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Jovan Belcher’s mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against his team, Kansas City Chiefs, on Tuesday after exhuming the linebacker’s body so that his brain could be examined for evidence of a degenerative condition linked to repeated concussions.
The lawsuit, filed by Cheryl Shepherd in Jackson County (Missouri) circuit court, alleges Jovan Belcher was subjected to “repetitive head trauma,” and that the Chiefs failed to provide adequate medical care before he killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, and then committed suicide in December 2012.
Cheryl Shepherd is seeking a jury trial and judgment “in excess of $15,000 for actual damages, punitive damages, and/or aggravating circumstances, for the cost of this action, and for such relief as the court deems fair and reasonable”.
Jovan Belcher’s body was exhumed at a cemetery in Bay Shore, New York, at his family’s request earlier this month so that his brain could be studied for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative neurological condition. CTE has been linked to multiple concussions and includes symptoms such as memory problems, behavioral changes and eventually dementia.
Jovan Belcher’s mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Kansas City Chiefs
CTE has made headlines in recent years with the deaths of some former professional athletes, including former Chargers linebacker Junior Seau and former Bears safety Dave Duerson.
Cheryl Shepherd’s lawsuit claims the Chiefs failed to warn her son of the short-term and long-term risks of concussions; failed to identify and remove Jovan Belcher from practice or games after sustaining head trauma; failed to educate Belcher about concussions; failed to monitor or treat Belcher for neurological dysfunction; and failed to provide appropriate counseling.
According to the lawsuit, Jovan Belcher was knocked unconscious during a game against Jacksonville in 2009 but did not receive adequate treatment before returning to team activities.
On December 1, 2012, Jovan Belcher shot to death his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, while Cheryl Shepherd was caring for his infant daughter in a nearby room. Jovan Belcher then sped from the residence to the Chiefs training facility, where he shot himself in the head in the parking lot.
A spokesman for the Chiefs told The Associated Press on Tuesday night that the team was aware of the lawsuit. He could not comment further because of the pending litigation.
The Chiefs are already the subject of a worker’s compensation lawsuit filed on behalf of several former players who claim the Chiefs hid the risks of permanent brain injuries from repeated concussions from 1987-93, when there was no NFL collective bargaining agreement in place.
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Former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher’s body was exhumed at his family’s request at a New York cemetery, the family’s attorney told the Kansas City Star.
The family hopes the exhumation will shed some light on why Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins nine times before shooting himself in the head at the Chiefs practice facility last year.
Jovan Belcher’s body was exhumed at his family’s request at a New York cemetery
“If his brain had been examined (when he died), we’d have a better understanding of why he did what he did,” Bennet Omalu, who is credited with discovering the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), told the newspaper.
“We would have a better understanding about concussions and playing football, and we would advance the understanding of the science of all of this.”
Jovan Belcher played all four seasons in the NFL with the Chiefs and did not have any diagnosed concussions.
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Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins dead before shooting himself because she told him he was not the father of their baby daughter, it was revealed today.
The Long Island mother of Kansas City Chief’s player, Cheryl Shepherd, said the couple argued over the paternity of their three-month-old daughter right before the murder suicide at her son’s home in Missouri.
Cheryl Shepherd was in the home when her son shot Kasandra Perkins, 22, nine times before fleeing. He is believed to have kissed her dying body and their baby daughter goodbye before he left.
A source told the New York Post: “The mother believed that there was an issue over whether [Belcher] was the father. She said he believed he wasn’t necessarily the father of the child.”
A Kansas City law-enforcement source confirmed: “She told police there was a question about the paternity.”
It is unclear if the paternity issue was the reason why the rocky relationship ended in such a violent and tragic way.
The source added: “The implication was that paternity was what the two of them were fighting about – that the baby might not have been his.”
Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins dead before shooting himself because she told him he was not the father of their baby daughter
The couple had been receiving counseling for relationship and financial problems, police said.
A spokeswoman said she would not comment on the doubts raised over baby Zoey’s paternity.
According to the New York Post, she is set to receive more than $1 million over the years until she reaches 18. It is not clear if this was based on the results of a pregnancy test.
Jovan Belcher’s beneficiary will also get $600,000 in life insurance, a $100,000 retirement account and $200,000 for each of the four seasons played.
