The relationship between Kansas Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher and his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, became strained after the birth of their daughter, family and friends say.
Belcher, 25, fatally shot Perkins, 22, Saturday and then drove to a stadium parking lot where he committed suicide in front of two coaches and the team’s general manager, leading many to wonder what went wrong in Belcher’s promising young life.
Perkins’ friends and family described a fraught relationship, though Belcher’s family said outsiders can’t really know what was going on between them.
The night before she was killed, Perkins went to a Trey Songz concert with some friends “to take a break,” Lynell Diggs, a friend who was with her told Newsday.
“He [Belcher] didn’t want her going out with the baby at home,” said Diggs.
According to police reports, Belcher and Perkins were arguing around 7 a.m. on Saturday. Also at their home was Belcher’s mother, who was visiting to help care for their three-month-old daughter, Zoey Michelle.
Around 7:50 a.m., Belcher shot Perkins several times. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Belcher drove 15 minutes to Arrowhead Stadium where he stood in the parking lot and thanked general manager Scott Pioli, head coach Romeo Crennel and linebackers coach Gary Gibbs, for what they had done for him, news reports said. Belcher had played three seasons for the Chiefs and had started in nearly every game.
Then he pulled the trigger.
Angela Perkins, 32, Perkins’ cousin, told Newsday that Belcher and Perkins hadn’t been getting along for some time. She had visited around the time the baby was born, she said.
She said having a baby and Belcher’s busy schedule strained their relationship, according to Newsday.
Jamaal Charles and Kasandra Perkins’ family release statements
Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, whose wife is a cousin of Kasandra Perkins, released the following statement today.
“Our family has suffered a personal tragic loss,” Charles and his wife, Whitney, said. “Kasandra Perkins was in-fact first cousin to my wife, Whitney. As this is a very tough time for our family, I ask that we are respected as we grieve. Kasandra was not only family, but a friend and a loving mother. As my actual family and my Kansas City Chiefs family have been altered forever, we ask that you keep us and most importantly their child in prayer.
“Thank you all for your continued support.”
The Perkins family also spoke for the first time through a statement.
“On behalf of the Perkins Family, we appreciate the outpouring of love and concern for our Kasandra ‘Kasi’ Perkins. Our hearts are truly broken for Kasi was a beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister, mother, cousin and friend. At this time we request the media respect our privacy during this difficult time as we grieve for our loved one. Please keep us in your hearts and prayers as well as the Belcher family for two lives were lost. Again we thank you for your support, our wish is for Kasi to be remembered for the love she shared with us all. Kasi will be truly missed!”
