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Former Clemson Football Player Arrested In Connection With Multiple Murders

admin — Sat, 30 May 2020 03:34:48 +0000

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

A former Clemson football player has been formally arrested in connection with a double murder that happened in Georgia. Desmond Brown was taken in by authorities on Monday.

The bodies of two women, who are stepsisters, were discovered near Rome, Georgia a few days ago and authorities quickly determined their demise came by way of homicide.

It was just earlier this week when Brown was brought in on a misdemeanor charge for obstruction of a police officer in connection with the case. Along with him was 36-year-old Devin Watts who was also arrested and facing charges of theft of receiving stolen property and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

It should be noted that both Brown and Watts have not been charged with the murder of Truvenia Campbell and Vanita Richardson. Both were found to have bags on their heads and had “obviously” been dropped from the bridge, according to Special Agent Joe Montgomery.

“These arrests were the results of search warrants executed on apartments and vehicles based on leads that were developed and tips received from the GBI Tip Line,” the GBI said in a news release. “This investigation remains active and ongoing.”

Brown was a member of Clemson’s 2010 signing class, and saw playing time in the form of a special teams role player as a redshirt freshman in 2011.

However, he would be dismissed by the program in November of that season for a violation of team rules. He would eventually go play for the West Alabama Tigers.

(11 Alive)

Former Clemson player arrested in connection with murder

admin — Thu, 21 May 2020 03:30:24 +0000

A former Clemson player has been arrested in connection with the murder of two women in Rome, Ga. According to a report FOX5 Atlanta, former Clemson safety and special teams player Desmond Brown was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor obstruction of a police officer.

The report states that the bodies of Vanita Richardson, 19, and Clarice Campbell, 30, were found on the bank of the Etowah River under the East Rome Bypass. The manner of death has been determined to be homicide.

On Monday, the 28-year old Brown was arrested for his misdemeanor charge. One day later, Devin Watts, 36, was arrested and charged with “theft of receiving stolen property; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.”

With both Brown and Watts in custody, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is still investigating the double-homicide.

Brown was a member of Clemson’s 2010 signing class, and he was a three-star recruit and the No. 45 safety in that recruiting cycle. As a redshirt freshman in 2011, Brown did see some playing time in the form of a special teams role player. However, the Centre, Ala. native was dismissed by the Tigers in November of that season for a violation of team rules. From there, he would go on to play for the West Alabama Tigers.

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911 call released in connection to armed robbery in which former Clemson players charged

admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 20:54:56 +0000

Charlie Bernard Fuller, left, Jadar Kentrell Johnson, middle, former Clemson football players and Quaven Maurice Ferguson, former Duke football, appear in Clemson Municipal Court in Clemson on Thursday. Each persons bond was set at $25,000, with stipulations they could not make contact with the victims, leave the state, and wear GPS monitoring.(Photo: Ken Ruinard/Independent Mail)

The Clemson Police Department has released the 911 call in connection to the March armed robbery in which two former Clemson University football players were charged.

Jadar Kentrell Johnson, 22, and Charlie Bernard Fuller, 22, both part of Clemson’s 2016 national championship team, were charged with armed robbery and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Co-defendant Quaven Maurice Ferguson, 22, also faces the same charges.

More: Former Clemson football players charged in armed robbery released on bond

More: Surveillance video released of former Clemson football players in armed robbery case

A distressed caller can be heard on the line with the dispatcher, reporting the armed robbery at her boyfriend’s apartment.

“I’m pretty sure they’re on the football team,” she said, telling the dispatcher that she thinks the robbers know her boyfriend, who she said is also a football player, but wasn’t home at the time.

The victim said two men in hoods entered the apartment, holding a gun in her face, while she believed a third person served as the lookout. She said they stole her phone and cash from the apartment.

You can listen to the full 911 call below.

Police were called to the reported armed robbery at an apartment on Sloan Street in Clemson around 4 p.m. March 28.

They held the victim at gunpoint, took a cellphone, and an undisclosed amount of cash from a kitchen cabinet and a nightstand in the back bedroom, according to police and arrest warrants.

