Autopsy Reveals: Who Was Former NFL Player Phillip Adams Accused Of Killing Six People & Himself – It has now been found that he has “unusually severe” CTE. More on the inside…
According to police, an autopsy revealed “unusually severe” brain illness in the frontal lobe of former NFL cornerback Phillip Adams, who was suspected of fatally shooting six people in his hometown of Rock Hill, South Carolina, before killing himself in April.
Ann McKee, a neuropathologist who as director of Boston University CTE Center led the examination of Phillip’s brain, found that he suffered from the debilitating brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) where he had “severe” frontal lobe damage similar to what was found in Aaron Hernandez, the former NFL tight end who was convicted of murder in 2015 before killing himself in 2017. The brain of former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher – who killed his daughter’s mother, Kasandra Perkins, before killing himself in 2012 – also showed signs of CTE.
On April 7th, Phillip reportedly killed physician Robert Lesslie, his wife Barbara, two of their grandchildren, 9-year-old Adah Lesslie and 5-year-old Noah Lesslie; and two HVAC technicians working at the Lesslie home, James Lewis and Robert Shook, both 38. It’s reported Dr. Lesslie was treating Phillip and had “stopped prescribing his pain meds.”
Later, police found Phillip – who was 32 at the time – with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
CTE is a degenerative disease that is linked to head trauma and concussions, which has sparked a wide range of symptoms including violent mood swings and memory loss.
After playing football for over 20 years, Phillip was diagnosed with Stage 2 CTE where symptoms include depression, mood swings, and short-term memory loss. It’s reported Stage 2 suffers can also experience impulsivity and suicidal thoughts. The thing is, players aren’t diagnosed with the disease until after their death.
Phillip’s family revealed they went through Phillip’s medical records and found out that he tried to seek help from the NFL, but was denied.
ESPN reports:
The Lesslie family said they appreciated the diagnosis. “Even in the midst of crushing heartbreak, we are finding some comfort in the CTE results and the explanation they provide for the irrational behaviors pertaining to this tragedy,” their family statement said. The Adams family said they were not surprised that he had the disease, but were shocked to learn how severe his condition was.
”After going through medical records from his football career, we do know that he was desperately seeking help from the NFL but was denied all claims due to his inability to remember things and to handle seemingly simple tasks, such as traveling hours away to see doctors and going through extensive evaluations,” their statement said.
Adams’ agent previously told The Associated Press that Adams did not participate in the array of physical and mental health programs that are available to ex-players through the NFL and its players’ union.
The football league and Adams’ agent did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
After playing football at South Carolina State, he was a seventh-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2010 NFL draft. From there he played for six teams between 2010 and 2015, including the 49ers, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets, and Atlanta Falcons.
Our condolences go out to everyone affected from this tragedy. There’s clearly a trend here and the NFL needs to do something about it.
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