Grand Jury Continues Its Inquiry Into Bias’ Death, but Few Will Talk About It

University of Maryland athletes and a woman who was with Len Bias the night he died were among those at a grand jury inquiry into the death of the basketball player Tuesday.

The grand jury also heard testimony from a state police chemist and from a Prince George’s County paramedic, neither of whom would discuss his testimony when questioned by reporters as they left the county courthouse.

One of the athletes was Keeta Covington, a football player who was with Bias early in the morning of June 19, just hours before the All-American died of cocaine intoxication.

“I’m not able to talk,” Covington said as he and Ben Jefferson, another football player, left the courthouse. Neither would say whether he went before the grand jury, although both were subpoenaed and did go into a waiting room outside the room where the grand jury session was being held.

Covington said the day after Bias died that he and other friends had talked with Bias about his selection by the Boston Celtics as the No. 2 choice in the NBA draft.

“At about 2 o’clock, he (Bias) said he was tired of all the questions and just wanted to be alone,” Covington said at the time.

Madelyne Woods, a friend of Bias who saw him the night he died, confirmed that she had testified before the grand jury Tuesday but would not discuss her testimony.

John T. Tobin, an analytical chemist for the state police, was one of the early witnesses as the grand jury continued what could be a full week of meetings on what happened in the hours before and after Bias collapsed in his dormitory room and was taken to a hospital.

“I examined evidence in this case and gave the results to the grand jury. Other than that, I have no comment,” Tobin said.

Other athletes who were seen in the courthouse were basketball players Keith Gatlin, Jeff Baxter and Phil Nevin.

Baxter and Gatlin shared a suite in the dorm with Bias but have said that they were asleep when he collapsed.

Baxter, Gatlin and Nevin refused to answer any questions when they left and refused to say whether they testified or would be called back.

Two other players who were with Bias when he died, Terry Long and David Gregg, have been subpoenaed, but Arthur A. Marshall Jr., the prosecutor, has not said whether he will call them before the grand jury.

Anyone who testifies under a subpoena in a drug-related investigation is immune from prosecution, and Marshall said last week that he did not know if he wanted to give immunity to Long and Gregg.

Alan Goldstein, lawyer for the two players, said he expects them to be called and that they will testify under a subpoena if called.