Van Brett Watkins, the man convicted for the murder of former NFL player Rae Carruth’s pregnant girlfriend, has died in prison at the age of 63. The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction confirmed his death on December 3, citing natural causes as reported by local ABC affiliate WSOC.
In a high-profile case, Carruth, then a Carolina Panthers player, was found to have orchestrated the murder of Cherica Adams in 1999. Adams was shot four times on November 16, 1999, while driving her car. Despite efforts to save her, Adams succumbed to her injuries four weeks later. However, doctors successfully delivered her son, Chancellor Lee, who now lives with cerebral palsy and brain damage.
Watkins, serving a 50-year sentence, confessed to the murder and testified against Carruth, asserting Carruth’s involvement in the crime. Saundra Adams, Cherica’s mother, expressed her feelings about Watkins’ passing, noting the symbolic timing with her grandson Chancellor Lee’s age.