Police release text messages of McNair, Kazemi

Sports Network | October 20, 2009

Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Nashville police released text messages Monday describing how Sahel Kazemi, who murdered former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, was stressed out and that she needed McNair to transfer $2000 to her account to pay a cell phone bill.

McNair was shot to death by his girlfriend July 4 at a Nashville condominium in what's been ruled a murder-suicide.

The morning of July 3, Kazemi texted she was so stressed out that she could hardly breathe. Later in the afternoon, Kazemi sent a text message saying the bills were stressing her out and that she wanted them paid before she went to work. Several police interviews verified Kazemi was having tremendous financial difficulties.

McNair texted back that he was at the pool with his children, but that he was having someone transferring the money.

Kazemi texted McNair that she wanted to see him that night so they could go get a drink, but he said he was having trouble getting his kids to fall asleep. But in a police interview with a taxi driver, it was determined McNair was at a nightclub with friends. The driver took McNair to the condo and dropped him off between 1:30 and 2 a.m. on July 4.

Just before 1 a.m. McNair texted Kazemi to open the front door. Kazemi sent a final text message at 2:23 a.m. saying she was going to the store, but police say the time of the message received by McNair's phone appears to be oddly placed and out of sync and that it's not known specifically when the text message originated. It's possible the text message was delayed due to technical or other issues and wasn't received to McNair's phone until 2:23 a.m.

In the police report, an analysis of the crime scene, including the gunshot wounds, bullet holes in the wall, blood, etc., leads to the conclusion that McNair was seated on the sofa and was likely asleep at the time of the murder.

Police also said McNair's blood alcohol level was 0.15 percent, nearly double the standard for legal intoxication, a factor that could support drowsiness. Police also wrote Kazemi shot McNair in the left side of his head, shot him twice in the chest, and then put the gun to the right side of his head and shot him again. The conclusion is Kazemi then sat on the sofa and shot herself in the head.

A black Lincoln Navigator, registered to McNair, and a black Cadillac Escalade, registered to both McNair and Kazemi, were outside the condo at the time of the murder-suicide.

Just two days before the fatal shooting, Kazemi was stopped by a police officer and arrested for DUI. McNair and a friend were inside the vehicle with Kazemi when she was stopped. McNair and the friend took a taxicab away from the traffic stop and later arranged for Kazemi's release from jail.