In 2001, Scruggs overdosed on morphine and died. AJC ace Kathy Scruggs broke the story that made Richard Jewell a household name. All of the ethyl alcohol may have been produced by the postmortem decomposition process. Kathy Scruggs was a famous reporter known for her solid reporting. Her colleagues describe her as bold, fearless, charming, and kind, with a raucous sense of humor. She grew up playing with her younger brothers and sisters. The AJC was among the media outlets sued after Jewell was exonerated, and the only one that didnt settle. Those who knew her were interviewed by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to balance out the film portrayal. Scruggs appeared to have died peacefully in her sleep, wrote Doug Monroe in a 2003 article in Atlanta Magazine. Caption: A scene from the movie Richard Jewell (Source: vanityfair.com). She was able to complete her education at home. Jewell discovered a backpack with three pipe bombs on the park grounds, alerted the police, and helped authorities evacuate the grounds before a bomb squad was brought in. However, he was exonerated of all charges and hailed as a hero once more. Sources differ on the details of the overdose. Jewell had been a hero, all along. In addition, according to her friends, Kathy never really recovered from what happened with Jewell. In 2019 two movies about Jewell were released, with Scruggs portrayed by Carla Gugino and Olivia Wilde. [9] Scruggs colleagues, at The Atlanta Journal Constitution assert Scruggs was too professional to have ever used her sexuality this way. The last time I saw her was one of the times she came back to visit when she was on leave, said AJC retiree Joey Ledford, one of her former editors. Relative Nancy Scruggs Dyleski wrote on Facebook: It is shocking that not one person from this film reached out to anyone in Kathys family even after we reached out to them on a couple of different occasions. It turned out, of course, that Jewell wasnt the bomber. She died knowing that what she wrote was accurate, and I think that was really important to her. Dont Miss:Antron McCray Wiki,Central Park Five Member Who Was Exonerated. A colostomy site was present on the body. Kathy was American by nationality. That article headlined FBI Suspects Hero Guard May Have Planted Bomb set off a media firestorm around Jewell from which he never really recovered, even after being cleared of the crime. The transaction felt peak 2019 yet timeless. Her colleagues can vividly describe her short skirts, gaudy stockings, expletive-laden language, hard-charging personality, and knack for being thorough with her reporting. Stress over the case contributed to her failing health, friends believe. She came into the news after she broke the story that the FBI was investigating security guard Richard Jewell as a possible suspect in the bomb case. The GBI medical examiner claimed her cause of death was acute morphine toxicity. Kathy Scruggs Came from a Prominent Family in Georgia Born Kathleen Bentley Scruggs on September 26, 1958, she and her older brother by 10 years, Lewis Scruggs Jr., were the products of a prominent family in Athens, Georgia. It was Scruggs who first publicly pinpointed security guard Richard Jewell as an FBI suspect in the bombing, leading to the one-time heros shattered reputation and media hounding. "She was so, so alive." Scruggs was born Sept. 26, 1958 into a prominent Athens family. Shes played by Carla Gugino in Manhunt: Deadly Games, and shes played by Olivia Wilde in the Eastwood film. Controversy over media portrayals of Scruggs, "Kathy Scruggs: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know", https://web.archive.org/web/20210823175730/https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/12/kathy-scruggs-now-today/, "The Sad End to Atlanta Bombing Reporter Kathy Scruggs Life", https://web.archive.org/web/20211011121434/https://qnewshub.com/entertainment/the-sad-end-to-atlanta-bombing-reporter-kathy-scruggs-life/, "What Happened To Kathy Scruggs? The book describes Scruggs as the kind of woman who packed perfume and a pistol in her purse, wore leather miniskirts and fishnet tights to the office, and kept her blouse unbuttoned beyond what. She was preceded in death by her father, Alfr Kathy never quietly entered a room, she exploded into it.. The essence of her, they could never portray in a movie.. The homicide guys met once or twice a week at Manuels, said Coram, who once worked for The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution, formerly separate entities. She really always felt like they were supporting her.. No identified traumatic injuries. She was so, so alive.. Her heart gave away. It was her second to last byline; her career ended late the following month with an article about renovating highway rest stops. Most of the news outlets Jewell sued settled with him and buried the hatchet. She called