On January 6, 1994, Nancy Kerrigan, an American figure skater, was struck on the lower right thigh with a baton by assailant Shane Stant as she walked down a corridor in Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Kerrigan had been practicing skating on an ice rink in the arena shortly beforehand. The attack happened at around 14:35 (2:35 PM) Eastern Standard Time.
The attack was planned by Jeff Gillooly, the ex-husband of fellow American figure skater Tonya Harding, and his co-conspirator Shawn Eckardt; they both admitted guilt to police and were convicted. They hired Stant and his uncle Derrick Smith to carry out the attack. Gillooly and Eckardt both claimed that Harding was involved in the attack and had knowledge of it beforehand. Harding initially denied all knowledge of the attack, but soon accepted a plea agreement admitting to helping cover up the attack after the fact. Later, both a grand jury and a disciplinary panel from the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) found further evidence of Harding's involvement during the planning and execution phases. Despite this, Harding has always denied involvement and was not convicted of any crime in connection with this incident.
The attack was intended to prevent Kerrigan from taking part in the ongoing 1994 United States Figure Skating Championships and the forthcoming Winter Olympics, thus increasing the prospects of Harding in both figure skating events. Kerrigan could not compete in the US Championship but recovered in time to compete in the Winter Olympics. Both women competed in the 1994 Olympics; Harding was banned for life from USFSA figure skating events as a result of the attack later that year. The incident and its aftermath were covered extensively by national and some international media. The attack also had an effect on American popular culture, notably being dramatized in the 2017 film I, Tonya.
Background
Nancy Kerrigan is an American former figure skater who, in January 1994, was about to take part in the United States Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, Michigan. Her main rival in that tournament was Tonya Harding. The attack took place just days before the tournament, and rendered Kerrigan unable to take part. The Winter Olympics were also set to take place in February, where Kerrigan and Harding were likely to be the two female figure skaters representing the United States. The attack benefited Harding as it allowed her to win the U.S. Championships with ease and could have benefited her if it had taken Kerrigan out of the Olympics.
Jeff Gillooly was Tonya Harding's ex-husband. At the time of the attack, the couple were together and still referred to each other as husband and wife. Shawn Eckardt, a friend of Gillooly's who was also Harding's bodyguard before the attack, had originally been hired by the figure skater after she received an anonymous death threat. Shane Stant later testified that Harding was part of staging the death threat against herself. Derrick Smith, an associate of Eckardt, was paid $6,500 to carry out the attack; Eckardt had received the money from Gillooly. Shane Stant, Smith's nephew, initially planned to carry out the attack by himself and had travelled to Kerrigan's home rink in Cape Cod in late December 1993, but was unable to locate her. Stant then followed Kerrigan to the Nationals in Detroit in early January 1994. Gillooly opposed carrying out an attack in Detroit, feeling it too likely they would be caught, and instructed Eckardt to wire Stant funds to return home without carrying out the attack. Eckardt instead wired the funds to Smith, who then traveled to join Stant in Detroit. Stant and Smith then planned to carry out the attack together.
Attack
On the afternoon of January 6, 1994, Kerrigan was practicing for the U.S. Championships on an ice rink inside Cobo Arena. A camera crew was recording her practice session and showed her leaving the ice rink and walking through a curtain and down a hallway; the camera then cuts out. Stant stated in a 2018 interview that he was standing "about a foot and a half" (around half a meter) behind the camera crew and waited for them to stop filming before he followed Kerrigan through the curtain.
Stant approached Kerrigan from behind, extended a telescopic baton, struck her lower right thigh and walked away. He then escaped from the arena by smashing through a locked glass door. Smith was waiting in a car outside and acted as a getaway driver. The camera crew began recording again shortly after the attack and recorded Kerrigan sitting on the floor crying surrounded by arena staff. Here, Kerrigan exclaimed, with tears, the now famous line, "Why? Why? Why?". This footage was later broadcast around the world in news programs. Kerrigan was then carried away to a changing room by her father. The attack severely bruised her knee and quadriceps tendon and forced her to withdraw from the U.S. Championships.
Criminal investigation and testimonies
Harding and Gillooly's relationship
Harding met Jeff Gillooly in 1986 when she was skating at the Clackamas Town Center; she was 15, he was 17. They later exchanged phone numbers and went out to the movies, chaperoned by her father. In 1988, the couple moved into a home together, and Harding claimed she began experiencing physical abuse from Gillooly. They married on March 18, 1990. Harding's mother, LaVona, said she opposed the marriage: "I knew Jeff had a violent streak [...] he tried to break down the door because he thought [Tonya] had gone out with another boy." On June 17, 1991, Harding filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Two days later, she received a restraining order against Gillooly: "He wrenched my arm and wrist, pulled my hair and shoved me [...] he bought a shotgun, and I am scared for my safety."
Harding later claimed she was the victim of acquaintance rape sometime during her separation from Gillooly in 1991, "by a friend of mine, who I knew for eight years." In summer 1991, she became engaged to mechanical engineer Mike Pliska. He ended their engagement after he saw Harding disrespecting people and giving her phone number to another man. In autumn 1991, Harding dated a Canadian banker. In October, she decided to reconcile with Gillooly and withdraw the divorce, saying they were still in love and seeking counseling: "I know he's changed. I see it in his eyes, and I believe in him... I don't want to lose him. I really don't."
On March 10, 1992, Harding had a roadside physical altercation with a female motorist in Portland, Oregon. The first deputy on the scene observed Harding holding a baseball bat after breaking the motorist's eyeglasses. The incident ended in apologies and no criminal charges were filed.
