DENVER (AP) -A 25-year-old man was indicted Wednesday on first-degree murder charges in the drive-by shooting death of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams on New Year's Day 2007.
Willie D. Clark faces 39 counts, including murder, attempted murder, assault, crimes of violence and a weapons violation, Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey said.
Clark is in federal custody in a separate case. He was long considered a "person of interest" in Williams' slaying, but is the first suspect to be indicted.
Williams, 24, was shot and killed while riding in a rented limousine early on Jan. 1, 2007, after leaving the Safari Club, a Denver nightclub.
The indictment said Williams and Clark had both been at the club with separate groups of friends, and there had been an altercation between the groups. Quoting witnesses, it said Clark got into an SUV, followed the rented limo carrying Williams and opened fire.
At least 15 shots were fired into the limo, killing Williams with a bullet to the neck and wounding two other passengers, Nicole Reindl and Brandon Flowers, the indictment said.
It wasn't immediately clear if Brandon Flowers is the same Flowers who is a rookie cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Also in the limousine was then-Broncos wide receiver Javon Walker, who held the dying Williams in his arms. Walker, now with the Oakland Raiders, wasn't injured.
Clark's attorney, Alaurice Tafoya-Modi, didn't immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.
Clark was arrested on a parole violation four days after Williams was killed. He was charged with drug violations last year in an indictment that also named Brian Hicks, the registered owner of the SUV police say was used in the shooting.
Investigators have said Clark was part of Hicks' alleged drug operation. Hicks was in jail at the time of Williams' shooting.
Williams' mother, Rosalind Williams, of Fort Worth, Texas, couldn't immediately be reached by telephone Wednesday.
Houston Texans safety Nick Ferguson, a former teammate of Williams', said he hoped police arrested the right person.
"I trust the people investigating the case did their homework and they won't drag people into court on charges that won't stick," he said. "I've seen that happen too many times.
"I'm like a lot of people who knew Darrent. I just want the people responsible to pay their debt to society for taking such a young, vibrant man from his kids and his family. Not a moment goes by that I don't think about D-Will and his family after what happened that night."
AP Sports Writer Arnie Stapleton in Englewood, Colo., contributed to this report.
