By Taylor Nigrelli
Sports Assignment Editor
In the early morning hours of Jan. 30, 2000, a limousine rented by Ray Lewis pulled away from an Atlanta nightclub as Richard Lollar, 24, and Jacinth Baker, 21, lay on the sidewalk, bleeding to death.
On Jan. 2, Lewis announced he would retire from the NFL after this season. In the ensuing weeks, he and the Baltimore Ravens went on an unexpected run to the Super Bowl. Every step of the way, Lewis received incredible amounts of media attention. He’s been praised as a world-class player as well as of Man of God in articles such as the one that ran in Christian Post Jan. 30.
A small minority has brought up the fact that Lewis was involved in a double murder all those years ago while many have countered by saying “he wasn’t found guilty.” Make no mistake: Ray Lewis was, in some way, involved with the murders.
No, Lewis was not convicted of the murder of Baker or Lollar; no one was (Lewis’s friends, Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting, were found not guilty). However, Lewis pled guilty to misdemeanor charges of obstruction of justice and avoided jail time. According to a June 12, 2000 article on Law Scope, an online legal journal, Lewis was given the opportunity to do this after admitting he lied to police officers while being questioned about the murders.
However, his lies aren’t all that display Lewis’ guilt; there were multiple eyewitnesses who testified against him in court. According to a May 31, 2000 article in the Baltimore Sun, a witness testified to seeing Lewis “tussle” with Lollar in the streets while another witness saw Lewis jump into the limo with all his friends and drive away as Lollar and Baker lay dying.
The driver of the limo testified in court to hearing Lewis instruct his friends to remain silent about the events that had transpired as they pulled away from the scene according to a June 5, 2000 Sports Illustrated article. The same man said Lewis also told his friends he wouldn’t allow his career to end this way.
Perhaps the most well-known aspect of the case was Lewis’s famous white suit that was never recovered. According to the same Sports Illustrated article, a witness claimed to have seen one of the members of Lewis’s entourage dump a white hotel laundry bag in a restaurant dumpster. The witness, Evelyn Sparks, said the bag contained Lewis’s blood-stained white suit.
This is only a small fraction of the evidence against Ray Lewis, yet he has been absolved of all wrongdoing in the court of public opinion. He’s seen as an inspiration and a hero by players and fans alike. The last month has been an endless parade of obnoxious dances, over-the-top celebrations and far too many ESPN montages deifying the star linebacker.
Although the American justice system failed to convict Lewis, the American people should not.
While he’s playing his final game Sunday, remember Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar, whose lives were tragically cut short. Remember Lollar’s mother, Priscilla, who was finally able to bring herself to visit her son’s grave for the first time just weeks ago. Remember India Smith, Lollar’s daughter whom he was never able to meet.
But most importantly, remember the “hero” you’re cheering for was involved in the murder of two fellow human beings.
