"The University of Alabama's utmost priority is the safety and well-being of the campus community," a university statement said. The loss of Mr. Christofi and the loss of my father. The franchise operated for two seasons, 2002 and 2003, before moving to Anaheim, California, and becoming the Anaheim Storm. 6-keys: media/spln/collegebasketball/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. In 2012, Williams published a second book, an autobiography entitled Humbled ~ Letters From Prison. Turner is serving a 16-year prison sentence on the separate gun charge. Turner's trial had been set for October 2020, but it was postponed after the Tennessee Supreme Court suspended trials last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. "This is just some satisfaction for me and my family.''. [4] All 3 of his sisters died tragically. 2:14 PM EST, Wed February 22, 2023. TUSCALOOSA, Ala. Alabama basketball player Darius Miles and another man have been charged with capital murder after a fatal shooting near campus. A witness, Jimmie Martin, told authorities about the Atlanta plot and that he helped Turner and Sherra Wright clean the crime scene, authorities said in the affidavit. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) The ex-wife of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright has been charged in his slaying, more than seven years after his body was found in a field in . In 2001, Williams authored a book about basketball entitled Loose Balls. A Warner Bros. The jury heard a chilling 911 call made by Lorenzen Wright that captured the pop-pop-pop sound of multiple gunshots. Another gun police said was the murder weapon in Wright's killing was found in a north Mississippi lake about two months before Turner and Sherra Wright were charged and arrested. Discovery Company. ", Trial set in slaying of NBA's Lorenzen Wright, KD stars with Booker in long-awaited Suns debut, LaMelo has surgery on right ankle, out for season, Embiid (sore left foot) misses win against Heat, Sources: Warriors eye Curry return next week, Lakers' Davis out vs. OKC with right foot injury, Wizards starting PG Morris (back) week-to-week, Benner, longtime Pacers PR director, dies at 67, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, Meet the man scouring Nigeria for the next generation of NBA and NFL talent, Roundtable: Early takeaways from Kyrie Irving joining Luka Doncic in Dallas, Ex-wife pleads guilty in killing of Lorenzen Wright. A January 2022 trial date has been set for the man accused in the 2010 killing of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright. ", "While Darius has been accused of being involved with this tragedy, he maintains his innocence and looks forward to his day in court. "He planned to shoot the person who robbed him and missed," the source said. CNN has reached out to Miller for comment. As ESPN reports, Miles was one of two men along with Michael Lynn Davis who were charged with . A former Alabama basketball player, Darius Miles, is charged with capital murder after allegedly providing the gun for his friend and alleged trigger man, Michael Davis. Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? She said she would visit her son's grave Monday night. A Memphis native, the 6-foot, 11-inch Wright played 13 seasons for the Memphis Grizzlies and four other NBA teams, after. The victim in the shooting on Sunday was 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris, who was pronounced dead at the scene early Sunday, according to AL.com. Williams was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the first round with the 21st pick of the 1990 NBA draft. Outside the courtroom, Marion told reporters she was elated with the verdict. Michael Wright was allegedly drugged and murdered by his roommate. He played his first three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, who acquired him in trade with the Phoenix Suns following the 1990 NBA draft. Turner was sentenced to 16 years in prison on the separate gun charge. The state's high court said in February that trials could resume after March 31. Williams, father of former Nets star Jayson Williams, dies at 76", "Two Sides of Ex-NBA Star Clash in Shooting Death", "Broken Leg Sidelines Nets Star Williams", "Facing re-trial, Williams joins Idaho team NBA ESPN", "Reporter's Notebook; At Former Nets Star's Trial, A Tangle of Contradictions", "Jayson Williams sentencing comes after lengthy legal battle that spans 8 years", "Ex-Nets Star Faces Retrial for a Shooting at His Home", "Jayson Williams retrial on hold as state appeals racial slur ruling", Ex-Net Jayson Williams pleads guilty to fatal shooting of driver; faces minimum 18 months in jail, "Retired NBA star Jayson Williams to transfer from N.J. prison to Rikers Island", "Ex-NBA Star Jayson Williams Released from Rikers Island", "BREAKING! In addition to Hightower, Jeffrey Hightower, Kelvonie Burney, Tyreek Farmer, Tobias Gresham and Antonie Gresham are all believed to have been involved in the homicide, according to Georgia's Henry County Police Department. ATLANTA -- Javaris Crittenton, the former NBA player once suspended by the league for bringing a gun into the Washington Wizards' locker room, has been charged with murder in the shooting of a woman on an Atlanta street. ET on Sunday, a jail official told ESPN. [29] The couple divorced in 2011. My prayers continue to go out to Jamea Harriss family, said the coachs statement. Sherra Wright entered a surprise guilty plea to facilitation of murder in July 2019 and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. . Crittenton was suspended for the final 38 games of the 2009-10 season by the NBA after he and Arenas acknowledged bringing guns into the locker room. And not one person died that night, two people died. The former vice president has become the Democratic front-runner with primary victories across the country. