Carruth Defense Rests

C H A R L O T T E, N.C., Jan. 3, 2001 -- Rae Carruth’s lawyers rested their case today without calling the former football player to the stand

to deny he arranged the killing of his pregnant girlfriend.

Defense attorney David Rudolf rested his case after calling aseries of witnesses to testify on Carruth’s behalf.

Judge Charles Lamm recessed court until Thursday to allowprosecutors time to prepare their rebuttal witnesses.

Rudolf said outside the courtroom that his client’s testimonywas not needed since the defense contends Carruth was not presentwhen Cherica Adams was shot.

“Rae wasn’t there,” he said. “So he can’t say what happenedbetween the two cars.”

Defense Claims Drug Deal

The last defense witness called today was privateinvestigator Ron Guerette, who told the jury that Carruth hadstored baby furniture, including a playpen and crib, at a storagefacility in anticipation of his child’s birth.

Prosecutors contend that Carruth, then a member of the CarolinaPanthers, had Adams killed because he didn’t want to pay childsupport. Her baby boy survived the November 1999 shooting and nowlives with Adams’ mother.

The 26-year-old player could face the death penalty if convictedof first-degree murder.

Carruth’s trial resumed Tuesday after a weeklong holiday break.Before Christmas, jurors heard the admitted gunman testify thatCarruth paid him to shoot Adams, who was eight months pregnant.

The defense claims Carruth had nothing to do with the shootingand that co-defendant Van Brett Watkins shot Adams in a rage after afailed drug deal.

Watkins was one of two co-defendants who testified Carruthhatched the plan to kill Adams and blocked her car with his vehicleso Watkins could shoot her. The prosecution also used Adams’ 911call and notes of her suspicions about Carruth’s involvement in theshooting.

Carruth Attorney Becomes Witness

Testimony resumed this morning with Leonard Kornberg, oneof Carruth’s original attorneys, on the stand.

Carruth “was despondent, panicked and extremely upset” whenthe two spoke on the phone the night Adams died, Kornbergtestified.

“He stated that when Cherica Adams passed away, his defensepassed away because Cherica knew he wouldn’t have done this,” hesaid.

Much of the morning was spent on arguments about whetherCarruth’s original attorneys could testify about Carruth’sstatements to them about the shooting being the result of a drugdeal gone bad.

Lamm sustained prosecution objections to that testimony and tosimilar testimony from the second witness of the morning, a bailbondsman.