Authorities issue warrants in Kerrigan attack
Assault: Authorities
deny Harding named in
the arrest warrants
PORTLAND (AP) — Arrest
warrants were issued in the
attack on Olympic figure skater
Nancy Kerrigan, authorities said
Thursday. ABC Nows reported
that a second person confessed
to the plot, said to involve rival
Tonya Harding's ex-husband and
bodyguard.
Tile FBI arrested a man at Port
land Airport on a flight from
Phoenix; Port of Portland
spokesman Doug Kolmrls refused
to give any details about him.
ABC identified the man as Der
rick Smith of Phoenix, and said
he was involved in the alleged
conspiracy to injure Kerrigan.
The network also described a
Portland man. Steve Slant, as the
alleged hit man who tarried out
the attack on Kerrigan at the U S
Figure Skating Championships
in Dotroit on |an. fi
Thu assailant escaped after
breaking the glass out of a locked
arena door.
In Detroit, deputy police chief
lienny Napoleon said, "Warrants
have fwen issued," but he did not
specify the number of warrants
or who had been named Port land
authorities refused to confirm
that warrants had been issued but
said they expected to make
arrests Thursday on conspiracy
charges.
Kckardt told authorities that
Gillooly asked him to arrange the
attack. The Oregonian reported
Thursday, citing unidentified law
enforcement sources. Harding
and Gillooly were divorced Aug
2H. but later recent iled and have
lived together since October.
After Kerrigan was t tubbed on
the knee, she was forced to with
draw from the figure skating
championships, raising doubts
about her ability to compete in
the Winter Olympics m l.ille
hammer. Norwoy, Feb. 12-27
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The U.S Figure Skating Asso
ciation named Kerrigan to the
Olympic team anyway, along
with Harding. 23. who went on
to win the championship Ker
rigan won a bronze medal at the
1992 Winter Games in
Albertville. France.
At the Detroit news conference
Thursday. Napoleon said a
woman from out-of-state called
the police department Saturday
and insisted on speaking with
him
"She indicated to me that she
heard a conversation regarding
the planned assault on Nancy
Kerrigan" several months ago,
Napoleon said. “She put it off as
somebody talking. Once the
assault occurred, she became
frightened She wanted to make
sun* the people responsible were
apprehended."
Napoleon said the woman
identified nlxmi four people, and
he passed the names along to the
FBI The woman said she listened
to a tape of the conversation a few
months ago
"I am not going to indicate who
she implicated to me." Napoleon
said He said Harding was not
implu ated
The plot allegedly involved
Fckardt. Gillooly, an Eckitrdt
acquaintance in Phoenix and a
Portland man who hit Kerrigan
for $100,000. The Oregonian
reported.
NBC News on Wednesday
quoted sources as saying that
alter the men met in Portland, the
hit man went to Boston, where
Kerrigan lives and trains It was
there the investigators believe he
planned to attack Kerrigan, hut
bad weather somehow foiled the
attempt, NBC said.
Detroit police said Thursday
they had recovered n collapsible
metal baton, believed to he the
weapon. A Detroit resident found
it in a trash can behind the are
nu, police said.
Harding. Gillooly and Eckardt
have dodged reporters all week,
avoiding their homes where
reporters have camped out Mon
day, before specific allegations
surfaced, they denied any
involvement in the attack.
"You guys know me better
than that." Harding said. "I bad
iny hopes for a long time of com
peting against Nancy and prov
ing I'm as giKxl as her and better "
Figure skating defines
life of Tonya Harding
Kay dates in Tonya Hard
ing'* Ufa and carear in flgura
skating:
Nov. 12. 1970 — Tonya
Harding i* bom in Portland to
LaVona and Al Harding.
1974 — Harding discovers
ice skating and begins private
lessons. At age 4, she wins her
first skating competition. Five
years later, she lands her first
triple loop on the ice.
198S-86 — At age IS, Hard
ing has her first date with Jeff
Gillooly. That same year her
mother leaves her father, and
Harding drops out of high
school midway through her
sophomore year.
1986 — Harding finishes
sixth in her first senior divi
sion competition at the U S.
Figure Skating Association
nationals.
1989 — Harding finishes a
strong third in the nationals.
March 1990 — Harding mar
ries Gillooly in Vancouver.
Wash,
February 1991 — Harding
places first in the U S. figure
skating nationals.
March 1991 — Harding
places second in her first world
championship competition.
June 1991 — Harding files
for divorce from Gillooly and
asks for a restraining order.
September 1991 — Harding
beats defending world cham
pion Kristi Yamaguchi, plac
ing first in Skate America
International.
February 1992 — Harding
competes in the Olympics at
Albertville. France, finishing
in fourth place.
March 1992 — Harding
akates in the World Figure
Skating Championships. She
uaea her huaband’a last name
in competition for the firat
time, after apparently recon
ciling with him. This same
month. Harding brandishes a
baseball bat after a minor auto
accident with another driver.
July 1993 — Harding again
seeks a restraining order
against Giliooly. charging her
husband attempted to cause
her bodily harm.
Aug. 28. 1993 — Harding
and Giliooly are divorced in
Columbia County, north of
Portland.
November 1993 — Harding
drops out of the Northwest
Pacific Figure Skating Cham
pionships after organizers
receive a threat on her life.
Jon. 9, 1994 — Harding
places first in the U.S. Figure
Skating Championships in
Detroit and wins a berth at the
1994 Winter Olympics after
Nancy Kerrigan, her chief
competitor, isattackod outside
the rink on Jan. 6.
Jan. 11.1994 — Reports sur
face that the FBI is investigat
ing allegations that Giliooly
and Harding's bodyguard,
Shawn Eckardt, may have been
involved in the attack on Ker
rigan.
Jan. 12, 1994 — Harding
cancels a Jan. 13 appearance at
a skating event in Fairfax, Va.,
telling organizers she's having
a "media problem."
A private investigator in Port
land. Gary Crowe, told The Asso
ciated Press that the FBI learned
of the alleged plot from a local
minister, Eugene Saunders.
Crowe said Saunders came to
him for advice after speaking
with a friend who played him a
tap*? recording of men alleged
to !>e Gillooly. Eckardt and the
unidentified Arizona man dis
cussing Kerrigan
Crowe said Saunders told
him that Gillooly asked on (he
lope, "Why don’t we just kill
her?" Eckardt allegedly
responded: "We don’t noed to
kill her. Let’s just hit her in the
knee."
Crowe said Saunders' friend
iMK.ume worried after receiving
threats from the Arizona man
tKMiause Gillooly had failed to
pay $100,000 os promised.
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