Former first-round NFL pick and Nebraska star running back Lawrence Phillips is suspected of murdering his prison cellmate at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, Calif., according to a report.
Jason Galvin of KGET reported the news and says Phillips is under investigation for possibly murdering Damion Soward, who died early Saturday morning. Soward, 37, was in prison for murder and died at Delano Regional Medical Center. He was one of two inmates to die that day.
BREAKING: Lawrence Phillips (yes, the Nebraska running back), is under investigation for murdering his cellmate at Kern Valley State Prison
— Jason Galvin (@JGalvinKGET) April 13, 2015
Phillips is suspected of murdering Damion Soward, 37, at 12:46 a.m. Saturday morning. Soward was serving 82-to-life for 1st degree murder.
— Jason Galvin (@JGalvinKGET) April 13, 2015
Here is a statement from the prison on the two deaths:
The first incident occurred at 12:46 a.m. Saturday, April 11, when inmate Damion Soward, 37, was found unresponsive in his cell. He was transported to an outside hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, April 12. Next-of-kin have been notified.
Prison officials have named Soward’s cellmate, Lawrence Phillips, 39, as a suspect in the case. Phillips was received by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) on Oct. 16, 2008, from San Diego County to serve a 31-year, four-month sentence for inflicting great bodily injury involving domestic violence, corporal injury to spouse, false imprisonment and vehicle theft. Phillips played in the National Football League prior to his incarceration in state prison.
Phillips was the star of Nebraska’s ’94 national championship team after rushing for 1,818 yards in his sophomore season. His success on the field was overshadowed by his legal issues and arrests off of it. Phillips pleaded guilty to vandalism and assault charges shortly after the title game. The next year he was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend.
Phillips slipped to No. 6 overall in the ’95 NFL draft because of his criminal past, but the Rams still took him. They released him during his second season. The Dolphins picked him up but released him after two games following his arrest for assaulting a woman at a club. The 49ers gave him his last NFL shot in 1999 after he had a successful stint in NFL Europe, but they quickly released him after he became a distraction and constant problem throughout the season.
Even after his playing career ended, Phillips’ legal problems continued. He was arrested in 2005 for driving his car into three teens after playing against them in pickup football. At the time he was wanted by police in LA and San Diego for assaulting former a girlfriend. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for felony assault with a deadly weapon (his car). He was also later sentenced in 2009 for choking his former girlfriend. His prison term is for a combined 31 years.
