An explosion at the ‘96 Olympics, and the bomber slips away. Two more bombs. A photo of the suspect so grainy the FBI called him “Blob Man.” Then, a college student sees a suspicious man leaving the scene of yet another bomb. Follow the unlikely hero on a daring chase that would give agents their first big break.
 
Host, Writer: Becca Andrews
Host, Writer: John Archibald
Executive Producer, Co-Creator: John Hammontree
Audio Engineer: Chris Hoff
Field Producer: Sarah Whites-Koditscheck
Social Producers: Caroline Vincent, Mila Olivera
Logo Design: DJB Design
Theme Music: “Birmingham” by Beth Thornley and Rob Cairns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

An explosion at the ‘96 Olympics, and the bomber slips away. Two more bombs. A photo of the suspect so grainy the FBI called him “Blob Man.” Then, a college student sees a suspicious man leaving the scene of yet another bomb. Follow the unlikely hero on a daring chase that would give agents their first big break. Host, Writer: Becca Andrews Host, Writer: John Archibald Executive Producer, Co-Creator: John Hammontree Audio Engineer: Chris Hoff Field Producer: Sarah Whites-Koditscheck Social Producers: Caroline Vincent, Mila Olivera Logo Design: DJB Design Theme Music: “Birmingham” by Beth Thornley and Rob Cairns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An explosion at the ‘96 Olympics, and the bomber slips away. Two more bombs. A photo of the suspect so grainy the FBI called him “Blob Man.” Then, a college student sees a suspicious man leaving the scene of yet another bomb. Follow the unlikely hero on a daring chase that would give agents their first big break.
 
Host, Writer: Becca Andrews
Host, Writer: John Archibald
Executive Producer, Co-Creator: John Hammontree
Audio Engineer: Chris Hoff
Field Producer: Sarah Whites-Koditscheck
Social Producers: Caroline Vincent, Mila Olivera
Logo Design: DJB Design
Theme Music: “Birmingham” by Beth Thornley and Rob Cairns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="noopener noreferrer">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 1: The Blob Man

The Olympics explode on a July night in 1996. The largest pipe bomb the country has ever seen. A string of bombings shakes Atlanta for the next year.
Thousands of photos and videos produce one blurry image of the attacker, a photo so grainy the FBI called him “Blob Man.” Agents zero in on the wrong man, the media follows suit, and the real bomber slips away.
Until Birmingham. In Alabama, the Blob Man finally makes a misstep. He detonates another bomb, but this time someone sees something. A college student asks himself a question: Why, when everyone else is rushing to see what happened, is that man running away?
That curious student breaks open what was then the largest manhunt in U.S. history: the search for Eric Robert Rudolph. 
Years pass. No trace. Does he have help? Is he planning more attacks?
In American Shrapnel, the latest podcast from the Murrow-winning Alabama Media Group, join 2x Pulitzer Prize winner John Archibald and award-winning journalist Becca Andrews as they track the path of destruction — from the bombings, through the manhunt, and back to the twisted politics that fueled it. You’ll hear the stories of survivors, radicals and heroes.
This isn’t a story of the past. The anger that fueled it has only grown stronger today.

Society & Culture

Documentary

True Crime

History

The Olympics explode on a July night in 1996. The largest pipe bomb the country has ever seen. A string of bombings shakes Atlanta for the next year. Thousands of photos and videos produce one blurry image of the attacker, a photo so grainy the FBI called him “Blob Man.” Agents zero in on the wrong man, the media follows suit, and the real bomber slips away. Until Birmingham. In Alabama, the Blob Man finally makes a misstep. He detonates another bomb, but this time someone sees something. A college student asks himself a question: Why, when everyone else is rushing to see what happened, is that man running away? That curious student breaks open what was then the largest manhunt in U.S. history: the search for Eric Robert Rudolph. Years pass. No trace. Does he have help? Is he planning more attacks? In American Shrapnel, the latest podcast from the Murrow-winning Alabama Media Group, join 2x Pulitzer Prize winner John Archibald and award-winning journalist Becca Andrews as they track the path of destruction — from the bombings, through the manhunt, and back to the twisted politics that fueled it. You’ll hear the stories of survivors, radicals and heroes. This isn’t a story of the past. The anger that fueled it has only grown stronger today.

The Olympics explode on a July night in 1996. The largest pipe bomb the country has ever seen. A string of bombings shakes Atlanta for the next year.
Thousands of photos and videos produce one blurry image of the attacker, a photo so grainy the FBI called him “Blob Man.” Agents zero in on the wrong man, the media follows suit, and the real bomber slips away.
Until Birmingham. In Alabama, the Blob Man finally makes a misstep. He detonates another bomb, but this time someone sees something. A college student asks himself a question: Why, when everyone else is rushing to see what happened, is that man running away?
That curious student breaks open what was then the largest manhunt in U.S. history: the search for Eric Robert Rudolph.&nbsp;
Years pass. No trace. Does he have help? Is he planning more attacks?
In American Shrapnel, the latest podcast from the Murrow-winning Alabama Media Group, join 2x Pulitzer Prize winner John Archibald and award-winning journalist Becca Andrews as they track the path of destruction — from the bombings, through the manhunt, and back to the twisted politics that fueled it. You’ll hear the stories of survivors, radicals and heroes.
This isn’t a story of the past. The anger that fueled it has only grown stronger today.

Share Ch. 1: The Blob Man

Sign up to save your podcasts

Ch. 1: The Blob Man

Ch. 1: The Blob Man

More shows like American Shrapnel

The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters

This American Life

The Sporkful

Reveal

The Daily

Up First from NPR

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Throughline

Talking Feds

The Plot Thickens

Suave

#SistersInLaw

Weekly Skews

Main Justice

American History Hotline