Olympics-Family of murdered tourist thanks Beijing for support

Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:58am EDT


Belinda Goldsmith

BEIJING, Aug 11 (Reuters) - The family of a U.S. tourist who was killed and his wife seriously injured in a stabbing attack that cast a shadow over the first full day of the Olympics has thanked the people of Beijing for their support.

Todd Bachman, 62, whose daughter is a former Olympian and whose son-in-law coaches the U.S. men's volleyball team, died after an unprovoked attack at noon on Saturday at the Drum Tower, a tourist spot 8 km (5 miles) from the Olympic site.

His wife Barbara suffered multiple lacerations in the attack by Chinese national Tang Yongming, 47, a homeless, jobless, twice-divorced man, who then leapt to his death from the tower.

The Bachman's daughter, Elisabeth McCutcheon, 29, who competed for the U.S. volleyball team at the 2004 Athens Games, was with them at the time as was a female guide who received minor injuries.

Elisabeth and Hugh McCutcheon, 38, a New Zealander, said in a statement: "We send a special thank you to the people of Beijing, the people of New Zealand, and of course, the people of America.

"We have been lifted up by the outpouring of support and love we've received from around the world."

(For more stories visit our multimedia website "Road to Beijing" here; and see our blog at blogs.reuters.com/china)

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