Survivalist Charged in Olympic, Other Atlanta Blasts

The nation’s top law enforcement officials, charging Birmingham, Ala., abortion clinic bombing suspect Eric Robert Rudolph with the 1996 Olympics bombing and two other Atlanta attacks, distributed a photograph Wednesday of the ruggedly handsome suspect in the T-shirt and shorts that they believe he wore the day of the Olympics explosion.

The photograph, obtained from unnamed sources, is one tangible result of nearly nine months of detective work by Rudolph’s hunters.

Investigators also have developed “a very good time line” of his movements “both before and after all bombings,” FBI Director Louis J. Freeh told a Justice Department news conference.

But the progress does not alter the fact that the 32-year-old survivalist continues to evade a massive manhunt and Freeh acknowledged that investigators have no eyewitness tying Rudolph to the July 27, 1996, Olympics bombing that killed one person and injured 100 others.

An official directly involved in the manhunt contended that Rudolph is still hiding out in the North Carolina mountains, which he noted are laced with caves and extremely difficult terrain well-suited to a fugitive skilled in camouflage and other evasive techniques.

Freeh and U.S. Atty. Gen. Janet Reno used the announcement of the additional charges against Rudolph to underscore their commitment to capturing him. Reno also reemphasized the $1-million reward posted when Rudolph was put on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list last May.

“Eric Rudolph is on the run,” Reno said. “We are going to keep searching until we find him and we’re not going to rest until we bring him to justice.”

In addition to the Centennial Olympic Park bombing, Rudolph also was charged with bombing a north Atlanta abortion clinic on Jan. 16, 1997, and a gay and lesbian bar, the Otherside Lounge, on Feb. 21, 1997. In both of those attacks, two bombs were detonated.

Freeh noted that the second bombs were designed to injure police, fire and rescue workers responding to the initial explosion in each case.

“The gravity of these offenses is reflected, first of all, in the indiscriminate nature of the attacks,” Freeh said.

The bombing Jan. 29 at the New Woman All Women Health Center in Birmingham killed a security guard and seriously injured a nurse.

Rudolph, who previously had been sought for questioning in connection with the three bombings, was charged with five counts of malicious use of an explosive, a crime that carries the death penalty when death results from the explosion.