A Kansas City police spokeswoman said the baby’s paternity wouldn’t be part of the department’s murder-suicide probe.
“That would not be something they’re going to investigate,” said Sgt Marisa Barnes.
“It’s a <<he-said, she-said>> so there’s no way to investigate. It would be nothing more than a civil matter.”
Jovan Belcher was memorialized as a “humble, kind young man” at his funeral on Wednesday – despite the brutal murder of the mother of his child and shooting himself in front of his coaches.
Friends and family of Kasandra Perkins crowded a Baptist church in just 40 miles outside of Dallas to say their last goodbyes to Jovan Belcher’s girlfriend.
It had only been five days since Kasandra Perkins, 22, was gunned down by her boyfriend Kansas City Chief Jovan Belcher who shot her multiple times before ending his own life.
Despite the horrific circumstances of the pair’s end, at Kasandra Perkins’ funeral service mourners chose to remember her as a joyful person who brought happiness to everyone she met.
Mourners gathered before a white casket decorated with while lilies and pink roses at the St. James Missionary Baptist Church to lay Kasandra Perkins to rest.
“It’s a very tragic circumstance, a tragic situation,” pastor Steve Sweeney said as he offered a prayer for God that both Kasandra Perkins’ and Jovan Belcher’s family would find healing, and that their infant daughter Zoey would have strength.
Friends and family of Kasandra Perkins crowded a Baptist church in just 40 miles outside of Dallas to say their last goodbyes to Jovan Belcher’s girlfriend
Kasandra Perkins’ great-uncle Ted Downing told mourners at the service that the she loved her family and above all her daughter.
“She had a deep, deep understanding about the important things in life,” Downing told mourners.
“She always had no shortage of friends,” he continued.
“And I mean good friends.”
Jovann Belcher’s actions orphaned the couple’s three-month-old daughter, Zoey.
The NFL announced it will support Zoey, giving her $108,000 a year for four years. The amount dip to $48,000 annually when she turns 5, then rise to $52,000 a year until she is 18 or 23, depending on if she goes to college.
Zoey Belcher, the orphaned daughter of Kansas City Chief Jovan Belcher, will receive more than $1 million from the NFL.
Jovan Belcher shot Kasandra Perkins, his 22-year-old girlfriend and the mother of his child, before driving to Arrowhead stadium and turning the gun on himself.
The murder-suicide on Saturday morning means that the estate or guardian of his three-month-old daughter Zoey will receive the money under NFL’s collective-bargaining agreement.
Zoey Belcher stands to receive $108,000 annually over the next four years, $48,000 in the fifth year and then $52,000 each year until age 18.
She’ll continue to receive that amount until age 23 if she attends college.
The beneficiary of Jovan Belcher, who was in his fourth season, also will receive $600,000 in life insurance, plus $200,000 for each credited season.
There is also $100,000 in a retirement account that will go to his beneficiary or estate.
Zoey Belcher, the orphaned daughter of Kansas City Chief Jovan Belcher, will receive more than $1 million from the NFL
Players’ beneficiaries are kept confidential – the current collective bargaining agreement was ratified in August 2011.
Jovan Belcher’s mother Cheryl Shepherd, 54, has temporary custody of the couple’s baby and relatives have said she will take responsibility for the infant.
It is thought she will raise her granddaughter at the Long Island home where the 25-year-old grew up.
Cheryl Shepherd had been in Kansas City to help Jovan Belcher and Kasandra Perkins with their young daughter when the incident happened.
The couple had doted on their young daughter – they posted several photos on the internet showing Kasandra Perkins holding the infant when she was born as well as photos of the trio.
Past and present Kansas City Chiefs players turned out Wednesday for a memorial service for teammate Jovan Belcher, who killed his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins and then himself over the weekend.
The team moved up its practice schedule so that players could attend Wednesday afternoon’s service at the nearby Landmark International Deliverance and Worship Center, where Jovan Belcher and his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins worshipped.
The media wasn’t allowed inside.
Afterward, a coffin was wheeled from the building and driven away in a hearse.
Retired Chiefs Hall of Famer Bobby Bell said Pioli and an uncle of Jovan Belcher’s spoke during the service.
“It’s done and over with and people need to get on with their lives, and the team needed to try to get forward,” Bobby Bell said.
