabama, the authorities move on to a new suspect. It's okay people, Richard really is a good guy. We can like him again. The whole sage was just a roller coaster and I can't imagine what it was like to be in Richard's shoes. And that's why I wanted to read this book, as I almost felt like I owed it to him to learn more about what he went through and hopefully get a more well-rounded view of him as a person instead of the more sensationalized version the media put out.
This is certainly a well-researched book and my guess is there probably will never be another book on the market that takes this close of a look into the case. While some of the key players involved are deceased, the authors were able to piece together the facts of the case by interviewing friends and family, combing through old news articles, watching television interviews, etc. Co-author Kent Alexander was actually involved in the case as he was the U.S. attorney who sent Jewell a letter formally clearing him. This was something negotiated ahead of time with Jewell's lawyers and after it was released it went a long way in shifting the public's perception of him as the man responsible for the bombing.
I think the authors do a good job in painting the picture of everything going on during this time period. They write about everything leading up to the Games, including the security measures that were put in place. The internet and cable news channels really starting to gain popularity at this time helped contribute to the 24-hour news cycle. Law enforcement needed to find the person or persons responsible for the bombing quickly in case future attacks had been planned. There was a lot going on as it was like the perfect storm and unfortunately for Richard Jewell he got caught up in the middle of it.
I think each reader will draw their own conclusions about the case. I think most of us can agree that Richard Jewell was put through the ringer which is extremely unfortunate given he was innocent. Now whether or not you can assign blame for what happened is where it becomes more of a grey issue. Was it law enforcement or the media that caused this absolute circus? Both? Should certain individuals take most of the blame like the reporter or the FBI agent? After reading the book, I can't say my opinions on the case have changed but I do think I have now gotten much more of a complete picture. The authors for the most part just present the facts without interjecting their opinions but I was left with the impression they didn't think too highly of a particular FBI agent.
Definitely recommend reading this book if you want a definitive look at the case. Obviously a big part of the story is Richard Jewell, but the book does go into detail about Eric Rudolph, the man responsible for the Olympic bombing as well as other bombings. Once law enforcement correctly identified him as a suspect, the hunt for him took years before he was successfully apprehended. Chances are you are like me and can never remember the name Eric Rudolph as the media coverage wasn't as extensive with him as it was with Jewell. And how many people out there incorrectly associate Richard Jewell with the bombing and as memories fade, forget he was innocent? Eric Rudolph is responsible for the Centennial Park bombing as well as three other bombings. I think we owe it to Richard to remember that.
Thank you to Netgalley and Abrams Press giving me an opportunity to read an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
December 30, 2019
I’m the person who sees a movie trailer, thinks it looks great and then searches if it’s a book. Indeed, this book was made into a movie. So I bypass movie and go straight to the book. This was fascinating. An entirely new nonfiction subject for me. It was never boring, it was intense and the flow was steady, never lagging.
March 7, 2022
This is a journalistic history and recounting of the story of the Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta during the 1996 Summer Games.
The main thrust is the rush to judgment that turned Richard Jewell, the erstwhile hero who spotted the bomb before it exploded, thus saving many lives, into a suspect smeared in the media. However, this time the main fault should be laid at the feet of the FBI, who misused the Behavioral Science profile: instead of using it to narrow the field of suspects, they went at it ass-backwards*, as we say here in the south, and used it as "evidence" against Jewell (the problem being that "The ranks of security guard companies and, to a lesser extent, law enforcement agencies are full of such people.")
The book is a fast read. A problem with it is that it's a book-length newspaper article that records every detail. Also, the narrative thrust eventually splits into two trajectories, one being Jewell's story and the other being the pursuit of the real perpetrator.
The personality quirks and warts of every character are explored to the nth degree. Here, though, the analysis is handled so objectively that the upshot feels positive and near bibliotherapeutic, that is, "they're okay, ergo I must be okay." (Hey, no comments from the peanut gallery. I like to gather my bibliotherapy where I may.)
Reading this book was a speedy drive down memory lane. Hard to believe it's already "history." How time flies!
*For those who want to plunge further into "ass-backward" and related expressions: https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll...
