McNair Case ruled Murder-Suicide

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Former NFL star Steve McNair was shot
dead in his sleep last week by a 20-year-old girlfriend distraught
about mounting financial problems and her belief that he was seeing
someone else, police said Wednesday.
Sahel Kazemi "was spinning out of control" when she shot
McNair four times as he dozed on a sofa early Saturday, then turned
the gun on herself, Police Chief Ronal Serpas said.
Interviews with friends revealed that she was making payments on
two cars, her rent was doubling and she suspected the married
McNair was having a second affair with another young woman.
She told a friend on Friday that "My life is a ball of s--- and
I should end it," Serpas said.
Police earlier had labeled McNair's death a homicide, but waited
for further tests and the revelations about Kazemi's personal
problems before concluding that she pulled the trigger of a 9 mm
semiautomatic pistol in a condominium McNair rented with a friend.
McNair, 36, a quarterback for the Tennessee Titans most of his
career, met Kazemi six months ago at a sports cafe where she was a
waitress and his family often ate. She seemed happy and eager to
build a life with him, but something went wrong.
"We do know that she was clearly sending a message during the
last five to seven days of her life that things were going bad
quickly," Serpas said, though there was no indication she told
anyone she planned to harm McNair.
Serpas said detectives learned that Kazemi recently found out
about another young woman she thought McNair was romantically
involved with and had even followed that woman home, though she did
not confront her.
Serpas said police believe McNair was asleep when he was killed
because there were no defensive wounds. After shooting McNair in
the head, Kazemi apparently shot him twice in the chest before
shooting him again in the head.
Before shooting herself, she sat next to his body and "tried to
stage it so she would fall in his lap," Serpas said. She did, but
her body slid to the floor and ended up at McNair's feet. The gun
was found underneath her.
The man McNair shared the condo with discovered the bodies and
called a friend, Robert Gaddy, who arrived and called 911. Serpas
said the man didn't call 911 himself because he was in shock.
Gaddy said Wednesday that what he saw in the condo will haunt
him for the rest of his life, but he was glad police made clear
that his longtime friend did not suffer.
Kazemi's family told reporters that the woman was so confident
McNair was divorcing his wife of 12 years that she was preparing to
sell her furniture and move in with him.
But associate Mike Mu, who has worked with McNair's charitable
association for years, said earlier Wednesday that McNair's wife,
Mechelle McNair, "didn't know who this girl is." No records of
divorce proceedings have surfaced. The McNairs have four children.
Gaddy defended McNair as a great husband.
"When Mechelle is ready to speak, she will let people know
that," Gaddy said. "We can't justify anything that people are
starting to find out, but the one thing that we can say, that I
know for sure, is that Steve loved his family."
Two days before the shooting, police stopped Kazemi driving a
Cadillac Escalade sport utility vehicle that McNair had given her
for her birthday in May.
According to an arrest affidavit, Kazemi had bloodshot eyes and
alcohol on her breath. She refused a breath test and told an
officer "she was not drunk, she was high." She was charged with
DUI. McNair was with her but not charged. He later made her bail.
Police are awaiting toxicology reports on both bodies.
Serpas said that even though both her name and McNair's were on
the Cadillac's title, she was apparently responsible for making
payments. She was also making payments on another car after she
couldn't sell it.
Kazemi had no history of violence, but "on the last several
days of her life it's obvious that she made some very poor
decisions," Serpas said.
Mechelle McNair has not spoken publicly since the shooting.
Bishop Joseph W. Walker III of Mount Zion Baptist Church, which the
McNairs have attended since moving to Nashville in 1997, said
Wednesday that she is doing as well as can be expected.
"Her faith is what's sustaining her now," he said. "We
haven't talked about the circumstances of his death. She is
processing it in a private way. It's obviously devastating on so
many levels."
A memorial service is set for Thursday night in Nashville, with
the funeral Saturday in his native Mississippi.
The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback was being remembered
Wednesday at the stadium where he played much of his career. The
Tennessee Titans opened LP Field for fans to watch video highlights
of McNair's 13-year NFL career and look at photos of the
quarterback. There was also a book for them to write messages that
will be given to the family.
McNair was known as "Air McNair" for his passing prowess at
Alcorn State in Mississippi. In 2000, he helped lead the Titans to
the Super Bowl, where they ended up a yard short of a touchdown on
the last play of the game when they trailed by seven points.
He spent the last two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before
retiring from the NFL last year.