The movie I, Tonya has brought the attack on
Nancy Kerrigan back into the headlines but
whatever happened to the guy who clubbed her in the leg?
In this Inside Edition world exclusive,
Shane Stant tells us his side of the story
and reveals the original plot
was to hurt Kerrigan much worse.
He spoke with our Jim Moray.
Why, why?
The guy who whacked Nancy Kerrigan in the knee
is speaking out on TV for the first time in two decades
about the attack seen around the world.
The truth is is I just thought well,
I'll just do this and kind of go on with my life
and she'll go on with her life.
Shane Stant attacked the Olympic figure skater
with a collapsible baton 24 years ago.
There was talk about doing much worse wasn't there?
Yeah, there was initial talk of
cutting her achilles tendon.
Which obviously, would cripple her.
Um, I didn't think it was necessary to do that.
I wasn't willing to do that on top of it.
Stant who was then 22 years old
was hired by Shawn Eckhart, a close friend of
Tonya Harding's then husband, Jeff Gillooly.
He remembers comparing the hit to going hunting.
But at the time you're not humanizing the person.
You're just like okay,
this is kind of a job in what you're doing.
Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan were about to
face off at the Nationals in preparation for the Olympics.
Kerrigan was practicing at an arena in Detroit.
Stant was waiting in the wings.
Just seconds after she left the ice, he struck.
There was a camera guy that was right behind her so
I had to go behind the camera guy.
I probably was a foot and a half behind him.
So that was your cue?
Yeah, because I knew that once he put
the camera down and walked away it would shut off.
Was it one hit?
Yeah.
Did you look back?
No.
Why, why?
There was panic in the arena.
And a frantic search for the suspect.
Stant managed to get away
after crashing through a glass door.
He was paid $6800 for the job.
For a time, you thought, we're gonna get away with this.
Well, sure, I wouldn't have done it.
And you had no problem knowing
that you could be taking her out of the Olympics?
I had no problem until I saw the effect of it.
And then what did that do to you?
I felt guilty.
It didn't take long for everyone involved
in the plot to get arrested.
In the hit movie I, Tonya
the conspirators are played as hapless.
A bunch of incompetent goofballs.
What can you tell us about Tonya Harding?
I don't know a Tony Harding.
Aren't you her bodyguard?
You couldn't have done more wrong.
Right.
Was that accurate?
It was pretty accurate.
How did you find that film?
Did you like it, did you hate it?
I liked it a lot.
One big question still lingers today.
Was Tonya Harding involved in the plot?
The controversy has been thrust back into the spotlight
after Harding's recent interview with ABC.
And you were never part of the planning?
No, I did however overhear them talking about stuff
where well, maybe we should take somebody out so
we can make sure she gets on the team.
And I remember telling them, I go,
what the hell are you talking about?
Do you believe she didn't know anything ahead of time?
I don't know.
Harding is adamant that she never knew Kerrigan
was going to be attacked.
Did Tonya Harding know about this plot beforehand?
I don't know.
The only person that really knows is her and Jeff.
I guess from what I understand he's saying she did,
she's saying she didn't.
You were never in a room with Tonya Harding?
Never.
You never formally met her?
No.
No one ever told me, this is what Tonya wants you to do.
Stant says he's happy
Tonya is getting her moment of redemption.
But he believes the one person who truly
deserves an apology is Nancy Kerrigan.
What would you say to her today?
Just that I hope that she understands that I was sorry
for what I did.
And that I'm a different person.
Shane served 15 months in prison.
After getting out he says he turned his life around.
He became a bouncer
and now owns a delivery company in Southern California.
His story will be featured in an upcoming documentary
his sister is making called My Hero's Shadow.
My actions were idiotic.
And obviously could have went a lot better.
I'm glad that it didn't because who knows where
I would be now.
Probably in prison, dead, something.
So you think getting caught was a good thing?
Yeah, for sure.