More details have emerged regarding the final hour of Jovan Belcher's life, and it's as disheartening as you might imagine.
The Kansas City Star reported Tuesday that upon hearing gunshots, Belcher's mother ran from the kitchen and saw the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker leaning over Kasandra Perkins in the master bathroom, telling his longtime girlfriend he was sorry and giving her a kiss on the forehead. Belcher then apologized to his mother, kissed his 3-month-old daughter and fled the home in his Bentley.
He drove to the Chiefs' facility, where he first encountered general manager Scott Pioli, then head coach Romeo Crennel and linebackers coach Gary Gibbs. As police sirens closed in, Belcher reportedly said, "I got to go. I can't be here," knelt behind a vehicle, made the sign of the cross and shot himself once in the head.
The Star reported, according to sources, that arguments over their relationship and finances had become regular for Belcher and Perkins in the months preceding the murder.
Belcher's mother had moved into the home that Belcher and Perkins shared to help the couple with their relationship. The mother didn't know the specifics of the argument that preceded the shooting, but told the Star that she heard her son say something to the effect of: "You can't talk to me like that!"
Crennel said during his media availability Monday that he was unaware of any "major troubles" Belcher was facing off the field, but the Star reported the Chiefs had provided counseling for the couple and "were bending over backward" to help, according to Police Sgt. Richard Sharp.
Belcher's mother was given temporary custody of the couple's daughter. It's unclear if they remain in the Kansas City area.
UPDATE: According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Belcher's daughter will be financially taken care of, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports. Belcher's death benefit breaks down in the following ways:
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