Did You Know In 1999 a NFL Player Hired a Hitman To Get Rid of His Pregnant Girlfriend?

In one of the most disturbing scandals to ever involve a professional athlete, former Rae Carruth was convicted for orchestrating the murder of his pregnant girlfriend in 1999 — a crime that shocked the sports world and devastated a family forever.

At the time, Carruth was a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers and appeared to have a promising career in the National Football League. But behind the scenes, prosecutors later revealed a sinister plot involving his girlfriend, Cherica Adams, who was eight months pregnant with their son.

According to court records, Adams refused Carruth’s request to have an abortion. In response, authorities said Carruth arranged a plan to have her killed. On the night of November 16, 1999, Adams was driving behind Carruth in Charlotte, North Carolina, when he deliberately slowed his vehicle on a quiet road. This allowed a co-conspirator, Van Brett Watkins, to pull alongside her car and open fire.

Adams was struck four times by gunfire but somehow remained conscious long enough to make a 12-minute 911 call. During the call, she identified Carruth as being involved in the attack — a piece of evidence that would later become crucial during the trial.

Doctors rushed Adams to the hospital where they performed an emergency C-section to save the baby. Her son, Chancellor Lee Adams, was delivered alive. Tragically, Adams died about a month later due to complications from the shooting. Because of the oxygen deprivation caused by the attack and premature delivery, Chancellor suffered permanent brain damage and was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Following the shooting, Carruth fled North Carolina and became the subject of a nationwide manhunt. Authorities eventually captured him hiding in the trunk of a car in Tennessee.

In 2001, Carruth was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle, and attempting to destroy an unborn child. He was sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison.

Carruth was released from prison in 2018 after serving nearly two decades. Since then, he has publicly expressed a desire to rebuild a relationship with Chancellor, who has been raised by his grandmother, Saundra Adams.

The case remains one of the most chilling crimes ever connected to a professional athlete — a tragic story of violence that forever changed the lives of everyone involved and serves as a reminder that fame and success do not shield someone from accountability.