Neither Harding nor her ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, has been charged in the case. He claimed that he then phoned Eckardt to cancel the deal. A juge in Portland, Oregon refused. Tonya Harding married Jeff Gillooly when she was 19 and divorced him in 1993, a year before the attack. Nancy Kerrigan had already finished her practice session and departed to Stoneham, Massachusetts for the weekend. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. And now, the man who provided security for Tonya Harding when she returned home in triumph from the U.S. figure skating championships has emerged as a key player in the attack on Nancy Kerrigan. July 25, 1995: Derrick Smith, who drove the getaway car in the attack, leaves the South Fork Forest prison camp near the Oregon Coast after serving 18 months. #OnThisDay in 1994 US figure skater @NancyAKerrigan was clubbed on the back of her knee with a police baton by #ShaneStant It was later reported her assailant was hired by the exhusband of @thetonyaharding #JeffGillooly + coconspirator #ShawnEckardt at @cobocenter in Detroit. [17] Stant approached Kerrigan from behind, extended a telescopic baton, struck her lower right thigh and walked away. According to him, she did phone the arena asking for Kerrigan's "patch and freestyle times," and phoned again for the address. Eckardt set up a meeting with Derrick Smith and Shane . Eckardt hid the tape recorder on his desk under a paper towel. According to him, Eckardt wanted to keep the idea of injuring Kerrigan a secret from Harding, but Gillooly explained that injuring a competitor might psychologically affect Harding's performance too. Six months after the attack Harding was stripped of her titles and banned from US figure skating for life. Her pickup won't start. Kerrigan was the American sweetheart who was one of her main competitors on Olympic ice. If you or someone you know has been. Shawn Eric Eckardt (1967 - December 12 2007) was an American criminal who, while employed by figure skater Tonya Harding as a bodyguard in the early 1990s, conspired with Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and Shane Stant in the planning and execution of the assault on rival skater Nancy Kerrigan on January 6 1994. They plead not guilty. The U.S. Olympic Committee hisses and boos but does nothing. Harding said that Gillooly phoned her one hour later asking her to pick him up. Powered by. Two days later, she received a restraining order against Gillooly: "He wrenched my arm and wrist, pulled my hair and shoved me [] he bought a shotgun, and I am scared for my safety. Ads by BeenVerified. Harding initially denied all knowledge of the attack,[4][5] but soon accepted a plea agreement admitting to helping cover up the attack after the fact. When he told her about their "money-back guarantee," Harding laughed out loud. To some degree, his name faded away with more prominent figures like Hardings ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and Harding herself getting more of the news attention. [38] He claimed that in mid-December, Gillooly approached him to ask if he knew anyone who could disable Kerrigan. Stant agreed to go to Portland with Smith for a meeting, then he paid $59 for a 21-inch (53cm) ASP tactical baton from a store called Spy Headquarters. I got down on one knee and asked him to marry me." When asked whether Gillooly had ever threatened her, Harding said he had not. Gillooly said only her right leg needed to be disabled, her landing leg; he claimed to have previously verified this with Harding. Griffith died . According to The New York Times, Gillooly was sentence to a two-year term, while Eckardt had an 18-month sentencing. Harding's mother, LaVona, said she opposed the marriage: "I knew Jeff had a violent streak [] he tried to break down the door because he thought [Tonya] had gone out with another boy. That January, an assailant clubbed Kerrigan in the knee, forcing her out of the competition. A judge places her on probation for three years and orders her to pay $160,000 in fines and contributions. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Birth. She's a redneck, but she's my redneck. After the meeting, he and Stant agreed not to injure Kerrigan "too badly. After the meeting, Gillooly left, returning that night to pay Eckardt in cash. [16] Stant stated in a 2018 interview that he was standing "about a foot and a half" (around half a meter) behind the camera crew and waited for them to stop filming before he followed Kerrigan through the curtain. View contact information: phones, addresses, emails and networks. [28][24], On August 28, 1993, Harding and Gillooly were granted a divorce. [38] On December 25, Gillooly had an answering machine message from Smith asking for more details about the plan. Kerrigan had been practicing skating on an ice rink in the arena shortly beforehand. The New York Times, which announced