Source: Instagram

Both Kasandra Perkins and Jovan Belcher have been laid to rest, but this does not spare their families from having to face the aftermath of the tragedy as they attempt to piece their lives back together. It seems that something new about the gruesome murder-suicide is uncovered each week and one can’t help but wonder if the families of both Kasandra and Jovan will ever fully get their lives back. The latest revelation concerning the case has come from The Jackson County Medical Examiner. According to the Huffington Post, while neither Kasandra or Jovan tested positive for illegal drugs, Belcher’s blood-alcohol level was .17 at the time the autopsy was performed, which is actually a little over twice the legal limit for Missouri drivers.

This revelation has caused many to wonder if the Police could’ve done more to prevent this horrific tragedy since he displayed behaviors of an intoxicated person when Police discovered him sleeping in his Bentley the night before. According to the police report, Belcher ”initially displayed possible signs of being under the influence (asleep and disoriented).” However, once he was awake for a few minutes his “demeanor and communication became more fluid and coherent.” Officers also revealed that they did not smell alcohol on Belcher and that he didn’t appear ”violent or emotionally unstable.”

According to the Daily News, the police encouraged Belcher to get home safely; however, Jovan asked if he could go upstairs and stay in his friend’s apartment for the night. “You just need to go upstairs. We’re trying to cut you a break here,” an officer responded. Although his friend, who was asleep upstairs did not hear her phone ring, he wound up staying with a neighbor in the same apartment complex where he slept on their couch for a few hours.

Only hours later would he take the life of Kasandra Perkins and then his own. Kansas City police Sgt. Marisa Barnes says to her knowledge no officers have been disciplined in relation to this occurrence.

Do you believe that the officers involved should bear some responsibility in the murder-suicide ?

Jazmine Denise is a news writer for Madame Noire. Follow her on Twitter @jazminedenise 

At four months old, the familial life of baby Zoey seems to be in turmoil. Her father, Jovan Belcher, shot and killed her mother after a very ugly argument in December, but now her grandparents are at odds over who should take custody of her.  After the tragedy occurred that took the lives of both of her parents, according to the Daily Mail, authorities handed little Zoe over to Belcher’s mother, Cheryl Shepherd, who was actually present at the time when Belcher shot and killed Kasandra Perkins. But when Shepherd let Perkins’ family take the little girl to Texas so that she could attend her mother’s funeral, they decided NOT to bring her back. They’ve also stopped communicating with Shepherd, and it’s been drama ever since.

Shepherd is now seeking full custody of Zoe, and with that responsibility, she would also get to be conservator of the child’s estate, while Zoe’s maternal grandparents and other family members are also filing suit, asking to care for the girl, that her residence be in Texas, and that a guardian ad litem would be appointed by the courts to handle her benefits. As we told you before, as part of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, under the new Surviving Child benefit, Zoe will be able to collect $108,000 each year from now until she is 5, and after that she will receive $48,000, and then $52,000 until she is 18 or 23 years old, depending on whether or not she goes to college. But we’re going to just assume the intentions of both of these families are good, that they just want to have this child around because they love her, and that the battle between them has nothing to do with the money she will receive at all.

The couple had many issues while together, and reports say that Belcher was seeing another woman, Brittni Glass, who claimed that Belcher made threats of violence about Perkins before the murder-suicide. But according to the New York Post, it is alleged that the argument that took place between Belcher and Perkins on that fateful night had less to do with Glass, and had a lot to do with whether or not Zoe was his daughter at all, which was confirmed as an issue between the two by a Kansas city police officer. Because of all this, some have asked why Shepherd would try and seek custody of a child that might not be her son’s. But I’m sure all the confusion with that will be cleared up soon enough, because according to the Daily Mail, hearings are scheduled to take place on the subject of who Zoe will go with, as well as specifics regarding her Surviving Child Benefits, starting later this month.

I know this is a very terrible and touchy time for both families. I’m sure Shepherd has a bond with the child after helping take care of her while her son and Perkins were alive and after their deaths, and at the same time, after losing Kasandra, I’m sure her family, who lives all the way in Texas would like to hold on to a little piece of their daughter through their grandbaby. I’m sure they both have good reasons to take full custody of Zoey, but for the child’s sake, it would be nice if they could just share custody in a civil manner. How that would be done with everyone living far away from one another, I’m not sure, but it would be nice. However, it’s up to a judge to figure out what’s not “nice,” but what’s best for this little girl.

Source: Examiner

While murder certainly was not the answer, as more details are uncovered regarding the murder-suicide involving Kansas City Chiefs linebacker, Jovan Belcher and his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins, we are provided with more insight as to what pushed Jovan to commit the heinous act of shooting his girlfriend and then himself.

According to The Kansas City Star, police reports reveal  that not only did Belcher  text message his girlfriend on the side expressing that he “would shoot” Kasandra “if she didn’t leave him alone,” only weeks prior to the murder-suicide, but also that the couple was experiencing intense relationship issues and that they argued frequently. Some of the particular issues named in the report included “trust issues,” disagreements over spending, and the couple’s 3-month-old daughter Zoe. Belcher also revealed to his “secret girlfriend” that Kasandra had been threatening to “take all his money and his child if they split up.”

Head coach of the Chiefs, Romeo Crennell, also revealed that the strained relationship between Kasandra and Jovan was affecting his performance as he recalled an incident weeks preceding the murder when Jovan showed up late to a team meeting and expressed that Kasandra had been out late the night before, leaving him to stay up all night with the couple’s newborn.

