Rae Carruth is Released from Prison After Serving 18 Years for Murder Plot
Cherica Adams 1999 via Instagram
In 1999, Cherica Adams was just 24 years old when her life ended after she was shot four times by Van Brett Watkins. To make matters even worse, Adams was 8 months pregnant at the time.
Van Brett Watkins, who confessed to shooting Cherica Adams, was for a time misidentified by the media as William Watkins because he gave his dead brother’s name and date of birth to police as a way to avoid outstanding warrants. via Charlotte-Mecklenburg arrest records
Watkins, who was a night club manager was also an associate of NFL Panthers first round draft pick, Rae Carruth. Carruth paid Watkins $6,000 to kill Adams to avoid paying child support for the unborn child he shared with her.
Right before the shooting, Adams and Carruth had just left the movies in separate vehicles when Carruth pulled over, stopping in front of Adams and ultimately blocking her in allowing Watkins to then pull along side her to do his dirty work.
Confessed triggerman Van Brett Watkins fired five shots at Cherica Adams’ black BMW, and four of them pierced the driver side window and struck her. There are competing theories as to why. Photo presented as evidence at trial
After the shooting, Carruth pulled off leaving Adams and his unborn son to die. Fortunately, Adams was able to call 911 and explain what had just occurred, implicating Carruth in the shooting. After arriving at the hospital, Adams fell into a coma where she died 1 month later, but not before doctors delivered her baby via emergency c-section. Her son, Chancellor Lee Adams survived, but unfortunately suffered from permanent brain damage and cerebral palsy due to being without oxygen for 70 minutes before he was born.
Carruth was eventually apprehended to stand trial for his role in the murder and in 2001, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced to 18-to-24 years in prison. Watkins eventually plead guilty to second-degree murder and won’t be scheduled to be released from prison until 2046. He’ll be 85.
Today, Carruth walked out of prison after serving almost 18 years in jail for his part in the murder. He surprised everyone earlier this year when he expressed interest in having custody of his son.
In a letter and later a phone interview with Charlotte television station WBTV, Carruth said, “I take full responsibility for everything” – Carruth said in the same interview that he wants to have custody of his son, who is now 18 years old, physically and mentally challenged and has been raised by his maternal grandmother from birth.
Carruth said in the phone interview with WBTV: “I should be raising my son. His mother should be raising her son. Ms. Adams should not be doing this and I want that responsibility back.”
Chancellor Lee Adams with his grandmother Saundra Adams in 2017.Jeff Siner / Charlotte Observer/TNS via Getty Images
Saundra Adams, Chancellor Lee’s grandmother and caregiver, told the Observer that Rae Carruth would never have custody of his son. But, she said, she was pleased that Carruth had finally admitted responsibility for her daughter’s death.
“I’ve forgiven Rae already, but to have any type of relationship with him, there does have to be some repentance,” Adams said. “And I think this opens the door. But I can say definitively he’s not ever going to have custody of Chancellor. Chancellor will be raised either by me or, after I’m gone, by someone else who loves him and who knows him. He will never be raised by a stranger – someone he doesn’t know and who tried to kill him.”
May God continue to bless Ms. Saundra Adams to allow her to keep her grandson from that monster.