his death, called him Brian Sean Griffith, which Eckardt changed his name to after getting out of prison. She agreed to reimburse Multnomah County $10,000 in legal expenses, undergo a psychiatric examination, and volunteered to give $50,000 to the Special Olympics Oregon (SOOR) charity. Figure Skating Association. Feb. 5, 1994: The U.S. All rights reserved (About Us). A smiling, clapping Harding. Shawn Eckardt. Star Staff. [26] In spring 1993, she dated Tom Arant who spoke about Harding to The Oregonian, saying she would complain about Gillooly, yet still contacted him often: "she couldn't stop talking to him. On August 25th I will attempt the Block Island Challenge. "Eckardt is a very intelligent idiot," said Jerry Spires, a private investigator who was one of Eckardt's instructors at Pioneer Pacific College in nearby Wilsonville. They later exchanged phone numbers and went out to the movies, chaperoned by her father. "[53], Shane Stant first testified about the attack plot after he turned himself in to the FBI on January 14, 1994. The events -- and the ramshackle cast or characters behind them -- fascinated and disturbed Portlanders and the nation. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Skater Tonya Harding has finally admitted she knew about the plot to injure her rival, Tonya Harding, left, skates past compatriot Nancy Kerrigan during a practice session at the Olympic Games in Norway in 1994, The athlete eventually finished in eighth place at the '94 Games and was later banned for life from US figure skating, Harding's former husband Jeff Gillooly, right, attends his arraignment hearing January 19, 1994, flanked by attorney Ronald H. Hoevet, Margot Robbie. [49] He had met Eckardt when they were students at Mt. The story that emerged after her rival, figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, was assaulted at the U.S. Griffith was Harding's bodyguard when she competed for a spot on the United States Olympic figure skating team in 1994. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Brian Sean Griffith, the former bodyguard to Tonya Harding, has died. Jan. 6, 1994: An assailant clubs Nancy Kerrigan, Harding's skating rival, on the right knee with a metal baton as she leaves skating practice in Detroit. As Bender attempts to sabotage her performance by filling her tap shoes with tacks in the locker room, Tonya catches him in the act, and breaks his leg with a nightstick in a similar manner to the attack on Kerrigan. . But . Olympian resigns", "Harding found guilty of hindering investigation", "Records indicate Harding lied about phone calls", "Harding stripped of title; banned for life", "Review: 'I, Tonya.' We're a team of dedicated, motivated, and highly-trained engineers, hydrologists, ecologists, GIS analysts, stream designers, and wetland and riparian buffer restoration experts. He is a 26-year-old, 300-pound. During the interview, Eckardt claimed to Sawyer that Gillooly might have originally sought to kill Nancy Kerrigan, but he told Harding's ex-husband, "No, we don't need to do that. June 30, 1994: Harding is stripped of her 1994 national figure skating title and banned for life from the U.S. Jan. 22, 1994: Investigators fly to Los Angeles to interview Kerrigan, who's filming a commercial there. In 2018, she said she had prior knowledge of Gillooly and Eckardt discussing "[taking] out" one of her competitors in late 1993. It has a lot of people wondering: Where is Shane Stant, the Kerrigan knee-whacker, today? If she had been suspended, she likely still would have competed at the Olympics after filing suit, seeking an injunction against the USFSA, and asserting her rights under the Amateur Sports Act of 1978. Eckardt then phoned him to say the plot involved making "an accident happen" to a skater, maybe cutting an Achilles tendon. Tonya Maxene Harding was born on November 12, 1970, in Portland, Oregon, to LaVona Golden (b. Harding told Londer she was. Skulduggery is Shawn Eckardt's passion. Shawn later admits to Jeff that he was the one who called in the death threat on Tonya. The questions are being debated by lawyers and law-enforcement officials as the investigation continues. pictured with Harding, plays the disgraced skater in critically acclaimed movie I, Tonya, Trailer for new ice skating blockbuster, I, Tonya, starring Margot Robbie, Tonya Harding FINALLY admits she knew about sensational plot to break ice skating arch rival Nancy Kerrigans leg before 1994 Olympics, Shocking photo shows bedsheet where girl died weighing 23st - as mum JOKED about flies in squalid room, Man, 43, died after being held down by security guards at Sainsbury's, Man rushed to hospital with stab wounds after 'incident' at Hackney Central railway station as cops rush to scene, The pair would later hire Shane Stant, who assaulted US skater Nancy Kerrigan with a baton, The extraordinary story is the subject of a critically acclaimed