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Subscribe to RSSThe day after Kansas City Chiefs' linebacker Jovan Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend and then killed himself, fans mourned a tragedy. NBC's Than Truong reports.
The relationship between Kansas Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher and his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, became strained after the birth of their daughter, family and friends say.
Belcher, 25, fatally shot Perkins, 22, Saturday and then drove to a stadium parking lot where he committed suicide in front of two coaches and the team's general manager, leading many to wonder what went wrong in Belcher's promising young life.
Perkins’ friends and family described a fraught relationship, though Belcher's family said outsiders can't really know what was going on between them.
The night before she was killed, Perkins went to a Trey Songz concert with some friends "to take a break," Lynell Diggs, a friend who was with her told Newsday.
"He [Belcher] didn't want her going out with the baby at home," said Diggs.
PFT: Coach says he 'wasn't able to reach the young man'
According to police reports, Belcher and Perkins were arguing around 7 a.m. on Saturday. Also at their home was Belcher's mother, who was visiting to help care for their three-month-old daughter, Zoey Michelle.
Around 7:50 a.m., Belcher shot Perkins several times. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Belcher drove 15 minutes to Arrowhead Stadium where he stood in the parking lot and thanked general manager Scott Pioli, head coach Romeo Crennel and linebackers coach Gary Gibbs, for what they had done for him, news reports said. Belcher had played three seasons for the Chiefs and had started in nearly every game.
Then he pulled the trigger.
Angela Perkins, 32, Perkins' cousin, told Newsday that Belcher and Perkins hadn't been getting along for some time. She had visited around the time the baby was born, she said.
She said having a baby and Belcher's busy schedule strained their relationship, according to Newsday.
Ed Zurga / AP
Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, left, and coach Romeo Crennel stand together before an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on Sunday, the day after witnessing linebacker Jovan Belcher kill himself.
Perkins' Instagram profile suggested a different story. On Friday, fewer than 24 hours before she died, she posted photos of Belcher smiling and kissing their daughter.
Outside Belcher’s mother’s home Saturday in West Babylon, N.Y., where he grew up and attended high school, friends and family gathered. Jerseys and Letterman jackets had been hung up along the outside of the house. Trophies and photographs lined the ground beneath.
They raised plastic cups to toast Belcher, who was described as quiet, thoughtful, a role model.
Belcher played football in West Babylon but wasn't recruited to play college ball, according to the Boston Globe. Rather, he was a star wrestler who kept trim — 6-foot-2 and under 200 pounds.
In 2008, Belcher told the Globe: "I do like being the underdog because you can come up and surprise people."
At the University of Maine, Belcher became the team captain and was named national defensive player of the year.
"When he got to campus, he was a phenomenally impressive young man, in how he conducted himself in and around the young men in our program," Maine coach Jack Cosgrove told the Globe at the time. "We were fortunate nobody else recruited him."
Cosgrove described Belcher's "infectious smile" and said he was a great role model who worked well with children — the football player had been a child development and family relations major.
MSNBC's Alex Witt talks with The Nation's Dave Zirin about the Kansas City Chiefs playing on Sunday, a day after linebacker Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend and then himself.
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I think the people outside the home of Jovan Belcher's Mom need to remember this man even if not in his right mind left his Daughter an orphan and murdered her Mom. Hanging his jerseys and saluting him like he is some kind of hero is out of line with the situation.
I thought the exact same thing Liz.
Totally agree!
liz-- i'm in agreement with your post. just seems like the wrong time to be expounding his virtues. i'd be interested in whether or not steroids are involved. i think there's much more to this than an arguement that got out of control.
I thought the same. The article focused on him, obviously, he is the personality here, but to put him on a pedestal after he murdered his girlfriend, the mother of his child and left his child an orphan? Yeah, not so great in my opinion.