Jovan’s mother, Cheryl Shepherd, moved in with the couple two weeks prior to the shooting in an effort to help the couple make it through their rough patch. According the Shepherd, many arguments stemmed from “relationship problems due to financial issues associated with Perkins’ spending habits.”

To add to the tragedy, details surrounding Jovan’s last moments have also been revealed. It is being reported that Belcher offered an apology to his coaches before shooting himself.  According to general manager Scott Pioli, Belcher said:

“I’m sorry, Scott. I’ve done a bad thing to my girlfriend already. I want to talk with (linebackers coach Gary) Gibbs and Romeo.”

Crennell pleaded with Jovan not to take his own life, telling him that he was “taking the easy way out,” but when Jovan saw a police officer approaching him he quickly made the cross sign across his chest, placed the gun to his head and pulled the trigger.

It is unfortunate that Jovan felt murder and suicide were the only methods of escape from the problems he was facing. Still, Kasandra’s story has yet to be told.

Jazmine Denise is a news writer for madamenoire.com. Follow her on Twitter @jazminedenise

Source: Instagram

The nation was shaken earlier this month as they learned of the tragic murder-suicide involving Kansas City Chiefs player Jovan Belcher. Countless rumors swirled regarding what drove Belcher to murder his girlfriend Kassandra Perkins by shooting her nine times and then proceeding to take his own life, including one that implicated Kassandra was involved with singer Trey Songz. One which Trey quickly came forth and denied. As the story unfolds and investigations  continue,  new information is being revealed. The New York Post is reporting that Jovan’s mother, Cheryl Shepherd told investigators that questions surrounding who actually fathered the couple’s 3-month-old daughter Zoey may have been what set Jovan off.

“The mother believed that there was an issue over whether [Belcher] was the father,” a source told The Post.

“She said he [believed he] wasn’t necessarily the father of the child.”

A member from Kansas City law enforcement confirmed that this statement was true and that the couple did indeed argue over Zoey’s paternity.

 “She told [police] there was a question about the paternity.”

Authorities however, stated that the paternity of three-month-old Zoey will not be a factor in the Kansas City Police investigation of this case.

“That would not be something they’re going to investigate,” said Sgt. Marisa Barnes. “It’s a ‘he-said, she-said’ so there’s no way to investigate. It would be nothing more than a civil matter.”

Jovan’s mother has temporary custody of Zoey; however the courts have not selected a permanent guardian as of yet. Kassandra’s family has refused to comment on the paternity rumor but revealed that they intend on being active participants in Zoey’s life.

“There has been a disheartening amount of rumors and speculation surrounding the tragic loss of our Kasi,” the family statement said.”

“No one will every truly know why this happened, nor is there anything to be said that could justify or ease our pain.”

“We will raise Baby Zoey in the knowledge of the love from which she was born,” Perkins’ family said in a statement.”

It is unfortunate that the lives of these young adults ended so prematurely. Our prayers go out to the families of both Jovan and Kassandra. We hope that Zoey will be raised in the loving household that she deserves.

What are your thoughts on these details being revealed? Do you find them to be slandering to Kassandra or important factors surrounding the case?

Jazmine Denise is a news writer for madamenoire.com. Follow her on Twitter @jazminedenise

After the heartbreaking murder-suicide that took place late last week by Kansas City Chief’s linebacker Jovan Belcher and took the life of the star athlete and the mother of his child, Kasandra Perkins, the NFL has offered to pay for little Zoey Belcher’s upbringing from now and through college.

According to NFL.com, Zoey will be able to collect $108,000 each year from now until she is 5, and after that she will receive $48,000 then $52,000 until she is 18 or 23 years old, depending on whether or not she goes to college.

When Belcher shot himself in the head last Saturday in front of his coach, Romeo Crennel, and GM Scott Pioli, according to the Los Angeles Times, he allegedly asked Pioli to take care of his daughter. Altogether, baby Zoey will receive more than $1 million until she is capable of providing for herself, and all of this money will be collected under the NFL’s new collective bargaining agreement, under the Surviving Child benefit, ratified in August 2011. According to The New York Daily News, she will also receive $600,000 in life insurance, plus $200,000 for each credited season. A whopping $100,000 stashed away in a retirement account will also go to his beneficiary or estate.

While nothing will make up for the loss of both Zoey’s mother and father, and in such a terrible way, I do have a lot of respect for the fact that the league put something in place for families who go through sudden losses like this, which will allow Belcher’s family to not have to worry about how they will raise the late linebacker’s little girl. If the money is put away immediately and not ransacked by others, things should be okay for the child monetarily. Emotionally? That’s a whole other story.

Source: NY Daily News

Last week we all felt for Brian Banks after we heard that he had lost 10 years of his life, his chance of attending USC on a football scholarship, and what he thought was his opportunity for a career in the NFL when he was falsely accused of rape as a 16-year-old high school student. Brian was exonerated of the rape and kidnap charges last Thursday after his accuser admitted to lying, but the good news for the 26-year-old doesn’t end there.

On June 7, Brian will have his chance at an NFL career with a scheduled tryout with the Seattle Seahawks. What’s ironic is Brian will be trying out for Pete Carroll, the same man who offered him a full ride to USC 10 years ago when he was the head coach at the university. Now he’s giving Brian another shot as the coach of the Seahawks.

If by some chance Brian doesn’t match up to Seattle’s expectations, he still has other options. The aspiring athlete has also gotten calls from the Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Miami Dolphins. And even if those opportunities don’t work, he can always accept a position he was offered to work in the front office for Major League Baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“I about fell out of my seat when I read that one,” Brian said during an appearance on the Today show, speaking on his change of luck.

Somebody better sign this man.

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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