Former NFL baller Rae Carruth was just released from prison after serving an almost 20-year sentence for plotting the death of his pregnant girlfriend. Deets inside...
Former Carolina Panthers player Rae Carruth was released from prison this morning (Oct. 22nd) after serving a 18+ year prison sentence for orchestrating a plot to kill his pregnant girlfriend.
Carruth, who was the Panthers' 1997 first-round draft pick, was released from the Sampson Correctional Institution in Clinton, NC today after serving his sentence.
Watch him leave the prison below:
In November 1999, the former NFL star, 44, hired a man to kill his girlfriend, Cherica Adams, who was pregnant with his child. The man, Van Brett Watkins, shot Rae's eight-month pregnant girlfriend four times, with Rae's help and set-up. Cherica was able to call 911 and emergency personnel performed an emergency C-section. They were able to save the baby, Chancellor Lee Adams. But Cherica died 4 weeks later.
Chancellor, who is now 18-years-old, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and suffered brain damage, because of a lack oxygen caused by the shooting that killed his mother.
The reason he had her killed? Child support. He didn't want to pay the mother of his child money to help provide for the baby they both created, all while on a $3.7 million contract with the Panthers.
He was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, discharging a firearm into occupied property and attempting to destroy an unborn child. He went to jail to begin his sentence in 2001.
The Daily Mail breaks down the chain of events that led up to Cherica's death:
The court heard at the time how Carruth had wanted to avoid paying child support to Adams for the baby.
Despite being shot multiple times while driving her car, Adams still managed to make a 911 call that helped implicate Carruth.
Adams, who was 24-years-old at the time, died less than a month after the shooting.
As she was driving home after seeing a movie with Carruth - who had taken a different car, Van Brett Watkins and Michael Kennedy then pulled up beside Adams' car and Watkins opened fire.
Jury deliberations began on January 16, 2001 after 11 weeks and 70 witnesses.
On Friday, January 19, the jury found Carruth not guilty of first-degree murder, but guilty on the other three charges.
He was sentenced to not less than 18 years, 11 months, and not more than 24 years, four months in prison.
In separate trials, Van Brett Watkins received a minimum of 40 years and five months and Michael Kennedy received a minimum of 11 years and eight months.
Carruth spoke with WSOC-TV on Sunday ahead of his release, saying, "I'm excited about just being out of here. I'm nervous just about how I'll be received by the public. I still have to work. I still have to live. I have to exist out there and it just seems like there is so much hate and negativity toward me. I'm actually somewhat frightened."
Well, he should be.
Carruth's son lives with Cherica's mother, Saundra Adams (above), who raised him since birth. Carruth said he wants to eventually have a relationship with his son, and Saundra says she wants them to have a relationship. She's a better one than us...
Rae also recently wrote a letter apologizing, finally, and Saundra says it's the first time she's gotten an apology from him. He also says in the letter he blames Saundra for telling "lies' about him.
Sigh.
Do you think his sentence was long enough? Should he have access to the son he tried to murder?
Photos: AP
