What happened to Richard Jewell? Find out about the man behind 'Manhunt' story

American drama series Manhunt is one of its kind show. Helmed by Andrew Sodroski, Jim Clemente, and Tony Gittelson, the show was initially commissioned as a television miniseries starring Sam Worthington and Paul Bettany, however, its massive success prompted the showrunners to turn it into full-fledged series. Manhunt season 1, called Unabomber, depicted a fictionalised account of the FBI's hunt for the Unabomber. It premiered on Discovery Channel on August 1, 2017. The show came back with a second season in February 2020 and fans have been swooning over Manhunt Deadly Games, the show’s season 2. Read on to find out, “What happened to Richard Jewell?”

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What happened to Richard Jewell?

The show reveals the story of Richard Allensworth Jewell, an American security guard and a police officer who got entangled in a web of investigation and media trial. He was falsely accused of being the perpetrator of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia by the media. The show reveals how for a period of 88 days, Jewell was mistakenly suspected of planting the bomb and subjected to a brutal media trial that took a toll not only on his private but also his professional life.

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During his time as a security guard at the Olympic Park, Jewell had discovered a backpack containing three pipe bombs on the park grounds. He alerted police and helped evacuate the area before the bomb exploded. As the news began spreading across America, Jewell was touted for saving many people from injury or death. Initially, the media hailed him as a hero, but he soon found himself in the midst of an excruciating investigation by the FBI. He became the prime suspect by the FBI. 

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Jewell was never charged, and his name was cleared as a suspect after 88 days of public scrutiny. Jewell was acquitted from the horrifying public scrutiny when another man named Eric Rudolph eventually confessed and pleaded guilty to that bombing and other attacks. A report in  The Columbia School of journalism website revealed that after he was dropped as a suspect, Jewell filed libel suits against the FBI, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, CNN, the New York Post, and Piedmont College for the debilitating impact that their accusations about the Atlanta bombing, had on his life.

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Did Richard Jewell become a cop?

The Columbia School's report reveals that when FBI did a background check about Jewell, it was revealed that Virginia native had worked in various law enforcement jobs, including as a police officer in Pendergrass, Georgia. After stepping back into the monotony of life after being subjected to the harrowing public scrutiny, Richard went on to become a deputy sheriff in Meriwether County, Georgia, until his death at the age of 44. He has also given speeches at colleges. In 1997, Jewell testified before a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives, in which he called for an independent investigation into methods used by FBI agents during their investigation of him. He also appeared in Michael Moore's 1997 film, The Big One. 

Image Source: Manhunt (Official Instagram)