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| In the 32-year-old former NFL player who killed six people in April before killing himself, a neuropathologist discovered an "unusually severe" version of the brain illness. |
Phillip Adams, a 32-year-old retired journeyman N.F.L. player who shot and murdered six people before killing himself in April, had an "unusually severe" type of C.T.E., a degenerative brain illness commonly observed in athletes and others who have sustained repeated head injuries.
Dr. Ann McKee, director of Boston University's C.T.E. Center, said an examination of Adams's brain revealed significantly dense lesions in both frontal lobes, an unusually severe diagnosis for a person in his 30s that most closely resembled that of Aaron Hernandez, a former New England Patriots tight end who died by suicide after being convicted of a 2013 murder at the age of 27.
The violent rampage by Adams turned an early spring day into a nightmare for the residents of Rock Hill, South Carolina, a city of 65,000 people united by football, which has produced so many talented players that it is known as Football City U.S.A.
Robert Lesslie, a famous local physician, his wife, Barbara, and two of their grandkids, Adah, 9, and Noah, 5, were among the dead. At the Lesslies' residence, Adams confronted and murdered two air-conditioning workers, James Lewis and Robert Shook. Later, he holed himself in his family's house before shooting himself to death.
In a statement, the Lesslie family stated, "These eight months have been unbearably terrible." "Even in the middle of sadness, the C.T.E. results and the explanations they give for the illogical actions related to this catastrophe bring some solace."
The York County Sheriff, Kevin Tolson, stated on Tuesday that the police inquiry had found no link between Adams and the Lesslie's and that there was no evidence that Adams was a patient of the doctor.
As part of a wrongful-death claim against Adams' estate filed in July, lawyers for Shook's family demanded the findings of the C.T.E. examination and hired private detectives to figure out how Adams got the guns used in the killings. The matter will be heard on January 4th.
The killings were carried out with two firearms: a.45-caliber pistol and a 9-millimeter handgun. More than 20 more firearms were confiscated from Adams' residence, according to Tolson. Adams was charged with carrying a concealed firearm, a misdemeanor, in North Carolina in 2016.
C.T.E., or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is thought to be caused by repetitive head strikes and can only be detected after death. Characteristics of degenerative brain illness include personality changes, memory loss, and impulsive outbursts.
"Severe frontal lobe disease, in addition to physical, psychological, and psychosocial problems, may have contributed to Adams's behavioral anomalies," McKee stated at a news conference on Tuesday. "Theoretically, frontal lobe injury might combine with poor impulse control, paranoia, poor decision-making, emotional instability, fury, and violent inclinations to reduce an individual's threshold for homicidal acts — however such behaviors are frequently multifactorial."
Adams, a defensive back, was selected in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Before his career ended in 2015, he played for the Patriots, the Seattle Seahawks, the Oakland Raiders, the New York Jets, and the Atlanta Falcons.
His career was similar to that of many N.F.L. players who never seem to get their footing in the league. After the horrific massacre, Adams found it difficult to face the end of his playing days, according to people close to him, and his last-ditch attempt to make an NFL squad flopped.
He stayed close to home, assisting in the care of his mother, Phyllis, a former high school teacher who became paralyzed following a car accident a decade ago.
Adams' family informed authorities that he had trouble sleeping due to intense discomfort from injuries acquired throughout his playing career. His first season was cut short due to a significant ankle injury, and he had two recorded concussions while playing for Oakland.
According to Sabrina Gast, the York County coroner, Adams reportedly complained to his family about frequent memory lapses. She went on to say that when Adams died, he had amphetamines and Kratom in his system, an unregulated pain reliever that may have opioid-like effects when used in big amounts.
McKee said there were signs he was exhibiting significant behavioral and cognitive difficulties. "I don't believe he yelled. It looked to be a growing deterioration over time. He was becoming more and more paranoid. He was experiencing more and more memory problems, and he was likely exhibiting more and more impulsive conduct."
Adams' family decided to get his brain tested for C.T.E. at Boston University, which is a prominent center for the disease's study. According to McKee, more than 315 former NFL players have been diagnosed with C.T.E. after their deaths, including 24 players who died in their 20s and 30s.
Junior Seau, 43, and Dave Duerson, 50, both died by suicide and were found to have C.T.E., as was Jovan Belcher, 25, a Kansas City Chiefs linebacker who killed his girlfriend before shooting himself in 2012.
"We cannot say we are shocked by these results," Adams' family said in a statement. "However, it is frightening to learn how terrible his illness was." "Based on his medical records from his football career, we know he was anxious for aid from the NFL but was refused all claims due to his inability to remember things and accomplish apparently easy duties like flying hours away to see physicians and undergoing thorough exams."
The National Football League did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Adams' findings.
Adams' former agent, Scott Casterline, stated he had identified a lawyer who might assist Adams with filing claims, but Adams abruptly ditched the counsel in January 2020. Casterline said that he volunteered to assist Adams in gaining access to his medical data and that Adams had scheduled visits with third-party doctors but failed to show up.
"I recall him telling me he was going to Atlanta and never showing up, so I contacted his father and said, 'What happened?'" Casterline expressed her thoughts. "'Scott, he wasn't in the appropriate position to go,' he added. 'He wouldn't be able to accomplish it.'
In recent years, Casterline has largely connected with Adams via text messages and phone conversations, and following Tuesday's results, he expressed fresh concern for other clients who have left the NFL.
"I would have flown if I had known Phillip had a problem," Casterline remarked. "I simply didn't see it." That's a challenge. His parents were aware that something was wrong, but they assumed he'd recover."