And it was Eckardt's apparent remorse for the assault that led him to play a tape of the conversation for a local minister. Gillooly said Harding told him to tear off the magazine's mailing label because it had their home address. In the Attack on Olympic Skater", "Gillooly Pleads Guilty, Says Harding Approved Plot", "Harding's ex-husband says she helped to plan attack Attorney: 'What Did Tonya Know And When? The film stars Margot Robbie (who also produced the film), Sebastian Stan, and Julianne Nicholson. We pay for your stories! Before the Olympics, a man emerged from the shadows and struck her in the knee, leading to Kerrigans famous and plaintive cry: Why? Eckardt then offered more money than Gillooly stated and said more bodyguard work would follow. [31], During Tonya Harding's FBI testimony on January 18, 1994, she requested and received some ice to treat her swollen ankle. When asked whether Gillooly had ever threatened her, Harding said he had not. But my life was in shambles.. Feb. 10, 1994: Harding sues the U.S. Olympic Committee to stop it from a planned hearing to discuss whether she should participate in the Olympics. It's an 18-mile Open Ocean Paddle and each paddler must raise or contribute a minimum of $1500 to participate. "[27] That summer, a man from Harding's gym claimed to The Oregonian that Harding offered to pay him to "take care" of Gillooly, "slap him around a little." She received three years probation, 500 hours of community service and was hit with a $100,000 fine. 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. 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. On January 1, 1994, she had a late-night skating session from 11:30 p.m to 1 a.m., and Gillooly asked Eckardt to meet them at the rink. When asked about Gillooly, Harding said: "I never did anything to hurt . He then phoned Harding asking her to pick him up. The grand jury foreman said the evidence implied Harding as "involved from the beginning or very close." [38], Gillooly testified that by January 1994, he and Harding were upset that the plot had apparently failed. He was the man who allegedly taped the conversation in which the plan to attack Kerrigan was hatched. Shawn Eckardt, the 300-pound would-be bodyguard of figure skater Tonya Harding, walked out of prison Friday morning in Salem, Ore., the last of those involved in the attack on Nancy Kerrigan to be . "I'm just a simple buyer," he said. [30] Gillooly assured her Eckardt knew people who could carry out the attack, and they could abort the plot if they did not like Eckardt's plan. Jan. 10, 1994: Harding returns to Portland escorted by Shawn E. Eckardt, her bodyguard. The hitman was Shane. Each juicy tidbit made headlines and newscasts. As the new movie I, Tonya depicts, he and Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, became suspects for the crime, and they both pleaded guilty to racketeering in their attempts to harm Kerrigan. According to him, she did phone the arena asking for Kerrigan's "patch and freestyle times," and phoned again for the address. Harding then admitted that she had fired the gun and was worried about the publicity. Jan. 23, 1994: Investigators say they have enough evidence to arrest Harding but want to build an airtight case before going forward. There is no other person than Brian Griffith," following the bodyguard's passing. One of them included Harding's bodyguard, and what happened to Shawn Eckardt is truly tragic. That Eckardt inflated his credentials is undeniable. As Rogers wrote in the LA Times, Gillooly and Harding had different ideas about how everything went down. Burial Details Unknown. They also found two photos of Kerrigan from the World Team handbook and Olympian magazine. [87] On June 30, chairman William Hybl stated, The panel decided that pertinent FBI reports, court documents, and Harding's March 16 plea agreement presented, Harding chose neither to attend nor participate in the two-day hearing. [38][30] It was true that Steinbrenner had recently given Harding a $10,000 donation through the USFSA. Shawn Eckardt was the bodyguard of figure skater Tonya Harding and was involved in the planning of the 1994 attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan at Cobo Arena in Detroit. 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. March 16, 1994: In Portland, Harding pleads guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution. In mid-December 1993, Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, approached Shawn Eckardt about somehow eliminating Kerrigan from the competition. "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. Smith was waiting in a car outside and acted as a getaway driver. 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. And I never understood that.. Those involved dream it might make it to Broadway one day. July 13, 1994: Gillooly is sentenced to two years in jail and fined $100,000 for racketeering. When Harding returned, she testified that she and Gillooly went to Eckardt's home on December 28, 1993; he went inside, she drove away. "[54][55][56] Harding also confirmed she had spoken with FBI agents in Detroit and again in Portland. As if Gillooly's and Harding's contradicting stories aren't enough to keep up with, I, Tonya also focuses on a third central character, Harding's mom, LaVona Fay, aka "Sandy" Golden. If you or someone you know has been. The incident ended in apologies and no criminal charges were filed. [38], On January 1, 1994, Eckardt met Gillooly and Harding at the skating rink during her late-night session. He is a 26-year-old, 300-pound college student who works out of his parent's home and drives a 1976 Mercury with a missing hubcap. Eckardt and Harding's . 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. Ten days later, Harding's lawyer asked the restraining order to be lifted because the couple again wished to reconcile. Multnomah County authorities arrest Eckardt and Smith, charging them with conspiracy to commit second-degree assault. There's other things you can do to disable somebody rather than you don't need to kill." [51] He quit that job in late 1993 and moved to Arizona with his wife. Harding ultimately. [15], On the afternoon of January 6, 1994, Kerrigan was practicing for the U.S. Championships on an ice rink inside Cobo Arena. Oregon sentencing guidelines carried a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment for the offense. At the time, many saw Harding's meltdown as karma: She was competing at the Olympics despite having maybe, possibly helped her ex-husband (Jeff Gillooly) and bodyguard (Shawn Eckhardt) plan an. Jan. 15, 1994: Figure skating officials meet to decide whether Harding can compete in the Olympics in February. [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. "[37] However, she was skeptical about Eckardt's ability to arrange it. Formerly Shawn Eckardt, Griffith had changed his name since the attack in an attempt to put it behind him. "He gets A's in class," Spires said. 