Ex-Girlfriend: Carruth Threatened Me

C H A R L O T T E,   N.C., Jan. 5 -- One of Rae Carruth’s former girlfriendstestified today that he was furious when she became pregnant byhim, threatening her and insisting she have an abortion.

Amber Turner said Carruth also joked about being able to have his oldestson and the child’s mother killed, and fretted about his ability to paysupport for the child of Cherica Adams.

Carruth is being tried on charges he arranged to have Adamskilled. He could get the death penalty if convicted of first-degreemurder.

Turner: Carruth Didn’t Want More Kids

Turner, 21, met Carruth in late 1996 in Colorado, where he wasin college, and moved with him to Charlotte in the summer of 1997when he was signed by the Carolina Panthers.

That December, they returned to Colorado for the off-season,where she remained when he went back to Charlotte in the spring of1998. She became pregnant during a visit to Charlotte, and toldCarruth by telephone in May.

She said Carruth, who already had a son by a woman inCalifornia, was livid.

“He said, ‘I ain’t going to have no more kids with someone I ain’t going to be with. … Don’t make me send somebody out there to kill you. You know I’ll do it,“‘ she said.

Turner said Carruth demanded she have an abortion, which shedid.

On cross-examination by defense attorney David Rudolf, Turnerconfirmed that she twice denied that Carruth ever threatened her,once in a magazine interview not long after Carruth was arrested.

The second time occurred at the end of October, when apsychologist for the defense interviewed her. “Rae is not aphysical person,” she said then. “He never had a problem withanyone.”

During their relationship, “Rae was as sweet as could be,” shesaid.

Carruth, 26, is accused of plotting the fatal shooting of Adams,who was eight months pregnant with their son. She was shot inNovember 1999 and died a month later. The baby survived and liveswith Adams’ mother.