OMG the only thing I have read about this COWARD, is how quiet he was and a great student and a gentlemen, he was not that GENTLE when he killed his girlfriend the mother of his child, He was quiet because he was depressed, He was a Jerk who killed his girlfriend, and left his own daughter an orphan, I hope and pray that Her parents raise the child, because its obvious that his mother raised a Psycopath. RIP Kassandra.
kkwilson, just imagine how many more children could have been born out of wedlock if abortion was illegal. Bet you never thought about that, did you? I know plenty of people who have children born out of wedlock and grow up to be good people. Lots of famous people were born out of wedlock. I have a dear friend of mine who turned 40 years old and decided to have 2 children on her own because she was tired of waiting for "Mr. Right" to come along. Those two children live in a great home surrounded by lots of love with family and friends. Bet you never thought that was possible? Look at how many kids grow up in two-parent homes that seemingly look like great homes but behind closed doors are something else. I am one of those children. I grew up with both parents. My father was abusive toward my mother and me & my four other siblings. I was also molested by my father...yes, this was my biological father. I went to Catholic school, went to church every Sunday and all the supposidly good things two-parent homes are supposed to do when raising children. But no one suspected the abuse or molestation of an upper middle class family. And this happens far more than you or anyone else suspects. This does not occur with just lower class families, this happens to all classes of families.
Back to the article, mental illness is no joke or laughing matter. Some handle situations different than others. Some are stronger, have a stronger support system, others are not so lucky. Any one of you people on this thread could be related to someone with mental illness, have a friend or co-worker with mental illness and do not see the signs. Only those extremely close can detect it but often people ignore those signs. Ignoring the problems only allows matters to get worse. You either care about people or you don't. Are you the type of person who sees a person or child being hit but turns the other cheek? It may not be any of your business but when you see it or hear of it, it is your business because it is wrong. The same goes for mental illness. You have the power to help. Be a part of the problem or be a part of the solution...it's your choice! Ignoring it is being part of the problem.
C'mon people...just look at the color of this guys skin..This type of behavior is very very common amongst those of that color....quit trying to fool yourself with pity...
What does the color of his skin have to do with anything?????? You make yourself look like a FOOL with a comment like that!!!!!!!
@HairyLongProngs, you are an ignorant @sshole. If you haven't realized by now that the color of a persons skin means absolutely nothing and that we are all the same on the INSIDE, than you are not only ignorant, but a complete moron.
HairyLongProngs banned, race-extrapolation trolling, multiple HairyLongProng also banned.
JulepPenelope, mind this part of the first rule on the site:
In the end, this football player was just another stupid thug with a gun, shooting a family member he argued with. Memorials to anyone but the young woman he murdered are inappropriate.
I am saddened to see an article that gives very little insight or history about the victim, who was brutally murdered. instead, we are left with testimony praising the alleged perpetrator. I don't know the man or his girlfriend but to provide platitudes about this guy with nary a word about the victim from friends or family is disturbing. Belcher a 'role model?' lord have mercy....
I to am shocked to see that we are memorializing the perp of the crime. By praising the perp we are again putting professional atheltics on pedestals. I am saddened that if you can make money for a rich man you can do no wrong. Another reason not to watch professional sports.
Ya, man. All "perps" must be killed. We need to go out into the streets and lynch every single one of them. No trial. No rule of law. No figuring out. NO THINKING. The time to "think" is over, way over man. This isn't the age of thinking! NO WAY!
What about the victims? Why won't anyone think about the victims. There are just so many victims. Everyone is a victim. Except for ... the "perps." The are the Devil. They are Satan incarnate. NO MERCY. Did you hear me? NO MERCY.
What about the children? Why won't anyone think about the children. The precious innocent children. The babies! Why do they keep aborting the babies! Look we only have 7-8 BILLION people on the planet. No one goes hungry. No one goes without a job. Everyone has a full, safe, productive and meaningful life where they ... each and every person ... like a precious snowflake ... lives in this blessed world we call life ... and the demons want to deprive the babies of this bliss? This joy? It's the GOD DAM PERPS!
We need MORE "Law and Order" (particularly on TV - hosted by Nancy Grace); we need MORE prisons (not less - where the "perps" get ARSE-RAPED every single day) and then when they come out into society, they better NEVER get a job, a job that should go to a VICTIM who's sole purpose it should be to tell the perp what a Douche-Bag they are and how lucky... how Mother F-ing lucky they are to be American ... and to have been ARSE-RAPED in an American prison. God Bless the USA!
Then if ... er scratch that ... when they go out into society and rape and murder your little girl (cause they're now clearly insane) we can all realize the TRUTH. That these "perps" are MONSTERS. Sub-human monsters that only deserve our "christian" tolerance" insofar as we let them eat a little while waiting on death row. To meet Jesus... in HELL.
