Following a Super Bowl XXXIV party in Atlanta on January 31,
2000, a fight broke out between Lewis and his companions and another
group of people, resulting in the stabbing deaths of Jacinth Baker and
Richard Lollar. Lewis and two companions, Reginald Oakley and Joseph
Sweeting, were questioned by Atlanta police, and 11 days later the three
men were indicted on murder and aggravated-assault charges.
The white suit Lewis was wearing the night of the killings has never
been found. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard alleged the
blood-stained suit was dumped in a garbage bin outside a fast food
restaurant.
Lewis' attorneys, Don Samuel and Ed Garland, of the Atlanta law
firm Garland, Samuel & Loeb, negotiated a plea agreement with
Howard, where the murder charges against Lewis were dismissed in
exchange for his testimony against Oakley and Sweeting, and his guilty
plea to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice. Lewis admitted
he gave a misleading statement to police on the morning after the
killings.
Superior Court Judge Alice D. Bonner sentenced Lewis to 12
months' probation, the maximum sentence for a first-time offender, and
he was fined $250,000 by the NFL, which was believed to be the highest
fine levied against an NFL player for an infraction not involving
substance abuse.
Under the terms of the sentence, Lewis could not use drugs or alcohol during the duration of the probation.
Oakley and Sweeting were acquitted of the charges in June 2000. No other suspects have ever been arrested for the crime.
The following year, Lewis was named Super Bowl XXXV MVP. However,
the signature phrase "I'm going to Disney World!" was given instead to
quarterback Trent Dilfer.
On April 29, 2004, Lewis reached a
settlement with four-year-old India Lollar, born months after the death
of her father Richard, pre-empting a scheduled civil proceeding. Lewis
also reached an undisclosed settlement with Baker's family.
Who's scarier: Ray Lewis or OJ Simpson?
Lewis is a Christian, and his commitment to his faith was featured in
a Sports Illustrated cover story in 2006. He has six children from four
women, although he has never been married. His son, Ray Lewis III, has
committed to the University of Miami for the 2013 season.
On May 11, 2010, a portion of Baltimore's North Avenue was renamed "Ray Lewis Way" in honor of the linebacker and his charitable work.
Wanna know how bad it is in Baltimore? Ray Lewis allegedly killed a guy and they named a street after him.
-W&J's Producer
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