One of them included Harding's bodyguard, and what happened to Shawn Eckardt is truly tragic. Eckardt says Gillooly hatched the plot. That morning, Jeff met with Shawn Eckardt, Derrick Smith and Shane Stant in Eckardt's home. You know something was a major cultural phenomenon if SNL parodied it, and Eckardt definitely became a household name for all the wrong reasons in the early '90s. Formerly Shawn Eckardt, Griffith had changed his name since the attack in an attempt to put it behind him. He lived for more than a decade after the infamous attack plunged him into the headlines. 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. The New York Times, which announced his death, called him Brian Sean Griffith, which Eckardt changed his name to after getting out of prison. Those involved dream it might make it to Broadway one day. 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. Jan. 15, 1994: Figure skating officials meet to decide whether Harding can compete in the Olympics in February. But the life beefy bodyguard Shawn Eric Eckardt portrayed in a resume filled with misspellings and apparent misstatements is vastly different from the facts. Feb. 12, 1994: Harding drops her lawsuit, and the Olympic committee decides to cancel its hearing. Read Mesa Tribune Newspaper Archives, Jan 16, 1994, p. 9 with family history and genealogy records from mesa, arizona 1993-1994. ', "Indictment says Harding involved in Kerrigan plot", "USFSA's decision regarding Tonya Harding", "Harding Stripped of Title; Banned for Life", "Injured Kerrigan Withdraws From Olympic Trials", "Who is Tonya Harding's former bodyguard Shawn Eckardt? Hoevet added that Eckardt was paid $3,500 by the Harding camp to provide security as the skater arrived at Portland International Airport, and accompany her on a planned trip to last week's pre-Olympic skating exhibition in Fairfax, Va. Feb. 1998: Fox Broadcasting airs the first-ever face-to-face interview between figure skaters Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan. He remembered Gillooly saying he would pay more money if the plot happened. The group schedules a disciplinary hearing and gives Harding 30 days to respond to charges that she did something detrimental to the welfare of figure skating. 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. After the meeting, he and Stant agreed not to injure Kerrigan "too badly. 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. [38], According to Gillooly, Harding then approached both men and asked Eckardt if his previous back pains were better. and guess what? Eckardt said Harding then skated up to him and commiserated about his ongoing back pain. He was interested in bodybuilding, martial arts, and helping Smith open his training camp someday. [18], Harding met Jeff Gillooly in 1986 when she was skating at the Clackamas Town Center; she was 15, he was 17. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. [78], On March 16, Harding pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution as a Class C felony offense at a Multnomah County court hearing. Feb. 1996: Harding tells police she was abducted at knifepoint in Oregon by a bushy-haired man who was never caught. Aug. 1994: Pictures taken from the video of Tonya and Jeff Gillooly's wedding night appear in the 25th anniversary issue of Penthouse magazine. [32], After Harding's plea deal on March 16, 1994, she has since made other claims about the assault scandal. With no record of military service, Eckardt boasts that his skills include unconventional warfare, surveillance, psychological operations and something he calls the "Secret Service characteristics matrix for assassins." He claims to have worked as a counterintelligence specialist for a Swiss company 10 . "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. PORTLAND Brian Sean Griffith, the former bodyguard to Tonya Harding, has died. Gillooly first stated that the gun had fired when he was carrying it. The key date is Dec. 28, 1993. "[21], Harding later claimed she was the victim of acquaintance rape sometime during her separation from Gillooly in 1991, "by a friend of mine, who I knew for eight years. I don't want to lose him. The film stars Margot Robbie (who also produced the film), Sebastian Stan, and Julianne Nicholson. [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." "[97], Cobo Arena, the site of the attack, pictured here in 2007, 1994 United States Figure Skating Championships, United States Figure Skating Championships, "Third Suspect Arrested by F.B.I. Stant, who was 22 years old at the time, was hired by Shawn Eckhardt, a close friend of Tonya Harding's then-husband, Jeff Gillooly. [91], The character of Karla Keller in the cancelled Data East arcade fighting game Tattoo Assassins is largely based on Kerrigan, Keller's backstory directly referencing the assault. After Eckardt was shopped to the FBI by one of his friends, he implicated Gillooly who then agreed to testify against his own wife in exchange for a plea bargain effectively ending their troubled marriage. Sept. 22, 1995: Shawn Eckardt gets out of the Oregon State Penitentiary 109 days early for good behavior; he was to have served 18 months for his part in planning the attack. March 13, 2002: Harding puts up her dukes against former presidential pal Paula Jones on Fox's "Celebrity Boxing." Her plea admissions were knowing of the assault plot after the fact, settling on a cover story with Gillooly and Eckardt on January 10, witnessing payphone calls to Smith affirming the story on January 10 and 11, and lying to FBI. [38] He claimed that in mid-December, Gillooly approached him to ask if he knew anyone who could disable Kerrigan. Stant said no. 2007, Eckardt passed away in Portland, Oregon, at just 40 years old. But it is Eckardt who looms as a pivotal figure in the investigation. 1940) and Albert Harding (1933-2009). May 16, 1994: Eckardt pleads guilty to racketeering. When I found out that the truth was finally going to come out., She continued: My skating was great. [38], Gillooly testified that by January 1994, he and Harding were upset that the plot had apparently failed. He was 40. Each juicy tidbit made headlines and newscasts. