PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. — A former DC high school football star accused of murdering his girlfriend has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and obstruction of justice, Denise Smith, a spokesperson for the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy, confirmed.

Jamal Speaks pleaded guilty Monday and will be sentenced in Prince George’s County court on Apr. 3, 2020, Smith said.

Back in April 2019, Prince George’s County police arrested Speaks after he was suspected of shooting and killing his 18-year-old girlfriend, Saniyah Floyd, of Capitol Heights, inside a Fort Washington home.

Police said they responded to the home on April 7 at about 10:30 p.m. in the 13000 block of Buchanan Drive. Upon arrival, officers said they found Floyd suffering from a single gunshot wound. 

She was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. 

“Initially, responding officers and detectives were advised by witnesses that the victim accidentally shot herself,” police said in a previous press release. “An autopsy revealed that her wound could not have been self-inflicted, and the medical examiner ruled her death a homicide.”

RELATED: Former HS football player who made national headlines for being homeless charged with murder of 18-year-old girlfriend

Police said their investigation showed Speaks illegally purchased the gun and had been “playing” with it throughout the day. They said that night, he had fired it one time, hitting Floyd.

Detectives arrested a man in connection with a shooting that fatally wounded his girlfriend inside of a Fort Washington home in April.

Prince George’s PD

“Speaks then placed the gun in the victim’s hand to make it appear as if she had shot herself,” police said. “He has admitted his involvement in this incident.”

Detectives presented the evidence to a Prince George’s County court commissioner and Speaks was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, assault, and weapons charges. He was previously in custody with the Department of Corrections without bond.

“There’s been no evidence discovered at this time that Speaks intended to kill her,” Christina Cotterman, a Prince George’s County police spokeswoman said.

RELATED: A look at the DMV’s most-read crime stories of 2019

In 2018, Speaks made national headlines – including WUSA9 –  when he was denied a chance to play football in front of college recruiters over “lingering residency concerns.” Speaks said he was homeless at the time.

Jamal Speaks at a high school football game last fall.

WUSA

RELATED: Watch the once-homeless DC high school football player return triumphantly to the field

He and his godmother appealed to the State Athletic Association and after his paperwork checked out, he was cleared to play.

RELATED: Homeless Ballou HS student back on football field after residency issues

RELATED: DCPS allows homeless student to play football after ‘residency concerns’

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J.J. Hickson, a former NBA player who played in the Lebanese Basketball League this past year, was arrested Friday. He is being held without bail in Coweta County Jail in Georgia after being charged with armed robbery.

Authorities said Monday that Hickson stole $100,000 during the violent home invasion, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in Senoia, Georgia. Not only did Hickson allegedly attack a person, but he also is accused of stealing a large sum of money. Hickson is awaiting trial.

After playing at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia, Hickson attended N.C. State. He then played eight seasons in the NBA, bouncing around and playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets and Washington Wizards.

Prior to joining the Champville team in the Lebanese Basketball League last year, Hickson played for the Wizards. He averaged 9.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game over the course of his NBA career.

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PHOENIX — Three metro Phoenix high school officials accused of failing to notify authorities of sexual and physical abuse of football players will not be charged with crimes because players who were victimized and their parents were among witnesses who declined to cooperate with investigators, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Three students were charged last year with crimes stemming from the abuse scandal at Hamilton High school in the suburb of Chandler. But Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said he can’t file additional charges because many victims, witnesses or their parents would not cooperate.

“We needed cooperation from parents, and that did not happen,” Montgomery said, adding that some parents refused to let authorities speak with their children.

Chandler police last year recommended charges against Principal Ken James, Athletic Director Shawn Rustad and head football Coach Steve Belles because they knew about the abuse allegations but failed to alert authorities.

But without the cooperation of students who were witnesses, prosecutors don’t have evidence to prove the abuses occurred and that school officials had a duty to report such alleged abuse, Montgomery said.

Montgomery, who held a community meeting last year to encourage victims and witnesses to come forward, said he was frustrated because he was convinced the allegations were true.

Over the course of a year, at least four players at Hamilton High School were assaulted in a locker room by varsity members of the squad, investigators have said in police reports. One player had his pants and underwear forced down and was spanked on his rear end, authorities have said.

