Eric Robert Rudolph was arrested on May 31, 2003 without incident in his hometown of Murphy, NC. He had been on the run from law enforcement officials and on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List for almost five years.
Rudolph pled guilty to the bombings at Olympic Park, a gay bar and two abortion clinics - one in Atlanta, GA, and the other in Birmingham, AL - as well as two murders resulting from these bombings. The incidents took place from 1996-1998. The Olympic Park bombing killed a woman and the Birmingham clinic bombing killed an off-duty police officer and seriously injured a nurse. Rudolph is serving life in prison.
After the bombings of the gay nightclub and the Atlanta abortion clinic, media outlets received letters claiming credit for the attacks, which were purported to be from the Army of God. Excerpts from the letters (all spelling and punctuation errors are those of the letter writer) include:
"The bombing's in sandy spring's and midtown were carried-out by units of the army of god."
"the abortion was the target of the first device. The murder of 3.5 million children every year will not be "tolerated." Those who participate in anyway in the murder of children may be targeted for attack. The attack therefore serves as a warning: anyone in or around facilities that murder children may become victims of retribution. The next facility targeted may not be empty."
"the second device was aimed at agent of the so-called federal government i.e a.t.f. f.b.i. marshall's e.t.c. we declare and will wage total war on the ungodly communist regime in new york and your legalstive - bureaucratic lackey's in washington."
"...death to the new world order."
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