“It’s tough on them. When you see somebody and play with them you’re buddies, friends.”
Many of the players boarded coach buses after the service, but a few walked to their own vehicles with their wives and girlfriends.
“It was good,” running back Peyton Hillis said of the service. He wouldn’t comment further.
Past and present Kansas City Chiefs players turned out Wednesday for a memorial service for teammate Jovan Belcher, who killed his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins and then himself
Defensive end Ropatisp Pitoitua, kicker Ryan Succop, and linebacker Derrick Johnson said they didn’t want to be interviewed.
Before the service, veteran offensive lineman Ryan Lilja said he hoped the memorial would provide some closure for the Chiefs, who will try to win their second straight game Sunday at Cleveland.
Ryan Lilja said some players have taken advantage of counseling services that have been provided by the Chiefs and the NFL and that there’s been a change in the atmosphere around the team building.
Pastor Sylvarena Funderburke, who serves at Repairers of the Breach Christian Center in Kansas City, said she was at the service to sing I Won’t Complain, a song the Belcher family requested.
“It is an honor. We don’t always understand why things happen,” she said before the service.
“That’s when you have to rely on your faith and just trust God to give you strength to make it through tough times.”
Karen Young, who belongs to the Landmark church and serves as an usher, said Belcher and Perkins went to the church “practically” every week until the baby was born but hadn’t been seen much since then.
Larry Brown, who also attends the Landmark church, said Jovan Belcher was “gentle” and “caring” and his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins “a real nice person”.
“I believed that they were made for each other,” said Larry Brown, whose brother is the church’s leader, Bishop John L. Brown.
“They didn’t appear to be the type of people who just put on facades. They were very happy. She was very genuine. Every time I saw them, they were always laughing.”
The barber shop where Jovan Belcher was a regular is in the same strip mall where the church is located. Barber Lee Garron walked over to the memorial service to pay his respects.
“He was a good person,” Lee Garron said.
“He was. He was like anyone else. You don’t know what they are thinking or what is going on in their head. It’s like you or me. You just never know.”
A memorial service and funeral have been held in North Texas for Kasandra Perkins, the slain girlfriend of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher.
Family and friends gathered at a church in Blue Ridge to remember 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins, five days after Jovan Belcher shot her multiple times before shooting himself in the head.
Life Celebration Funeral Home said a separate service will be held Saturday in Austin, followed by burial in nearby Pflugerville.
The Chiefs will be represented for at least one of the services, USA TODAY Sports reported.
Jovan Belcher shot Kasandra Perkins in the master bathroom of their Kansas City home on Saturday morning, hitting her in her chest, neck and abdomen. Her body was found by Jovan Belcher’s mother, who heard the shots.
Jovan Belcher, 25, then drove with a handgun to Arrowhead Stadium, where he thanked team officials before kneeling down and shooting himself in the head in the parking lot.
The deaths came after an increasingly troubled relationship between the pair, who friends say were struggling with the stresses of work and bringing up their three-month-old baby, Zoey.
As well as the baby girl, Kasandra Perkins is also survived by two siblings, her parents, grandparents and a great-grandmother, according to the Turrentine Jackson Morrow funeral home.
It comes a day after the entire Chiefs organization, including players, coaches, front office personnel and ownership, attended a memorial service for Jovan Belcher.
A memorial service and funeral have been held in North Texas for Kasandra Perkins, the slain girlfriend of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher
The team moved up its practice schedule so that players could attend the service at the Landmark International Deliverance and Worship Center, where Jovan Belcher and Kasandra Perkins worshipped.
Before the service, veteran offensive lineman Ryan Lilja said he hoped the memorial would provide some closure for the Chiefs, who will try to win their second straight game Sunday at Cleveland.
“You got to try to deal with it however you deal with it, and grieve the best way for the individual and I think this is the best way for us as a team to get closure and move on and focus on football.”
Ryan Lilja said some players have taken advantage of counseling services that have been provided by the Chiefs and the NFL and that there’s been a change in the atmosphere around the team building.
“There definitely is more,<<How you doing? How you feeling? How you coping?>>” Ryan Lilja said.
Jovan Belcher’s mother Cheryl Shepherd, 54, has temporary custody of the couple’s baby and relatives have said she will take responsibility for the infant.
