(SportsNetwork.com) – Former LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins met with
Baton Rouge police Monday as part of an investigation into the recent homicide
of the undrafted NFL prospect’s former girlfriend and newborn son.
In an email sent to the New Orleans Picayune, a spokesman for the police
department confirmed that Collins and his attorney were interviewed by
detectives as part of the case involving Brittany Mills, who was shot to death
at her Baton Rouge home on April 24.
Mills, 29, was pregnant at the time. The child was delivered but ultimately
died a week later.
“Today around 10:30 a.m. (CT) La’el Collins met with investigators while
accompanied by his attorney. Collins fully cooperated with investigators and
is still not considered a suspect in the homicide of Brittany and Brenton
Mills.”
Word of Collins’ possible connection to the homicide caused the potential
first-round pick to not be selected in this past weekend’s NFL Draft. The
second team All-America tackle was initially in Chicago to attend the draft
festivities, but left Wednesday to return to Louisiana to meet with
authorities.
Baton Rouge police have yet to publicly identify any suspects in Mills’
murder.
If Collins is ultimately cleared, he will be eligible to sign a three-year
contract with any team as an undrafted college free agent. He had petitioned
the NFL to have his name withdrawn from the draft in favor of entering the
supplemental draft, but the league denied the request.
According to NFL.com, Collins’ representatives had distributed a memo to all
32 teams stating that the prospect has had no contact with Mills since
September.
