Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth immediately emerged as a fan favorite, thanks to his impressive rookie season. That adulation ended for the 1997 NFL draft pick after the night of Nov. 16, 1999. Fingered by his dying — and pregnant — girlfriend Cherica Adams as the man responsible for shooting her four times as she sat in her car (Carruth blocked her path with his car while the shooter drove by in another vehicle), Carruth was tried and in January 2001 found guilty of three charges, including conspiracy to commit murder. The football star was sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison.
Charlotte’s daily newspaper was all over the case 24/7. A sensationalistic murder is a tasty topic, but a sensationalistic murder involving a beloved Carolina Panther couldn’t be beat.
Creative Loafing approached the tragedy more selectively and from a philosophical bent, particularly after the verdict was announced. Columnist Jerry Klein wrote a piece (“To Err Is Human,” Jan. 27, 2001) in which he speculated whether Carruth was indeed behind the murder, while fellow columnist Shannon Reichley analyzed the TV coverage of the trial (“The Verdict Is In,” Feb. 3, 2001), taking time to praise the Charlotte outlets. “I chose to flip between our locals, because of the overly melodramatic spin Court TV insisted upon,” she wrote. “In particular, the irritating Nancy Grace.” Of course, CL made sure to also tackle the subject from a skewed point of view: Sam Boykin’s Feb. 17, 2001 cover story, “Who’s More Obnoxious — Ray Wooldridge or Theodry Carruth?” asked readers to vote for either the Charlotte Hornets co-owner or Rae’s camera-hog mom. (Theodry Carruth handily won the title, 110-34.)
As the belated cherry on all this original coverage, Jarvis Holliday wrote a comprehensive piece during the 10th anniversary of the tragedy, recapping its history as well as providing updates on its central players — not only Carruth (who will be released around 2018) but also Rae and Cherica’s son Chancellor, who was born 10 weeks premature as doctors performed an emergency cesarean on his mother. Although suffering from cerebral palsy, Chancellor is being lovingly raised by Cherica’s mother, Saundra Adams.
“As cruel and unfair that it is that Chancellor has to live with a debilitating, lifelong condition,” Holliday concluded his story, “perhaps it’s a good thing that he may never understand what his daddy did to his mother. That he may never fully realize what his father is most known for.”
This article appears in Jun 20-26, 2012.
Given that Rae Carruth was convicted of this heinous crime why is it that his son wasn’t awarded ALL of whatever monies he had left from his NFL contract? It is disgustingly sad that the world has people in it like Rae Carruth – who think so little of women or children to conspire to destroy them. Where is his family in all of this? His parents & any siblings? I can only imagine the heartache his mother feels having a murderer for a son.
I pray for both of his children and the families that are rising & loving them!
Selfishness cost him his life.dealing with the NFL and begin famous he didnt want a baby.he would have did better pairing support from looking at the trial he pretray her as a gold digger.I agree his child suffer a big lost a mother and a father.only if you could turn back the hands of time.
Well I have to say that if ray carruth didn’t want children he should have used a condomn his selfishness and no consideration for the life of his girlfriend or baby,came at a huge price.unfortunately jail time won’t change the person he is,he will emerge the same,only god can help him now.
Everyone is so hard on Ray, but if he said he didnt do it then so be it. No one talks about how sleazy Cherica Adams was, true she didnt deserve to die . But it wasn’t like she was a good girl . And betrayed as a gold digger, well sorry she was that ! When ure a female who stalk professional sports stars for their money or to get pregnant, sometimes u get what u dont expect, in her case death . Sorry for u Ray when u get out of prison i wud go bk to Cali & forget this whole situation, & never look back .
Nolan, that’s bull!!! Rae Carruth is guilty!! Of course a man is going to stick up for him. Now, he has a son who, because of his selfishness, has to live with Cerebral Palsy and brain damage!!! Miss me with that.
This Nolan guy is an idiot …whether the woman was a gold digger or not that asshole didn’t have the right to kill her. His deplorable actions resulted in this women’s death and her child has cerebral palsy and this fool ended a great career in the NFL and sits in prison. He should have gotten the death penalty.