Brittni Glass is the woman with whom Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher reportedly spent his final few hours before he went home, shot dead his girlfriend and then took his own life.
Brittni Glass, pictured as she walked to work at an Armani Exchange in Kansas City, enjoyed drinks and dinner with the NFL star before witnesses reportedly saw him enter her apartment building.
The images come as frantic 911 calls made by Jovan Belcher’s mother were also released, revealing the chaotic scene as she begged his girlfriend to “stay with me” after he shot her multiple times.
Just hours before she made the call, Jovan Belcher was awoken by police officers at 2:50 a.m. as he slept outside an apartment block in his car. He told them that he was there to visit his “girlfriend”, yet she was not home, police spokesman Darin Snapp said.
Darin Snapp said Jovan Belcher made a phone call and a short time later, a woman let Jovan Belcher into her building.
While Darin Snapp said police did not question the woman and don’t know who she is, the New York Post identified her as Brittni Glass.
Witnesses have since told police that Jovan Belcher stayed at the apartment until 6:30 a.m., Darin Snapp said.
“I was with him that night, that’s it,” Brittni Glass told the Post.
Brittni Glass, pictured as she walked to work at an Armani Exchange in Kansas City, enjoyed drinks and dinner with Jovan Belcher before witnesses reportedly saw him enter her apartment building
Brittni Glass said they had been together that night but were not in a relationship and would not say where he slept. Police confirmed that several people came forward to tell them about Jovan Belcher’s visit.
Darin Snapp added: “When he was sleeping she may have come home, and he didn’t realize. He was very cooperative and thanked the officers.”
He went off their radar until about 7:50 a.m., when police were called to Jovan Belcher’s home after he had shot and killed girlfriend Kasandra Perkins.
Her body was found on the floor of the master bathroom with multiple gunshot wounds, according to a police incident report.
In 911 calls released by Kansas City police on Wednesday, Jovan Belcher’s mother, Cheryl Shepherd, begs Kasandra Perkins to stay alive.
“Stay with me, the ambulance is on the way. Stay with me,” she shouts.
She adds to the dispatcher: “She’s still breathing but please hurry. I don’t know how he… They were arguing, please hurry.”
Cheryl Shepherd told dispatchers that Kasandra Perkins was bleeding, “just barely” awake and that it looked as though she was wounded in the back. She said Kasandra Perkins moved when she spoke to her.
When police arrived at the couple’s home at about 7:50 a.m., they found Kasandra Perkins’ body on the floor of the master bathroom with gunshot wounds to her chest, neck and abdomen.
On Wednesday, Cheryl Shepherd told The Associated Press that the days since the shooting have been very difficult – but that she loves her son and the slain girlfriend.
In a brief phone conversation, Cheryl Shepherd, who had been staying with the couple to help out with the baby, said she had a “beautiful relationship” with Kasandra Perkins.
She added that she has been working on funeral arrangements for Jovan Belcher but has not managed to sleep or eat much since the slayings.
After shooting his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins dead, Jovan Belcher leaned over her body in their bathroom, said he was sorry and kissed her on the forehead, it has emerged.
Jovan Belcher’s apologetic goodbye was witnessed by his mother, who had heard gunfire and ran to her son’s bedroom at his rented Independence, Missouri home, police told the Kansas City Star.
The 25-year-old NFL player, who later went on to kill himself outside his team’s stadium, then said sorry to his mother, kissed his three-month-old daughter and jumped into his Bentley to flee the scene.
The descriptions of Jovan Belcher’s last hours alive, revealed by police sources, provide more details surrounding the death of his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, 22, and his suicide on Saturday morning.
Sources have claimed that the pair was struggling with parenthood just ahead of the football season, and the stress at home caused him to snap.
His team had even provided counseling to help the couple with their problems, the Star reported.
Jovan Belcher leaned over Kasandra Perkins’ dead body, said he was sorry and kissed her on the forehead
Jovan Belcher’s mother, who will now take care of the couple’s orphaned daughter, had moved from New York to Missouri to help the pair during the stressful time.
She told police that, just before 8 a.m. on Saturday, she heard her son say: “You can’t talk to me like that!” before she heard gunfire, the Star reported.
Jovan Belcher shot Kasandra Perkins in the chest, neck and abdomen.