The main thrust is the rush to judgment that turned Richard Jewell, the erstwhile hero who spotted the bomb before it exploded, thus saving many lives, into a suspect smeared in the media. However, this time the main fault should be laid at the feet of the FBI, who misused the Behavioral Science profile: instead of using it to narrow the field of suspects, they went at it ass-backwards*, as we say here in the south, and used it as "evidence" against Jewell (the problem being that "The ranks of security guard companies and, to a lesser extent, law enforcement agencies are full of such people.")
The book is a fast read. A problem with it is that it's a book-length newspaper article that records every detail. Also, the narrative thrust eventually splits into two trajectories, one being Jewell's story and the other being the pursuit of the real perpetrator.
The personality quirks and warts of every character are explored to the nth degree. Here, though, the analysis is handled so objectively that the upshot feels positive and near bibliotherapeutic, that is, "they're okay, ergo I must be okay." (Hey, no comments from the peanut gallery. I like to gather my bibliotherapy where I may.)
Reading this book was a speedy drive down memory lane. Hard to believe it's already "history." How time flies!
*For those who want to plunge further into "ass-backward" and related expressions: https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll...
August 28, 2020
THE SUSPECT was a contributing source to Clint Eastwood's "Richard Jewell," and - shocker - the book is better than the movie. Not only do we get an in depth look at how things went so wrong in the pursuit of the Olympic Park bomber, but we also get a fascinating backstory on the efforts made to bring the Games to Atlanta.
A 3.5-star read recommended to those who interested in the Olympics, true crime investigation, and journalistic ethics.
A 3.5-star read recommended to those who interested in the Olympics, true crime investigation, and journalistic ethics.
November 8, 2024
I’ve had this ARC since 2019 and just hadn’t gotten around to it. Then on a short road trip with a friend, I decided to check out the audiobook from my library as I knew this is a topic he’d be interested in. Imagine my surprise when my friend, a non-reader, became completely engrossed and when we got home, purchased the audiobook so he could finish reading it.
This tells you how engaging this book is for true crime, history, or biography lovers. The Suspect covers a wide range of people and events surrounding the 1996 Olympic bombing. It is well researched and informative and makes for good discussion.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
This tells you how engaging this book is for true crime, history, or biography lovers. The Suspect covers a wide range of people and events surrounding the 1996 Olympic bombing. It is well researched and informative and makes for good discussion.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
June 26, 2023
I could have done without the somewhat sexist descriptions of journalist, Kathy Scrugg’s outfit choices. She’s certainly a problematic figure in this tale of injustice but to have so many references to her flirty nature, short skirts and low cut tops just felt a bit off. One reference to this in the section that introduces her would have been fine. But other than that, this was a very throughly researched and gripping account of one daft but endearing dude’s tragic struggle to clear his name.
March 3, 2021
This was a great story that told the amazing story of Richard Jewell.
"On July 27, 1996, a hapless former cop turned hypervigilant security guard named Richard Jewell spotted a suspicious bag in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, the town square of the 1996 Summer Games. Inside was a bomb, the largest of its kind in FBI and ATF history. Minutes later, the bomb detonated amid a crowd of fifty thousand people. But thanks to Jewell, it only wounded 111 and killed two, not the untold scores who would have otherwise died. With the eyes of the world on Atlanta, the Games continued. But the pressure to find the bomber was intense. Within seventy-two hours, Jewell went from the hero to the FBI’s main suspect. The news leaked and the intense focus on the guard forever changed his life. The worst part: It let the true bomber roam free to strike again.
What really happened that evening during the Olympic Games? The attack left a mark on American history, but most of what we remember is wrong. In a triumph of reporting and access in the tradition of the best investigative journalism, former U.S. Attorney Kent Alexander and former Wall Street Journal reporter Kevin Salwen reconstruct all the events leading up to, during, and after the Olympic bombing from mountains of law enforcement evidence and the extensive personal records of key players, including Richard himself."