Praise the "perps?!?" Those MOTHER-Fers. Jesus! We PRAISE Jesus. But we KILL the perps. We give a HOLY BOOT up their sore arses that they earned for being PERPS!
Whooo... thank you. Nothing makes me and 99% of Americans feel better about themselves and their own personal "douche-baggery" then putting down a PERP.
Scum-bags.
When you have a gun in the house you're likely to be shooting the people you know and the people you are supposed to be protecting.
Doesn't sound like a role model I want for my kids.
Very sad.
D-1129384,We have many guns in our house,all unleaded and in a huge safe.They were all bought for collecting and target shooting.Stable people don't kill other people due to arguments and the other things that life throws their way.I guarantee you that he was abusive to her before her pregnancy.
Unleaded guns??? LOL
89% octane..would be dangerous with a gun ( regular or unleaded) LMAO!
just- I dont' get your point.
All you need to do is load your gun and go back upstairs and kill the person you love- which is mostly what happens.
Plus, responsible gun owners never seem to understand that there are other people who own guns who aren't responsible. They get so pissed off about their own rights that they forget how stupid so many people are.
the D.N.A. test came back, the baby was not his.
I misspelled,ok comedians.I meant unloaded.
@ a cleaning lady
No you were correct, since most bullets have a lead core, an unloaded gun is also "unleaded". ;-)
@ D-112
Sounds like a liberal argument to me. Just because a few (well more and more, reference the quote below) are stupid, ban the dangerous thing to keep us all safe from ourselves. Like lawn darts? or Hot coffee at the drive through? (some one help me out here, I am having a senior moment) give me some other examples.
Or how about the Freedom of Speech? should we ban it because stupid people abuse it? should we abolish the 4th and 5th amendments because criminals abuse those too? So, let ban the 2nd amendment because a few abuse it is your answer.
No, this is a social problem, not an NFL, or gun problem. Somewhere along the way this guy (for a Man does not do these things) failed to learn or was not taught the art of being a Man.
kudos... farmboy....you may have a cookie
I'm not buying this blaming it on the girlfriend and himself fighting.He already was not wrapped too tight.It's too bad those close to him didn't see the signs of his mental instability.The normal and stable people among us don't kill somebody because their relationship is strained.He's no hero and had it not been for this murder suicide most people would have never heard of him.
Ok don't know his past but if he is from the "hood"- well you can take the "boy" out of the hood but you cannot take the "hood" out of the "boy". This is tragic but it happens in everyday cities ALL THE TIME!
Just because it was a professional player- well hey they are recruited for the $ and Momma is important here. BUT what is this stuff with girlfriend?
There was a time when ALL Professional football players married and had children and tried to keep a family life. Didn't happen here- what is with this GIRLFRIEND stuff??? Com'on!!
This is indeed tragic but I read about it all the time in the inner city- he was supposed to be a professional- why couldn't he marry the girl and give this child a real life- NOW mark my words- she will become a victim too because she does not or never will have family to relate too.
Tragedy of America. STOP IT NOW! B;ack football players have problems unless they are from real families and yes I said that and not everyone here will say ain't so. Barber Boys- one of you screwed up too!
enough let's get back to basics!
TvTvwhatTv......you are a total fool. Tragedy of America. White kids who shoot up their classrooms, and they are from real families, albeit BAD families. Now shut the hell up you ignorant w;ite trailer trash!
She was shot and killed. She is a victim.
So sad to think this way. Good luck with that.
And I misread your post. You were talking about the little baby being a victim?
Um... we don't need to mark your words, genius. The little one is the biggest victim of all.
TVTVWhatTV:
Where he comes from, West Babylon, Long Island, NY is NOT the "hood". Yes, as with ANY town in America there are not so nice areas....but West Babylon is FAR from the "hood"!
West Babylon is a blue collar neighborhood where most just live paycheck to paycheck for the distinct pleasure of living on Long Island.
Why is it that when you're a famous person or a pro athlete and murder someone before committing suicide, they honor you and hold vigils for you?
AND- talk him up, like he was a good guy and a good father.
