Carruth Calls Slain Woman Little More Than Sex Partner

Former NFL player Rae Carruth said in a televised interview that he and the pregnant woman he was convicted of conspiring to kill were little more than sex partners.

“I didn’t even know her last name until we went to Lamaze class,” Carruth said in an interview to air tonight on CNN’s “Sports Tonight” and on CNN/Sports Illustrated.

Carruth, 27, is serving a sentence at the Nash Correctional Institution in Nash County, about 40 miles east of Raleigh, N.C. He was convicted of conspiring to kill Cherica Adams, the woman who was pregnant with his son when she was fatally shot in November 1999.

The former Carolina Panther receiver was sentenced last month to at least 18 years and 11 months and a maximum of 24 years and four months after being convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle and using an instrument with the intent to destroy an unborn child.

Carruth’s attorney, David Rudolf, said in a telephone interview that the relationship between Carruth and Adams was always overstated in the media, but that Carruth misspoke when he said he didn’t know her last name.

“I think what he meant to say was that he didn’t know the spelling of her last name,” Rudolf said.

Jurisprudence

Former NFL receiver Mark Ingram was charged in Miami with possession of counterfeit money. . . . Superior Court Judge Henry Barela set Feb. 28 as the date to start a preliminary hearing for Avenger quarterback Todd Marinovich. Marinovich is charged with felony possession of heroin, two misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended or revoked license. . . . Enriques Flores, a soldier and former Olympic boxer from Puerto Rico, will face a court martial on charges he beat his 7-year-old son to death because the boy wet his pants.

Miscellany

Austria’s Hermann Maier, coming off a disappointing performance in the world championships, raced to his fourth World Cup giant slalom victory of the season at Shigakogen, Japan. Liechtenstein’s Marco Buechel was second and Austria’s Benjamin Raich finished third.

Veteran running back Thurman Thomas will retire this month as a member of the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Herald reported, citing agent Leigh Steinberg. . . . The deadline by which the Dallas Cowboys must pay quarterback Troy Aikman $7 million, release him or reach a renegotiated deal has been pushed back a week to March 15. . . . Jeff George probably will be the Washington Redskins’ starting quarterback next season because of the salary-cap problems. With Brad Johnson departing via free agency, Coach Marty Schottenheimer said he doesn’t plan to pursue another quarterback. . . . Offensive tackle Derrick Deese has agreed to a five-year, $16.6-million contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers.

Wake Forest quarterback C.J. Leak will transfer to Tennessee this summer and could begin spring practice in 2002, the Charlotte Observer reported. . . . The NCAA has rejected Washington State wide receiver Milton Wynn’s request for another year of eligibility.

Top-seeded Venus Williams defeated Anne-Gaelle Sidot of France, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6), in the Terazura tennis tournament at Nice, France. . . . Adriana Gersi of the Czech Republic upset second-seeded Mary Pierce of France, 6-4, 5-7, 6-0, in the Qatar Open at Doha. . . . Top-seeded Magnus Norman of Sweden was a 7-6 (8), 7-5 winner over Belgian Davis Cup player Olivier Rochus in the first round of the Marseille Open in France. . . . Defending champion Andreas Vinciguerra of Sweden defeated Paul Goldstein, 6-4, 7-6 (3), to advance to the quarterfinals of the Copenhagen Open. . . . Italy’s top tennis players have threatened to boycott upcoming Davis Cup and Fed Cup matches if they don’t get more appearance money and a say in team captain selection.

Rich Corso, coach of the U.S. Olympic men’s water polo team in 1996, has been named an assistant coach in charge of goalkeepers for the 2004 team. He will continue to coach Harvard-Westlake High’s boys’ and girls’ water polo teams. . . . Fresno took sole possession of second place in the West Coast Hockey League’s Southern Division as the Falcons defeated the Ice Dogs, 4-2, at the Long Beach Arena.

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* T.J. Simers has the day off.