If you or someone you know has been. Near the center of the story is Eckardt, a man who portrays himself a security expert. Formerly Shawn Eckardt, Griffith served 14 months for his role in the 1994 attack on Harding's. "[23] Harding was granted another restraining order and filed for divorce. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Tonya Harding prepared Monday for her first questioning by the district attorney amid reports that her ex-husband was about to be arrested and that funds from the U.S. He then told her, "I think we should go for it." Shawn Eckardt on IMDb: Movies, Tv, Celebrities, and more. They settled on injuring the person enough so she could not skate. He tracked down Kerrigan and whacked her in the knee with a metal baton. Meanwhile, Harding has steadfastly denied knowing anything about the . He allegedly hired two men, 29-year-old Derrick Smith and his nephew Shane Stant,. [29] A police officer stopped the truck and confiscated a found shotgun and a 9mm Beretta pistol that had recently been discharged. The extraordinary story is the subject of a critically acclaimed movie I, Tonya which stars Wolf of Wall Street actress Margot Robbie as Harding. Shawn Eckhardt in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Eckardt and Harding's . It could not be confirmed if Gillooly wrote the letter, however. O.J. As the Bleacher Report explains, Stants uncle, Derrick Smith, called Stant, who was 22 at the time, in 1993 and asked if Stant would hurt somebody for money. Stant told the FBI that Smith asked him if he would take down a skater. The Bleacher Report added, A man named Shawn Eckardt called and said it would involve slicing the skaters Achilles tendon. The attack was intended to prevent Kerrigan from taking part in the ongoing 1994 United States Figure Skating Championships and the forthcoming Winter Olympics, thus increasing the prospects of Harding in both figure skating events. I, Punching Bag. In 1970s Portland, Oregon, four year-old Tonya Harding is forced to ice skate by her abusive mother, LaVona. "[37] However, she was skeptical about Eckardt's ability to arrange it. Rather than focus on the 1994 attack, I, Tonya instead focuses greatly on Harding's upbringing and the backstory that led up to the unbelievable pre-Olympics controversy. Shawn Eckardt. I got down on one knee and asked him to marry me." Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Emmys STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events 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. Gillooly said only her right leg needed to be disabled, her landing leg; he claimed to have previously verified this with Harding. [38], On December 28, as the men were waiting for Gillooly to arrive at his office, Smith persuaded Eckardt to tape record the meeting to use as "leverage." [50] Smith later worked for the United States Army as an "intelligence analyst" for about 3 years until he was discharged. That January, an assailant clubbed Kerrigan in the knee, forcing her out of the competition. [38], On December 28, he and Stant were in Portland to discuss the attack plan. Kerrigan (left) and Harding practice before the 1994 Olympic Games in Norway, where Kerrigan takes the silver. Shawn Eric Eckardt (1967 - December 12 2007) was an American criminal who, while employed by figure skater Tonya Harding as a bodyguard in the early 1990s, conspired with Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and Shane Stant in the planning and execution of the assault on rival skater Nancy Kerrigan on January 6 1994. They drove to Eckardt's home that night with the photos, practice times, and $2,700 in cash. [38], Gillooly testified that by January 1994, he and Harding were upset that the plot had apparently failed. 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. July 11, 1994: Eckardt is sentenced to 18 months in prison. The film, which has a string of award nominations, hits UK screens on February 23. Harding continues to deny her involvement in the attack on Kerrigan. [23] In autumn 1991, Harding dated a Canadian banker. His resume says he worked in New Zealand and has been schooled at an elite executive protection academy in Aspen, Colo. From 1984 until 1988, the resume says Eckardt worked as a "contract specialists officer" for The Blackstone Corp in Laussane, Switzerland. We pay forvideostoo. In an interview today on a Portland television station, KATU, another fellow student, 20-year-old Sarah Bergman, said Eckardt had told her of a plot to get Kerrigan. Movies. But when the US Olympic Committee scheduled a hearing to discuss whether she should be removed from the team, Harding filed a $25million lawsuit against the Committee, and the USOC backed down and agreed to let her skate in the Olympics. All rights reserved (About Us). Figure Skating Association. His forte: counterterrorism. Jan. 23, 1994: Investigators say they have enough evidence to arrest Harding but want to build an airtight case before going forward. But circulating through Portland under Gillooly's letterhead is an undated letter of recommendation for Eckardt. Harding speaks to the media after "Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera" in 2008. I, Tonya is an American biographical film directed by Craig Gillespie. Kerrigan was hit on the knee in January 1994 during the US Olympic Trials. Eckardt says Gillooly hatched the plot. She said she worked as a freelance writer and had written some figure skating articles about Harding, regularly trading phone calls with her. A judge places her on probation for three years and orders her to pay $160,000 in fines and contributions. Death. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. [1], Jeff Gillooly was Tonya Harding's ex-husband. Feb. 1997: During a two-minute performance preceding a Reno Renegades hockey game, Harding is subjected to booing, catcalls, and thrown batons. Tonya knew that the purpose of this meeting was to discuss how they could . When I found out that the truth was finally going to come out., She continued: My skating was great. In mid-December 1993, Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, approached Shawn Eckardt about somehow eliminating Kerrigan from the competition. [57] On January 13, Eckardt and Smith were arrested. Eckardt also highlights his training at Executive Security International, an Aspen., Colo.-based correspondence school for bodyguards. 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. She then angrily asked him why "this thing" (the plot) was not completed. Mugshot Feb. 25, 1994: Kerrigan wins the Olympic silver medal in Norway while Harding, still under investigation by Oregon authorities, finishes eighth. This inspires Jeff Gillooly and Shawn Eckhardt (his friend, her "bodyguard") to plan their own attack. [38], He arrived at 11 a.m. to the meeting held at Eckardt's home office, knocking on the door with Stant letting him in. [38] Stant, thinking Kerrigan would still be training at the arena, frequented the parking lot for two days and relocated his car every half hour. July 25, 1995: Derrick Smith, who drove the getaway car in the attack, leaves the South Fork Forest prison camp near the Oregon Coast after serving 18 months. ", "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. Controversy raged over whether Harding should be allowed to skate in the Olympics. Harding was a powerfully athletic figure skater who was able to complete the triple axel but came from the other side of the tracks. 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? Tonya Harding married Jeff Gillooly when she was 19 and divorced him in 1993, a year before the attack. "[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. Both women competed in the 1994 Olympics, and Harding was later banned for life from USFSA figure skating events. 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. "[39][38], Smith and his nephew, Shane Stant, arrived in Portland on December 27, drove to Eckardt's home, and asked for a meeting with Gillooly tomorrow at 10 a.m. Gillooly said Harding would be training at that time, but he agreed to meet them. It's an 18-mile Open Ocean Paddle and each paddler must raise or contribute a minimum of $1500 to participate. What happened to Stant after he went to prison? Tonya & Nancy: The Inside Story (TV Movie 1994) Dan Schneider as Shawn Eckhardt. Tonya Harding's bodyguard Shawn Eckardt (Paul Walter Hauser) made international headlines when he sat down with Diane Sawyer. [77] Eckardt died in 2007. Samantha Browning delivers a punch to Tonya Harding in 2003. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. [30] According to Gillooly, Eckardt then wondered aloud what would happen if Nancy Kerrigan were to receive a threat. The incident ended in apologies and no criminal charges were filed. Two persons, including Sharon K Eckardt, Kurt E Eckardt, listed the phone number (218) 568-6696 as their own, various documents indicated. The man was later found to have been hired by Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and his friend, Shawn Eckardt. Griffith was Harding's bodyguard when she competed for a spot on the United States Olympic figure skating team in 1994. [38][40] He also testified that Harding told him she wanted Kerrigan injured either at her home or skating rink. Harding ultimately. He wouldnt cut anybody. Eckardt, one of three men arrested on second-degree felony charges last week, has confessed his role to authorities. [92][93], The attack was mentioned in Weird Al Yankovic's song "Headline News", a parody of the Crash Test Dummies hit "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm". 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. But . I really don't. Nike pledges $25,000 to help keep Harding in the Olympics. According to him, Eckardt wanted to keep the idea of injuring Kerrigan a secret from Harding, but Gillooly explained that injuring a competitor might psychologically affect Harding's performance too. The camera crew began recording again shortly after the attack and recorded Kerrigan sitting on the floor crying surrounded by arena staff. Schatz asked Harding whether someone she knew could have planned the attack. Sept. 12, 1994: Gillooly enters the Oregon SUMMIT prison boot camp program. Eckardt, 27, a self-styled security expert who was a central figure in the Jan. 6 attack on Kerrigan, struck a deal with prosecutors in May under which he pleaded guilty to a state charge of. [48] According to him, she then said "You need to stop screwing around with this and get it done. Smith did not want to commit the assault himself because he had no criminal record, but said he might know someone who would do it. [13] Shawn Eckhardt Found 11 people in Pennsylvania, Virginia and 12 other states. [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. An Aspen., Colo.-based correspondence school for bodyguards before the 1994 Olympic Games in Norway, where Kerrigan takes silver! 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