"On July 27, 1996, a hapless former cop turned hypervigilant security guard named Richard Jewell spotted a suspicious bag in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, the town square of the 1996 Summer Games. Inside was a bomb, the largest of its kind in FBI and ATF history. Minutes later, the bomb detonated amid a crowd of fifty thousand people. But thanks to Jewell, it only wounded 111 and killed two, not the untold scores who would have otherwise died. With the eyes of the world on Atlanta, the Games continued. But the pressure to find the bomber was intense. Within seventy-two hours, Jewell went from the hero to the FBI’s main suspect. The news leaked and the intense focus on the guard forever changed his life. The worst part: It let the true bomber roam free to strike again.
What really happened that evening during the Olympic Games? The attack left a mark on American history, but most of what we remember is wrong. In a triumph of reporting and access in the tradition of the best investigative journalism, former U.S. Attorney Kent Alexander and former Wall Street Journal reporter Kevin Salwen reconstruct all the events leading up to, during, and after the Olympic bombing from mountains of law enforcement evidence and the extensive personal records of key players, including Richard himself."
April 11, 2020
Incredibly well-researched, well-written, and engaging until the end. One of my favorite nonfiction-that-reads-as-fiction books to date.
December 19, 2021
***Some spoilers below***
The authors conducted interviews of friends/ family/
media/ co-workers/ supervisors of Richard Jewell. Read
newspapers, FBI & other law enforcement archives &
personnel records. Read transcripts of FBI interviews.
Richard Jewell (RJ) had police training. He worked as a
jailer then police officer for a sheriff's dept, (& demoted
back to jailer) a campus cop for a private college & then
security guard for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
He was often described as an "over-zealous" cop. He
tended to drive over the speed limit. He policed beyond
his assigned campus territory. And took as many police
classes as he could afford, including 1 on suspicious
packages including back-packs which could contain a
bomb.
RJ's father & step-father abandoned him + his mother.
He'd had his own apt, but lived with his mother at the
time of the 1996 Olympics.
RJ policed the 5-story entertainment area at the 1996
Olympics & perimeter. He alerted Ga. FBI (GBI) agent
Davis to an abandoned olive green back-pack under a
bench. Davis thought RJ overreacted. The back-pack
exploded (it contained nails and pipes) & 2 died (1 of a
MI) & 111 persons injured.
The FBI rushed to judgement on RJ based on interviews
of past employers. They had search warrants for RJ's
apt & his truck. And spent 10 hours combing through
his apt. The Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) declared
RJ a main suspect before the FBI did. Media members
camped outside Richard and his Mom's apt. Most folks
treated RK as a pariah.
RJ relied on his atty friend from when they'd both worked
at the Small Business Administration (SBA). He gained 2
criminal defense attorneys, one of which in essence told
the FBI to 'put up (charge RK w/ a crime) or shut up
(release him as a suspect).' The FBI had tailed RJ & took
over his life. The federal prosecutor for Atlanta (1 of this
book's authors) in writing released RJ as a suspect, after
his final FBI interview. "Evidence:" circumstantial only.
RJ and 1 of his attorneys sued for defamation of character:
NBC News, CNN, NY Post, Time mag, Piedmont College,
& AJC. He won all cases but the last one. The news etc
now treated RJ as a hero & celeb.
The real Olympic bomber, Eric Rudolf, was an anti-federal
govt, white supremist, former Army man, who stole 340
pounds of dynamite (67% mark), bombed abortion clinics
& the 1996 Olympics. He lived 'off the grid:' received no
mail, had no bank account, or credit card, used cash only.
About 7 yrs after the bombing, the FBI put out a federal
warrant for him, & he hid in a national forest. The FBI
arrested him nearly 9 yrs after anniversary of the Olympic
bombing. A rookie street cop discovered him first:
dumpster-diving.
The authors conducted interviews of friends/ family/
media/ co-workers/ supervisors of Richard Jewell. Read
newspapers, FBI & other law enforcement archives &
personnel records. Read transcripts of FBI interviews.
Richard Jewell (RJ) had police training. He worked as a
jailer then police officer for a sheriff's dept, (& demoted
back to jailer) a campus cop for a private college & then
security guard for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
He was often described as an "over-zealous" cop. He
tended to drive over the speed limit. He policed beyond
his assigned campus territory. And took as many police
classes as he could afford, including 1 on suspicious
packages including back-packs which could contain a
bomb.
