The State : Drug Deal Proves Fatal

Oakland police sought a “dirty, unkempt man” suspected of killing a high school football star because of an apparent drug deal that went sour. Castlemont High senior cornerback Kenneth Roberts, 17, died about an hour after being stabbed in the chest. Police said Roberts apparently chased a man who refused to pay him $10 for a drug purchase. “He was an excellent player and probably would have made All-City this year,” Coach Donald Matthis said. Police said Roberts and the man quarreled as Roberts sat on the porch of a house. He said the man apparently refused to pay, so Roberts chased him for two blocks. A fight ensued, and Roberts was stabbed. Of Roberts’ apparent involvement with drugs, Matthis said, “ . . . In a way I am not surprised at all, because we’re right in the middle of a dope den.”