The victims were a 21-year-old male who lived at the apartment and a 20-year-old female who lived at a separate address, according to an incident report.

Police identified Johnson, Fuller and Ferguson through surveillance video from the City of Clemson Parking Deck, according to warrants. The men were seen returning to a white, four-door Mercedes-Benz that is registered to a family member of one of the men, according to warrants.

A Clemson municipal court judge on March 29 set each of their bond amounts at $25,000. They were released on bond by the end of the day, Clemson city officials said. The defendants, as part of conditions of their bond, are under electronic monitoring and prohibited from leaving South Carolina or contacting the victims.

The three men are due back in court at 8:30 a.m. May 17 in Pickens County.

Fuller and Ferguson graduated from Easley High School, and Ferguson played football at Duke University.

Johnson, originally from Orangeburg, started 17 games at safety for the Tigers and went undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft. He signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent but announced his retirement from football before the season began.

In February, head football coach Dabo Swinney announced Fuller’s plan to transfer out of the program for the 2018 season. He rushed for a combined 599 yards and four touchdowns in his three years at Clemson.

Check back for updates.

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Surveillance video released of former Clemson football players in armed robbery case

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 21:15:04 +0000

Clemson robbery parking lot surveillance video
Video provided by Clemson Police Department

Provided by the Clemson Police Department(Photo: Provided/Clemson Police Department)

A surveillance video that led to the arrest of three suspects, including two former Clemson football players, shows the moments before an alleged armed robbery.

The video, obtained Thursday by The Greenville News and the Anderson Independent Mail through a Freedom of Information Act request, only shows three men getting out of a white Mercedes-Benz after backing into a parking space on the first floor of a parking garage in Clemson. The men are seen putting on jackets and hoods and standing by the car for about 60 seconds before walking off screen.

More: Jadar Johnson, C.J. Fuller arrests puzzle former Clemson teammates

Authorities with the Clemson Police Department have said the surveillance video from a city of Clemson parking deck helped lead to the three arrests. The portion of surveillance video released Thursday only shows the suspects getting out of the vehicle and walking toward the apartment. It does not show them leaving the parking lot.

Capt. Matt Culbreath said the entire video shows other individuals not involved in the incident that the agency would have had to blur out for privacy concerns.

“It would take quite some time to cut those folks out,” Culbreath said. “It’s about eight to nine minutes and has a lot of other people in it going by and other cars. This is probably the clearest shot that’s representing the incident. The rest of the video, all it shows is them running off and driving away.”

He said the initial portion of the video was the most valuable to law enforcement since it depicts the clothing worn and suspect descriptions.

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Police were called to the reported armed robbery at an apartment on Sloan Street in Clemson around 4 p.m. March 28. The victim told police that three males knocked on the door and forced their way inside.

More: Former Clemson football players charged in armed robbery released on bond

They held the victim at gunpoint, took a cellphone, and an undisclosed amount of cash from a kitchen cabinet and nightstand in a back bedroom, according to police and arrest warrants.

A Clemson municipal court judge on March 29 set each of their bond amounts at $25,000. They were released on bond by the end of the day, Clemson city officials said.

It was not immediately clear in court documents whether any of the defendants had retained lawyers as of Thursday.

Fuller and Ferguson graduated from Easley High School, and Ferguson played football at Duke University.

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Jadar Johnson, C.J. Fuller arrests puzzle former Clemson teammates

admin — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 22:36:44 +0000

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Clemson defensive back Jadar Johnson speaks during Clemson’s National Championship celebration in Memorial Stadium on Saturday, January 14, 2017.(Photo: BART BOATWRIGHT/Staff)Buy Photo

Jadar Johnson stepped back from the podium as a shy smile stretched across his face. He clutched the podium and rocked.

“I ain’t even gonna lie to y’all. I’m nervous,” Johnson said, as he addressed a crowd of eager and exuberant fans.

It was Jan. 14, 2017. Nearly 65,000 people filled the lower bowl of Death Valley to celebrate the national championship the Clemson football team earned earlier that week.

