I’m glad that it didn’t because who knows where I’d be now, probably in prison or dead or something,” he said. He believes getting caught was a blessing for him. “No one ever told me, ‘this is what Tonya wants you to do,'” Stant said. “The truth is, I just thought, ‘Well, I’ll do this and kind of go on with my life and she’ll go on with her life,'” he told Inside Edition. She agreed to reimburse Multnomah County $10,000 in legal expenses, undergo a psychiatric examination, and volunteered to give $50,000 to the Special Olympics Oregon (SOOR) charity. The attack took place just days before the tournament, and rendered Kerrigan unable to take part. But when he saw footage of Kerrigan, he felt awful about his attempt to crush her Olympic dream. That attacker was later identified as Shane Stant, a man hired by the ex-husband of Nancy's figure skating rival, Tonya Harding. [1][2][3] They hired Stant, and his uncle Derrick Smith, to carry out the attack. Kerrigan was then carried away to a changing room by her father. "[a] This footage was later broadcast around the world in news programs. I, Punching Bag. Here, Kerrigan exclaimed the famous line, "Why? He was paid $6,800 dollars for the job. [11] Stant stated in a 2018 interview that he was standing "about a foot and a half" (around half a meter) behind the camera crew and waited for them to stop filming before he followed Kerrigan through the curtain. The contracted clubbing was an attempt to bust Nancy’s right leg and ensure Tonya a spot on the 1994 Winter Olympic Games squad. Harding answered, "I have definitely thought about it. [30] Harding was given thirty days to respond. [53], The attack and the scandal surrounding it was depicted in the 2017 film I, Tonya with Margot Robbie playing Harding, Ricky Russert playing Stant, and Caitlin Carver playing Kerrigan. In July, he was sentenced to two years in prison after publicly apologizing to Kerrigan – even though, he said, "any apology coming from me rings hollow. The penultimate episode of the animated comedy Futurama, "Stench and Stenchibility", features a devilish 6-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. They hired Stant, and his uncle Derrick Smith, to car… [25][26][27], On February 5, 1994, the disciplinary panel of the USFSA stated reasonable grounds existed to believe Harding had violated the sport's code of ethics. His story will be featured in an upcoming documentary his sister is working on, called My Hero’s Shadow. She and her lawyer, Robert Weaver, negotiated a plea agreement ensuring no further prosecution. “The only person who really knows is her and Jeff and I guess from what I know he’s saying she did; she’s saying she didn’t,” Stant claims. [22] 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. 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. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Asian women say shootings point to relentless, racist tropes, Saturday morning shooting leaves woman in critical condition, 7.0 quake shakes Japan; no immediate reports of damage, Four more overnight shootings in central Ohio, one critical, Coronavirus in Ohio Friday update: 1,500 new cases reported in past 24 hours, Ohio K-12 schools report record low number of new COVID cases, Watch: Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther receives his COVID-19 vaccine, Are you eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine? [12] Stant approached Kerrigan from behind, extended a telescopic baton, struck her lower right thigh and walked away. [28] Harding's admitted failure to report about an assault on a fellow competitor, supported by her FBI transcripts, led to her being formally charged with "[making] false statements about her knowledge". [47][48], On June 29, the USFSA disciplinary panel met for nine hours over two days to consider Harding's alleged role in the attack. ", "Ice-skater's former husband gives himself up", "Husband, bodyguard implicated in attack – Police 'close' to arrest in Kerrigan case", Ann Schatz's 1994 interview with Tonya Harding at KOIN, "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", "Police in Oregon Make Arrests In Assault on Olympic Skater", "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 & 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", "Ex-Spouse Pleads Guilty & Implicates Harding", "Kerrigan Attacker & Accomplice Sent to Jail", "20 years later: highlights in a timeline", "Harding Admits Guilt in Plea Bargain, Avoids Prison", "Gillooly Pleads Guilty, Says Harding Approved Plot". In January 1994, Harding’s ex-husband Jeff Gillooly (played by Sebastian Stan) conspired with his friend Shawn Eckardt (Paul Walter Hauser), He said that if he could, he would tell Kerrigan “that I hope that she understands that I was sorry for what I did and that I’m a different person.”. He believed he was going to get away with it or else he “wouldn’t have done it.”. Stant says he’s happy Harding is getting her moment of redemption but he believes the one person who truly deserves an apology is Nancy Kerrigan. The day before the competition began, as Kerrigan was leaving the practice ice to head to her dressing room, a man rushed up behind her and smacked her just above the right knee with some type of club, knocking her to the ground. 1476 (D. Or. He and Tonya's bodyguard, Shawn Eric Eckardt, hired Shane Stant to break Nancy's leg. Copyright 2021 Nexstar Inc. All rights reserved. [16] On January 13, Eckardt and Smith were arrested. "[19][20] Harding and Gillooly's separate lawyers confirmed the couple were in daily contact and cooperation with law enforcement. Shawn Eckardt, a friend of Gillooly's who was also Harding's bodyguard before the attack, had originally been hired by the figure skater after she received anonymous death threats. This is based on civil standards, not criminal standards...bank records, phone records – the way they came together to establish a case." [43], On March 21, 1994, a Portland grand jury issued an indictment stating there was evidence Harding participated in the attack plot. A few weeks earlier, Stant had been hired to “take down a skater” by Tonya’s sleazeball husband, Jeff Gillooly, her delusional … The pair would later hire Shane Stant, who assaulted US skater Nancy Kerrigan with a baton - striking her above the knee, five weeks before the Olympics. [51][52] Harding was stripped of her 1994 U.S. Championship title and banned for life from participating in USFSA events as either skater or coach. