The chilling story behind the NFL star quarterback’s 2009 murder (Image via Getty: Steve McNair) Who killed Steve McNair?
The 36-year-old former NFL quarterback Steve McNair had been shot four times: twice in the chest and twice in the head. His 20-year-old girlfriend Sahel Kazemi was found close to his body with a single gunshot wound to the head. Investigators discovered extensive communication between Kazemi and 33-year-old Adrian Gilliam Jr., a convicted felon who spent nine years in prison for second-degree murder and attempted armed robbery, and also the man police said sold Kazemi the gun for $100 in a parking lot shortly before the killings.
Tensions had escalated in the days before the shootings, according to investigators. Police said Kazemi was struggling with financial problems and had become disturbed over the possibility that McNair was involved with another woman [another post-marital affair than the one already with her]. Investigators also said she had sent messages suggesting that her life was falling apart and that she was contemplating suicide. Police said there was no evidence that he had attempted to defend himself in any way. Police said they found no evidence that a third person had entered the condo or participated in the killings.
Steve McNair’s death remains one of the most distressing tragedies in NFL history. McNair and Kazemi reportedly dated for several months before their deaths. The retired NFL quarterback was married and had four children, while Kazemi worked as a waitress. Authorities believed McNair was asleep on the couch when Kazemi shot him. After a months-long investigation, Nashville authorities stood by their original conclusion: Sahel Kazemi killed Steve McNair and then died by suicide.