How can you kill the mother of your child but still hold onto 'good father' label.
Insane.
Agreed. If this were a blue-collar everyman type, no one would be singing any praises about him. He'd be viewed as a murderer that everyone was glad he'd taken his own life to spare any pain to have to try this man in a court of law.
The truth is, there is so much more to this story and it's no one's business but the families involved. I feel for the child left behind. She now has to grow up without both of her parents and will have to live with the history of knowing how violently their lives ended. Very sad.
Well what a nice heartwarming story about a great guy, a true all-American hero truly deserving of all the accolades and memorials and sonnets people are writing about him. Or a completely effed up story about a cold blooded murderer. One of the two.
His friends raised glasses to toast his memory? Hardly something anyone should do for a guy who murdered a helpless person. Big, brave football player shoots a girl before committing suicide. Do the world a favor and commit suicide first. Oh, too late.
If they postponed the game, they probably would've lost. As it is, at least the team has something to feel good about in light of recent events.
What is the syndrome that players get from receiving too much trauma to their brains? Makes me wonder. A tragedy for sure. My thoughts are with BOTH families and that little baby.
That was my first thought, too! Football is a stupid sport. You make your living based on running into someone as hard as you can or by running fast enough not to get hit by someone. Huh???
I think they should autopsy every football player who dies violently and look for signs of brain injury.
I thought the same thing, Mary914. There is an article about this very thing in pro football players in the December issue of Reader's Digest. I've never considered myself a serious football fan, and after reading that article, I'm even less of one now. Sure, these pro players get paid very well for what they do, but, I don't believe many realize the toll their bodies (specifically, their brains) are taking out there on the field, which will continue to play out negatively for decades after their football careers are over.
It's such a tragedy, and now their precious baby will never know either parent.
What ever race, these murder-suicides have happened in the past. It has happened with poor, middle class and rich people.
I will never understand it when their are so many other ways of solving an arguments.
Exactly, Deb. This was something done purely out of emotion. Anger doesn't discriminate. The SNL comic Phil Hartman was killed by his spouse in a murder-suicide and lived in a rich neighborhood. Whenever this happens to a white person I don't see their race being brought into it. I wish the white-hooded racists would crawl back underneath the rocks that they crawled out from under.
well, it's too late now, but she should have packed her things and left him in the dust.
he's just another black killer, and I am not losing a minute of sleep over his death.
did anybody notice his car, a bentley? his house probably cost about $200, 000,
but his car, if new when he bought it, would have set him back about $325,000.
Wow, you're just oozing with compassion there, aren't you, Glad? Better be careful - your racism is showing. What the hell does it matter what race he was? But, hey, you sleep tight there, buddy.
What's done is done. He obviously had mental issues and his girlfriend knew this. I don't think for one moment that she had any inclination that he would harm her. My prayers go to both families. I hope that they can work through their grief and remember that they have a precious little baby to raise. So, very sad that this child will never know either of her parents. I hope that the families will work together so that she will know both sides of her family. Such a senseless tragic act with many victims....most of all a little 3 month old baby girl....:'(
Geee, it was on the internet it must be true.
Evidently the reporter here doesn't understand that most people put forth a positive image to the public, even when things are falling apart behind the scenes. But that part of the article caught my eye too.
As far as playing the game, today: So many people had booked planes, booked hotel rooms, planned on driving to KC, etc. I understand that it seems wrong to play, but for the people with all the plans--that would have been an extra bummer, I think. I'm sure he had some kind of mental issues, although I'm not sure he was aware of them. His girlfriend seemed to know "something" was wrong. Very Sad. May they both rest in PEACE.
These things happen all the time, everyone will get in an uproar because he was in the NFL but it will take just a month or two to fade into the fogy haze of memory.
Don't believe me, check out this macabre site: murder-suicide.blogspot.com/
This violence goes on every day of the week, particularly in black neighborhoods. Family dissolution and "disrespect" against women in the "music", just adds to this problem. It needs to be addressed seriously.