RJ's father & step-father abandoned him + his mother.
He'd had his own apt, but lived with his mother at the
time of the 1996 Olympics.
RJ policed the 5-story entertainment area at the 1996
Olympics & perimeter. He alerted Ga. FBI (GBI) agent
Davis to an abandoned olive green back-pack under a
bench. Davis thought RJ overreacted. The back-pack
exploded (it contained nails and pipes) & 2 died (1 of a
MI) & 111 persons injured.
The FBI rushed to judgement on RJ based on interviews
of past employers. They had search warrants for RJ's
apt & his truck. And spent 10 hours combing through
his apt. The Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) declared
RJ a main suspect before the FBI did. Media members
camped outside Richard and his Mom's apt. Most folks
treated RK as a pariah.
RJ relied on his atty friend from when they'd both worked
at the Small Business Administration (SBA). He gained 2
criminal defense attorneys, one of which in essence told
the FBI to 'put up (charge RK w/ a crime) or shut up
(release him as a suspect).' The FBI had tailed RJ & took
over his life. The federal prosecutor for Atlanta (1 of this
book's authors) in writing released RJ as a suspect, after
his final FBI interview. "Evidence:" circumstantial only.
RJ and 1 of his attorneys sued for defamation of character:
NBC News, CNN, NY Post, Time mag, Piedmont College,
& AJC. He won all cases but the last one. The news etc
now treated RJ as a hero & celeb.
The real Olympic bomber, Eric Rudolf, was an anti-federal
govt, white supremist, former Army man, who stole 340
pounds of dynamite (67% mark), bombed abortion clinics
& the 1996 Olympics. He lived 'off the grid:' received no
mail, had no bank account, or credit card, used cash only.
About 7 yrs after the bombing, the FBI put out a federal
warrant for him, & he hid in a national forest. The FBI
arrested him nearly 9 yrs after anniversary of the Olympic
bombing. A rookie street cop discovered him first:
dumpster-diving.
September 19, 2019
The story of Richard Jewell was just a little bit before my time - but after reading this book, I feel like I lived through it. Soon to be the subject of a major motion picture, Richard Jewell was a bit of a down-and-out wannabe police officer, a portly man from North Georgia who loved police work, the authority of the badge, and “fighting crime” more than anything. He got jobs here and there in the field, working as a lowly jailor and deputy officer for Habersham County, GA and as a security guard for Piedmont College, before forcibly resigning from both jobs for being, well, overzealous. In Habersham, he tried to “buzz” the cruiser of a neighboring jurisdiction like they do in Top Gun, only to crash into a telephone pole and knock out power for half a mile. While working for the college, he expanded his territory without permission and started to make “courtesy traffic stops” in the town, much to the chagrin of the local police force.
Lucky for Jewell, the 1996 Olympics were coming up right in Atlanta. Jewell hoped he could get a job with a private security firm and use that to leverage future law enforcement work. One July night in Centennial Park, a beautiful public park built for the Olympics hosting concerts and other events for visitors, Jewell was pacing his normal route. He saw a suspicious green bag underneath a bench and immediately suspected it to be a bomb. He contacted all the right folks, formed a perimeter, and when the bomb went off, it killed only two people instead of the assumed 100+ who could have died without Jewell’s actions. He was touted as a hero and brought on national TV - but a few days later, he was the FBI’s number one suspect in the crime. He fit the profile of lonely wannabe cop who had the knowledge to build a bomb, get the attention and praise, and reenter law enforcement as was his dream. So who is Richard Jewell, really? And what would he do to become a hero?
