POLICE OFFICIALLY RULE MCNAIR DEATH A ‘MURDER/SUICIDE’

Nashville Police have officially concluded their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shocking death of longtime NFL QB Steve McNair.  Their findings validated the initial speculation that McNair was shot by his 20 year old girlfriend Sahel Kazemi, who then turned the gun on herself.  The revelation of McNair’s infidelity makes an already tragic situation all the more difficult for his family and friends.

The soap opera-esque end to McNair’s life has also caused some degree of ambiguity in the team and community’s reaction.  McNair was a highly respected teammate known for his toughness and character, but the revelation of his relationship with the waitress he met at ‘Dave and Busters’ have made it more difficult for some to pay tribute to his life and legacy.  McNair was married with four children, and his wife reportedly had no knowledge of his relationship with Kazemi until her husband’s death.

Much of Kazemi’s downward spiral was typical of the ‘other woman’ in an extramarital affair.  She was anxious to build a life with McNair, but repeatedly grew frustrated at his refusal to leave his wife.  She reportedly had mounting financial problems, a growing dependence on alcohol and a paranoid suspicion that McNair was having an affair with yet another girlfriend.  These various factors contributed to her mindset at the time of the murder suicide.  According to Nashville Police Chief Ronal Serpas, she had indicated her dissatisfaction with life to friends and co-workers, as well as making statements indicative of a suicidal nature:

"We do know that she was clearly sending a message during the last five to seven days of her life that things were going bad quickly.”

Several days before the shooting Kazemi was arrested on suspicion of DUI, when she was pulled over in a 2007 Cadillac Escalade that McNair had given her as a birthday gift.  She refused a sobriety test, indicating that she wasn’t drunk but rather high on marijuana.  McNair was a passenger in the vehicle but was allowed to take a cab home.

A longtime friend, Robert Gaddy, discovered McNair’s body and has become a de facto spokesman for his wife.  After the press conference by the Nashville Police he answered questions about the condition of Mechelle McNair:

"When Mechelle is ready to speak, she will let people know that. We can't justify anything that people are starting to find out, but the one thing that we can say, that I know for sure, is that Steve loved his family."

Bishop Joseph Walker III, pastor of the church that the McNair family has attended since 1997, had these comments on Mrs. McNair:

"Her faith is what's sustaining her now. We haven't talked about the circumstances of his death. She is processing it in a private way. It's obviously devastating on so many levels."

The Titans opened their home stadium to fans on Wednesday, showing videos of McNair’s career and offering mourners an opportunity to sign a book that will be presented to the family.  A formal memorial service will be held in Nashville on Thursday, with the funeral and burial set for Saturday in McNair’s native Mississippi.