FUMBLE

Jury Doesn’t Buy Ex-NFL Player’s Claim That He Killed Woman Due to Brain Damage

Justin Bannan’s defense attorneys argued that he suffered from a litany of traumatic brain injuries during his time at the NFL.

Former NFL defensive lineman Justin Bannan was found guilty on Friday for shooting a Boulder, Colorado woman in 2019. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but the jury found him guilty on four counts, including attempted murder. Bannan, 42, shot acupuncturist Ashley Marie after she opened the door to her treatment room. According to a bizarre police report, Bannan claimed he was hiding from the Russian mafia when he knocked on Marie’s door. Police records also stated that the football player had remnants of cocaine on a rolled-up $20 bill in his pocket.

Bannan’s defense argued that the former NFL player suffered from concussions and other head injuries during his tenure in the league. Prosecutors rejected that, saying Bannan was not insane but heavily intoxicated the night of the incident. Bannan’s sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 5.