He then drove to Arrowhead Stadium, where he came across Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli and got out of his car with his gun pointed at his own head.
“I did it,” Jovan Belcher said, according to police.
“I killed her.”
He added that, despite the team’s counseling, “it was too late”.
Scott Piolo tried to persuade Jovan Belcher to put down the gun but Belcher simply thanked him for everything he had done for him, and asked him to take care of his daughter.
As Chiefs Head Coach Romeo Crennel and linebackers coach Gary Gibbs arrived, Jovan Belcher reportedly said: “Guys, I have to do this.”
With the sounds of police sirens getting closer, Jovan Belcher ignored the pleas of his bosses and walked away, saying: “I got to go, I can’t be here.”
Jovan Belcher then knelt behind a car, made the sign of the cross across his chest and fired a single shot into his head, the Star reported.
“He cared about her,” Police Sgt. Richard Sharp said.
“I don’t think he could live with himself.”
Jovan Belcher is reported to have had drinks and dinner with another woman before he went home, killed his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins after a blazing row, and then ended his own life.
The Kansas City Chiefs linebacker took the woman, Brittni Glass, to her home, but spent the next few hours asleep in his Bentley outside, according to The New York Post‘s sources.
At around 2:30 a.m police officers woke him up and Jovan Belcher went inside Brittni Glass’ building, leaving about four hours later.
The New York Daily News reported that two of her neighbors let the intoxicated Jovan Belcher sleep in their apartment and woke him for a team meeting Saturday morning, as he asked them to.
He then returned home to argue with Kasandra Perkins, 22, before shooting her and himself.
“I was with him that night, that’s it,” Brittni Glass told The New York Post yesterday.
Brittni Glass said she told police they had been together that night but were not in a relationship and would not say where he slept.
It has also emerged that during college, Belcher was cited after a University of Maine police officer responded to a call at a hall on campus and found him with cuts on his hand and arm, according to a 2006 police report obtained by USA Today.
The officer was told the star was hurt after punching a window because he was upset over a girl.
There was also a report about a complaint of disorderly conduct at a dorm after someone called police after hearing Jovan Belcher and a girlfriend row outside his room.
Cops confirmed that several people came forward to tell them about Jovan Belcher’s visit. One neighbor said his car was outside and he went up to see Brittni Glass.
“His Bentley was parked outside,” a neighbor said.
“He went upstairs. He was drunk. He went up to see the girl.”
Jovan Belcher is reported to have had drinks and dinner with another woman before he went home, killed his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins
Initial reports said Jovan Belcher flew into a rage after Kasandra Perkins returned late from a Trey Songz concert at about 1 a.m.
But according to Brittni Glass and her neighbors, Jovan Belcher wasn’t even home then.
Yesterday, Kasandra Perkins’ family released a statement.
It said: “Our wish is for Kasi to be remembered for the love she shared with us all. Kasi will be truly missed.”
Police yesterday released the chilling audio between first responders investigating the murder-suicide committed by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher.
The audio details how law enforcement reacted when they were informed that one of their city’s NFL players may be involved in a horrific crime.
“I believe our suspect is a Chiefs player,” says one unidentified first responder.
“So whoever goes over there (should go) as soon as possible.”
Arriving to find victim Kasandra Perkins, one man describes the scene.
“Early 20s female,” it continues.
“She’s been shot about three or four times. One to the chest, one to the neck, one to the abdomen. All went through.”
While Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher may have been struggling with booze, pills and head injuries, it was his controlling ways and stress at home that caused him to snap and kill his girlfriend before turning the gun on himself.
According to friends and family of Kasandra Perkins, the environment at home had grown tense and explosive since the birth of their baby girl three months ago.
“It wasn’t a healthy thing that was going on,” Angela Perkins, 32, of Round Rock, Texas, said of the relationship between Jovan Belcher and her cousin.
Kasandra Perkins had gone out Friday night with girlfriends to the concert “to take a break”, Kasandra Perkins’ friend Lynell Diggs told Newsday.
“[Jovan Belcher] didn’t want her going out with the baby at home,” said Lynell Diggs, who was at the concert with a group of friends.
Cousin Angela Perkins told the newspaper the stress of having a baby just before the season and Jovan Belcher’s time away at practice and on the road “really put a strain” on the relationship.
