Lawrence Phillips is likely to face more charges in prison after the death of his cellmate was ruled a homicide by coroner.
Damion Soward, 37, — the cousin of ex-NFL wide receiver RJ Soward — was found lifeless early Saturday in a Central California prison cell, and he was later pronounced dead. The cause of death was neck compression asphyxia, the report by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office said.
Officials have said they suspect Phillips, 39, an inmate at Kern Valley State Prison serving a sentence of 31 years, 4 months.
Once one of the top running backs around, Phillips played for the St. Louis Rams, until he was released in 1997 for insubordination.
He was convicted of twice choking his girlfriend in 2005 in San Diego and later that year of driving his car into three teens after a pickup football game in Los Angeles.