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Kerrigan could not compete in the US Championship but recovered in time to compete in the Winter Olympics. Harding's ex Jeff Gillooly and bodyguard Shawn Eckhardt had hired Shane Stant to break Kerrigan's leg, a crime they all served time for, and eventually, Harding also pleaded guilty to … It also read that Harding, Gillooly, Eckardt, Smith, and Stant agreed to "knowingly cause physical injury...by means of a dangerous weapon." [9] Stant and Smith then planned to carry out the attack together. Stant then followed Kerrigan to the Nationals in Detroit in early January 1994. [21] On January 15, Harding and Gillooly spoke with reporters, but declined to comment about the investigation. The suspect then ran off, and witnesses reported he got into a waiting car and sped away. Oregon sentencing guidelines carried a max penalty of five years imprisonment for the offense. Shane Stant. Eckhardt was sentenced to 18 months in prison for racketeering … In prison, he took a long look at himself and didn't like what he saw—hurt, bitterness and anger. She was not charged in the indictment due to the terms of her March 16 plea agreement. "[32][33] Gillooly and Eckardt pleaded guilty to racketeering, while Stant and Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree assault. Gillooly opposed carrying out an attack in Detroit, feeling it too likely they would be caught, and instructed Eckardt to wire Stant funds to return home without carrying out the attack. [1] At the time of the attack, the couple were together and still referred to each other as husband and wife. At around 2:35 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 6, 1994, American figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was struck on the lower right thigh with a telescopic baton by assailant Shane Stant as she walked down a corridor in Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Weaver said the decision disappointed her but was not a surprise, and that she had not decided on an appeal. The whacking of Nancy Kerrigan continues to shape Shane Stant's life, too. In the movie, I, Tonya, the conspirators are played as a bunch of hapless incompetent goofballs. The assailant, a man named Shane Stant, initially failed to recognise Kerrigan, having to ask a spectator to point her out. Few skaters and promoters would work with her, and she did not benefit from the ensuing boom in professional skating after the scandal. The indictment concluded more than two months of investigation and witness testimonies from Diane Rawlinson; Harding's choreographer Erika Bakacs; freelance figure skating writer Vera Marano; and Eckardt's college instructor and classmates. Her main rival in that tournament was Tonya Harding. Kerrigan had just finished a practice session and Stant was waiting in the wings. Why? Stant managed to get away though after crashing through a glass door. Tonya Harding's former husband, Jeff Gillooly, was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday, drawing the harshest penalty of the five defendants in … Her then-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard, Shawn Eckhardt, hired hitman Shane Stant to injure her skating rival Nancy Kerrigan. Liddell receives hate-filled messages after NCAA Tournament loss, 4 Court Press Finale: Westerville Central, DeSales and Worthington Christian aim for state titles, Ohio State falls to Oral Roberts, makes early exit from NCAA Tournament, Watch viral video of women’s basketball player showing lack of equipment, Kyle Young will miss Ohio State’s NCAA Tournament opener, Ankle Instability Can Affect Anyone, Even Young Athletes. In the Attack on Olympic Skater", "Harding Stripped of Title; Banned for Life", "Injured Kerrigan Withdraws From Olympic Trials", "Who is Tonya Harding's former bodyguard Shawn Eckardt? [1], Jeff Gillooly was Tonya Harding's ex-husband. [37], On March 16, Harding pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution as a Class C felony offense at a Multnomah County court hearing. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit on the day when she was attacked by the mystery man, who was later revealed to be Shane Stant. [39][40] Law enforcement investigators had been following and videotaping the co-conspirators since January 10, and knew about the payphone calls. Kerrigan famously screamed as she writhed in pain on camera in the immediate aftermath of Stant’s baton strikes to her leg behind the curtains of a skating event. 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. Tonya Harding's husband at the time, Jeff Gillooly, hired/conspired with Shawn Eckhardt, Shane Stant and Derrick B Smith to injure teammate/rival Nancy Kerrigan at the 1994 US National Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, which was also where the Olympic team would be selected. A camera crew was recording her practice session and showed her leaving the ice rink and walking through a curtain and down a hallway; the camera then cuts out. The grand jury foreman said the evidence implied Harding as "involved from the beginning or very close." At the Cobo Arena in Detroit, hired goon Shane Stant bludgeoned Kerrigan in the leg with a police baton, prompting her to wail on a video replayed all over the planet: “Why? “I probably was a foot-and-a-half behind him. "[13][14][15] Harding also confirmed she had spoken with FBI agents in Detroit and again in Portland. I wasn’t willing to do that on top of that.”. 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. [29] 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. COLUMBUS (WCMH) -- Police say a body was found Saturday morning near Alum Creek Trail at Sunbury and Mock roads. 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