On Saturday, tragic news broke of the stabbing death of TQ Harrison, the older brother of Kansas City Chiefs’ cornerback L’Jarius Sneed.
From the reporting of Sam McDowell, the impact of Harrison on Sneed was great, so this tragedy hits even harder given his struggles in his upbringing. Following his death, a woman named Angela Washington was arrested and charged with second degree murder.
After Washington allegedly stabbed TQ one time at her home, he drove himself to the hospital, and succumbed to his injuries after attempts were made to save his life through emergency surgery. In what can only serve to demonstrate how close this team is, Patrick Mahomes paid for a private jet for Sneed to fly home. Sneed did not play in Sunday’s game against the Raiders as he remained in Louisiana grieving this tragic loss.
The legal process for Angela Washington, accused of murdering L’Jarius Sneed’s brother, could play out quickly.
Legally, based on the information we currently have, this feels like a fairly cut and dry case. Obviously, every person is innocent until proven guilty, but assuming the facts are as clear cut as they seem, the process should play out relatively quickly. Generally second degree murder charges stem from death that is not premeditated meaning it occurred in the moment and was not planned out. The charges can be amended, added to, etc. as more information is discovered.
More likely than not, after an initial appearance, the prosecutor’s office will investigate the matter and offer a plea agreement. If the evidence is unfavorable and the risk of taking this to trial is too high, the woman will probably take the offer. Most criminal cases end in plea agreements wherein a criminal defendant pleads guilty to certain charges while others are dropped, the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge, or the prosecutor offers to recommend a lighter sentence to the judge in hopes that the ultimate sentence will be shortened. This all depends on the evidence available to the prosecutor. If the evidence is overwhelming, the plea offered might not be significantly lessened.
At this point, we can only speculate as the case is in its infancy. Details are certain to emerge over the next few days and weeks. Regardless, Harrison’s family will be consulted regarding any pleas and no amount of punishment can ease the pain right now. The hope is that the process is relatively fast so some measure of closure can be offered.
Until that time, we send all our thoughts and prayers to the family.