McNair Lab Results: Murder-Suicide

((HT: Tennessean/Kate Howard))

A state medical examiner has said that preliminary testing from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation points to the likely conclusion of murder-suicide in the deaths of Steve McNair and Sahel Kazemi ((pictured, thanks Tennessean/family photo)).

Feng Li, the assistant medical examiner who conducted the autopsies, said he will wait for the investigation to be closed before he completes Kazemi’s death certificate to reflect that she died of suicide.

“The results were very consistent in supporting our decision,” Li said.

Gunshot residue and ballistics testing are also consistent with a ruling of murder-suicide, Li said.

“With the lab tests to be obtained combined with the autopsy findings, we will put a final opinion on the death certificate,” Li said.

Kazemi and McNair were found shot to death in a condo off Second Avenue on the afternoon of July 4. A semi-automatic pistol was found under Kazemi’s body. Metro police said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms traced the gun purchase back to Kazemi through a private person.

On the day of her DUI and the day police said she bought a gun, Sahel Kazemi posted all her furniture to Craigslist under a headline: "NICE FURNITURE. TV, COUCH, COFFE TABLE AND MORE - $1 (hermitage)."

The cell number listed in the ad matches the number police got from Kazemi, 20, on July 2 when she was arrested. It was later that day that police said she bought the gun that was found beneath her body.

Family members have said she was getting rid of her furniture because she was planning to move in with McNair. She listed a flat-screen TV, couch, dining room set and coffee table for sale.

She had been arrested early that morning and charged with DUI, driving a Cadillac Escalade titled to her and McNair. McNair came to bail her out of jail later that morning.

Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas held a press conference Thursday afternoon.
Metro's findings were as follows:

-- Steve McNair was murdered. Kazemi then killed herself.
Serpas maintained that the "totality of the evidence points to a murder-suicide."

-- McNair was shot in sequence- once in the head, twice in the chest, and once more in the left temple. Sherpas said Kazemi then positioned herself next to McNair and fired the gun in to her right temple.

-- Five shell casings have been found that match the weapon found at the crime scene. All five bullets were recovered.

-- Kazemi had gun shot residue trace evidence in her left hand. McNair had no GSR residue on either of his hands.

-- Serpas also said that due to a lack of a struggle and McNair's physical condition, McNair likely was caught by surprise.

-- In the last five to seven days of her life, according to Sherpas, Kazemi was under the impression that her life was "all messed up." She was making payments on her Kia autombile and the Cadillac Escalade she co-signed with McNair. Kazemi's rommate was also on the verge of moving out of her apartment which would have created a hardship on her finances.

-- Serpas also found that Kazemi was operating under the assumption that McNair was involved with another woman. Metro feels this was aonther contributing factor to her immediate state of mind. Those suspicions were around before the Thursday of the DUI stop and subsequent arrest.

-- Metro feels that Wayne Neely was truthful in his interviews with Metro. The 44 minute delay before calling 911 is not unheard of and that the crime scene was not tampered or altered.