The man who reported Steve McNair’s death to 911 defended his close friend Tuesday, saying McNair and his wife put their Nashville home on the market because they were looking for a new house and chastising those who think otherwise.
“People need to quit talking about what they don’t know,” Robert Gaddy, who played football with McNair at Alcorn State, told The Tennessean. “Mac never said anything to me about he was going to get a divorce, and ever since this has all happened everybody is trying to paint a certain picture and they need to talk about what they know.”
Gaddy did not immediately return a text message to his cell phone from The Associated Press on Wednesday.
McNair and his girlfriend Sahel Kazemi were found shot to death Saturday. Tennessee’s state medical examiner said investigators have been hesitant to conclude that Kazemi killed the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback and herself because she didn’t appear to have a motive, but that murder-suicide is the most likely scenario.
Mechelle McNair, who has not spoken publicly since the shooting, has been described by people close to her as being very upset and distraught. Mike Mu, who has worked with McNair’s charitable foundation for years, said Wednesday that Mechelle McNair “didn’t know who this girl is.”
According to The Tennessean, the McNairs were looking for a new home for some time. A real estate agent told the newspaper he showed the couple another house more than six months ago.
Kazemi’s family told reporters that the woman was so confident McNair was divorcing his wife of 12 years that she was preparing to sell her furniture and move in with the former quarterback.
“People can have all the theories they want, but we haven’t even put my man to rest yet or put him in the ground,” Gaddy told the paper. “Show some respect for the family. It’s crazy.”
Mu is handling media inquiries for Thursday night’s memorial service in Nashville. A funeral service will be held Saturday in Mississippi.
McNair was being remembered Wednesday at the stadium where he played much of his career. The Tennessee Titans opened LP Field for fans to watch video highlights of McNair’s 13-year NFL career, look at photos of the quarterback and had a book for them to write messages that will be given to the family.
The McNairs married in 1997, and Mechelle is the mother of two of his four sons. She met McNair while both were students at Alcorn State, though she also studied nursing in Nashville and became a nurse while he played for the Titans.
