According to records from the North Carolina Department Of Adult Correction, Van Brett Watkins, the man hired to kill Cherica Adams, the pregnant girlfriend of former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth, has died. Watkins, 63, passed away on December 3, bringing an end to a tragic chapter in the notorious case.

Watkins was convicted for the murder of Cherica Adams and was serving a sentence of over 50 years in prison, as reported by WSOC-TV. Adams, who was eight months pregnant with Carruth's child at the time, was shot on November 16, 1999, shortly after leaving a movie theater with Carruth. Watkins allegedly opened fire from a car driven by one of Carruth's friends, Michael Kennedy. Tragically, Adams succumbed to her injuries on December 14, 1999. However, their child, Chancellor Adams, miraculously survived the shooting.

Rae Carruth, who played as a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers from 1997 to 1999, was acquitted of first-degree murder but found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, discharging a firearm into occupied property, and using an instrument with the intent to destroy an unborn child, according to the television station.

Michael Kennedy, the driver of the car from which Watkins fired the shots, served 10 years and nine months in prison before his release in 2018.

Upon hearing the news of Watkins' death, Saundra Adams, cherica's mother, expressed her surprise. "It's no coincidence to me that he passed away 24 years... after he took my daughter's life, and that Chancellor is now 24 years old," she shared with WSOC.

The passing of Van Brett Watkins marks the conclusion of a tragic tale that shook the Carolina Panthers community and the nation as a whole. The events surrounding Cherica Adams' murder highlighted the darker side of professional sports and remain a somber reminder of the consequences of jealousy and violence.