“There was just a lot going on. She was stressed. He was stressed,” Angela Perkins said. ‘It just started to go bad, but they had the child, and they were trying to make it work.’
Newsday also reported that it wasn’t booze, pills or head injuries that contributed to the murder-suicide.
Jovan Belcher’s cousin Eric Oakes said Belcher didn’t experience any recent head trauma and wasn’t on any medication.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt backed up that claim on Sunday, saying that Jovan Belcher had no unusual physical issues before Saturday, including concussions.
Earlier, however, Jovan Belcher’s friends said his mental state may have been deteriorated due to a history of head injuries, pain killers, and alcohol abuse.
Jovan Belcher would also have taken part in the White Ribbon campaign – those taking part vow to “never to commit, condone nor remain silent about violence against women”.
Kansas City Chief Jovan Belcher was a member of a group which campaigns against violence towards women.
Jovan Belcher – who was raised by his own mother – was part of Male Athletes Against Violence and had pledged to develop deep-held beliefs against attacking females.
Among the promises he would have made is one to “look honestly at my actions in regard to violence and make changes if necessary”.
Jovan Belcher, 25, would also have taken part in the White Ribbon campaign – those taking part vow to “never to commit, condone nor remain silent about violence against women”.
The linebacker was a member of MAAV whilst studying at the University of Maine where he played football for three years until he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009.
On Saturday his past as an anti-violence campaigner apparently meant little when he shot Kasandra Perkins dead in a row when she came home from an R&B concert the night before.
His mother discovered the body as she was living in the house too and called 911.
Jovan Belcher was part of Male Athletes Against Violence and had pledged to develop deep-held beliefs against attacking females
Jovan Belcher then drove to his team’s stadium and shot himself dead in front of his coach and general manager.
He and Kasandra Perkins lived together and three months ago had a baby girl but are said to have rowed frequently.
The horrific murder suicide came one day before a Kansas home game against the Carolina Panthers which went ahead as scheduled.
Just a day after the deaths, the Chiefs would take the field against the Carolina Panthers eventually winning their second game of the season 27-21.
As friends and family try to work out what drove Jovan Belcher over the edge, it now seems that in recent years he was a champion of women’s rights.
Whilst at UMaine he was part of MAAV which describes itself as an “effort to involve men so that we can begin to understand that violence is very much a man’s issue”.
It supports the White Ribbon campaign in which male athletes wear a white ribbon as a public display of their stand against violent men.
Among the promotional posters are some with football players which have slogans like: “Join the huddle. Work together to end violence” and “Stand tough against violence”.
Jovan Belcher himself has even spoken about his respect for women which he developed because his father was never around.
In a 2008 interview he said: “My mother is a hardworking woman.
“To see her overcome some things and succeed, it makes me look at things and say, <<this isn’t even hard>>.
“I didn’t really have a father figure, so they provided nice guidance for me.”
Judging from pictures posted on Kasandra Perkins’ Facebook page, Jovan Belcher and his girlfriend had appeared to be happy and in love following the birth of their first child.
Jovan Belcher had argued with his girlfriend after she came home late from an R&B concert the night before he shot her dead then drove to his team’s stadium and committed suicide in front of his coach and general manager, it has emerged.
The 25-year-old Kansas City Chiefs linebacker fatally shot 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins early on Saturday morning, then killed himself in the presence of Chiefs staff after first thanking them for everything they had done for him, police said.
The couple lived together and three months ago had a baby together on September 11 – but a friend said they quarreled frequently, and added that they fought when Kasandra Perkins arrived home at 1 a.m. after attending a performance by Trey Songz.
Authorities did not confirm a possible motive for the murder-suicide, which stunned the team and came one day before a home game against the Carolina Panthers. The NFL said the game would go on as scheduled.
Friends of Kansas City Chief Jovan Belcher say his mental state may have been deteriorated due to a history of head injuries, pain killers, and alcohol abuse.
A person claiming to be close to Jovan Belcher has revealed in a series of e-mails that these issues as well as long-term domestic problems between himself and his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins may have led Belcher to the murder-suicide he committed Saturday morning.
Jovan Belcher killed 22-year-old girlfriend and mother of his child Kasandra Perkins before driving to Arrowhead stadium and turning the gun on himself.
