A former college wide receiver has been arrested and charged with fatally shooting a St. Louis woman.

The victim, 41-year-old Kelli Farrell, died of a gunshot wound in her gut on April 20, the Belleville News-Democrat reports. A week later, police arrested Kraig Appleton, who played for the Wisconsin Badgers a little more than a decade ago.

When Appleton joined the Wisconsin Badgers in 2009, he had all the makings of a star. He was the No. 4 player in the state and the No. 17 receiver in the country, according to NBC Sports.

But in February 2010, less than a year into his college career, Appleton was one of three players suspended from his team for an alleged rule violation, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a Wisconsin paper, reported.

Details on the violation were never released.

Appleton dropped out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison shortly after being suspended. Later that year, the university’s football coach at the time, Bret Bielema, talked to the former player about rejoining the team, Wisconsin news source Madison.com reported.

He said Appleton would have to join a junior college and earn an associate’s degree.

“I told him I’d work with him,” Bielema told the paper at the time. “If I can help him do that, I’ll do that. I’ve just got to make sure he’s ready to do things the right way for that to happen.”

But Appleton never played for the Badgers again.

In July 2011, Appleton had his first bad turn with guns when he was rushed to a St. Louis hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, Madison.com reported.

Appleton was booked the afternoon of April 27 on charges of first-degree murder. He is being held at a $1 million bond, according to an online inmate search.

His preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 8.

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ISLE OF WIGHT, Va. (WAVY) – The Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office has released body camera video of traffic stop that put a former Virginia State University women’s basketball player behind bars.

Officials say they stopped a car on Route 460 earlier this week. One deputy tells WAVY-TV he clocked the driver going 68 mph in a 55 mph zone on Feb. 12.

“You got your driver’s license?” the deputy asked the driver.

“No, I got nothing,” the driver answered. “What am I being pulled over for?”

Deputies say the driver, identified as Shonnice Vaughn and her passenger, Natasha Bowman, weren’t willing to cooperate.

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” the deputy said to them in the video.

“This particular case the deputy was met with a lot of resistance from the individuals,” said Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant James Pope.

Things became serious during the traffic stop when the deputy noticed something on the floor of the car.

“Where is the gun at?” the deputy asked Vaughn and Bowman.

“We don’t have the gun,” Bowman answered.

“Why is there a holster?” the deputy asked.

The video shows Vaughn making a phone call to her college basketball coach and then she rolls up the window.

Vaughn was on the Virginia State University basketball team. VSU Spokeswoman Pamela Turner said Vaughn has been off the team for a couple weeks now. It was Vaughn’s decision to leave the team.

After both women were out of the car, deputies found a gun they say belonged to Vaughn.

“The stop was for a speeding charge,” Pope added. “It’s releasable on a summons. She would have been issued a summons and released on her business.”

Vaughn was charged with speeding, concealing a weapon, obstruction of justice and driving without a license. Bowman was also charged with concealing a weapon.

Both suspects made court appearances Wednesday morning.

They were each given a $2,000 bond and will be back in court in April.

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