June 18, 2019 ▸ History, True Crime

Episode 395: 1996 Olympic Bombing: From Abortions to the Appalachians

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the most famous cases of domestic terrorism in the USA: the 1996 Olympic Bombing. The date was July 27, and the concert in the Centennial Olympic Park was going full speed. Then, just before midnight, a call came in to police saying a bomb was going to detonate in the concert in a half hour. Eighteen minutes later, the triple pipe bomb exploded. One person was killed, and over 100 were wounded.

However, the damage was not as bad as it could have been in the Olympic Bombing. A security guard named Richard Jewell found the bomb, called several law enforcement agencies, and got people evacuated. They say without his swift action, many more deaths would have happened that night. He was repaid for his heroism by being the primary suspect in the FBI investigation!

Meanwhile, the real bomber, Eric Rudolph got away and planed several more bombings. He blew up two abortion clinics and a lesbian bar, killing one more and injuring others. Why did he do all this? Well for one, he was a wackadoo. He was part of a “Christian Identity” movement that reinterprets the Bible in line with their white power teaching. Second, he wrote rambling letters blaming abortion, the US Government, and the homosexual agenda for ruining the world. Solution? Blow up an Olympic after party? Good call.

The really interesting part of this was that after he was identified as the architect of all four bombings, he evaded law enforcement for years by living the rough Appalachian Mountains on his own in full survival mode. The FBI kept pressure on him with regular patrols because they figured it would keep it on the run and unable to bomb again. They were right. When Rudolph was busted doing a dumpster dive for food, he confessed to several caches of dynamite (250 pounds!) near where the FBI was headquartered.

If you’re into true crime, survivalism, White Power lunatics, and the madness that was the 1990s, this one is for you! Oh, and did I mention that his gay brother cut off his own hand with a radial saw to prove a point to the FBI?

FBI Statement on The Bomber: https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/eric-rudolph