Outrageous Court Cases That Rocked The Sports World

It's almost never a good sign when your off-the-field exploits overshadow your actual career, but regrettably, that's the case for former NFL player Rae Carruth. Though he was a first-round draft pick for the Carolina Panthers and had a promising rookie season, he only played sporadically the next two years — making barely any impact. Then, in late 1999, he paid a man $5,000 to fatally shoot his girlfriend, who at the time was pregnant with his son.

The woman, Cherica L. Adams, died that December, but not before giving birth to a son, Chancellor, in November. The police were able to connect Carruth to the killer due to a note Adams was able to write while she was still conscious. The killer, Van Brett Watkins, testified that he was hired to commit the murder so that Carruth could avoid paying child support.

Carruth was sentenced to between 18 to 24 years in prison as a result of his actions, while Watkins was sentenced to a maximum of 50 years. Carruth would go on to serve just under 18 years, walking free in late 2018. His son Chancellor (pictured above) suffers from neurological problems and cerebral palsy as a result of the shooting. Still, in 2021 he was able to overcome substantial odds when he graduated from high school, and he was largely raised by his grandmother, Saundra Adams. 

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