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Sept. 12, 1994: Gillooly enters the Oregon SUMMIT prison boot camp program. We pay for your stories! Kerrigan was the American sweetheart who was one of her main competitors on Olympic ice. "I'm just a simple buyer," he said. Former Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding is opening up up about her relationship with her mother, her notorious past and her reaction to the new film about her life, I, Tonya, in a interview with. [30] Eckardt suggested cutting Kerrigan's Achilles tendon, using a beater car to run her off the road, or "just kill her," but those ideas were opposed. [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. [38] He said the message was difficult to understand, it sounded like "Tunee Can." July 13, 1994: Gillooly is sentenced to two years in jail and fined $100,000 for racketeering. Weaver said the decision disappointed her but was not a surprise, and that she had not decided on an appeal. [30][38] Eckardt introduced Gillooly to Derrick Smith, using only his first name, Stant was introduced as Smith's "friend." Gillooly said only her right leg needed to be disabled, her landing leg; he claimed to have previously verified this with Harding. "It makes you . Feb. 2, 1994: Harding falls during practice. All Information about Shawn Eckhardt 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. Today: She reportedly lives in Central Oregon with her husband and son. Executive security consultant. . Her pickup won't start. As you can tell, each relationship featured I, Tonya, is fraught with built-up animosity. Gillooly's attorney, Ron Hoevet, accuses Harding of conspiracy and is roundly criticized by other attorneys. (Chris Farley filled Eckardt's tracksuit in an SNL bit in 1994.) Mark Eckardt Found 18 people in California, Illinois and 17 other states. If The interview ended with Harding saying, "No one controls my life but meif there's something in there that I don't like, I'm going to change it. [64][65] Harding left her home that evening to practice figure skating with her coaches, where she spoke with reporters and performed a triple Axel. Formerly Shawn Eckardt, Griffith served 14 months for his role in the 1994 attack on Harding's. "Shawn was the kind of guy you saw in high school or at the bus stop who's in his own world. Figure. He allegedly hired two men, 29-year-old Derrick Smith and his nephew Shane Stant,. [47] Smith returned to Arizona and was communicating separately with Stant and Eckardt by phone, while Eckardt reported back to Gillooly. [63] On January 16, Harding's lawyer held a news conference in which he read a statement denying Harding's involvement in the attack on Kerrigan. July 21, 1995: Shane Stant, Kerrigan's assailant, is released from the Santiam Correctional Institution after serving 14 months. 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. March 14, 1995: The former Jeff Gillooly, who since has changed his name to Jeff Stone, is released from Oregon SUMMIT prison boot camp program north of Coos Bay. Birth. 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. 12 Dec 2007 (aged 40) Burial. Gillooly stood in her view behind the camera during the interview. [90], The attack and the scandal surrounding it were depicted in the 2017 film I, Tonya, with Margot Robbie portraying Harding, Ricky Russert portraying Stant, and Caitlin Carver portraying Kerrigan. He wouldnt cut anybody. Phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. Schatz asked Harding whether someone she knew could have planned the attack. Controversy raged over whether Harding should be allowed to skate in the Olympics. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Here's a different take of their interview as depicted in 'I,. Eckardt then set up the attack on Kerrigan with a hit man, Shane Stant, and Derrick Smith, Stant's uncle. [70] The panel examined evidence including the testimonies of Stant and Smith, Harding and Gillooly's telephone records, and notes found in a Portland saloon trash bin on January 30. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. [12] Shane Stant later testified that Harding was part of staging the death threat against herself. I really don't. The New York Times, which announced his death, called him Brian Sean Griffith, which Eckardt. 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. She said Harding then asked for the name of Kerrigan's training rink and also wanted to know if Kerrigan owned property in Cape Cod. The now 47-year-old says she overheard her then-husband Jeff. The neighbours reported seeing Gillooly pick Harding up and place her in a truck, and feared Harding had been shot. Certified parachutist. If you or someone you know has been. Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley. Feb. 11, 1994: A Clackamas County judge asks attorneys for the USOC and Harding to try to work out a compromise. Nov. 3, 1994: Portland artist Deforrest unveils 60 silk-screen prints of Tonya Harding and charges $5,000 a pop. [13] Derrick Smith, an associate of Eckardt, was paid $6,500 to carry out the attack; Eckardt had received the money from Gillooly. Oregon sentencing guidelines carried a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment for the offense. The hitman was Shane. Harding continues training for the Olympics. Eckardt also highlights his training at Executive Security International, an Aspen., Colo.-based correspondence school for bodyguards. [43], On December 22, 1993, Eckardt received a call from his friend Derrick Smith who lived in Phoenix, Arizona. Russell then advised her that while concealing criminal knowledge did not violate Oregon law, lying to the FBI would violate federal law. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Brian Sean Griffith, the former bodyguard to Tonya Harding, has died. 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