the shots as they were, be it good or bad. It feels unfair that Kathy has been minimized in this way., In a later statement, Wilde added, Contrary to a swath of recent headlines, I do not believe that Kathy traded sex for tips. Nothing in my research suggested she did so, and it was never my intention to suggest she had. In addition to suffering from depression, she had a chronic back problem. Our Kathy Scruggs wiki tells the story of this headstrong reporter who pursued a story against all odds. This former colleague of hers also described her past relationships with a few cops, an editor who allegedly beat her with a telephone, and the prominent writer and AJC columnist Lewis Grizzard. We just looked at each other and said, Kathys here and she wants to drink, too, Parke recalled. She broke away from the family tradition of attending UGA, like her parents and brother, instead enrolling at Queens University (then Queens College) in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was this job and tenacity that landed her at the center of a storm when she was covering the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing. Argos daughter Marty Kemp is now Georgias first lady. The exhaustively researched book, which also was used as source material for the film, describes Scruggs' professional dedication as well as her troubles. Only Scruggs dog, Sadie, was with her when she died. When a crime took place, she would come back with the chatter. Kathy Scruggs was the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper reporter whose reporting on the Atlanta Olympics bombing has been extremely controversial. A rucksack containing three pipe bombs was found by Jewell while walking through the park. There were links formed between the FBI and Scruggs contacts. That was Eric Rudolph, an anti-government extremist who led police on a massive manhunt (read about how Rudolph was eventually found here.) Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Her friends have always assumed that her health deteriorated as a result of her stress about the topic. He is portrayed by name in Richard Jewell by actor David Shae, but no one from the production ever got in touch. A reporter who worked with her spoke about her network of police officers, fearlessness at crime scenes, and tendency to arrive at the scene even before the cops. They included Crohns disease, anxiety, and depression. That girl was absolutely fearless. Kathy Scruggs died of a morphine overdose in 2001. She was accurate., The newspapers publisher Roger Kintzel said in that story, nothing was ever found that indicated that what Kathy wrote was not the truth. In Kathy Scruggs' case, acute morphine poisoning . If you recall this bit of history, Richard Jewell is the security guard who saved lives during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing. Also Read:Jharrel Jerome Wiki,Actor Playing Korey Wise on When They See Us. The world needs to know she was as good a journalist as the world has ever seen, he said. Scruggs broke with tradition in attending Queens College (now Queens University) in Charlotte. The day after the Hollywood premiere, I found a battered table near the bar, underneath two paintings of women hanging side by side. She was hospitalized and was briefly unable to move her legs. They always trusted her to get the scoop because they knew it would be handled right. Kathy Scruggs wiki. At the 1984 Summer Games a Los Angeles police officer confessed to planting a device he later found.. Kathy Yvonne Scruggs, age 60, of Conyers died Wednesday, October 25, 2017. Along with this, Kathy was under the stress of the libel lawsuit for several years. However, she accused her of giving sex in exchange for knowledge concerning the failure of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Salt Lake City, U.S.A.. The Cherokee County Coroners office provided Heavy.com with the official report of the Division of Forensic Science, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, into the autopsy and death of Kathleen Scruggs. After her death, the medical examiner was unable to determine whether the overdose of morphine was intentional or accidental. Scruggs brother told AJC she was on medications for a variety of things, including Crohns disease. What was Scruggs cause of death? (Photo by Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) Wilde plays Kathy Scruggs in Richard Jewell Biopic. She worked as a professional reporter for the Atlanta-Georgia Constitution newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia. Jewells personal and professional life suffered as a result of the media trial that ensued. It haunted her until her last breath, former co-worker Tony Kiss said to her old newspaper for a story about her. It was just hard living," her brother told the AJC. While the biopic hails Jewell as the hero he is, Scruggs is shown in a poor light, which