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. He was convicted on four counts of trying to cover up the shooting. Jack Kennedy said that . Miles' attorneys said in a statement Monday that he and his family are "heartbroken tonight over the death of Jamea Jonae Harris. 01:01 Now playing - Source: CNN. An hour doesn't go by that I don't think about [the accident], think about how can I replay this as to bring back Mr. Christofi. Crittenton pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge on Jan. 25, 2010, and received probation. The last time he played for the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide, on Dec. 20, he scored two points in Alabama's 84-64 win over Jackson State. Keith Appling, 29, is accused of . Both suspects appeared in a Tuscaloosa court Tuesday for a bond hearing, court records show. Coffee sentenced her to 30 years in prison. Campos said Crittenton, a former Georgia Tech player, isn't in custody and is wanted. After two seasons as a bench player with the 76ers, Williams was traded to the New Jersey Nets for conditional draft choices on October 8, 1992. Which 16 teams should you buy or fade ahead of March Madness? "At this time, it appears that the only motive was a minor altercation that these individuals had with the victim as they were out on the Strip,'' Kennedy said at a news conference Sunday evening. Martin testified that Sherra Wright recruited him and Turner to kill Lorenzen Wright. We were informed by law enforcement of other student-athletes being in the vicinity, and law enforcement has repeatedly told us that no other student-athletes were suspects they were witnesses only, he said. The capital murder charge arose because the death involved shots fired into a vehicle, Kennedy said. Turner has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy issued in a December 2017 indictment. Wright also played college basketball at the University of Memphis. section: | slug: tulane-leading-scorer-teshaun-hightower-arrested-and-charged-with-murder-a-week-after-declaring-for-nba-draft | sport: collegebasketball | route: article_single.us | The following season, on October 31, 1997, Williams set a franchise record with 17 offensive rebounds (20 total) in an opening night 97-95 win over the Indiana Pacers. Oats said Miles was away from the team last month as he dealt with a personal challenge and then an ankle injury continued to nag him and eventually led to the decision to end his season Saturday, just hours before the shooting. Martin testified that he and Turner met with Sherra Wright to plan the killing and went to Lorenzen Wright's condominium in Atlanta to shoot him, with an understanding that he would get paid. All Rights Reserved. However, no further encounters took place, and no arrests were made. With tempers flaring between Morant and the teenager a local high-school player Morant threw the ball hard at the teen to check the ball, with the teen throwing it hard back, according to the report. [10] At the time of the injury, Williams was in the first year of a six-year, $90 million contract. A law enforcement officer testified that Miles texted University of Alabama star freshman forward Brandon Miller to bring Miles gun to the scene where the shooting happened, according to CNN affiliate WBMA. Tuscaloosa Police Capt. Copyright 2022 TheAssociated Press. He played little with Los Angeles and was traded to Memphis in his rookie year, then to Washington in December 2008. Retired. [208] Trevor Crowe. That charge arose because the death involved shots fired into a vehicle, Kennedy said. "It appears at this time that the shooting was the result of a minor argument that occurred between the victims and suspects after they encountered each other along the strip," Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Capt. The homicide took place in the evening hours of April 8 when 24-year-old Devante Anthony Long was shot at an apartment complex in Stockbridge, Georgia. 2023 Cable News Network. "We are grieved by the incident that occurred near campus last night and extend our deepest condolences to the victim's family and friends.". "It'll never be closure, because I'll never see my son again,'' Marion said. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much "We are grateful for the quick and thorough response of law enforcement and emergency response teams, and we will continue to fully support the ongoing investigation," the statement continued. He said the driver of another vehicle, in which Harris was a passenger, approached campus police near Bryant-Denny Stadium at about 1:45 a.m., saying someone had shot into the vehicle, and he fired back. Again, after this was fully investigated by law enforcement, they came to the decision not to charge Ja with any crime.. Ex-wife of NBA player charged in his murder. Billy Ray Turner is charged with conspiring with Wright's ex-wife in the slaying. He will be sentenced for the other charges at a later date. We're keeping [Harris' family and friends] in our thoughts and prayers as they continue to grieve. And I don't want to see anybody in a cage, man. The 34-year-old father of six had been missing for days before his body was discovered. TUSCALOOSA, Ala. Alabama basketball player Darius Miles and another