Brian Griffith, aka Shawn Eckhardt, dies at 40
Magnus
34 minutes ago
PORTLAND, Ore. - Brian Sean Griffith, a former bodyguard to figure
skater Tonya Harding who admitted a role in the attack on her rival
Nancy Kerrigan during Olympics tryouts, has died. He was 40.
Griffith died Wednesday of what his doctor reported as natural causes,
according to the Washington County medical examiner's office. The
specific cause of death is expected to be listed when the doctor files
a death certificate, which could take two weeks, the medical
examiner's office said.
Formerly Shawn Eckardt, Griffith had changed his name since the attack
in an attempt to put it behind him.
Griffith, of Beaverton, was Harding's bodyguard when the Portland-born
skater competed for a spot on the U.S. Olympic figure skating team in
1994.
That January, an assailant clubbed Kerrigan in the knee, forcing her
out of the competition. The International Committee of the U.S. Figure
Skating Association granted Kerrigan a spot anyway, and she recovered
in time to win a silver medal at the Olympics.
Days after the attack, Griffith confessed, detailing a plan that he
and Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, had hatched. The
investigation also eventually netted convictions of Shane Stant, the
actual attacker, and Stant's uncle, Derrick Smith, who drove the
getaway car.
Griffith was sentenced to 18 months in prison for racketeering but was
released four months early, in September 1995.
He started a computer business, Applied Information Systems Inc., in
2001, but state records show it was dissolved in 2005. He was also
sentenced to three years' probation for misdemeanor assault in 2001.
Family members refused Friday to comment on Griffith's life before or
since the infamous attack.
"Shawn Eckardt died a long time ago," his brother, Mike Skinner, told
The Oregonian. "There is no other person than Brian Griffith."
Harding has always said she didn't know of the plan. She pleaded
guilty to conspiracy to hinder an investigation and was banned from
U.S. Figure Skating Association competitions.
MWB
GO PATRIOTS
Mark
Charlene
La N
"Charlene" <charlene...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:c6ee49d9-b8ac-47a3...@e6g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
Ahh .... the dangerous death spiral ....
- nilita
Doc
--
Terry
______________
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."
-Robt. Frost
La N
"Doc" <terr...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:T9CdnRjKvpLh3vja...@comcast.com...
> On 2007-12-16, La N <nilita20...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>> "Charlene" <charlene...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:c6ee49d9-b8ac-47a3...@e6g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>>> On Dec 16, 12:04 am, "MWB" <bick...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Go figure.
>>>
>>> Hey, don't skate around it.
>>>
>>
>> Ahh .... the dangerous death spiral ....
>>
>> - nilita
>>
>>
> Wasn't he part of the triple axle of evil in the Kerrigan case?
>
Okay, we'll now turn to the Judges' Scores for that one:
Canada - 8.2
U.S.A. - 9.8
Iran - 6.1
- nilita
teleflora
Aw, I thought you meant the dog, Brian Griffith.
Cindy
Louis Epstein
: Player in attack on Kerrigan dies at 40
Brothers named Griffith-ex-Eckardt and Skinner?
Meanwhile,Jeff Gillooly changed his name too IIRC.
What is it with these guys?
: Harding has always said she didn't know of the plan. She pleaded
: guilty to conspiracy to hinder an investigation and was banned from
: U.S. Figure Skating Association competitions.
-=-=-
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