Robert Rudolph, the North Carolian anti-abortionist charged with the January 1998 bombing of a Birmingham abortion clinic, was charged with three additional bombings yesterday, including the explosion at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 1997 bombings of a gay bar in Atlanta and an abortion clinic in Sandy Springs, Georgia.
Rudolph is on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list and has been on the run since February. A $1 million award has been offered for information leading to his arrest. Agents suspect that Rudolph, a known survivalist, is hiding somewhere in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
Officials cited yesterday’s decision to file new charges as an attempt to diminish support from anti-abortionist residents who may be aiding Rudolph. “This is not someone who should be considered a hero by anyone,” said Woody Enderson of the FBI, head of the Southeast Bombing Task Force.
Officials are optimistic that the approaching winter will increase their chances of capturing Eric Rudolph.