movie I, Tonya, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). But it is Eckardt who looms as a pivotal figure in the investigation. It was later revealed that Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard, Shawn Eckhardt, were the masterminds who hired Stant to render Kerrigan incapable of competing at the 1994 Olympics. The penultimate episode of the animated comedy Futurama, "Stench and Stenchibility", features a devilish six-year-old girl named Tonya (voiced by Tara Strong; a reference to Harding), who is the opponent of Bender Rodriguez (John DiMaggio) in a tap dancing competition held by Randy Munchnik. [6][7] Law enforcement investigators had been following and videotaping the co-conspirators since January 10, and knew about the payphone calls. Smith told Gillooly he could solve "problems," and Gillooly said he wanted Kerrigan out of the National Championships so Harding could win an Olympic gold medal. They also found two photos of Kerrigan from the World Team handbook and Olympian magazine. [30] He then worked in Milwaukie, Oregon as a group home coordinator for Developmental Systems Inc., a company that employed and trained mentally retarded adults to sort laundry hangers. Shawn Eckardt, a friend of Gillooly's who was also Harding's bodyguard before the attack, had originally been hired by the figure skater after she received an anonymous death threat. Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Emmys STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events But the two men have known each other since attending grade school together. ", "Harding's Spot on Olympic Team Is Under Review", "Ice-skater's former husband gives himself up", "Assault knocks Kerrigan out of US championships", "Always Tonya: As Cool as Ice But Troubled", "Harding Confronts Motorist with Bat In Traffic Dispute", "Police in Oregon make arrests in assault on Olympic skater", "Tonya Harding says she 'knew something was up' before infamous 1994 baton attack", "Ex-Spouse Pleads Guilty & Implicates Harding", "A Hard Life Spent Searching for Money & a Gold Medal", "Husband, bodyguard implicated in attack Police 'close' to arrest in Kerrigan case", "FBI investigating Tonya Harding's husband as part of alleged plot to sideline figure skater Nancy Kerrigan", "Sheriff's deputies arrest Tonya Harding's bodyguard & another man", "Rival's bodyguard, one other arrested in assault", "Harding chances called 'grim' New witness says skater knew of plot", "Harding says she's innocent 'Tonya is shocked and angry', "Pieces falling together in Kerrigan attack case", "Harding to Get Olympic Spot but Inquiry Continues", "Harding-Kerrigan 20 Years Later: Remembering the Stunning Attack", "Kerrigan Attacker & Accomplice Sent to Jail", "20 years later: highlights in a timeline", "Harding Admits Guilt in Plea Bargain, Avoids Prison", "Tonya Harding Remains the Public Enigma", "Lawyer for Skater's Ex-Husband Says He Has Tied Her to Attack", "Harding Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Justice. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Claire Ferguson, president of the USFSA, decided not to suspend Harding's membership before a hearing took place. Rather than focus on the 1994 attack, I, Tonya instead focuses greatly on Harding's upbringing and the backstory that led up to the unbelievable pre-Olympics controversy. He was enrolled in the program for three years before being booted out in 1992. "[54][55][56] Harding also confirmed she had spoken with FBI agents in Detroit and again in Portland. [44] Eckardt claimed he had a contract to disable a female figure skater issued by her rival's husband, that it involved good money because one of the rival's sponsors was George Steinbrenner. Both women competed in the 1994 Olympics, and Harding was later banned for life from USFSA figure skating events. [33], In Harding's 2008 authorized biography, The Tonya Tapes (written by Lynda D. Prouse from recorded interviews), Harding denied ever asking Vera Marano for the name of Nancy Kerrigan's training rink and that Marano may not have remembered details properly and "was a little bit out there." O.J. "), Feb. 19, 2011: Harding gives birth to a baby boy. Gillooly said that Harding had been moving her possessions into his truck when they started an argument over his former girlfriend; he declined to press charges. Then phoned Eckardt to cancel the deal characters behind them -- fascinated and disturbed Portlanders and the ramshackle or! Practicing skating on an ice rink in the investigation and orders her to pay Eckardt in.. Birth to a baby boy approached him to say the plot involved making `` accident! They were students at Mt neither Harding nor her ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly when she 19., he and Stant agreed not to suspend Harding 's membership before a hearing took place he Stant. 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