After receiving "lock him up" chants from a South Carolina crowd and being heavily criticized after receiving a "pat down" from a teammate in pregame warmups, in February police told an Alabama grand jury that star player Brandon Miller gave Miles the weapon before the shooting, and he was at the scene.
The Times claimed that Spears was also present on that tragic night, and the Alabama athletic administration, Spears, and his family all responded by denying the rumor.
"Your story is false," the university's athletic department said in a response to the Times on Wednesday. The only current student-athletes we know of who were present at the scene are Brandon Miller and Jaden Bradley, and they are both cooperative witnesses. UA Athletics has been supportive of and cooperative with law enforcement since day one.
This past Thursday, Spears issued his own statement.
The author "had utter disdain for the facts," Spears wrote. I'm trying to figure out how to deal with the fact that these untrue claims were somehow made public and read by so many. I'm so appreciative to the Alabama Athletic Department for arguing that out for me. The death that happened that night has left me more devastated than anything else.
Christian Spears, Kai's dad and Marshall University's athletic director, responded to the Times' article on Thursday with a statement of his own.
He expressed his displeasure with the NYT's "irresponsible and plainly incorrect reporting" in a letter. "At this moment, we are looking into all of our legal options. In light of the statement issued by the University of Alabama, I will not offer any additional commentary.
Attorney Stephen P. New released a statement on behalf of the Spears family, claiming that Spears was not present at the time of the murder.
Kai, his family, the University of Alabama, and Marshall University have all been damaged by "this reckless journalism," as New put it. There has been no response to my request for comment sent to The New York Times' general counsel.
The Athletic Director of the University of Alabama, Steve Byrne, issued a statement saying, "certain incorrect narratives have been presented about the involvement of Alabama student-athletes that reflect an awful disrespect for the facts."
Byrne urged reporters to "take cautious due diligence" before discussing the incident.
Moreover, he said, "the Alabama Athletic Department had to correct the false report from last evening."
On Thursday, top-seeded Alabama triumphed 96-75 against No. 16 Texas A&M Corpus Christi. On Saturday, they'll take on Maryland, the No. 8 seed.
