Notable athletes involved in murder-related cases

Authorities conducted several searches of New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez's home in North Attleborough, Mass., as part of a homicide investigation. He is taken from his home in handcuffs and later charged with murder on June 26, 2013, more than a week after a Boston semi-pro football player was found dead in an industrial park a mile from Hernandez's house. Less than two hours later, the Patriots announced the player had been let go from the team.

Oscar Pistorius

The Paralympic and Olympic track star is accused of killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013. Pistorius, dubbed "Blade Runner" for his prosthetic legs, is accused of premeditated murder. Pistorius, 26, facing life in prison if convicted, claims he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder barricaded in his bathroom when he pumped three shots through the door, killing her. He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 19.

Jovan Belcher

Kansas City Chiefs player Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend Kassandra Perkins, the mother of the couple's 3-month-old daughter, multiple times in their home in 2012 and then drove to team headquarters, where he killed himself in front of his coach and general manager after telling them he "wasn't able to get enough help."

O.J. Simpson

O.J. Simpson was acquitted of the 1994 murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman after a lengthy and much publicized trial. He was later found liable in a civil trial and ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages. In 2008, Simpson was convicted on a 2007 charge of kidnapping and armed robbery, and sentenced to up to 33 years in prison.

Rae Carruth

The former Carolina Panthers wide receiver was sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison in the death of his girlfriend Cherica Adams, who was eight months pregnant with his child at the time of her 1999 death. Adams placed a 911 call after the shooting claiming that Carruth had driven in front of her and stopped his car while another vehicle stopped alongside her and the passenger shot her. She died a month after the shooting, though the child survived.

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a middleweight boxer and a member of the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, was arrested in 1996 for multiple homicides. He was convicted in 1967 after matching the description of a witness and sentenced to three life terms in prison. In 1985, his conviction is overturned and he is released from prison after a judge rules that he had not received a fair trial.

Darryl Henley

Darryl Henley, the former cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams, is serving a 41-year sentence for trafficking cocaine and for hiring a hitman to murder his sentencing judge and a witness in a 1995 drug case. He is not eligible for release from federal prison until 2031.

Jayson Williams

Former Nets star Jayson Williams accidentally killed a limo driver with a shotgun in 2002. He was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter but convicted of covering up the shooting and was sentenced to five years in prison. He served an 18-month prison sentence and was released in 2012.

Ray Lewis

Retired NFL linebacker Ray Lewis was linked to a double-murder that occurred outside an Atlanta nightclub after a Super Bowl party in 2000. He was charged with murder but later pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and was fined $250,000 by the NFL.

Ugueth Urbina

Former All-Star closer Ugueth Urbina was sentenced to 14-years in prison in March 2007 after being accused of attacking and injuring workers with machetes and pouring gasoline on them at his family's ranch in October 2005. Urbina was released for good behavior from a Venezuelan prison after serving 7 1/2 years for attempted murder.