STORRS, Conn. — Police charged a 21-year-old man with murder Tuesday in the stabbing death of a University of Connecticut football player outside a school-sanctioned dance, where the suspect’s lawyer says he was just trying to break up a fight.
John William Lomax III, 21, is scheduled to appear in court today on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit assault in the Oct. 18 death of Jasper Howard, police said. His bond was set at $2 million.
Police also arrested two other people in connection with the fight that led to Howard’s death. Hakim Muhammad, 20, was charged with conspiracy to commit assault and Jamal Todd, 21, faces a felony charge of falsely reporting an incident and a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment for pulling a fire alarm that emptied the dance early that Sunday morning.
None of those arrested is a UConn student. Lomax and Muhammad live in Bloomfield, about 30 miles from campus. Todd lives in Hartford.
Court denies NCAA motion
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The NCAA’s bid to delay a court order to release its records on academic cheating at Florida State was rejected by the Florida Supreme Court.
In a terse one-sentence order, the high court denied the NCAA’s emergency motion. However, that decision does not preclude the court from considering the merits of the case later.
Footnotes.
Oklahoma State said wide receiver Dez Bryant will remain suspended for the remainder of the football season.
School officials announced they were informed of Bryant’s status by the NCAA. He will be eligible to play in September 2010.
• Iowa starting running back Adam Robinson is likely out for the rest of the regular season with an ankle injury.
• Stanford left tackle Allen Smith will miss four to six weeks with a sprained right knee.
• Minnesota star wide receiver Eric Decker will miss the rest of the regular season because of a sprained left foot.
• Miami linebacker Sean Spence has an injured left knee and will not play Saturday when the 18th-ranked Hurricanes visit Wake Forest.
• Eastern Washington will be eligible for postseason play after the NCAA reversed a ban it issued in February.
The Associated Press