This book is immaculately researched, detailing not only Jewell’s backstory, but that of Jewell’s friends, Olympics organizers, FBI agents, APD detectives, and key reporters from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The level of detail is stunning - I can’t imagine how the Salwen and Alexander collected this volume of information and were able to synthesize it all in such a flowing, fast-paced way that hardly becomes boring. Moreover, it’s compellingly written - following in the vein of some of my favorite “nonfiction that reads like fiction” (aka narrative nonfiction) books, like Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster, In Cold Blood, Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors, and The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. Although the book is lengthy, you won’t want to put it down. This was a particularly interesting read for me as I had never even heard of this event, the subsequent bombings, or the controversy around Jewell (revealing my age, probably!). I’m curious to know what this book is like for someone who lived through this whole event as it rolled out in real time. I didn’t want to be spoiled, since I wasn’t familiar with where the story went, but I will say that the ending is fantastic and exciting. There is so much to think about - where things went wrong, who was to blame, and how all of this happened in the first place.
Remarking on Richard Jewell, Jay Leno commented, “Now, he seems to fit the typical misfit profile, cop wannabe, low self-esteem, and s cary resemblance to the guy who whacked Nancy Kerrigan.” Funny enough, the movie version of Richard Jewell in the Clint Eastwood-directed film by the same name (out in December 2019) is being played by Paul Walter Hauser, the same guy who played Shawn Eckhardt, Nancy Kerrigan’s attacker, in the 2018 film I, Tonya. The movie looks intense as hell, and I can’t wait to watch it. Thank you to Abrams Press for the ARC via Netgalley!
Lucky for Jewell, the 1996 Olympics were coming up right in Atlanta. Jewell hoped he could get a job with a private security firm and use that to leverage future law enforcement work. One July night in Centennial Park, a beautiful public park built for the Olympics hosting concerts and other events for visitors, Jewell was pacing his normal route. He saw a suspicious green bag underneath a bench and immediately suspected it to be a bomb. He contacted all the right folks, formed a perimeter, and when the bomb went off, it killed only two people instead of the assumed 100+ who could have died without Jewell’s actions. He was touted as a hero and brought on national TV - but a few days later, he was the FBI’s number one suspect in the crime. He fit the profile of lonely wannabe cop who had the knowledge to build a bomb, get the attention and praise, and reenter law enforcement as was his dream. So who is Richard Jewell, really? And what would he do to become a hero?
This book is immaculately researched, detailing not only Jewell’s backstory, but that of Jewell’s friends, Olympics organizers, FBI agents, APD detectives, and key reporters from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The level of detail is stunning - I can’t imagine how the Salwen and Alexander collected this volume of information and were able to synthesize it all in such a flowing, fast-paced way that hardly becomes boring. Moreover, it’s compellingly written - following in the vein of some of my favorite “nonfiction that reads like fiction” (aka narrative nonfiction) books, like Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster, In Cold Blood, Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors, and The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. Although the book is lengthy, you won’t want to put it down. This was a particularly interesting read for me as I had never even heard of this event, the subsequent bombings, or the controversy around Jewell (revealing my age, probably!). I’m curious to know what this book is like for someone who lived through this whole event as it rolled out in real time. I didn’t want to be spoiled, since I wasn’t familiar with where the story went, but I will say that the ending is fantastic and exciting. There is so much to think about - where things went wrong, who was to blame, and how all of this happened in the first place.
Remarking on Richard Jewell, Jay Leno commented, “Now, he seems to fit the typical misfit profile, cop wannabe, low self-esteem, and s cary resemblance to the guy who whacked Nancy Kerrigan.” Funny enough, the movie version of Richard Jewell in the Clint Eastwood-directed film by the same name (out in December 2019) is being played by Paul Walter Hauser, the same guy who played Shawn Eckhardt, Nancy Kerrigan’s attacker, in the 2018 film I, Tonya. The movie looks intense as hell, and I can’t wait to watch it. Thank you to Abrams Press for the ARC via Netgalley!
December 30, 2019
Kathy Scruggs & Don Johnson seem to deserve a special place in hell, for what they did to the Jewell Family. Their lives seem to take the Karma led path to "all messed up".
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has been acting like a chicken with it's head cut off, TRYING to protect Scruggs (not so good) name. So rich.
An excellent book, filled with details. A deep dive after watching the Clint Eastwood film.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has been acting like a chicken with it's head cut off, TRYING to protect Scruggs (not so good) name. So rich.
An excellent book, filled with details. A deep dive after watching the Clint Eastwood film.