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. Harding then phoned Marano again asking her to spell the arena name, and Gillooly said he watched as Harding wrote out "Tony Kent Arena. 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. To his attorney, Eckardt "wasn't smart enough" to plot the clubbing of Kerrigan. [38], On December 29, 1993, Stant agreed to execute the plot and took a flight to Boston, yet discovered he could not rent a car with his girlfriend's credit card. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. According to The New York Times, Gillooly was sentence to a two-year term, while Eckardt had an 18-month sentencing. Still, the movie's screenwriter, Steven Rogers, made sure to interview Gillooly and others so as not to only get Harding's side of the story. "I know Eric. [23] On October 2, at approximately 3 a.m., neighbours of the couple called the police when they heard them arguing outside and a single gunshot. [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. [38][39] Once this was achieved, Harding would receive endorsements and he could offer $1,000 per week for her security. March 13, 2002: Harding puts up her dukes against former presidential pal Paula Jones on Fox's "Celebrity Boxing." Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. In 1993, Eckardt was enrolled in a paralegal course at Pioneer Pacific College and trying to build a business called World Bodyguard Services. Brian Sean Griffith. Stant said no. Figure Skating Championship had sports, sleaze and more. Eckardt said Harding then skated up to him and commiserated about his ongoing back pain. It could not be confirmed if Gillooly wrote the letter, however. Eckhardt was sentenced to 18 months in prison for racketeering but was released four months early in September. Griffith was Harding's bodyguard when she competed for a spot on the United States Olympic figure skating team in 1994. Eckardt plays an important role in the movie I, Tonya, and that's because he played a big part in the investigation that followed Kerrigan's assault. View Shawn Eckardt results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. [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. 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. Feb. 1996: Harding tells police she was abducted at knifepoint in Oregon by a bushy-haired man who was never caught. [29] In November 1993, the couple were evicted from their apartment for failing to pay rent. He said he was offended and declined. [38] On December 25, Gillooly had an answering machine message from Smith asking for more details about the plan. Also, Eckardt includes with his resume a letter of recommendation from Blackstone Corp. and uses as a reference a Mr. W. J. Walther, the company's purported Oregon-based representative. "Eckardt just couldn't keep up with the training, and we terminated him," said Tom Duggan, the school's training manager. Gillooly said he could pay $6,500 for this plan and wanted to know what they could do. Lurking in the background was Harding's self-anointed "bodyguard," Shawn Eckardt, a slovenly fabulist. Kerrigan was then carried away to a changing room by her father. [82], On March 21, 1994, a Portland grand jury issued an indictment stating there was evidence Harding participated in the attack plot. [13] Derrick Smith, an associate of Eckardt, was paid $6,500 to carry out the attack; Eckardt had received the money from Gillooly. In an interview with The Oregonian, Stone said he'd changed and was remorseful for the attack on Kerrigan. Harding was a powerfully athletic figure skater who was able to complete the triple axel but came from the other side of the tracks. [48] According to him, she then said "You need to stop screwing around with this and get it done. [38], According to Gillooly, as he was driving himself and Harding home, she asked if the meeting went well. According to ESPN, Stant had moved to Southern California, where he embarked on a career in marketing. PORTLAND, ORE. PORTLAND, Ore. -- It is a resume that even James Bond would envy. Feb. 25, 1994: Kerrigan wins the Olympic silver medal in Norway while Harding, still under investigation by Oregon authorities, finishes eighth. [16] The attack severely bruised her knee and quadriceps tendon and forced her to withdraw from the U.S. Shane Stant was one of the most notorious figures in the 1990s because he was nabbed for being the actual attacker of Nancy Kerrigan. Her friend Don Horn says, "She's always wanted a baby. Harding loses her sweaty, sloppy match by split decision. Kerrigan could not compete in the US Championship but recovered in time to compete in the Winter Olympics. [72], On February 1, 1994, Gillooly's attorney negotiated a plea agreement in exchange for testimony regarding all involved parties in the attack. [50][51] Smith then applied for a police officer job and was waiting for his interview to be scheduled before Eckardt told him about possible bodyguard work in Oregon. [12] Shane Stant later testified that Harding was part of staging the death threat against herself. Harding continues to deny her involvement in the attack on Kerrigan. Gillooly's attorney, Ron Hoevet, accuses Harding of conspiracy and is roundly criticized by other attorneys. Oct. 18-19, 1999: Harding plans makes her professional skating debut in the ESPN Professional Skating Championships in Huntington, W.Va., She places second and expects that such a strong showing will lead to offers from ice shows or TV skating specials. And NBC News reported last night that Gillooly will be arrested today. Harding continues training for the Olympics. 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. [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. She was not charged in the indictment due to the terms of her March 16 plea agreement.[86][8]. 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 this Jan. 12, 1992, file photo, Tonya Harding, left, and Nancy Kerrigan appear at the U.S. The events of the 1994 Winter Olympics which led to Tonya Harding's infamy introduced a colorful cast of characters to the world. Eckardt hid the tape recorder on his desk under a paper towel. Jan 19, 1994: Gillooly turns himself in after an arrest warrant is issued. Feb. 12, 1994: Harding drops her lawsuit, and the Olympic committee decides to cancel its hearing. On August 25th I will attempt the Block Island Challenge. ", "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. 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