A damper on the Patriots draft day

This is one of those "Holy Shit!!" stories :scared2: :

Man whose son plays pro football kills girlfriend and himself


(Columbia) April 24, 2004 - An NFL player's father has been found dead in Columbia after what police are calling a murder-suicide.

Richland County Coroner Gary Watts says Richard Seymour, 51, shot his girlfriend early Sunday morning, and then shot himself.

Richard Seymour is well-known in the community. His son play professional football for the New England Patriots.

Richland County Sheriff's spokesman Joseph Pellicci says police were called to a domestic dispute around midnight at Coretta Myers' home in Columbia. Myers was celebrating her 36th birthday with a party.

Police asked Seymour to leave the home, but he returned later. The bodies were found at 3:00am Sunday.

Officials say the incident happened around the corner from Coretta's home. Police found both bodies in a neighbor's yard.

Lt. Joseph Pellicci, Richland County Sheriff's Department, says she was running away from Richard when he shot her, "He began firing shots at her. Then chased her down the street, shots continued to be fired."

Myers' older sister, Carolyn Johnson, says the couple had been dating at least a year and seemed to get along well, "I don't know what triggered this."

Now Carolyn and her family are looking for answers, "What went through his mind? What brought this on? Did my sister beg for her life?"

Instead of anger, Carolyn says her heart is simply filled with sorrow, "Richard is a close friend of the family. My heart goes out to his family and ours. I just hope God helps both of us through this because we need him at this time."

Myers leaves behind three sons and 13 siblings. Funeral arrangements have not been made.

Seymour's son, Richard Seymour, has played defensive tackle for the New England Patriots since 2001.

Reporting by Nicole Bell

Posted 6:35pm by Eva Pilgrim

 

That's too bad. Seymour the player sounds like a really nice guy.

 

Is that supposed to be a joke?

 

Here's a little bit more on the story from The State newspaper:

Posted on Mon, Apr. 26, 2004

NFL star’s father kills girlfriend, himself, police say

Richland County authorities report Richard Seymour Sr. shot Coretta Myers, himself in Columbia

By PAUL WACHTER and DAVID NEWTON

Staff Writers


Richland County police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide that claimed two lives early Sunday morning.

Richard Seymour Sr., 51, shot and killed his girlfriend, Coretta Myers, 36, and then turned the gun on himself, Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said.

Seymour Sr. was the father of New England Patriots’ defensive tackle Richard Seymour Jr., a two-time Pro Bowler, two-time Super Bowl champion and a former Lower Richland High standout.

The shootings occurred on Traveler Lane in the Pine Lakes subdivision in southeast Columbia at around 1 a.m.

Seymour Sr. shot Myers in the upper torso and then shot himself in the head with a handgun, according to the police report.

Seymour Jr. was in Miami at the time of the incident. Efforts to reach him were unsuccessful.

The Super Bowl champion Patriots released a statement saying they were saddened by the news.

“We extend our heartfelt sympathies to Richard during this very difficult time,” the statement said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Seymour family.”

Seymour Sr. went to Myers’ home at 3618 Traveler Lane on Saturday night for a party, according to Lt. Joseph Pellicci, a spokesman for the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

Pellicci said Myers called the police shortly before midnight complaining of being mistreated by the elder Seymour.

“When the police arrived, shortly after midnight, (Seymour) had already left,” he said.

Police officers left Myers’ home at 12:30 a.m., but received another call at 1:08 a.m. saying shots had been fired, Pellicci said.

“Witnesses said (Seymour) came back, got into an argument and chased Myers down the road,” Pellicci said. “They disappeared, there were shots, and witnesses said they heard (Myers) scream, followed by more shots.”

Police discovered the bodies at 2:50 a.m. in the back yard of 3709 Traveler Lane not far from Myers’ home.

They discovered one gun, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, at the scene.

“Unless anything new turns up, it looks like a murder-suicide,” Pellicci said.

Crystal Fogle, who lives at 3709 Traveler Lane, said she heard gunshots but no argument.

“I called the police and went back to sleep,” she said. “I didn’t find out there was a murder in my back yard until the police came by in the morning.”

“She was a real people person, always smiling,” Webber said of her sister, Coretta, who is survived by three sons, Carlos, Cedric and Camonte. “She loved to have fun.”

Members of Seymour Sr.’s family declined to comment.

“It’s a bad time right now,” said a woman at the Seymour home who identified herself as Seymour Sr.’s cousin.

Seymour Sr. owned a construction business in the Columbia area. He and Seymour Jr.’s mother, Deborah, attended most of their son’s games from Lower Richland to the University of Georgia to New England, even after they separated.

They were at Super Bowl XXXVIII in February to watch their son and his teammates defeat the Carolina Panthers for his second Super Bowl ring, which he planned to give to his mother.

“I gave the first one to my dad,” he said before the game.

Staff writer Paul Wachter contributed to this report