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Colts RB Lane shot to death
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Indianapolis Colts running back Fred Lane, whose brushes with the law increased as his once solid career faded, was shot by his wife during a domestic dispute, police said Thursday. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Capt. Chuck Johnson said Lane, 24, was pronounced dead at 3:15 p.m. at the house in a newer neighborhood south of town. Police issued a statement Thursday evening that their investigation revealed Lane's 25-year-old wife, Deidra, shot him during an argument. No charges have been filed, and authorities have not said when or if they will charge Mrs. Lane. Lane, a 5-foot-10, 205-pound running back, was the all-time leading rusher for the Carolina Panthers, who traded him to the Colts in April. Police questioned Mrs. Lane, along with family members and neighbors. "The investigation to this point has revealed that Deidra Lane shot her husband during a domestic dispute," the police statement said. A 7-day-old infant was with Mrs. Lane at the police station, and the Lane house was decorated with pink balloons and a pink stork. The Lanes also had a 5-year-old son.
"He was a member of our team for three years and had so much of his life and football career ahead of him," Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with his family." Lane's father, Fred Lane Sr., said his son and daughter-in-law had been having difficulties recently. Lane Jr. had spent the past couple of weeks at the family home in Nashville, Tenn., but visited Charlotte briefly a week ago, his father said. He had left Tennessee on a flight to Charlotte about two hours before he was shot, the elder Lane said.
Lane also had a case pending against him related to his Feb. 3 arrest in Tennessee. A grand jury in Jackson, Tenn., indicted him Monday on the misdemeanor drug charges, but prosecutors dropped weapons charges against him, saying there wasn't enough evidence to support it. The Panthers suspended Lane for one game in 1998 when he made a lewd gesture to fans at Giants Stadium after scoring a touchdown against the New York Jets. The same season, he was demoted to special teams duty after missing a team flight to Dallas, and later apologized for refusing to stand for the national anthem at a game in Buffalo. At the time of his trade to the Colts, Carolina coach George Seifert said team owner Jerry Richardson never ordered him to drop Lane, but he knew the Panthers had to cut their ties with troublesome players. Lane spent three seasons with Carolina before being traded in April. He left Carolina as the team's career rushing leader with 2,004 yards. Lane Sr. said his son had been training in Indianapolis before visiting Tennessee. "Everything was going great," in his son's life, he said. Lane is one of two former Panthers to face legal troubles in recent months.
Originally from Franklin, Tenn., Lane went to Lane College and signed as a free agent with Carolina in 1997. He quickly impressed the Panthers coaching staff and became a starter at tailback. That November, he set the Panthers' single-game rushing record with 147 yards against Oakland and scored three touchdowns; he rushed for 809 yards and seven touchdowns for the season. The Panthers re-signed Lane before the 1999 season to a two-year, $1.276 million contract with a $300,000 signing bonus. Lane shared rushing duties with Tshimanga Biakabutuka but played largely as a backup late in the season. In what would be his last game for Carolina, Lane started for an injured Biakabutuka and rushed for a season-high 90 yards and his only touchdown of the season in a loss at Pittsburgh.
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