Team leaders rotated to the microphone to share thanks and thoughts on the milestone achievement. Johnson, a senior safety from Orangeburg, allayed his nerves and acknowledged his coaches, mentors and teammates.

After three minutes, he paused.

“I’m still nervous,” he said to a roar of laughter, “but I’m still not done.”

Johnson proceeded into a two-minute, heartfelt tribute to his father. The speech evoked an ovation from the crowd and astonishment from his coach.

“I’ve been with Jadar Johnson four years,” Dabo Swinney told the crowd. “That’s the most I’ve heard him say in four years.”

Johnson’s play was always louder than his voice, but, on that day, his words resonated. The reserved prospect blossomed into a team captain. That speech provided a lasting image of his transformation.

It is a stark contrast to the images Clemson fans saw this week.

Johnson was one of three men Clemson police arrested and charged with armed robbery Wednesday. Johnson, former Clemson running back C.J. Fuller and former Duke lineman Quaven Ferguson were also charged with possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

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Thursday morning, news of the incident circulated through social media. It evoked disappointment from fans and astonishment from former teammates.

“My heart sunk,” said former Clemson lineman Eric Mac Lain, who shared the locker room with Johnson for three seasons. “For a guy that so many coaches said made such great strides and had become such a leader in those last two years playing there, seeing his name in that headline, I was just taken aback.”

Mac Lain was an established elder leader during Fuller’s first two seasons at Clemson. He said during that time Fuller’s most egregious transgressions were perhaps missing a block or an occasional class.

“I never had or heard of any trouble with them. They were good guys, good teammates that did what they were asked to do, just quiet guys that kept to themselves,” Mac Lain said. “They’d have a good time in their friend group, but that was normal for any player. So, never in my life would I have thought that was what I would’ve read.”

Johnson earned first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors as a senior. He amassed 65 tackles and five interceptions. He was not drafted into the National Football League, but he signed a free agent contract with the New York Giants.

Johnson participated in minicamp last summer, then abruptly announced his retirement. Johnson later revealed that he spent the subsequent months improving his mental health.

“Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve always been quiet and never really talked about much,” Johnson told Marcel Louis-Jacques of Orange and White. “Once I realized I can still be a strong man and come talk to people about my problems, it made me feel so much better.

“I knew I was going through something, and football was the only thing in front of me. It’s just what I pointed my finger at. When I got away from the game, I realized it wasn’t that, and I missed it.”

Johnson auditioned again for NFL scouts during Clemson’s pro day on March 15. He professed newfound assurance and resolve, attributes he will need to endure this latest ordeal.

“I want people to look at my story and gain strength from it,” Johnson said via a social media post shortly after his pro day workout. “Whatever you (are) going through, you can get through it. We all go through struggles. Don’t drop your head at all. Don’t be ashamed of anything.”

Fuller and Ferguson also had stepped away from football. Fuller compiled 599 yards and four touchdowns through three seasons at Clemson. He started two games last year.

Ferguson recorded 22 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, through three seasons at Duke. Earlier this year, Fuller and Ferguson announced plans to transfer from their respective programs. Neither player had found a landing spot.

Thursday morning, they found themselves in a courtroom. Johnson stood beside them. The stoic stare had returned to his face. With his eyelids pulled low but head held high, he listened calmly as a judge announced his bond.

Almost a year after signing a pro contract, Johnson signed a different document: Criminal court paperwork — handcuffed.

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Former Clemson football players among 3 held in armed robbery case

admin — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 22:30:16 +0000

Charlie Bernard Fuller, left, Jadar Kentrell Johnson, middle, former Clemson football players,and Quaven Maurice Ferguson, former Duke football player, appear in Clemson Municipal Court in Clemson on Thursday.
Ken Ruinard/Independent Mail

Clemson’s Jadar Johnson.(Photo: Richard Shiro, AP)

Clemson police took three men into custody Wednesday afternoon after an armed robbery was reported at a downtown Clemson apartment.

