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| Monday, January 8 Associated Press | |||
| CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Rae Carruth's lawyers called another one
of his former girlfriends to the stand Monday to counter the
prosecution's argument that Carruth wanted to kill his pregnant
girlfriend to get out of paying child support.
"Rae was very excited about the baby," said Dawnyle Willard,
who dated Carruth when he played at Colorado in 1995.
The former NFL player is accused of plotting the fatal shooting
of Cherica Adams, who was eight months' pregnant with their son.
She was shot in November 1999 and died a month later. The baby
survived and lives with Adams' mother.
The trial is starting to wind down, with defense lawyer David
Rudolf telling Judge Charles Lamm he expects to be finished with
his rebuttal witnesses on Tuesday. Closing statements come next,
followed by the judge's instructions to the jury.
Then the panel can begin its deliberations. The 26-year-old
player could face the death penalty if convicted.
Willard testified Monday that she ate dinner at Carruth's house
two days before Adams died. She said although they were no longer
romantically involved, they remained close friends and she came to
Charlotte after he was arrested.
"He gave the blessing and prayed for her to be OK," she said.
The next day, Willard was in a car with Carruth when the news
broke that Adams had passed away.
"The car got really quiet," she said. "Both of us started to
cry. He said when Cherica died his hope died. Then he said he
needed time to think."
Last week, prosecutors called Carruth's ex-girlfriend to tell
jurors that Carruth threatened to have her killed if she did not
consent to have an abortion after she became pregnant in 1998.
"He said, 'I ain't going to have no more kids with someone I
ain't going to be with. ... Don't make me send somebody out there
to kill you. You know I'll do it,"' Amber Turner testified Friday
on the final day of the state's rebuttal case.
Turner, 21, said Carruth also joked about killing his oldest son
and the child's mother, and fretted about his ability to pay
support for the child of Adams.
On Monday, defense witness Starlita Walker testified that Turner
was jealous of Carruth's affections for other women. Walker, who
said she was not romantically involved with Carruth, told jurors
she advised Carruth to stay away from Turner.
Turner testified last week that Carruth gave her a car and
helped with expenses. Now, Carruth's bank account has dwindled to
the point that his defense is funded by state taxpayers.
| ALSO SEE
Taxpayers footing the bill for Carruth's defenseEx-girlfriend recalls Carruth threat after her pregnancy Jailer tells of co-worker's odd meeting with Carruth | ||