Richard A. Jewell (December 17, 1962 – August 29, 2007) was a central figure of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Jewell, working as a private security guard, discovered a pipe bomb, alerted police, and helped to evacuate the area before it exploded, saving many people from injury or potential death. Initially hailed by the media as a hero, Jewell later was considered a suspect.
Despite having never been charged, he underwent what was considered by many to be a "trial by media" with great toll on his personal and professional life. Eventually he was exonerated completely: Eric Robert Rudolph was later found to have been the bomber
Death
Jewell suffered from diabetes, severe heart disease and kidney disease, which contributed to his death on August 29, 2007 from natural causes, aged 44.