Are you kidding me?!!!! Candlelight vigils with his Jerseys? Leaving his locker in tact? This guy murdered the mother of his 3 month old in the presence of his own mother and his daughter. He is a coward and chose a cowards death. Not only that, he chose a murdering cowards death. He took an innocent with him. If this was some average Joe on the street who did the same thing he would be vilified. I say throw all his @!$%# in the garbage, remove any sign of his existance in that locker room, start referring to him as a murderer. JoPaw got treated worst and we don't know if he even did anything. Stop with the vigils for this peace of crap!
No matter how anyone looks at this from whatever angle, this was a sad, sad waste of lives. Mental health issues show up in young adults all the time. No matter how much money is involved. It happened in my family. It is easy to think that a brother, sister or cousin is just acting "different". You can't pinpoint what is wrong because it comes and goes and sometimes they even hide it because they know something is wrong but are scared or ashamed of whats happening to them. I feel so sad that nobody realized what was happening to him before this tragic situation occured. We were blessed that we had nurses in the family who realized what was happening before someone in our family was killed. Pray for the whole family, and do not judge unless you have walked a mile in their shoes.
I totally agree with you. Mental illness is real and happens to so many people.
was it mental illness or steroids? there is more to this. waiting for autopsy report-----either he was a loaded cannon and functioned under the radar or under the influence of something.
I'm reading all of the above and I can't help wondering where are all of you people? There are two people dead here and a 3 month old baby left to be raised by her grandmother. And the NFL Association went ahead and let the Chiefs play. We spend thousands of dollars getting psych help for kids who witness a school shooting and here you have a man committ suicide in front of his coaches and they don't need counseling? With the owners and management in the NFL, it's the almighty dollar before the players. I don't know why this happened but my thoughts are with the grandmother and baby and the coaches who had to witness it.
You make some good points, tynabee. Unfortunately, even if counseling for the Chiefs players were made available, more than likely very few would seek it. We live in a society where males are so often just told to "man up". Even more so in a climate like the NFL. It's just such a shame; instead of planning holiday gatherings, these two families are now planning funerals. And, that precious little child will never know her parents.
Its not the NFL's problem. Why not play the game? This man made a conscious choice to take lives, including his own. We should not be honoring him in any way.
"They raised plastic cups to toast Belcher, described as quiet, thoughtful, a role model."
They forgot to mention that he was also a double murderer.
The racist NFL and fans who are exalting Belcher today do so at the expense of his murder victim. After all, she was only a black girl.
I personally feel that a person that age hasn't lived long enough to be anybody's role model.He didn't marry his girlfriend when she became pregnant so to me is isn't much of a man.
I agree that this man had issues before he shot his girlfriend,and then shot himself! Couples argue all the time and do not get shot over it! No reason is good enough for what he did.There were other choices that he could have made-one of them being to get help! I am glad that his team decided to play today. They needed to play this game. Its better then sitting around,and doing nothing. They are grieving,but they need to continue on!
I read that whole story and they never mentioned the score of the game? Did the Chiefs win?
At first I couldn't decide if you're either totally lacking in compassion, or you're just an idiot, Josh. On second thought, I'm pretty sure you're both.
Maybe he's just Josh-ing you.
I don`t watch football or basketball . But I would if they could bring guns to the game !
I don't even know WT-F that means.
larry is one those guys who loves to see his user name in print. No matter how stupid the post.
yeah thats some role model you have there. lets all worship his trophies and letterman jacket. is it really any wonder why the black communities are so f'ed up?
Yawn troll.
Try and think about your posts (racial or not) instead of just making racist declarative statements.
BTW- Jovan was considered a roll model to black boys BEFORE the shooting becuase he had gotten a degree in Child Development, had no criminal record, worked hard, and said he valued God and family.
STOP BEING AN IDIOT! Or just drop th n-word over and over on the board and stop pretending to be trying to make a point.
Let me get this straight... Every black male without a rap sheet should be considered a role model? Seems about right....
Gee,a degree in child development means he didn't learn much now did he?He killed the mother of his child which will set her up for a pretty hard row to hoe.I still don't see anybody his age being called a role model.He will be famous for a month or two and nobody is going to remember who he is next year.
it wasnt a troll unless stating the obvious to you qualifies my post that way. think of it this way genius: had he not killed himself and was arrested for the murder would his homies and the media still be saluting his trophies and jackets? i guess in your world you can be black and commit murder as long as you kill yourself right afterwards to attain hero status.