While some players described the conduct as hazing, authorities said some of the attacks were sexual assaults and others were attempted sexual assaults. Some alleged assaults were recorded and posted on social media.

Camille Casteel, superintendent of the Chandler Unified School District, prepared a letter Wednesday informing parents of steps taken to improve student safety, such as requiring more staff supervision to prevent improper conduct by students and training for school employees about requirements to report abuses.

Officers who searched the school last summer had said they found documents and discovered information about the misconduct allegations that should have been turned over to authorities. Among the items seized from James’ office was an email with a screen shot of an exchange reportedly between two players about how coaches knew what was going on but did nothing about it.

Authorities also have said Rustad received an anonymous voicemail saying younger football players were being harassed. A police report said the voicemail has been deleted.

At the direction of James, Rustad interviewed four players, including one who says his clothes were removed while he was held down, according to the police reports. Investigators said Rustad relayed the information to Belles and instructed him to address this situation with the team.

Rustad did not notify the parents of the four players who had been interviewed, investigators have said in police records.

The police records said Belles, who led the team to five state championships after becoming head coach in 2006, denied having been contacted by administrators about a phone call or hazing.

Belles also told investigators that he knew nothing about hazing or assaults until he was told by an unknown source that a mother had contacted a police officer who monitored the school.

James, Rustad and Belles were reassigned to other jobs within the school district after the scandal became public.

Jack Wilenchik, an attorney representing Belles, said the “the prosecutor’s office is making the right decision” by not pursuing criminal charges and that Belles plans to seek a coaching job in another school district.

Rustad and James did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Prosecutors have said criminal cases against two of the three students charged have already been resolved in juvenile court, but declined to provide details.

Another student, whose name the Associated Press is withholding because he is a juvenile, still faces child molestation and other charges in adult court.

PHOENIX (AP) _ Three metro Phoenix high school officials accused of failing to notify authorities of sexual and physical abuse of football players will not be charged with crimes because players who were victimized and their parents were among witnesses who declined to cooperate with investigators, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Three students were charged last year with crimes stemming from the abuse scandal at Hamilton High school in the suburb of Chandler. But Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said he can’t file additional charges because many victims, witnesses or their parents would not cooperate.

“We needed cooperation from parents, and that did not happen,” Montgomery said, adding that some parents refused to let authorities speak with their children.

Chandler police last year recommended charges against Principal Ken James, Athletic Director Shawn Rustad and head football Coach Steve Belles because they knew about the abuse allegations but failed to alert authorities.

But without the cooperation of students who were witnesses, prosecutors don’t have evidence to prove the abuses occurred and that school officials had a duty to report such alleged abuse, Montgomery said.

Montgomery, who held a community meeting last year to encourage victims and witnesses to come forward, said he was frustrated because he was convinced the allegations were true.

Over the course of a year, at least four players at Hamilton High School were assaulted in a locker room by varsity members of the squad, investigators have said in police reports. One player had his pants and underwear forced down and was spanked on his rear end, authorities have said.

While some players described the conduct as hazing, authorities said some of the attacks were sexual assaults and others were attempted sexual assaults. Some alleged assaults were recorded and posted on social media.

Camille Casteel, superintendent of the Chandler Unified School District, prepared a letter Wednesday informing parents of steps taken to improve student safety, such as requiring more staff supervision to prevent improper conduct by students and training for school employees about requirements to report abuses.

Officers who searched the school last summer had said they found documents and discovered information about the misconduct allegations that should have been turned over to authorities. Among the items seized from James’ office was an email with a screen shot of an exchange reportedly between two players about how coaches knew what was going on but did nothing about it.

Authorities also have said Rustad received an anonymous voicemail saying younger football players were being harassed. A police report said the voicemail has been deleted.

At the direction of James, Rustad interviewed four players, including one who says his clothes were removed while he was held down, according to the police reports. Investigators said Rustad relayed the information to Belles and instructed him to address this situation with the team.

Rustad did not notify the parents of the four players who had been interviewed, investigators have said in police records.

The police records said Belles, who led the team to five state championships after becoming head coach in 2006, denied having been contacted by administrators about a phone call or hazing.