Keteyian: Metro Case On McNair Has Holes

We're just going to let this go on its own merit and investigation for now...
It was on CBS' "The Early Show"

Here's Part One

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Metro police defend their position- naturally...

Spokesman Don Aaron told WKRN-TV that CBS must not have considered proceedings during Gilliam's guilty plea in Nashville Federal Court, when the suspect stipulated in a statement-of-fact that his gun was sold to Kazemi on July 3, the day before the murder-suicide.

Aaron said originally investigators believed the purchase was made on July 2 because of what they were told initially during interviews. He said the date was later updated during subsequent interviews.

He said the initial error of when Kazemi purchased the gun "does not make any difference" because both dates came after the DUI arrest, and remain consistent with police beliefs that she was despondent over her relationship endings with McNair.

Here's News2's story from Monday
Chris Bungaard got to stand outside LP Field in Nashville for his report...


Those of us at OSG HQ tend to back up Brad Hopkins on this one...
No, a lot of things don't make sense- still- four months later...
We still have questions on logistics and such, but Keteyian's Part Two better come with the hammer... or it's sound and fury signifying nothing...

Gilliam Pleads Not Guilty In McNair Gun Charge

((HT: Tennessean/Carey))

Adrian J. Gilliam Jr., the man accused of selling the pistol used to kill former Tennessee Titan Steve McNair, has pled not guilty to federal gun charges.

In July, Gilliam told authorities that he sold a semiautomatic 9 mm handgun to Sahel Kazemi- the woman associated with pulling the trigger.

Gilliam, 33, is charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. In 1993 he was convicted second-degree murder and attempted robbery in Florida.

He entered his not guilty plea this morning after a formal reading of the charges in court.

More when we know more...

McNair was Intoxicated When Killed

The Assistant State Medical Examiner in Tennessee has published the toxicology report on Steve McNair at the time he was shot and killed and the report was...well a bit surprising.


McNair's Blood Alcohol level was listed as being around a .16 which is twice the amount considered an impairment to drive. The woman who killed McNair and then herself, Sahel Kazemi had a small amount of Marijuana in her system as well.

The story from the Tennessean here .

It doesn't totally explain what happened in the apartment that morning/overnight, but it may explain why McNair was soundly sleeping on the couch at the time he was shot. As for Kazemi, she was arrested for DUI only a couple of days before and in the video of the traffic stop admitted she wasn't drunk, she was high.

Did "Tennessean" Kill McNair Story On The Other-Other Women...???

The following are excerpts from a Clay Travis op-ed piece that ran on his website today. We just found it interesting, but not necessarily surprising...

((HT: Clay Travis/Deadspin))

Nashville's Tennessean has identified several additional women who were also involved in sexual relationships with Steve McNair. They've done even more than that, there is currently an article quoting those women and how they're dealing with McNair's death. (The women are quoted anonymously because they fear revealing their identities. The Tennessean, to their credit, has a policy against using anonymous sources for stories. Even, evidently when there are multiple women telling the same story. As a result none of us have seen this article. Why? Because of a combination of reasons: a. the women are anonymous and b. the Tennessean bigwigs are convinced the city of Nashville can't handle the news.

There is no doubt that the fact that Steve McNair was engaged in multiple affairs is extremely newsworthy. He was, after all, killed by one of these women. Already the Tennessean has reported that there was a third woman involved in an affair with McNair. Why draw the line there? Especially when articles citing police and other sources have already hinted that Ms. Kazemi may have been motivated in her murder/suicide by uncovering the existence of these other women. She's 20 and believed she was the love of Steve McNair's life. Then she uncovered that she was merely one woman of many that he was squiring about town.

That's a legitimate story that needs to be told, demands to be told even. But it isn't running. Because the editors at The Tennessean don't have the backbone to run a story that their reporters have already anonymously sourced.

No one doubts that Steve McNair was beloved in this city. But telling only a part of the story of how he died does a disservice to the community that loved him. We all deserve to know the truth. Or as close to the truth as we can get.

The fact that The Tennessean doesn't have the guts to stand behind their reporters work speaks more eloquently than anyone else could about how far they've fallen beneath the city of Nashville.

They don't think the people of my city can handle the truth? Put simply Tennessean editors, you aren't good enough at what you do to make a decision like that for the city of Nashville.

(FYI, the Tennessean's managing editor denies that they have held back anything.)

ATF: Ex-Con Sold Kazemi Gun That Killed McNair

((HT: Tennessean/Echegaray))

Adrian Gilliam Jr. ((ictured, thanks WKRN-TV)) of La Vergne has been arrested in connection with the Steve McNair shooting, accused of supplying the gun that killed the NFL great.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco arrested Gilliam.