Three men held the victim at gunpoint and took an undisclosed amount of cash and a cell phone, a press release from Clemson Chief of Police Jimmy Dixon.

Police charged Charlie Bernard Fuller, 22; Quaven Maurice Ferguson, 22; and Jadar Kentrell Johnson, 22, with armed robbery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime, according to Dixon and a news release. Dixon said Wednesday night that Fuller and Johnson are former Clemson football players.

Jadar Kentrell Johnson, 22 (Photo: Clemson Police)

Both Johnson and Fuller were part of Clemson’s 2016 National Championship team. Originally from Orangeburg, Johnson started 17 games at safety for the Tigers and went undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft. He signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent but announced his retirement from football before the season began.

Johnson participated in Clemson’s pro day on March 15 in an effort to return to the NFL.

An Easley High School graduate, Fuller began the 2017 season as Clemson’s starting running back before ceding the job to Tavien Feaster and Travis Etienne. In February, head coach Dabo Swinney announced Fuller’s plan to transfer out of the program for the 2018 season; he rushed for a combined 599 yards and four touchdowns in his three years at Clemson

The third man, Ferguson, is an Easley native who played football at Duke last season.

Dixon said the three men were arrested without incident and are being held at the Clemson jail awaiting bond hearings.

More: ‘I’m happy:’ Clemson’s Jadar Johnson back after leaving football to work on mental health

More: Dabo Swinney: Clemson TE Shadell Bell, RB CJ Fuller to transfer after graduating

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Former O-W, Clemson player Jadar Johnson arrested for armed robbery

admin — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 06:38:45 +0000

THE LATEST: Bond was set at $25,000, and all three of the alleged assailants must wear GPS monitoring and are not allowed to leave the state. They also cannot have any contact with the victim.

The first scheduled court date is set for 8:30 a.m. Thursday, May 17.

CLEMSON—Former Clemson football player, and former Orangeburg-Wilkinson standout, Jadar Johnson, was arrested in Clemson Wednesday — along with his former teammate CJ Fuller and former Duke defensive tackle Quaven Ferguson on charges of armed robbery and possession of weapon during the commission of a crime.

The police were called to an apartment in Clemson around 4 p.m. Wednesday by the victim who stated they were robbed at gunpoint by the three former football players.

The three men are all accused of knocking on the victim’s door before forcing their way inside the apartment and robbing the victim. The victim stated that the three men stole cash and a cell phone before they fled toward the downtown parking garage.

The three men are being held at the Clemson City Jail awaiting a bond hearing.

Johnson thrived in his lone season as a starting safety, as he amassed 106 tackles, nine interceptions and 12 pass breakups in 1,484 snaps over 54 games (17 starts) in his career.

He was also named First-team All-ACC (media, coaches), one of six permanent team captains, shared Tiger Pride MVP Award honors defensively with Ben Boulware and Carlos Watkins, recipient of defensive Hustle Award, produced 65 tackles, five interceptions and seven pass breakups in 913 snaps over 15 games (15 starts).

Fuller, who chose to transfer from the Tigers’ program this spring, finished his Clemson career with 599 total yards and four touchdowns in his 43-game career.

Ferguson, a native of Easley, South Carolina, had 22 tackles in 27 games over three seasons at Duke. In January, he left the program.

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Former Clemson football players charged in armed robbery released on bond

admin — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 03:21:19 +0000

Jadar Kentrell Johnson, 22(Photo: Clemson Police)

Two former Clemson football players appeared in court Thursday morning on charges connected to an armed robbery case.

Jadar Kentrell Johnson, 22, and Charlie Bernard Fuller, 22, were among three men charged with armed robbery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. They made a court appearance along with 22-year-old co-defendant Quaven Maurice Ferguson, who faces the same charges.

Johnson and Fuller were part of Clemson’s 2016 national championship team. Fuller and Ferguson graduated from Easley High School, and Ferguson played football at Duke University.

The judge on Thursday set the bond for each defendant at $25,000. All three were released on bond by the end of the day, according to city of Clemson officials.