In a series of e-mails to Deadspin, the friend describes: “They have been arguing for quite sometime and had separated 2 weeks ago,” the anonymous friend wrote.
“He had brought her and the baby back home however, they were both arguing on a regular basis. Both of them are/were very young and immature and that combined with other factors led to this tragedy.”
Jovan Belcher’s friend adds that many of their recent arguments focused on Kasandra Perkins failing college classes Belcher paid for and quitting her retail job, as well as telling Belcher that she was leaving him and would find a lawyer to “get as much money as possible” from the football player.
Jovan Belcher may have reacted to all this differently if he wasn’t messed up from booze, meds, and taking shots to the head on the field.
“When it comes to prescription medication it is unclear from my perspective whether it was diagnosed and authorized by the team or not,” the friend wrote.
“However, I know he was under the influence of narcotics for pain and I’m sure the toxicology report will reflect this. However, Jovan drank ALOT. On a nightly basis. This is not a mystery as he did so in public and private.
“When it comes to his concussions; if you review the footage of the Cincinnati game he took a few hits to the head directly […] he was dazed and was suffering from short term memory loss. He could not remember the events that had taken place prior to that game or what he had said to get Kasi to return home.”
Friends of Kansas City Chief Jovan Belcher say his mental state may have been deteriorated due to a history of head injuries, pain killers, and alcohol abuse
Jovan Belcher, 25, was also a member of a group which campaigns against violence towards women.
Jovan Belcher – who was raised by his own mother – was part of Male Athletes Against Violence and had pledged to develop deep-held beliefs against attacking females.
Among the promises he would have made is one to “look honestly at my actions in regard to violence and make changes if necessary”.
Belcher would also have taken part in the White Ribbon campaign – those taking part vow to “never to commit, condone nor remain silent about violence against women”.
The 25-year-old linebacker was a member of MAAV whilst studying at the University of Maine where he played football for three years until he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009.
On Saturday his past as an anti-violence campaigner apparently meant little when he shot Kasandra Perkins dead in a row when she came home from an R&B concert the night before.
His mother discovered the body as she was living in the house too and called 911.
Jovan Belcher then drove to his team’s stadium and shot himself dead in front of his coach and general manager.
He and Kasandra Perkins lived together and three months ago had a baby girl but are said to have rowed frequently.
The horrific murder suicide came one day before a Kansas home game against the Carolina Panthers which went ahead as scheduled.
Just a day after the deaths, the Chiefs would take the field against the Carolina Panthers eventually winning their second game of the season 27-21.
Jovan Belcher had argued with his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins after she came home late from an R&B concert the night before he shot her dead then drove to his team’s stadium and committed suicide in front of his coach and general manager, it has emerged.
The 25-year-old Kansas City Chiefs linebacker fatally shot 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins early on Saturday morning, then killed himself in the presence of Chiefs staff after first thanking them for everything they had done for him, police said.
Jovan Belcher and Kasandra Perkins lived together and three months ago had a baby together on September 11 – but a friend said they quarreled frequently, and added that they fought when Perkins arrived home at 1 a.m. after attending a performance by Trey Songz.
Authorities did not confirm a possible motive for the murder-suicide, which stunned the team and came one day before a home game against the Carolina Panthers. The NFL said the game would go on as scheduled.
Judging from pictures posted on Kasandra Perkins’ Facebook page, the young couple had appeared to be happy and in love following the birth of their first child.
“Jovan and Kasandra always seemed to be in love. In fact, when Kasandra got pregnant, she and Jovan were ecstatic. Ever since the baby was born in September, the two couldn’t have seemed happier together,” a member of the Perkins family told TMZ.
However, a friend told the Kansas City Star she had frequently seen them argue over the course of their relationship – though she had no reason to believe their fights had ever become violent.
On Friday night, she added, Belcher had confronted Perkins when she came home after watching R&B star Trey Songz perform in Kansas City.
Jovan Belcher fought with Kasandra Perkins when she came back late from Trey Songz concert before murder-suicide
Jovan Belcher’s agent Joe Linta told ESPN’s Adam Schefter: “I’m in shock. So out of character. He was the last person in the world you would expect to do this.”
“Jovan was a happy, proud father, with pictures of his baby on his Facebook page,” Joe Linta told SI.com’s Peter King in a phone call on Saturday afternoon.
