Saundra Adams expresses concern about the safety of her grandson, Chancellor Lee, as Rae Carruth's release from prison nears. Chancellor Lee has been raised since birth by Saundra after her. The 'miracle' began Nov. 16, 1999, when Cherica Adams was shot four times in Charlotte, N.C. A hitman tried to murder Adams, the girlfriend of NFL star Rae Carruth, and their unborn son, Chancellor Lee. But the hitman failed. Now, a year-long investigation exposes stunning new details of the crime t.
Published 1:30 PM EDT Oct 28, 2018
Six days after former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth was released from prison, the son of the pregnant woman Carruth was convicted of trying to kill was a special guest on the field Sunday as the Panthers hosted the Baltimore Ravens.
Chancellor Lee Adams, now 19, was born 10 weeks premature with brain damage and cerebral palsy as a result of the shooting that killed his mother, Cherica Adams.
Adams wore a white No. 1 jersey of Panthers quarterback Cam Newton on Carolina's sideline with his grandmother, Saundra Adams, before kickoff. Several players greeted him and Panthers safety Eric Reid gave him his playing gloves.
Carruth, 44, played for the Panthers from 1997-99. He was convicted in 2001 for his role in the murder and served a prison term of nearly 19 years for the Nov. 16, 1999, shooting near his North Carolina home.
At Carruth's trial, the hitman Carruth hired testified the former first-round pick wanted the child dead so he wouldn’t have to pay child support.
Carruth now lives in Pennsylvania and is serving a nine-month supervised probation term related to his convictions. He was released from prison Oct. 22.
Contributing: A.J. Perez, USA TODAY Sports; the Associated Press