Former NFL star Lawrence Phillips was pronounced dead after he was found unresponsive in his prison cell Wednesday at Kern Valley State Prison. He was 40.
The former running back’s death was confirmed to USA Today by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokeswoman Terry Thornton.
Phillips was sentenced to 31 years in prison in 2009 for plowing his car into a group of teens and assaulting an ex-girlfriend.
At a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, a judge ruled there was sufficient cause to believe Phillips murdered his former cellmate, Damion Soward. A murder trial could have ended in the death penalty for Phillips.
Soward was found strangled to death in April in a prison cell the two men shared. His blood was found on Phillips’ t-shirt and on other items in the cell.
Phillips took the news of his impending death penalty trial hard according to his attorney, Jesse Whitten.
“He started the hearing by telling me, ‘Hey, relax man. I’m going to to be held to answer [for the murder charges]. It’s just a formality.’”
Whitten said Phillips was allowed to wear his street clothes to the preliminary hearing.
“He was like a kid on Christmas morning,” Whitten said. “We got his court clothes. He picked them out. They fit really great, so he was really happy.
“He was very confident about winning this case and he was even optimistic about his appeal on his prior cases,” Whitten told USA Today Sports.
But by the end of the day Phillips had grown frustrated.
“I do think it was hard for him to sit there and listen to people accuse him of this stuff,” Whitten said.
Phillips appeared suicidal in a letter written to his mother dated March 5, 2015.
“I feel myself very close to snapping,” Phillips wrote. “My anger grows daily as I have become fed up with prison. I feel my anger is near bursting and that will result in my death or the death of someone else.”
Thanks for the new post …. let me read
This is sad … I don’t know what to say about this one ….. wow .. praying for his mother lord have mercy
Lord. Bless his soul wherever he may be. I feel so bad for his mom.
WTH?
Deray said on twitter it wasn’t suicide…….
Good Lord…
Suicide huh…
Did he write that letter to his mother before or after his cell mate was murdered…
Considering they read all the mail, especially for someone like the deceased…I’m sure they felt the language, “…result in my death or the death of someone else” was a trigger and viable threat to correctional officers. -initiate terminate prisoner sequence- since we all just kill ourselves in custody now.
All I can think of is that movie Concussion.
God Bless his mother.
@Bren -The letter sounds like frustration, to me. But may his soul be at peace.
So, so true!
Came to my mind as well!
Chile u beat me to it, wasnt that a good movie.
My husband is forget and be like are u deaf, and he always would say to be prior to movie, you know I played football all my life. : ( thank god he not violent
Looks like before. Wrote the letter in March, and then his cell mate was killed in April.
I remember seeing his story on TV . he had alot of potential, I believe we all are fighting some demons but some of us just can control it better than others . dude wasn’t mentally all the way together
I think it’s a good idea that California limits full contact practice to two days per week for kids.
Some of those parents on Friday Night Tykes… I played football my entire childhood and I don’t remember such adults.
And this dude played ball at Harvard.
Hmm. Well, yeah.
Somebody mentioned the movie concussion…Now that I think about it? I mean, he’ll be written off as a violent thug who’s burning in hell where he belongs? But when you think about it, what was the root of his problems. The source. And yes, concussion is a great film. They’re laughing at Will for the movie pulling in dismal numbers, doesn’t negate from the fact that it’s a good film,,,Based on the life of a brilliant man…Maybe an academy award nomination will bring in more movie goers…If he gets one…Anyway, I wonder what damage if any this man had to his brain?
“I feel my anger is near bursting and that will result in my death or the death of someone else.”
Too bad he didn’t consider the former before engaging in the latter.
Yes they say suicide or could it be foul play
Django, I hate you for posting that pic!!!!
Da Brat’s new hurrdew
Judging by your screen-name you clearly only read 25% of the post. It clearly stated that he already killed an inmate and blood was found on his shirt as well as other items in the cell… At least you’re consistent!
We not too keen on offing ourselves unless it IS a mental issue. So Im floating on this.
Thanks! I’ve updated my comment, accordingly. ?
This sounds fishy.
I’m not even for gov being in people’s business, but damn when they making feature films about it…
I don’t have anything, nope. (face palms)
I’m old enough to remember him at Nebraska and with the rams he was a great athlete..a few wrong decisions without the proper people in your corner will lead to this…RIP homie
WTF you gone do with a disturbed former NFL player in your cell? You better dig deep, because the average man don’t stand a chance.
Can we please not do this? Good grief. Let the man rest in peace. Not everything is some racist conspiracy. It makes you look extremely paranoid.
He was a murder, good riddance!
Oh 25% you are a peice of work. Have a great weekend, all 100%.
Sad…
By Saturday, I’ll be a near billionaire. ?
That Lisa soap in jail will turn you lightskin.
How in the hell do Black people get to commit suicide IN THE F–ING JAIL???? Is there no sentry? Are there no cameras? WTF?
That’s sounds like a plan!
Prayers for his loved ones….
Oh my gosh. This breaks my heart ?
What in the entire hay-ul???
What’s wrong with him?
What’s wrong with him?
No problem hun.
I agree. Sounds to me more like he never fully took responsibility for his own actions. Think about the parents of the teens he drove his car into. And there is no reason to go and assault a woman. He was a 6′ tall RB = powerhouse. Seems to have had a sense of entitlement more than being any racist “let me kill a black” situation
LMAO!!!!!!!
” sentenced to 31 years in prison in 2009 for plowing his car into a group of teens and assaulting an ex-girlfriend.”
31 years for that?!??!? Was there a death involved?!??