How Was Steve McNair Killed? Autopsy Report Reveals Horrifying Details About Former NFL Player’s Death
Shocking details surrounding the murder of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, are revealed in the autopsy report and a new Netflix documentary.
![Steve McNair (Getty Images) Details surrounding the murder of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, are revealed in the autopsy report and a new Netflix documentary.](https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2024-08/1175514755_steve-mcnair-banner-1.jpg)
The Netflix documentary series Untold has delved into many of the most captivating sports stories of the modern era.
But perhaps none are as gut-wrenching as the latest episode, The Murder of 'Air' McNair, which talks about the shocking demise of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair.
McNair, a superstar who led the Tennessee Titans to the brink of a Super Bowl victory, was brutally murdered in 2009 at the young age of 36.
The details surrounding McNair's death, as revealed in the autopsy report, are nothing short of horrifying.
What Happened to Steve McNair?
On July 4, 2009, McNair was found dead in a Nashville condominium, along with the body of his 20-year-old mistress, Sahel "Jenni" Kazemi.
The autopsy report, as detailed in the documentary, paints a grim picture of McNair's final moments.
According to Dr. Feng Li, who performed the autopsy, McNair sustained a total of four gunshot wounds; two to the head and two to the chest.
The report states that one of the head wounds was a "contact wound," meaning the gun was pressed directly against McNair's right temple.
The bullet traveled through his brain and exited out the left side of his head.
The second head wound was a "non-contact" wound, indicating the gun was held close enough to leave gunshot residue but not directly against the skin.
This bullet entered McNair's left temple and exited the right side of his head.
The two chest wounds, both of which exited through his back, caused devastating damage to McNair's internal organs, including his right lung, stomach, pancreas, and left kidney.
The autopsy report states that these injuries resulted in "right hemothorax and hemoperitoneum," meaning severe internal bleeding.
Despite the graphic nature of the wounds, Dr. Li was unable to determine the exact sequence of the shootings, leaving the ultimate question of how McNair died unanswered.
The documentary delves deeper into the personal life of Steve McNair, revealing a complicated web of relationships that ultimately led to his demise.
Who Killed Steve McNair?
McNair, who was married with four children, was carrying on an affair with Kazemi, a former waitress at a local Dave & Buster's.
The two had been dating for several months, and Kazemi even co-signed on a car with McNair for her 20th birthday.
However, trouble began to brew when Kazemi discovered used condoms in McNair's apartment, indicating he was seeing other women behind her back.
Coupled with Kazemi's own financial troubles, the stress of the relationship and infidelity reportedly drove her to purchase a gun from a convicted felon and confront McNair on that fateful July 4th weekend.
"It's the compilation I think of all those sorts of stressors that probably was the precipitating factor – the confluence of all that – that led up to this tragedy," explains retired FBI agent Gregg McCrary in the documentary.
After shooting McNair four times, Kazemi then turned the gun on herself, ending her own life. This tragic murder-suicide left the Nashville community and NFL fans across the country in shock.
While the documentary delves into the grim details of McNair's death, it also talks about the player and how he was during his prime.
Steve McNair NFL Career
Steve McNair was beloved in Nashville, where he spent the majority of his 13-year NFL career with the then-Tennessee Oilers/Titans franchise.
As the director of the documentary, Rodney Lucas, explains, McNair was more than just a football player to the people of Tennessee, he was a symbol of the team's unlikely rise to prominence in the late 1990s.
McNair's on-field heroics, including his co-MVP season in 1999 that saw the Titans come within a yard of winning the Super Bowl, cemented his status as a local legend.
But it was his untimely and tragic death that would ultimately define his legacy.
Footage of his electrifying performances on the field, coupled with interviews with former teammates and coaches, paint a picture of a true NFL superstar.
Under the guidance of head coach Jeff Fisher, who appears frequently in the documentary, McNair created a magical season for the Titans, earning the co-MVP award along with Peyton Manning.
McNair's son, Tyler, echoes that sentiment, reflecting on the legacy his father left behind and the way the Titans community has embraced his family in the wake of the tragedy.
"Now I'm able to look at the brighter side and bigger picture. I see everything that my dad has done for the Titans community and the Nashville community in general," Tyler said.
"The way they have embraced my family and me, by wanting us to come back, is really special and amazing."
While the shocking nature of McNair's death will forever be a part of his story, those who knew him best are determined to ensure his on-field brilliance and impact on the community are not forgotten.
Needless to say that Steve McNair is more than just his final moments, and he surely deserves to be remembered for more than his gruesome death.
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