Gillooly and Eckardt both claimed that Harding was involved in the attack and had knowledge of it beforehand. L And "extremely adaptable in a rapidly changing environment.". Figure Skating Championship, Harding tells the press, "Let me tell you, I'm going to go there and kick some butt.". Harding hired Eckardt as her bodyguard because his resume indicated he was an expert in counterin-telligence and international terrorism, graduated from an Gillooly first stated that the gun had fired when he was carrying it. Shane Stant. The 47-year-old, who has now remarried, claims she thought her former spouse Gillooly would kill her many times.. His lawyer told the judge that Stant had lived a law-abiding life since leaving prison and needed a break to achieve his dream of joining the SEALs.. GettyUS figure skaters Tonya Harding (L) and Nancy Kerrigan avoid each other during a training session 17 February in Hamar, Norway, during the Winter Olympics. According to Gillooly, Harding replied, "Let's do it. Harding spoke about the moment she realised the American people were going to find out the truth behind the attack. 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. PORTLAND, ORE. PORTLAND, Ore. -- It is a resume that even James Bond would envy. [45][46] Smith was interested in the deal and agreed to drive to Portland with his nephew, Shane Stant, to meet with Eckardt and Gillooly. Brian Sean Griffith, a former bodyguard to figure skater Tonya Harding who admitted a role in the attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan during Olympics tryouts, has died. ", "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. [78], On March 16, Harding pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution as a Class C felony offense at a Multnomah County court hearing. Lurking in the background was Harding's self-anointed "bodyguard," Shawn Eckardt, a slovenly fabulist. In 2018, she said she had prior knowledge of Gillooly and Eckardt discussing "[taking] out" one of her competitors in late 1993. She was raised in East Portland and began skating at age three, training with coach . Jan. 26-27, 1994: Gillooly confesses to the FBI, implicating himself, Harding, Eckardt, Smith and Stant. If you or someone you know has been. Executive security consultant. Before Gillooly arrived to the meeting, Smith asked Eckardt to tape-record the impending plotting for security. Kerrigan was the American sweetheart who was one of her main competitors on Olympic ice. In 2005, Stant asked a judge to clear his felony record so he could try to become a Navy Seal. He received his own credit card from an evening mail delivery the next day. He then phoned Harding asking her to pick him up. Barack Obama referenced the attack while giving a speech in 2007 in Iowa during his run in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, stating "Folks said there's no way Obama has a chance unless he goes and kneecaps the person ahead of us, does a Tonya Harding. Her pickup won't start. Harding, who finished eighth at the 94 Olympics, was the subject of intense media scrutiny during the event in Lillehammer because of the alleged plot by her husband. 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. Why? All rights reserved (About Us). Here's a timeline of the saga, compiled from reporting by The Oregonian staff and wire services: February 1991: Tough, athletic Tonya Harding lands the daring triple axel during the U.S. The now 47-year-old says she overheard her then-husband Jeff Gillooly and bodyguard Shawn Eckardt talking about attacking one of her competitors. Arrested for their roles in the attack were Derrick Smith and Stant, two men who liked to set booby-traps and play war together on property they shared in Corbett, Ore. And there were tales of Eckardt trying to entice a fellow student, Russell "Rusty" Rietz, to "kill someone" in Detroit for $65,000. [13] The events of the 1994 Winter Olympics which led to Tonya Harding's infamy introduced a colorful cast of characters to the world. June 23, 2010: Harding, 39, marries, Joseph Jens Price, 42, in Clark County, Wash. (She later told Inside Edition it was she who proposed: "It was at his birthday party. Gillooly's attorney, Ron Hoevet, accuses Harding of conspiracy and is roundly criticized by other attorneys. [58][59] On January 14, the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) made a statement on whether Eckardt's arrest affected Harding's Olympic placement: "We will deal only with the facts. Eckardt did not know where exactly Stant was and told Gillooly that Smith needed more money. [77] Eckardt died in 2007. Weaver said the decision disappointed her but was not a surprise, and that she had not decided on an appeal. [38] On December 25, Gillooly had an answering machine message from Smith asking for more details about the plan. [38], Shortly after Eckardt had spoken on the phone with Derrick Smith, he visited Gillooly and Harding at their home and quoted $4,500 to execute the plot. [38][30] It was true that Steinbrenner had recently given Harding a $10,000 donation through the USFSA. Shawn Eckhardt Clip Brooke Brown 5 subscribers Subscribe 308 Share 44K views 4 years ago A clip from the video Tanya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan video Show more Show more The Tonya Harding and. The events -- and the ramshackle cast or characters behind them -- fascinated and disturbed Portlanders and the nation. She and her lawyer, Robert Weaver, negotiated a plea agreement ensuring no further prosecution. Eckardt and the two others, Derrick Smith and Shane Stant, have been arrested and have confessed to participating in the crime. [11] The Winter Olympics were also set to take place in February, where Kerrigan and Harding were likely to be the two female figure skaters representing the United States. "Eckardt just couldn't keep up with the training, and we terminated him," said Tom Duggan, the school's training manager. 12 Dec 2007 (aged 40) Burial. But the year began with headlines and newscasts, tabloids and talk shows blaring one name familiar to Oregonians: Tonya Harding -- good girl gone bad. Shane Stant Today: Where Is the Nancy Kerrigan Attacker Now? 