The gun offense is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. Gilliam has a 3 p.m. arraignment today before Judge Clifton Knowles.

Gilliam, 33, was convicted in Miami-Dade County, Fla., in 1993 of three counts of armed robbery and second-degree murder.

Sahel Kazemi, 20, who had been dating McNair for several months, purchased the gun from Gilliam on July 2 — the same day she was busted for a DUI while McNair was in the passenger seat of a Cadillac Escalade registered to the pair.

Police said she bought it in the parking lot outside Dave & Busters in the middle of her waitress shift for $100 — and she also tried to sell the gun supplier her Kia but was unsuccessful. She spent so long in the parking lot, the restaurant's managers told her to clock out for the night.

Two days later, McNair was shot four times and Kazemi turned the gun on herself. They were found early morning July 4 in a Second Avenue condo McNair rented with a friend.

Crime-scene evidence showed that all five of the bullets fired in the condo matched the gun that was found under her body. Police are awaiting toxicology reports on both victims.

Kazemi’s family has hired a Nashville lawyer and they are seeking an independent investigation. A representative said relatives can’t believe she acted alone in killing the former quarterback.

According to a court filing in relation to Gilliam's gun charge, the gun originated at Household Pawn on Charlotte Avenue and went through another owner before Gilliam bought it for $100 about a year ago. It said Gilliam admitted to agents he sold the gun to Kazemi, identifying her through a photograph.

John Dwyer leads Christine Maddela and Chris Bundgaard into coverage from the courthouse in Nashville.
Thanks to our friends at WKRN-TV...

Thousands Mourn McNair In Hattiesburg

((HT: ESPN))

Titans quarterback Vince Young didn't expect to speak Saturday during his mentor's funeral. He wound up summing up the emotional day with just a few words.

"Steve was like a hero to me, and heroes are not supposed to die," Young said before stopping to rub his eyes as he talked about the man he knew from football camps as a teenager and called "Pops" -- Steve McNair, his predecessor with the Titans.

McNair was shot and killed on the Fourth of July by his girlfriend, 20-year-old Sahel Kazemi, who then shot herself in the head.

Nearly 5,000 turned out to say goodbye to the 36-year-old during one of the biggest funerals in the recent history of Mississippi, McNair's home state.

Fans and old friends filed into the Reed Green Coliseum on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi, and McNair's family rented buses to haul in people from his hometown of Mount Olive. Not far away sat men who competed against McNair or coached him on the field.

The high school football team McNair's son plays on wore their jerseys in honor of the man they often saw smiling from the sidelines.

"Mississippi has lost a tremendous legend," said Cardell Jones, McNair's college coach at Alcorn State.

The hearse carrying McNair's silvery-gray casket was escorted 30 miles down Highway 49 by nine police officers on motorcycles and several vehicles carried family members. After the two-hour service, the procession headed back down the road for a private burial at Griffith Cemetery, about 20 miles from Mount Olive.

Police escorted McNair's wife, Mechelle, and his mother, Lucille ((pictured, thanks Clarion-Ledger/Joe Ellis)), into the stadium beforehand. Near the end, a handful of people surrounded his mother and his sons, waving them with fans and programs and giving hugs.

Brett Favre, who had a home near McNair's here in Hattiesburg, sat a few rows behind the McNair family but did not speak. Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler attended. Doug Williams, the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl, also was on hand.

Young was added to the service late, and the quarterback drafted by Tennessee in 2006to replace McNair remembered him as a father and mentor. Young said he felt selfish at times taking McNair away from his four sons to help him through his own life.

He then pointed at the Oak Grove High football team sitting in the stands and told them not to give up if they have someone who inspires them.

"Pay attention to that guy because every day you know I had to hear that guy's voice," Young said.

Lewis played against McNair and was his teammate the final two years of his NFL career. Lewis said he learned studying film and proper technique wouldn't help him beat a quarterback fueled by will, heart and sacrifice.

"I find myself in awe when I speak about a man like Steve McNair," Lewis said.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was among those who sent flowers. Titans owner Bud Adams attended a memorial service Thursday night in Nashville, where thousands more attended. Fisher was called up to speak from the audience, and he pulled Young over to the podium and led the audience in the Lord's Prayer just as he did during 11 seasons with McNair before every kickoff.

Bobby Hamilton, who played at Southern Miss and in the NFL with New England and Oakland, used to sleep on the floor of McNair's oldest brother, Fred, when he played at Alcorn State. He also cheered on McNair during his career and recalled how McNair rallied Alcorn State once by scoring two touchdowns with less than a minute left.

"It's very painful. We know he was a warrior. ... I can't even say the word how this warrior went down," an emotional Hamilton said.