In both March and July 1993, police came to Harding and Gillooly's shared apartment after reported arguments. In a July affidavit, Harding wrote that she had been in an abusive marriage for two years, "he has assaulted me physically with his open hand and fist [...] put me down to the floor on several occasions." Harding was granted another restraining order and filed for divorce. In spring 1993, she dated Tom Arant who spoke about Harding to The Oregonian, saying she would complain about Gillooly, yet still contacted him often: "she couldn't stop talking to him." That summer, a man from Harding's gym claimed to The Oregonian that Harding offered to pay him to "take care" of Gillooly, "slap him around a little." He said he was offended and declined.
On August 28, 1993, Harding and Gillooly were granted a divorce. Ten days later, Harding's lawyer asked the restraining order to be lifted because the couple again wished to reconcile. On October 2, at approximately 3 a.m., neighbours of the couple called the police when they heard them arguing outside and a single gunshot. The neighbours reported seeing Gillooly pick Harding up and place her in a truck, and feared Harding had been shot. A police officer stopped the truck and confiscated a found shotgun and a 9mm Beretta pistol that had recently been discharged. The officer then interviewed Harding and Gillooly separately about what had happened, but their stories did not match. Gillooly first stated that the gun had fired when he was carrying it. Harding then admitted that she had fired the gun and was worried about the publicity. Gillooly said that Harding had been moving her possessions into his truck when they started an argument over his former girlfriend; he declined to press charges. In November 1993, the couple were evicted from their apartment for failing to pay rent.
Harding's FBI testimony and other claims
During Tonya Harding's FBI testimony on January 18, 1994, she requested and received some ice to treat her swollen ankle. When asked about her finances, Harding said she had one bank account which was currently $109 overdrawn. She was also asked about her relationship with Gillooly and replied she still considered him her husband. When asked whether Gillooly had ever threatened her, Harding said he had not. FBI agent James Russell then asked if she was at Shawn Eckardt's house at any time on January 11, Harding replied that she "definitely" had not been. Russell then advised her that while concealing criminal knowledge did not violate Oregon law, lying to the FBI would violate federal law. Harding said she understood that. Russell then told her that he knew she had lied to him. Harding's lawyer, Robert Weaver, then stated he wished to speak privately with his client. When Harding returned, she testified that she and Gillooly went to Eckardt's home on December 28, 1993; he went inside, she drove away. Harding said that Gillooly phoned her one hour later asking her to pick him up.
After Harding's plea deal on March 16, 1994, she has since made other claims about the assault scandal. In 2018, she said she had prior knowledge of Gillooly and Eckardt discussing "[taking] out" one of her competitors in late 1993. Harding said she protested that she wanted to win fairly, and asked them what they were talking about.
In Harding's 2008 authorized biography, The Tonya Tapes (written by Lynda D. Prouse from recorded interviews), Harding denied ever asking Vera Marano for the name of Nancy Kerrigan's training rink and that Marano may not have remembered details properly and "was a little bit out there." Harding also expressed anxiety when Prouse asked about Marano's testimony:
Gillooly's FBI testimony
Jeff Gillooly first testified about the attack plot on January 26, 1994. He said that in early December 1993, Harding phoned him after the 1993 NHK Trophy competition and was upset about her placement. He said he was also upset for her and later spoke about figure skating politics to his friend Shawn Eckardt. According to Gillooly, Eckardt then wondered aloud what would happen if Nancy Kerrigan were to receive a threat. Gillooly said he liked that idea. According to him, Eckardt wanted to keep the idea of injuring Kerrigan a secret from Harding, but Gillooly explained that injuring a competitor might psychologically affect Harding's performance too. Gillooly claimed that when he told Harding about plotting to injure Kerrigan, she thought it was "a good idea." However, she was skeptical about Eckardt's ability to arrange it. Gillooly assured her Eckardt knew people who could carry out the attack, and they could abort the plot if they did not like Eckardt's plan.
Shortly after Eckardt had spoken on the phone with Derrick Smith, he visited Gillooly and Harding at their home and quoted $4,500 to execute the plot. Gillooly replied that it was too much and said he could pay $2,000. On December 25, Gillooly had an answering machine message from Smith asking for more details about the plan. He claimed that he then phoned Eckardt to cancel the deal. Eckardt replied that Smith was already driving to Portland and that he needed more information about Kerrigan — a photograph and the location of the ice rink where she practiced. On December 27, Harding phoned her friend Vera Marano, a Pennsylvania figure skating writer, saying she and Gillooly had a "bet" about where Nancy Kerrigan trained. Marano then called a USFSA contact to find the name of the rink and left a message on Harding and Gillooly's answering machine. He said the message was difficult to understand, it sounded like "Tunee Can." Harding then phoned Marano again asking her to spell the arena name, and Gillooly said he watched as Harding wrote out "Tony Kent Arena."
Smith and his nephew, Shane Stant, arrived in Portland on December 27, drove to Eckardt's home, and asked for a meeting with Gillooly tomorrow at 10 a.m. Gillooly said Harding would be training at that time, but he agreed to meet them. On December 28, Harding finished her practice session at 10:30 a.m., then Gillooly drove them to Eckardt's home. According to him, she knew about the meeting and was anxious about Gillooly talking to dangerous people. He also testified that Harding told him she wanted Kerrigan injured either at her home or skating rink. Gillooly said he would phone her after the meeting, and Harding then drove to Gillooly's mother's house.