January 2, 2021
I expected to read about Jewell, Eric Rudolph, and the various FBI agents involved. I did not expect to bump into Sally Yates, Doug Jones, Merrick Garland, and Lin Wood in the process of reading this story. An all around tragic story, except for the good luck of catching Rudolph.
The death count outside of Eric Rudolph's bombs was the surprising thing to me here. Jewell doesn't come across as a brilliant guy, but he was certainly an earnest fellow who intended to do well. After this book I have more faith in our Justice Department & FBI (yes, despite the errors in pursuing Jewell), especially regarding the good decisions that Yates, Jones, Garland, and others pursued on the path to arresting Rudolph & shifting their gaze away from Jewell.
And Lin Wood has apparently always been crazy.
This is not even a book review worthy of a fourth grader. Oops.
I did get an advance reading copy as well. A darn good read. Rather entertaining and heart-breaking.
The death count outside of Eric Rudolph's bombs was the surprising thing to me here. Jewell doesn't come across as a brilliant guy, but he was certainly an earnest fellow who intended to do well. After this book I have more faith in our Justice Department & FBI (yes, despite the errors in pursuing Jewell), especially regarding the good decisions that Yates, Jones, Garland, and others pursued on the path to arresting Rudolph & shifting their gaze away from Jewell.
And Lin Wood has apparently always been crazy.
This is not even a book review worthy of a fourth grader. Oops.
I did get an advance reading copy as well. A darn good read. Rather entertaining and heart-breaking.
August 20, 2020
This was FASCINATING and really, really well done.
December 15, 2019
Went back to watch my family vacation video from hours before the attack: https://www.instagram.com/p/B6CUNx9Fy...
July 13, 2020
The Suspect is an incredibly enjoyable book, perhaps the best nonfiction I've ever read. Authors Alexander and Salwen did such a fantastic job both researching and synthesizing Richard Jewell's story that it reads like fiction. I got so lost in the page-turning story that I forgot that each sentence was meticulously investigated and verified. The Suspect deftly presents the source material in an engaging and immersive way.
As a millennial, I wasn't old enough to remember the 96 Olympics or Richard Jewell. I'm so glad I picked up this book, then, as it's a crucial piece in the history of domestic terrorism.
This book is for anyone interested in fascinating and non-fiction stories, but it's particularly for anyone interested in law enforcement and news media.
As a millennial, I wasn't old enough to remember the 96 Olympics or Richard Jewell. I'm so glad I picked up this book, then, as it's a crucial piece in the history of domestic terrorism.
This book is for anyone interested in fascinating and non-fiction stories, but it's particularly for anyone interested in law enforcement and news media.
January 27, 2020
In my mind this is an example of a perfect book. The writing is clear, full of detail that is interesting and not overwhelming. The narrative incorporates not just Jewell but the 1996 Olympics, how they ended up in Atlanta, how the FBI and various law enforcement agencies worked through CENTBOM, the various characters that played a role and how they got there. I was totally engrossed. (And it was cool to read about places that, as an Atlanta boy, I've been to dozens of times; I once even owned some of the '96 Olympics memorabilia discussed in the book, such as the green hat and the pins.)
December 25, 2019
This book was thoroughly researched and well written. This story could happen to anyone. It reminds us to get the facts first before destroying a reputation just to get a story out. May you Rest In Peace Mr. Jewell.
January 28, 2020
What the FBI and the media did to Richard Jewell's life is literally criminal. The FBI determined that he fit the profile - that they created - of a bomber. They then set out to prove that their hypothesis was a fact. Ignoring the basic rule of investigating . . . follow the leads and the evidence to wherever they take you. The media jumped all over the FBI theory and literally hounded Jewell into hiding along with his mother. Not only does this book - very well researched - show how irresponsible the media was (and remains), bu how dangerous the FBI was and still is. There is not enough money to have properly compensated Richard Jewell ans his mother. The role of the FBI should send chills down your spine if that agency ever decides to look into you and your life. You are no less secure if the media decides to look into your life, for they seemingly have no integrity when it comes to the truth and facts . . . rather, they are selling the news and in a lot of cases creating the news.
