Former NFL player Phillip Adams was guilty of the murder of five people and ended his life, according to investigations
The man who killed and killed five people, including a prominent South Carolina doctor, was identified as the former NFL player. Phillip Adams, who committed suicide Thursday morning, a source familiar with the investigation said.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to testify publicly, said Adams’ parents live near the doctor’s house in Rock Hill and that he had been treated by the doctor. The person said Phillips committed suicide with a .45 caliber pistol after midnight.
Police said officers searched for hours before finding the suspect in a neighboring house.
33-year-old Adams played for several teams in the NFL, including the San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons after starring at South Carolina State University. He sustained multiple injuries in his career, including concussion and a broken ankle.
Adams rarely acted as a starter and has also been with the New England, Seattle, Oakland and the New York Jets, where he peaked with the Falcons in 2015.
As a rookie at the end of the 2010 season, Adams sustained a serious ankle injury that required surgery involving several screws inserted into his leg. He did not play for the 49ers again, was fired prior to the 2011 season and signed to New England. It wasn’t until 2013, with the Raiders, that he was able to stay on the payroll all season.
The coroner said Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, and his wife Barbara Lesslie, 69, were pronounced dead on the spot, along with their grandchildren Adah Lesslie, 9, and Noah Lesslie, 5.
A man who had worked on the house, James Lewis, 38, was found dead outside, and a sixth person was hospitalized with gunshot wounds, police spokesman Trent Faris said.
Faris said agents came to the Leslie residence in the Rock Hill area around 4:45 PM on Wednesday.
Rock Hill is a city in the far north of South Carolina, about 25 miles southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina.