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Investigators recovered a 9mm pistol near the body of Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy, but they believe he was killed with another gun that has not been found, the Dallas Morning News reported.
Searchers also collected shell casings in a secluded, weed-choked field southeast of Waco, Texas, on Monday. What appeared to be Dennehy's shoes were found near his body.
Meanwhile, former teammate Carlton Dotson, who has been charged with Dennehy's murder, has refused to take medications and was to meet with a psychiatrist, said lawyer Grady Irvin Jr. of St. Petersburg.
Irvin told Court TV that Dotson's behavior since his arrest on a murder charge in his home state of Maryland included periodic signs of mental illness. His family has said his behavior was erratic and delusional before Dennehy was reported missing June 19.
Baylor basketball coach Dave Bliss confirmed the coaching staff received a letter from the mother of Dotson's estranged wife who was concerned about his mental health. Bliss said the letter arrived in June after Dotson had returned to Maryland and that he gave it to authorities investigating Dennehy's disappearance.
In other developments, Dennehy's funeral will be held later this week or early next week at Jubilee Christian Center in San Jose, Calif., according to pastor Dick Bernal. He said Dennehy's mother wanted the services and burial to be in San Jose because Dennehy was happiest there and because the area was his home.
Baylor will hold a campuswide memorial service for Dennehy in September, after most students return from summer break. Baylor president Robert Sloan Jr. said the school was in a period of "unspeakable grief." He said the university has suffered the "heart-wrenching loss" of student deaths before "but never in such a startling and perplexing manner."
McLennan County sheriff's department investigators continued searching the rural gravel pit where Dennehy's decomposed body was found during the weekend. Searchers are using metal detectors in hopes of recovering more shell casings and other possible evidence.
Authorities in Waco said it could be several days before the Dallas County medical examiner, who conducted an autopsy, returns a preliminary ruling on the cause of Dennehy's death.
McPherson may lose yearIf former Florida State quarterback Adrian McPherson were to receive a second chance from another school, such as USF, he might be left with one year of eligibility. Though the NCAA will not answer questions about a specific student-athlete, if it determined McPherson gambled, then it would suspend him one year. But sitting out a year as a transfer would not be counted to fulfill that sanction, which means McPher-son would have used four of his allotted five years.
McPherson, 20, would have to enroll at a school, then have the school ask the NCAA about his status. If the NCAA has determined he bet on FSU, he would be banned from further competition. McPherson never admitted to gambling. His trial on that misdemeanor charge ended in a mistrial. Earlier this month, he pleaded no contest to gambling and his pending felony theft charges.
NCAA RULE OVERTURNED: A federal judge in Columbus, Ohio, overturned an NCAA rule prohibiting Division I basketball teams from playing more than two exempt tournaments in a four-year period. U.S. District Judge Edmund Sargus Jr. said the NCAA's restrictions violated federal antitrust laws, and he granted a group of tournament promoters and organizers a permanent injunction.
The suit was brought by Cincinnati-based Worldwide Basketball, Sports Tours Inc., Dorna Sports Promotions, LLC and the Gazelle Group. They have organized or promoted such tournaments as the Las Vegas Classic and Coaches vs. Cancer event.
Spokesman Jeff Howard said the NCAA will review the ruling before making any decisions.
NEUHEISEL FIRING: The lawyer for former Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel met with NCAA officials in Indianapolis and said he does not expect the school to overturn its decision to fire his client. Washington athletic director Barbara Hedges announced June 12 she was firing Neuheisel, saying he broke NCAA rules against gambling by taking part in neighborhood pools on the past two NCAA basketball tournaments. She said he was not forthcoming when first questioned by NCAA investigators.
Neuheisel has maintained he did not know he was breaking the rules, saying an athletic department memo from the school's compliance officer gave him permission to gamble with neighbors.
FLORIDA: The football team's fan day will be held 5-6:30 p.m. Aug. 10 in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
USF: A day before it goes on sale throughout the area, the university will prelaunch merchandise with its new logo 7-9 p.m. Aug. 5 at the University Square Mall in Tampa. Athletic director Lee Roy Selmon will be among several officials on hand, and he will give away prizes, including jerseys and his 50-yard line tickets to the Oct. 4 game vs. Louisville.
- Times staff writers Brian Landman, Jamal Thalji and Pete Young contributed to this report.