The authors spent five years investigating the story before writing this book.t
To say that the FBI and the media failed the test of integrity and basic investigative techniques is an understatement. Absolute lack of integrity on both fronts.
The FBI violated Jewell's rights and tricked him into signing away his Miranda rights.
Investigators fed leaks to the media -AJC - which should bring about prosecution of those investigators. This is a callous violation of professional investigatory techiniques, not to mention blatant violation of Jewell's rights.
The FBI along with the AJC are guilty of destroying Jewell and his mother and literally leaving them in a pile of rubble with no remorse.
Who can forget the Branch Dividians and the literal murder of the women and children who were burned out in 1983? Horrible. Or Elián González who was caught up on a custody battle and the INS literally took him from relatives - who can ever forget the terror on that little boy's face when they literally snatched him away? There was another instance involving the FBI in the northwest who determined that a group of men - handful - posed a threat to the public, though they were in the wilderness and far from any real city. The FBI found a way to kill one of the men by using a sniper.
Back to the Olympic Bombing. It was ultimately determined that Eric Rudolph was the bomber, who later bombed two other places one of which was a gay bar in Atlanta. He fled to North Carolina and hid out. In Murphy , North Carolina. The interesting thing to me and my wife is that we had been to Murphy when we rented a cabin in the woods for a long week-end and shopped at the grocery store behind which Rudolph was ultimately found and arrested.
The authors spent five years investigating the story before writing this book.t
To say that the FBI and the media failed the test of integrity and basic investigative techniques is an understatement. Absolute lack of integrity on both fronts.
The FBI violated Jewell's rights and tricked him into signing away his Miranda rights.
Investigators fed leaks to the media -AJC - which should bring about prosecution of those investigators. This is a callous violation of professional investigatory techiniques, not to mention blatant violation of Jewell's rights.
The FBI along with the AJC are guilty of destroying Jewell and his mother and literally leaving them in a pile of rubble with no remorse.
Who can forget the Branch Dividians and the literal murder of the women and children who were burned out in 1983? Horrible. Or Elián González who was caught up on a custody battle and the INS literally took him from relatives - who can ever forget the terror on that little boy's face when they literally snatched him away? There was another instance involving the FBI in the northwest who determined that a group of men - handful - posed a threat to the public, though they were in the wilderness and far from any real city. The FBI found a way to kill one of the men by using a sniper.
Back to the Olympic Bombing. It was ultimately determined that Eric Rudolph was the bomber, who later bombed two other places one of which was a gay bar in Atlanta. He fled to North Carolina and hid out. In Murphy , North Carolina. The interesting thing to me and my wife is that we had been to Murphy when we rented a cabin in the woods for a long week-end and shopped at the grocery store behind which Rudolph was ultimately found and arrested.
January 24, 2020
The bombing at Centennial Park during the 1996 Olympics was a case that involved almost a decade to solve. The author has done a magnificent job in dissecting all the elements in the story. There are four key actors in the story - an overzealous reporter from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Key FBI investigator at the early part of the story, Richard Jewell and the actual bomber who did this terror act and a couple of others.
The author describes how Atlanta beat out Athens for the Centennial games. He then goes on in detail to describe the events around the bombing and the effects on each of the key participants. Richard Jewell's life (as an ambitious although somewhat flawed security guard who was a hero in saving lives) was torn asunder because of excesses done by the AJC reporter and by the FBI investigator. He eventually sued several of the news media sources for their defamation. At one point a judge ruled (in my opinion oddly) that Jewell did not deserve protection of privacy because he was a temporary public person.
Richard Jewell was eventually able to get his life back together. The reporter eventually died of a drug overdose and the lead FBI guy was disgraced for some outlandish tactics. The bomber was able to negotiate a plea deal to save himself from the death penalty.
Alexander is complete in his details of this set of tragedies. I read the book after seeing the Clint Eastwood movie about Jewell - while I thought the movie was interesting, the book is a much better telling of the story.