man have been charged with capital murder after a fatal shooting near campus. CNN has reached out to the Tuscaloosa County District Attorney and attorneys for Miles and Davis for comment but has not heard back. Messages left for an agent who has represented Crittenton weren't immediately returned to The Associated Press on Friday night. University of Alabama basketball player Darius Miles charged with murder in the killing of a 23-year-old woman. [24], On January 5, 2010, Williams was charged with driving while intoxicated after an early morning accident in lower Manhattan, in which he crashed his Mercedes into a tree. He said the driver of another vehicle, in which Harris was a passenger, approached campus police near Bryant-Denny Stadium at about 1:45 a.m. saying that someone had shot into the vehicle, and he fired back. Even if you believe that a benching, let alone expulsion, should only come if a player is charged with a crime stemming from a shootout/murder, the fact Alabama is flying blind here, hoping and . Morant then put his chin into the boys shoulder, asked a friend Do I do it to him? and then allegedly punched the boy in the face, forcing him to the ground. ATLANTA -- Javaris Crittenton, the former NBA player once suspended by the league for bringing a gun into the Washington Wizards' locker room, has been charged with murder in the shooting of a . "We were made aware of the recent charge against student-athlete Darius Miles; he has been removed from campus and is no longer a member of the Alabama men's basketball team.". [book 2] The book includes revelations about being abused as a child. A jury has been seated in the trial of a man charged with killing former NBA player Lorenzen Wright, whose body was found in a swampy field nearly 12 years ago in Memphis, Tennessee. Later the charges were dropped. Jury Seated in Former NBA Player's Murder Trial in Memphis, FILE - In this Sept. 29, 2008, file photo, Cleveland Cavaliers' Lorenzen Wright poses at the team's NBA basketball media day in Independence, Ohio. Martin told prosecutor Paul Hagerman that he was in Batesville, Mississippi, at the time of the shooting just after midnight on July 19, 2010. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Mar. Duration: 01:40 1/16/2023. During a Tuesday news conference, Alabama mens basketball head coach Nate Oats said the program was aware of Millers alleged involvement in the shooting and that the program had been fully cooperating with law enforcement. Wright's decomposing body was found riddled with bullet wounds in a swampy field in east Memphis on July 28, 2010. Two days after a dispute stemming from a card game on a team flight, Arenas brought four guns to the locker room and set them in front of Crittenton's locker with a sign telling him to "PICK 1." The slaying is one of the most highly publicized murder cases in Memphis history. Hightower . Sherra Wright received $1 million from her ex-husband's life insurance policy and settled a court dispute in 2014 over how she spent the insurance money meant to benefit their six children. Hightower played at Collins High School in Suwanee, Georgia, and began his college career playing for the University of Georgia. Apr 26, 2020. Crittenton then took out his own gun. 2021 NBA draft in a . DU basketball player Coban Porter has been formally charged with multiple felony counts including vehicular homicide related to a crash earlier this month that killed a 42-year-old woman. Alabama men's basketball forward Darius Miles was arrested Sunday and charged, along with another man, with capital murder after an early-morning shooting in Tuscaloosa that left a 23-year. Jamea Jonae Harris, 23, was shot and killed early Sunday while visiting her cousin at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, her mother DeCarla Cotton told CNN. She entered a surprise guilty plea to facilitation of murder in July 2019 and Judge Lee Coffee sentenced her to 30 years in prison. 1A 55-year-old Meridian man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of his wife in McCall on Feb. 18. "It is an incredibly sad situation. The 12-person jury deliberated for about two hours before it found Billy Ray Turner guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder and conspiracy in the death of Wright, a 6-foot, 11-inch center . He said Jamea Harris, 23, of the Birmingham area was shot and killed. Miles was a reserve on the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide team. He was dismissed from the Tulane program on Sunday afternoon. Published Miles had participated in six games this season. "Darius Miles and his family are heartbroken tonight over the death of Jamea Jonae Harris," said Miles' attorney. Marc Griffin. New Jersey Nets guard Terrence Williams (left), seen during a 2010 game in Orlando, Fla., is among 18 former NBA players charged with defrauding the league's health and welfare benefit plan. Tulane leading scorer Teshaun Hightower arrested and charged with murder a week after declaring for NBA Draft Hightower, a former Georgia player, has been dismissed from the Tulane program On . The jury will be sequestered. Due to consistently poor results, as well as its presence in tough markets, the Storm failed to make much of an impression and it became defunct before the start of the 2006 season. Prosecutors allege Wright's ex-wife, Sherra Wright, masterminded a plan to kill her ex-husband and recruited Turner and her cousin, Jimmie Martin, to help her. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. 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