Richard A. Jewell was working as a security guard at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta when he discovered the pipe bomb that shortly thereafter exploded, killing one and injuring 111. Police eventually settled on Jewell as the most likely suspect.
The news and entertainment media jumped the gun,and some more or less appeared to convict him without trial. Their theory was that Jewell had "discovered" the bomb after having planted it himself--in a bid for publicity.
Actually, he had done the right things when he noticed a strange green knapsack. He hustled people away from the scene and summoned backup. News accounts first pictured him as a hero, then turned on him, although he was never arrested or charged.
Further police investigation cleared Jewell, but by then his reputation had been destroyed. Tom Brokaw had been especially outspoken about his guilt on the NBC national news, the Atlanta Journal & Constitution was pretty rough on him, and the late-night comedy shows labeled him the Una-Bubba.
In April 2005, Eric Rudolph confessed to having planted the bomb. Brokaw's remarks cost NBC a $500,000 settlement, and the New York Post settled for an undisclosed amount. The Atlanta newspaper refused to settle and never had to pay damages inasmuch as Jewell died of natural causes in August 2007, before Jewell's defamation suit came to trial.
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