“This is shocking. Something went crazy wrong, and we’ll probably never know what it is.”
“Never until four hours ago did I think Jovan was anything but a model citizen,” Joe Linta told Peter King.
“He came to my youth clinics in the offseason and worked with kids. He was a gracious, unselfish, hard-working, dedicated kid – very, very caring of some of the underprivileged kids who came to the clinics. I saw him in a real positive way.
“I never take on anyone as a client I wouldn’t be proud to take home and spend time with my wife and kids. Jovan was one of those type of people.
“There’s no word for this other than shocking. That’s all I can think of.”
Jovan Belcher was a native of West Babylon, New York, on Long Island, played college ball at Maine. He had played all four of his NFL seasons for the Chiefs and played in every game each year, including the 11 so far this season. His 2012 salary was $1,927,000, four times what he had earned for the previous year.
Before turning the gun on himself, Jovan Belcher thanked Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli and Romeo Crennel for all they had done for him, police spokesman Darin Snapp said.
Jovan Belcher’s mother had recently moved in with the couple, possibly to help with the baby, at their residence in Independence, Missouri about five miles away from the Arrowhead complex.
She called police just before 8 a.m. to report Perkins had been shot multiple times. Kasandra Perkins was transported to The University of Kansas hospital, where she died a short time later.
Kansas City Chiefs American football player Jovan Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins early Saturday, then drove to Arrowhead Stadium and committed suicide in front of his coach and general manager after first thanking them for everything they had done for him, police said.
Authorities did not immediately release a possible motive for the murder-suicide, which stunned the team and came one day before a home game against the Carolina Panthers. The NFL said the game would go on as scheduled.
It has yet to be officially confirmed, but his dead girlfriend is believed to be Kasandra Perkins. On Facebook, a profile for Kasandra Perkins includes pictures of her with Jovan Belcher, whom she refers to as her boyfriend.
Jovan Belcher, 25, and his girlfriend had a baby less than three months ago on September 11.
The club confirmed that “an incident” had occurred at Arrowhead on Saturday.
“We are co-operating with authorities in their investigation,” it added.
Kansas City police spokesman Darin Snapp told AP news agency that authorities were told early on Saturday that a woman had been shot five miles away from the Arrowhead complex.
The victim was later identified as Belcher’s girlfriend.
Police were then called to the training facility, where they saw the player in a car holding a handgun to his head, talking to two Chiefs officials.
They then heard a gunshot.
Jovan Belcher pictured with his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins
Jovan Belcher was a native of West Babylon, N.Y., on Long Island, played college ball at Maine. He had played all four of his NFL seasons for the Chiefs and played in every game each year, including the 11 so far this season.
Before turning the gun on himself, Jovan Belcher thanked Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli and Romeo Crennel for all they had done for him, police spokesman Darin Snapp said.
Authorities received a call Saturday morning from a woman who said her daughter had been shot multiple times at a residence about five miles away from the Arrowhead complex.
“When we arrived, a lady informed us that her daughter had been shot multiple times by her boyfriend, by the daughter’s boyfriend,” Darin Snapp said.
“She identified him as a Chiefs player.”
Darin Snapp told KCTV5 that a call was then received from the Chiefs’ practice facility.
“The description matched the suspect description from that other address. We kind of knew what we were dealing with,” he said.
The player was “holding a gun to his head” as he stood in front of the front doors of the practice facility.
“And there were Pioli and Crennel and another coach or employee was standing outside and appeared to be talking to him. It appeared they were talking to the suspect,” Darin Snapp said.
“The suspect began to walk in the opposite direction of the coaches and the officers and that’s when they heard the gunshot. It appears he took his own life.”
The coaches told police they never felt in any danger, Darin Snapp said.
“They said the player was actually thanking them for everything they’d done for him,” he said.
“They were just talking to him and he was thanking them and everything. That’s when he walked away and shot himself.”
Darin Snapp described the girlfriend as in her early 20s and that she and the player had a child together. He said the woman’s mother told police they had recently been arguing.
Jovan Belcher is the second Kansas City Chiefs employee to be involved in a murder-suicide in the last four months.
On Labor Day, Luis Angel Roberson Rodriquez, who worked in the Chiefs stadium operations department, killed himself after shooting his girlfriend Jamie Kristine Kimble near the Tampa International Airport.
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