The author describes how Atlanta beat out Athens for the Centennial games. He then goes on in detail to describe the events around the bombing and the effects on each of the key participants. Richard Jewell's life (as an ambitious although somewhat flawed security guard who was a hero in saving lives) was torn asunder because of excesses done by the AJC reporter and by the FBI investigator. He eventually sued several of the news media sources for their defamation. At one point a judge ruled (in my opinion oddly) that Jewell did not deserve protection of privacy because he was a temporary public person.
Richard Jewell was eventually able to get his life back together. The reporter eventually died of a drug overdose and the lead FBI guy was disgraced for some outlandish tactics. The bomber was able to negotiate a plea deal to save himself from the death penalty.
Alexander is complete in his details of this set of tragedies. I read the book after seeing the Clint Eastwood movie about Jewell - while I thought the movie was interesting, the book is a much better telling of the story.
June 22, 2022
I really enjoyed this book! It took me back to a time when I was about 14 or 15 and only vaguely aware of these things going on. But the author really does a great job of bringing humanity to the story and presenting Richard Jewell as a kind-hearted, if somewhat bumbling, man of the people. The author go so far as to lay the case out in such a way that it’s very easy to see how he was mistaken for the suspect, but at the same time, foster’s your outrage at his public mistreatment. Highly recommend.
November 15, 2019
Fantastic read
Full disclosure, I am from Atlanta and can remember a lot of this but I was only 12 so I couldn’t have known it all. This book was a great read and I learned so much about my city and the events around the Centennial Olympic bombing. I had a hard time putting this book down. Kudos to Mr. Alexander and Mr. Salwen. Best book I’ve read all year (and I’ve read quite a few).
Full disclosure, I am from Atlanta and can remember a lot of this but I was only 12 so I couldn’t have known it all. This book was a great read and I learned so much about my city and the events around the Centennial Olympic bombing. I had a hard time putting this book down. Kudos to Mr. Alexander and Mr. Salwen. Best book I’ve read all year (and I’ve read quite a few).
February 25, 2020
Alexander probes the bombing of Centinell Park site of the Olympics in 1996 Atlanta. Caught in the crossfire is Richard Jewell, a people pleasing security guard who is first touted as a hero then asa suspect, an overzealous FBI agent with the moniker Don Johnson, and lastly Kathy Scruggs, a ruthless ambitious newspaper reporter whose goal is to get the story no matter what she has to do.
May 12, 2020
"Soon Jewell began delivering doughnuts to surveillance agents who were on duty. When he realized they were having difficulty tailing him, he began notifying the drivers in advance where he was going. The agents were grateful and relieved. Earlier, they had suspected him of 'evasive driving tactics' with his fast, unpredictable turns. Once they had the addresses, they realized he just had a bad sense of direction and a lead foot."
August 31, 2020
The story of the Atlanta Olympic bombing needed to be told, and Salwen and Alexander were clearly the right people to do it. They covered every possible angle of the bombing and every major player involved without sensationalism or prejudice. While I appreciated their thoroughness (I especially enjoyed learning about the efforts to locate Rudolph and the lawsuit against the AJC), I do think there were some tangents here that slowed down the narrative drive. I’d recommend The Suspect to fans of Jeffrey Toobin or Bad Blood.
April 24, 2020
It's crazy how big and important this story was in the world (only 25 years ago), and yet I didn't even know this story happened before reading this book.
Very well researched, informative, and entertaining. A good read for my generation, especially with the emphasis on media and reporting ethics in the internet and TV age.
Very well researched, informative, and entertaining. A good read for my generation, especially with the emphasis on media and reporting ethics in the internet and TV age.
December 29, 2021
"While the government can tell you that I am an innocent man, the government's letter cannot give me back my good name or my reputation." - Richard Jewell
Solid 8/10 for detailed writing, well researched storytelling, and complex weaving of competing narratives!
Solid 8/10 for detailed writing, well researched storytelling, and complex weaving of competing narratives!
February 5, 2022
I read this book with interest, as it sounded like a pretty good book by the title.
Unfortunately, I just didn't find it very interesting.
It was, though, truly great journalism and research - it was just such a dry read!
2.8/5
Unfortunately, I just didn't find it very interesting.
It was, though, truly great journalism and research - it was just such a dry read!
2.8/5
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