Mother Contradicts Daughter in Carruth Trial

C H A R L O T T E, N.C., Jan. 9, 2001 -- Defense attorneys for Rae Carruth kept uptheir barrage today on the credibility of a former girlfriend whoclaimed the football player threatened to kill her unless she hadan abortion.

Barbara Turner, called by the defense, testified her daughter, Amber, miscarried a 1997 pregnancy by Carruth. She said she didn't know about a later pregnancy that her daughter said ended in an abortion.

She said it was Carruth, introduced to her family by her youngson while Carruth played college football in Colorado, who told herabout the 1997 pregnancy.

"My daughter was having a difficult time telling me," shesaid.

When defense attorney David Rudolf asked her to describe Carruth'sattitude about her daughter's pregnancy, she said, "He and my daughter were looking forward to having a family" but that her daughter suffered a miscarriage.

Mother Casts Doubt on Second Pregnancy

Amber Turner testified last week for the prosecution thatCarruth, then a member of the Carolina Panthers, warned he wouldhave her killed if she didn't have an abortion in 1998.

During cross-examination, prosecutor Gentry Caudill askedBarbara Turner if her daughter told her about the second pregnancy.

“No,” she said, adding that she learned about it when herdaughter described it on the witness stand.

As she left the stand and headed past the defense team's table,Turner gave a small smile and mouthed "I love you" toCarruth. He watched her walk past, then gazed down with a similarsmile.

Carruth, 26, could get the death penalty if convicted ofplotting the killing of Cherica Adams, who was eight monthspregnant with their son when she was shot in November 1999. Shedied a month later, but the baby survived and lives with Adams’mother.

Both sides rested their cases this afternoon, and JudgeCharles Lamm scheduled closing arguments to begin Thursday morning.

Ex-Girlfriend: Carruth Was Eager to Have Baby

The defense, trying to cast doubt on Amber Turner's testimony,also called Carruth cousin Tiffany Adams — no relation to ChericaAdams — who lived with the football player and Amber Turner inCharlotte in 1997.

Adams said today she never heard about a second pregnancy orabortion, though she hadn't seen Amber Turner since she moved backto Colorado in late 1997. She also said she and Turner didn't getalong because Turner was jealous of her relationship with Carruth.

Prosecutors contend Carruth had Cherica Adams killed because hedidn't want to pay child support. The defense contends Carruthwasn't involved in the killing and was looking forward to thebaby's birth.

Defense witness Dawnyle Willard, who dated Carruth in college,told jurors Monday she spoke with Carruth several months beforeAdams was due to give birth.

"Rae was very excited about the baby," she said. "He was looking forward to it."