some journalists are not happy about. READ ALSO: Nick Gereffi cause of death, characters in You, wikipedia, how did he died, date of birth explored. That sparked a media frenzy around Jewell that lasted for weeks before he was exonerated, and its now the subject of a new Clint Eastwood movie. "She was so, so alive." Scruggs was born Sept. 26, 1958 into a prominent Athens family. Talking about her educational qualifications, Kathy completed her schooling at a local high school. After not found guilty, the FBI apologized to Richard. That was Eric Rudolph, who was later captured after a lengthy manhunt. However, theres no evidence of Scruggs ever making illicit offers to get a story. Scruggs was born Sept. 26, 1958 into a prominent Athens family. She was so empty.. She didnt show favoritism. In the end, only her dog was at her side when she passed away. But she was also under stress from financial problems as her medical bills mounted. Scruggs former colleague said that she was ordered to reveal her sources for the FBI story or face jail time. He came to terms with it. Similarly, she also had a brother named Lewis Scruggs Jr. Lewis Jr. owns an insurance business. An appellate court later sided with the newspaper, finding that Scruggs stories correctly reported what was known at the time that, at that time, Jewell was under FBI investigation in the attack. We present her as a fully well-rounded character, creator/executive producer Andrew Sodroski remarked at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in 2020. They didnt go to tremendous efforts to find out what the genuine characters were like, I believe. Ill go out there periodically and there will be something on her headstone. Griffin talked to Scruggs on the phone shortly before she died. His tenure as an officer at a small, private college in north Georgia ended after repeated clashes with the administration. She died facing jail time. Longtime friend Lisa Griffin told the Journal-Constitution that she spoke with Scruggs on the phone shortly before she died. "Kathy Scruggs (played by Olivia Wilde), who is based on a real-life, now-deceased Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalist; she, the film alleges, opened the floodgates to the merciless hounding of Jewell (who died in 2007) by (accurately) reporting that the FBI was considering Jewell a suspect in the bombing. How did she die? She frequented precincts and burned up phone lines. For years, the hard-charging Scruggs commanded the police beat like a bullfighter. Their father,Lewis Bubber Scruggs Sr., was a World War II veteran who co-founded the Athens Insurers Inc. Born Kathleen Bentley Scruggs on September 26, 1958, she and her older brother by 10 years, Lewis Scruggs Jr., were the products of a prominent family in Athens, Georgia. Scruggs died of a drug overdose, specifically acute morphine toxicity. Contrary to some other news reports, the coroner could not determine whether it was an accidental one or suicide. She appeared to be completely devoid of life.. Mild rigor mortis was present. Litigation naming the AJC was dismissed in 2011 by the Georgia Court of Appeals,stating, the articles in their entirety were substantially true at the time they were published.. Father Cover Him: Boy Who Sang Like Akon With Sweet Voice Found, Comes Into Fame & Gets Record Deal. Unfortunately, Kathy Scruggs died of a morphine overdose and perished peacefully in her sleep. In the end, only her dog was at her side when she passed away. Not to drink, I told the server, just to photograph. When she died, she had been on medical leave from the AJC newspaper for approximately a year because of persistent health problems. Later in life she had Crohns disease, anxiety and other issues and with them, more prescriptions. Jewell married, traveled some and landed another law enforcement job after the ordeal, but died at 44. Kathy Scruggs and Carla Gugino. The items present with the body were a television remote control, a sheet, a blanket and a comforter. She died in 2001 at the age of 42 from an overdose of prescription pain pills for a chronic back problem., (GSN) The film Richard Jewell tells the story of the security guard wrongfully treated who saved thousands of lives. Although her family issues caused stress for Kathy, she was unable to function normally. He informed the FBI officials right away. Kathy Scruggs was the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper reporter whose reporting on the Atlanta Olympics bombing has been extremely controversial. Ernest Hemingways words grace a wall in the Athens Academy writing center named in memory of Kathy Scruggs. It haunted her until her last breath, former co-worker Tony Kiss said to her old newspaper for a story about her. She, on the other hand, accused her of offering her sex in exchange for confidential information about the collapse