Nashville, TN Police Rule McNair’s Death a Homicide … Stop Short of Saying it was a Murder-Suicide … Investigation Continues

Steve McNair, former Tennessee Titan QB’s death has been ruled a homicide by Metro Nashville police. McNair was shot 4 times including twice in the head by a semiautomatic pistol according th police spokesman Don Aaron.  Sahel Kazemi, was killed by a single gunshot wound and the pistol was found under her body. Her death remains unclassified.

However, the police have stopped short of ruling the deaths of Steve McNair and Sahel Kazemi as a murder-suicide even though all signs seem to be pointing in that direction.

Aaron said the two had been in a “dating relationship for past several months.”

Asked if the deaths could have caused by a lover’s quarrel, Aaron said, “That’s a very important part of the investigation as we work to ultimately classify Miss Kazemi’s death.”

Police said they need to do more interviews with friends of Kazemi and McNair before they rule on whether her death was a suicide, Aaron said.

According to police, it will take many days of interviews with their families and friends and witnesses to determine a cause of death for Kazemi, police spokesman Don Aaron said, “We can’t be close-minded,” Aaron said. “All scenarios are on the table.”

But it will take many days of interviews with their families and friends and witnesses who saw McNair out on the town Friday night before police will rule whether the deaths were a murder-suicide or a double homicide.

“While it is clear McNair’s death is a homicide, the police department is not classifying Kazemi’s death, pending further investigation and interviews with persons who knew her and McNair,” police spokesman Don Aaron said at press conference this afternoon.

Victim’s sister: ‘Third person involved’ in Steve McNair’s death

“All she was trying to do was have fun,” Salmani said. “Nothing else. I believe there is a third person involved.”

Kazemi first came to Nashville nearly four years ago with her then-boyfriend, Keith Norfleet. They broke up about five months ago, and she started seeing McNair soon after.

According to Kazemi’s sister, she was told that McNair was in the process of getting a divorce. Although, according to Davidson County’s court records there is no divorce pending. 

Kazemi told her sister that McNair was in the process of divorcing.

“That’s why she was like, ‘OK, now you’re divorcing. We can date,’” Salmani said. “He told her, it was going to be finished, the whole divorce was going to be done, two weeks from yesterday.”

Although a check of Davidson County’s court records shows there is no divorce pending — at least in Nashville — McNair’s house is for sale. His wife, Mechelle McNair, hasn’t spoken to the media. Police said she is distraught over his death.