ATLANTA — Thirty years ago, the Centennial Olympic Park bombing claimed the life of Alice Hawthorne and caused the death of television camera operator Melih Uzunyol, who suffered a fatal heart attack while responding to the scene. The attack also wounded 111 others.
The event significantly changed how the FBI works to protect the public, particularly regarding its investigation processes.
The investigation into the bombing eventually led to the arrest of Eric Robert Rudolph nearly six years later.
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The initial bombing was followed by additional explosions in Georgia, including one at a Sandy Springs abortion clinic and another at the Otherside Lounge. These subsequent acts of violence intensified public fear as a suspect remained at large for years.
Evidence from the investigation, including a replica of the bomb from the backpack, pieces of the actual backpack found under a park bench, the phone booth used by the bomber and the boots Rudolph wore at the time of his apprehension, has been preserved.
Letters describing the bombs and detailing other targets, such as abortion clinics “that murder children,” were also part of the evidence.
“When I walked in the room, there were 500 members of the press,” said David W. Johnson, the former FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge at the time of the bombing. “The constant media presence made the investigation challenging. Every other person we interviewed, they’d call the press and say, FBI just interviewed me. And so they were right on our tails the whole time.”
Richard Jewell was an original suspect in the case and the storm surrounding him became intense. Johnson expressed regret over the time it took to clear Jewell.
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“Oh, yeah. You know, again, if it had been a normal situation where you’re doing investigations, that we probably would have cleared him in three or four days,” Johnson said.
Marlo Graham, the current FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge, now leads the office.
“I feel like I’m standing on the shoulder of giants,” Graham said.
She attributes the constant collaboration between agencies today to the work done after the Centennial Olympic Park bombing.
“Every day, day in and day out, we share information. We tell each other things to move the case forward,” Graham said.
Graham explained that the high-profile nature of the case forced the FBI to change its tactics to a more “close to vest style” approach. She emphasized the importance of rebuilding public trust while also maintaining the integrity of ongoing investigations.
“We are trying to rebuild the public’s trust, right and so now we’re back in a place where we want to share, however, we always have to keep our investigations at the forefront,” Graham said.
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