Widow of NFL Running Back Sentenced to 8 Years for Killing Husband

TBO ^ | 11/5/03 | Tim Whitmire

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - The widow of NFL running back Fred Lane was sentenced to nearly eight years in prison Wednesday for shooting her husband to death three years ago as he walked in the front door. Deidra Lane, 28, broke down in tears as the judge read the sentence.

She pleaded guilty in August to voluntary manslaughter.

She said her husband had abused her physically and emotionally. "I loved Fred dearly ... but at times he scared me and I didn't know him then," she said.

But Judge Timothy Patti gave her the maximum sentence, ruling that the slaying was premeditated and deliberate, that Lane acted with malice, and that she shot her husband a second time after the first shot rendered him helpless. Those factors outweighed the alleged abuse, the judge said.

Fred Lane, a 24-year-old running back for the Carolina Panthers who had recently been traded to Indianapolis, was found dead just inside the front door of his Charlotte home in 2000, his keys still in the lock.

Deidra Lane also pleaded guilty last year to unrelated charges of conspiracy to commit bank larceny. She was sentenced to four months in jail, which she has served, and fined $41,200.

[Dubh_Ghlase]

...was found dead just inside the front door of his Charlotte home in 2000, his keys still in the lock.

Talk about Sudden Death...!

[labowski]

8 years???????????? For killing someone in cold blood and premeditated. WTF????????

[skeeter]

Deidra Lane also pleaded guilty last year to unrelated charges of conspiracy to commit bank larceny.

Odd the paper would seemingly accept the abuse defense & casually toss this out without exploring it in the context of the murder.

[ambrose]

Woman killing a man. Death penalty if he had killed her (unless he got the OJ jury).

[Skooz]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's what female murderers are supposed to say when they murder their husbands.

8 years for cold blooded premeditated murder is a joke.

[aynrandfreak]

But how can they be so cruel; she's a widow

[aardvark1]

She loved him to death. If he had killed her, it would have been a hate crime.

[Young Werther]

Of course, on the lighter side there is the "Cell Block Tango, (He had it coming!)" from the play and movie Chicago!

Except for the Russian ballerina Roxie and Velma beat the wrap!

[r9etb]

You can see her mugshot here.

[Grammy]

My kids went to school with Fred. I never heard of him being in trouble or violent at all.

[Reeses]

I wonder if she inherits some good money. Divide by 8 to determine her yearly salary for doing the time.

[b4its2late]

8 years? That's it? Hmmmm.

[b4its2late]

Law enforcement investigators believe Lane shot her husband moments after he arrived at their Mecklenburg home for the $5 million dollars in life insurance he carried.

[billbears]

ping

[moyden2000]

And he wouldn't eat my meatloaf!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Did she try to disguise the shooting as a robbery or other such crime?

[Vigilantcitizen]

"8 years???????????? For killing someone in cold blood and premeditated. WTF????????"

Ironically, the same amount of time the guy found guilty of a hate crime and assault charges here in Georgia.

And his victims are quite healthy.

[Vigilantcitizen]

That should read...

Ironically, the same amount of time the guy found guilty of a hate crime and assault charges here in Georgia got sentenced to.

[Liberandos]

I think he was on my fantasy football team at the time...