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. Harding continues to deny her involvement in the attack on Kerrigan. A disagreement between Harding and some officers of the fan club over disbursement of the money in the fan club account had flared on several occasions, including once at the bank where the account is based. In March 1994, after key evidence was found in a dumpster, Harding pleaded guilty to conspiring to hinder prosecution of her husband and the others involved. Rogers doesn't discuss whether or not he consulted with Fay to hear her side of the story, and that might be because Harding and her mother have not spoken since 2002. [75][76] Judge Donald Londer noted the attack could have injured Kerrigan more seriously. Eckardt hid the tape recorder on his desk under a paper towel. [12] Shane Stant later testified that Harding was part of staging the death threat against herself. [20] They married on March 18, 1990. View contact information: phones, addresses, emails and networks. When asked what he wanted people to know about her, Price replied, "She's kind, she's loving, she's a little rough around the edges. She received three years probation, 500 hours of community service and was hit with a $100,000 fine. [50] Smith later worked for the United States Army as an "intelligence analyst" for about 3 years until he was discharged. "I have every intention of utilizing his expertise in the future and cannot think of any individual that could surpass Mr. Eckardt's capabilities," Gillooly purportedly wrote. "But the Shawn I know is someone, who, following his activities, immediately began to lay awake at night crying.". Eckardt and Harding's . We've played chess together.". Eckhardt was sentenced to 18 months in prison for racketeering but was released four months early in September. But . But did he plot the Jan. 6 assault at the national championships in Detroit on his own? [88][89] Harding was stripped of her 1994 U.S. Championship title and banned for life from participating in USFSA events as either skater or coach. [30] Marano then called a USFSA contact to find the name of the rink and left a message on Harding and Gillooly's answering machine. He remembered Gillooly saying he would pay more money if the plot happened. [16] The attack severely bruised her knee and quadriceps tendon and forced her to withdraw from the U.S. As Tonya grows up, her parents take her out of school to focus on her skating career, and she trains under coach . I, Tonya opened theatrically in the United States on December 8, 2017.. 1476 (D. Or. [1][2][3] They hired Stant, and his uncle Derrick Smith, to carry out the attack. Speaking on ABCs Truth and Lies: The Tonya Harding Story, the shamed athlete said she heard a conversation between her husband and Eckardt who she described as dumb as a post.. I got down on one knee and asked him to marry me." Eckardt had dropped out of high school and was currently enrolled in a paralegal course at Pioneer Pacific Collegethat is, when he wasn't running the grandly titled World Bodyguard Services from. 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. 18 Jun 1967. [48] According to him, she then said "You need to stop screwing around with this and get it done. Read Mesa Tribune Newspaper Archives, Jan 16, 1994, p. 9 with family history and genealogy records from mesa, arizona 1993-1994. Oregon sentencing guidelines carried a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment for the offense. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Jan. 31, 1994: Gillooly says Harding approved the attack on Kerrigan. On June 29, the USFSA disciplinary panel met for nine hours over two days to consider Harding's alleged role in the attack. DISGRACED figure skater Tonya Skater has finally admitted that she knew about the plot to break the leg of her Olympic rival in 1994. "He can talk the talk. 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. 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. Eckardt then set up the attack on Kerrigan with a hit man, Shane Stant, and Derrick Smith, Stant's uncle. In the weeks leading up to the Olympics, Jeff and Tonya's bodyguard at the time, Shawn Eckhardt, hired a man to attack Nancy apparently hoping to improve Tonya's chances at the Winter . "I'm just a simple buyer," he said. Tonya knew that the purpose of this meeting was to discuss how they could . The New York Times, major networks and every tabloid television show from Australia to Japan descended on Portland, setting up camp downtown across from the Justice Center Jail. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. Kerrigan (left) and Harding practice before the 1994 Olympic Games in Norway, where Kerrigan takes the silver. "Unfortunately, he tried to turn fantasy into fact by masterminding this stupid attack," Ron Hoevet said. He claims to have worked for the Blackstone Corp. as a contract operations specialist in Switzerland from 1984 to 1987. Kerrigan's injury forces her to drop out of the competition, which Harding wins. [30] Stant and his girlfriend also moved to Arizona along with Smith after once serving 15 days in jail for stealing cars. Feb. 22, 2003: After months of training, Harding makes her pro boxing debut, fighting Samantha Browning, a Mississippi housecleaner whose only previous fights had been the barroom variety. Jan. 10, 1994: Harding returns to Portland escorted by Shawn E. Eckardt, her bodyguard. Eckardt instead wired the funds to Smith, who then traveled to join Stant in Detroit. The popularity rank for the name Shana was 3820 in the US in 2020, the Social Security Administration's data shows . and guess what? 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. PORTLAND Brian Sean Griffith, the former bodyguard to Tonya Harding, has died. He lived for more than a decade after the infamous attack plunged him into the headlines. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1 (800) 799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org. Accounts of Stants personal rehabilitation can be read in letters of recommendation he filed with a court in Oregon when he tried to have his conviction in the Kerrigan assault expunged. "[21][24], On March 10, 1992, Harding had a roadside physical altercation with a female motorist in Portland, Oregon. [83][84][85][73] It stated there was evidence Harding fraudulently used USFSA-provided skating monies to finance the assault. Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley. Oct. 1996: Harding calls 9-1-1 and gives mouth-to-mouth resuscitation after a customer collapses in a Milwaukie tavern.

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