of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Also present in the chest fluid were paroxetine, mirtazapine, and ethyl alcohol. Kathy had a really successful career and she loved her life to the fullest. It haunted her until her last breath, her former colleague Tony Kiss told theAtlanta Journal-Constitutionin a 2019 feature about her. On the heels of the September 21 broadcast premiere of Manhunt: Deadly Games, a Spectrum original series about the bombing, here is what you need to know about Scruggs, including how she died and how she, too, never truly healed from the 1996 Atlanta bombing. It crushed her like a junebug on the sidewalk., Another friend told AJC: Her soul was gone. Her scoop about investigators focusing on Jewell came from working her beat, as the book details, not liaisons with sources. Mirtazapine Present (not quantified) [12] However, Scruggs ran with a leak that the FBI's main suspect was Jewell, based on the theory he set up the bombing specifically so he would be regarded as a hero. Moderate postmortem decomposition Her father also studied journalism at the University of Georgia. . Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month. Kathy, Nancy, and Lewis Sr. are survived by Lewis Jr., who continues his fathers legacy in the insurance business, and his wife and kids. She always drank a fair amount and smoked a fair amount and took drugs: Prozac for depression, Fen-Phen for weight loss, Lipitor for cholesterol, Xanax for anxiety, Parke said. The case was the subject of a Clint Eastwood movie. She was the real deal when it came to being a dedicated reporter, said attorney and family friend Edward Tolley to AJC. "Kathy was just luminous," Parke said. She had an enormous personality, said Kiss, whod worked with her elsewhere and remained a close friend. : Everything About Christopher Judges Ex-wife. That. Getty Kathy Hilton, Kyle Richards and Kim Richards have been feuding. Jewell himself passed away in 2007. But she was also under stress from financial problems as her medical bills mounted. (You can also read more about Scruggs life and background here. But theAJC,at Scruggs insistence, refused to settle and fought the lawsuit. She also was known to be a drinker at times. As U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia at the time, Alexander was closely involved with the investigation. Scruggs was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in the year 1958. Still, they say, its wrong to suggest she relied on illicit assignations to do her job. Kathy Scruggs was a colorful personality regarded as an intrepid police reporter in Atlanta, Georgia before controversy hit. Ultimately, as her brother said, Her heart gave away.. In an interview with the Journal-Constitution, longtime friend Lisa Griffin revealed that she had a phone conversation with Scruggs just before her death. In the end, the feisty police reporter was a broken person. In the event that they had, it might have wrecked their vision of what they wanted the story to be. Lewis Scruggs added, Her choice of boyfriends was not great. He passed away in 2009, eight years after Kathy died in 2001 of an overdose of drugs. But then, just 3 days later, AJC printed an article by Kathy Scruggs and Ron Martz, revealing that the FBI was looking into Jewell as a potential suspect. If shes being portrayed as some floozy, its just not true., To Deadline, the actress playing Scruggs, Olivia Wilde, defended the portrayal, saying, She was incredibly successful as a cop reporter. She became popular in the 1990s for breaking the story that the FBI was investigating security guard Richard Jewell as a possible suspect in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics bombing. Start where you are. A friend thinks she was slipped a date-rape drug in one of the incidents., After that, wrote Monroe, who worked with Scruggs, Scruggs health declined horribly. Kathy Scruggs, a Queens College graduate, is widely remembered as and acknowledged to be a tough-talking police reporter of staunch journalistic integrity. The cause of death was acute morphine toxicity. Both died young. Later, she joined Queens College and graduated with a degree in Journalism. How Did She Die? Kathy lived her life very fully, said co-author Kevin Salwen. There are 50+ professionals named "Kathy Scruggs", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. However, after her death, the Journal-Constitution was exonerated of any wrongdoing because the articles in their whole were substantially truthful at the time of publication. Also Read:Elizabeth Lederer Wiki: Facts about the Lead Prosecutor of the Central Park 5 Case. However, that dismissal came 10 years after Kathy Scruggs died. Scruggs was shown as having slept with sources for scoops in the 2019 Clint Eastwood film on the bombing, which others who knew her took great offense to.
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