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Police received a call about 4 p.m. Wednesday from someone reporting an armed robbery at an apartment on Sloan Street in Clemson. The victim told police three black males knocked on his door and forced their way inside.

They held the victim at gunpoint, took a cellphone, and an undisclosed amount of cash from a kitchen cabinet and a nightstand in the back bedroom, according to police and arrest warrants.

More: Former Clemson football players charged in armed robbery case

More: Former Clemson safety Jadar Johnson retires before first NFL snap

The victims were a 21-year-old male who lived at the apartment and a 20-year-old female who lived at a separate address, according to an incident report. In court, the victims’ advocate said both victims in the case were too traumatized attend the hearing Thursday.

The defendants, as part of conditions of their bond, are under electronic monitoring and prohibited from leaving South Carolina or contacting the victims.

The three men are due back in court at 8:30 a.m. May 17 in Pickens County.

Reporters Haley Walters and Marcel Louis-Jacques contributed to this report.

Praying for my brothers. Hurts me to see great young men make bad decisions.

— Eric Mac Lain (@Mr_Clemson) March 29, 2018

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Arrests of Clemson football players haven

admin — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 00:40:53 +0000

Arrests of Clemson football players have been relatively rare occurrences in Dabo Swinney’s nine-plus seasons as the Tigers’ head coach.

Since Swinney assumed the program’s reins midway through the 2008 season, seven Clemson football players have been arrested, not counting former players such as Jadar Johnson and C.J. Fuller, who were arrested on Wednesday and charged with armed robbery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime by Clemson police.

Swinney did not offer a statement on the arrests of his former players on Thursday, but one could come later, according to Tim Bourret, the school’s assistant athletic director for football communications.

“He would like to hear more facts of the case,” Bourret said.

Swinney repeatedly has said that his staff attempts to target only “high character guys” when recruiting, and the numbers support that he has been largely successful in that pursuit.

For comparison’s sake, Florida State leads the Atlantic Coast Conference with 28 player arrests since 2010, according to the web site arrestnation.com

Only five ACC programs – Duke, Virginia, Wake Forest, Boston College and Georgia Tech – have had fewer arrests than Clemson during that time span.

The University of Georgia has had 40 player arrests since 2010 while defending national champion Alabama has logged 30 player arrests in the past eight years.

The University of South Carolina has had 10; Furman University five, but none since 2011.

For Clemson, star wide receiver Sammy Watkins was arrested on campus in May 2012 and charged with possession of a controlled substance and simple possession of marijuana, both misdemeanors.

“I am mad and hurt by the poor decision that Sammy Watkins made,” Swinney said at the time. “He is a good young man who has been a model student, citizen, player and teammate. This is a reminder that good people make poor decisions. There are consequences for your actions and there will be in this case.”

Watkins was suspended by Swinney for the first two games of the 2012 season, missing games against Auburn and Ball State.

In March of 2016, redshirt freshman cornerback Kaleb Chalmers was arrested in Clinton and charged with simple drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a schedule II controlled substance. He was dismissed a week later by Swinney.

Kicker Aamon Lakip was suspended for the first three games of 2015 by Swinney following Lakip’s June arrest for DUI and possession of cocaine.

In May of 2015, defensive end Ebenezer Ogundeko was dismissed from the team after being arrested and charged with one count of financial transaction fraud.

In 2012, wide receiver Joe Craig was arrested and charged with criminal domestic violence and dismissed from the team three days later.

In 2011, freshman offensive lineman Brandon Thomas was arrested and charged with public disorderly conduct.

In May of 2010, defensive lineman Jamie Cumbie was arrested and charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature for an incident in Clemson. He was dismissed from the team.

FOOTBALL PLAYER ARRESTS SINCE 2010

Georgia 40

Alabama 30

Florida State 28

Virginia Tech 14

Notre Dame 14

Miami 13

Syracuse 12

North Carolina 11

South Carolina 10

Louisville 10

N.C. State 8

Clemson 7

Duke 4

Virginia 4

Wake Forest 3

Boston College 2

Georgia Tech 2

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