A recent autopsy of Jovan Belcher might prove there’s a link between domestic violence and traumatic brain injury.
The 25-year-old Belcher, linebacker for the Kansas City chiefs killed himself after fatally shooting his girlfriend roughly a year ago. This recent autopsy revealed Belcher had signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a degenerative brain disease often found in athletes that have a history of repetitive brain injuries.
Domestic Violence
On Dec. 1, 2012 Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend, 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins, in the couple’s home. His mother was caring for the couple’s baby daughter in a room nearby. Belcher then drove to the Chief’s training facility where he then shot himself in front of Scott Pioli and Romeo Crennel – then-general manager and then-coach of the Chief’s.
Autopsy Linked to Domestic Violence
At the request of lawyers representing Zoey Belcher, daughter of Jovan Belcher and Kasandra Perkins, the autopsy was performed last December. Attorneys received the results in February, and just released them recently to the media in light of all the recent ties between the NFL and domestic violence. The autopsy results showed that “The microscopic findings of neurofibrillary tangles in young person [Belcher] are fully consistent with the pathological presentation of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy [CTE] as it is reported in the available medical literature.” Signs of CTE were also found in Junior Seau and Dave Duerson, former NFL players who both committed suicide.
Autopsy Results Released as More NFL Ties with Domestic Violence
“In the past month five different NFL players implicated in horrendous episodes in domestic violence,” said Dirk Vandever, one of the attorneys representing plaintiffs who have filed lawsuits against the Chiefs. “The Chiefs knew he and his significant other were having major domestic violence issues and he had a major concussion two weeks before this happened,” said Ken McClain, another attorney representing plaintiffs filing lawsuits against the Chiefs.
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Source: The Huffington Post, Autopsy Of Chiefs’ Jovan Belcher One Year After Murder-Suicide Finds Signs Of Brain Disease CTE, September 29, 2014
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