The program included memories from McNair's mother, his wife and sons, brothers, and nieces and nephews. Photos were also displayed of the quarterback who played 13 NFL seasons with Tennessee and Baltimore before retiring in 2008.

Coach Nevil Barr brought the jersey-clad Oak Grove team to the service. Steve McNair Jr. attends Oak Grove, and his father joined Favre at a summer workout two weeks ago to play catch with the kids.

"He was on our sideline every Friday night supporting his son," Barr said. "He loved to come watch Steve Jr., and we loved having him there. He always had that smile."

Deloris Cagins of nearby Columbia wore the purple and gold of McNair's alma mater, Alcorn State, and had a pompom tied to her walker. She has relatives who eventually joined her beloved Braves, where McNair made a Heisman Trophy run and set a number of NCAA Division I-AA records before going third overall in the NFL draft in 1995 to the then-Houston Oilers.

"Alcornites to me are a different breed of people," she said. "It's like a family. If you do something, we'll support you."

Here's coverage from Reed Green Coliseum, thanks to our friends at WDAM-TV in Hattiesburg...


The service, in its entirety, is here...thanks to our friends at Eaglevision...

Sunday Afternoon Update: McNair Murder

((HT: ESPN))

Another round with Bob Holtzman of the four-letter (after the Metro Nashville Police Department presser with Don Aaron) revealing a few details involving the murder of Steve McNair and the shooting death of Sahel Kazemi...


McNair, 36, was shot four times, twice in the head and twice in the chest, by a semiautomatic pistol, Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said during a news conference.

The woman, Sahel Kazemi, was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head and the pistol was found under her body, Aaron said.

Aaron said the two had been in a "dating relationship for past several months."

Asked if the deaths could have been caused by a lover's quarrel, Aaron said, "That's a very important part of the investigation as we work to ultimately classify Miss Kazemi's death."

Police said they need to do more interviews with friends of Kazemi and McNair before they rule on whether her death was a suicide, Aaron said.

Kazemi's Sister: "I Believe There Is A Third Person Involved."

((HT: Tennessean/Kate Howard))

The sister of Sahel Kazemi ((pictured, thanks Tennessean/family photo)) says she was a young woman who wanted to have fun and couldn't have hurt anyone - not herself, nor anyone else.

Kazemi was actually the aunt of Sepideh Salmani, but they were raised as sisters. Salmani's mother adopted her when she was 9, after Kazemi's mother was killed in their native Iran. Salmani talked to her sister every day, and said she was very happy in her relationship with Steve McNair.

She doesn't believe her sister killed McNair, or herself.

"She was one, young girl who had so many dreams that they never came true," Salmani said. "She would never kill anyone, ever. Or anything. Not even a little bug. I want people to know that."

An autopsy has been ongoing this morning. A press conference is scheduled this afternoon to discuss the findings.

Metro police have said that McNair was found sitting on the sofa, shot several times. Kazemi was lying on the floor with a single gunshot to the head and a pistol near her body.

Disbelief was also building near Kazemi's Hermitage home, where police were interviewing neighbors Saturday.

Regan Howard said when Kazemi first became her neighbor, she didn't know if it was Kazemi or McNair who moved in since he was there so much.

"She was such a nice girl," Howard said. "I can't believe she would do that."

When McNair got her the Escalade, Howard said, she had to help her figure out how to use the remote starter.

Salmani said she talked to her sister nearly every day, and that she'd been hearing about McNair for several months, since he started coming to Dave & Busters and chatting her up.

"He started to talk to her a little," Salmani said. "They exchanged phone numbers, and started dating from there."

Kazemi told her sister that McNair was in the process of divorcing.

"That's why she was like, 'OK, now you're divorcing. We can date,'" Salmani said. "He told her, it was going to be finished, the whole divorce was going to be done, two weeks from yesterday."

Although a check of Davidson County's court records shows there is no divorce pending — at least in Nashville — McNair's house is for sale. His wife, Mechelle McNair, hasn't spoken to the media. Police said she is distraught over his death.

Salmani said her sister believed that she and McNair would move in together once the divorce was final, and eventually marry.

"All she was trying to do was have fun," Salmani said. "Nothing else. I believe there is a third person involved."

Kazemi first came to Nashville nearly four years ago with her then-boyfriend, Keith Norfleet. They broke up about five months ago, and she started seeing McNair soon after.

She probably didn't know who McNair was, Salmani said, until her colleagues at the restaurant told her. Salmani now fears McNair was using her sister, because she was a young woman with a pretty face. She fears jealous people in his life are the reason her sister is dead, and won't live out her dreams.

Her greatest dream, Salmani said, was to be famous.

"I think she is now," she said. "She is everywhere."