Ex-Girlfriend: Carruth Threatened Me
C H A R L O T T E, N.C., Jan. 5, 2001 -- 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.
Carruth Allegedly Plotted Killing Son
During the spring 1998 visit, Turner testified, Carruth jokinglydiscussed arranging the killing of his son in California or thechild’s mother “so I wouldn’t have to pay her any money.”
“I heard him on the phone talking to people, saying he hadpeople out in California who would do it for him,” she said.
Two days before Adams was shot, Carruth called Turner and saidhe had gotten “a stripper girl pregnant” — a woman Turner later learned was Adams, she said.
He expressed concern “about having to work in a grocery store”in order to pay for the children, because he had suffered an injuryand was unable to play football, Turner said. “I told him, ‘Rae,you’re smart, you like kids, you’ll be all right.’”
The defense claims Adams was killed because Carruth backed outof a drug deal, not because Carruth wanted to get out of payingchild support.
Turner Produces Damning Letter
Turner also said Carruth wrote her a letter after he wasarrested, outlining in detail what he wanted her to tell police.
In the three-page handwritten letter, postmarked Aug. 16,Carruth begins by praising Turner and telling her to dump aboyfriend who was not treating her well.
Then Carruth, in jail awaiting trial, discussed his legalsituation and the part in it Turner might play if called by police.
“Here is what you’ll recall when asked about my son,” he said, numbering her answers in precise detail.
“No. 1, upset I missed the baby being born,” Turner read fromthe note. “No. 2, upset missed first steps, first words … ”
He also suggested telling investigators he did not mind payingchild support for his son in California, which Turner said was nottrue.
“He thought he was paying too much,” she said.
On the back of the third page, Carruth added another note:“Talking to police won’t help, just hurt,” he wrote, asking her also to refrain from talking to the media. “If you love me andwant to help me, help me get my freedom back.”
Turner was called as a prosecution rebuttal witness. Defenseattorney David Rudolf was just starting his cross-examination whenJudge Charles Lamm broke for lunch.