Police: Kazemi wanted to die in McNair's lap

Police believe Steve McNair slept on the couch inside his condominium in the early morning hours of July 4 when his mistress of several months approached with a handgun and fired a shot into his left temple.

Sahel Kazemi fired two more shots into the former Titans star’s chest and then a fourth shot into his other temple. Then Kazemi positioned herself next to McNair on the couch and, presumably hoping to die in his lap according to Metro Police, put the gun to her own temple and pulled the trigger.

Kazemi’s body fell into McNair and then onto the floor, putting the tragic finishing touches on what Metro Police on Wednesday called a certain murder-suicide.

“While it will never be known exactly what was on Kazemi’s mind early Saturday morning, the totality of the evidence allows for conclusions as to her actions,” Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas said.

Click here [1] to read the full account of the murder-suicide from Metro Police.

Police painted Kazemi’s final days as troubled. She was in financial difficulty because her rent was about to double with a roommate moving out. Kazemi was also facing a double car payment, on her own Kia automobile and the Cadillac Escalade, she co-owned with McNair, but made the payments herself.

Two days before the murder-suicide, Kazemi told a co-worker, “my life is a ball of shit and I should just end it,” according to police.

She purchased for $100 a 9-mm semiautomatic handgun late in the day on July 2. Police say she bought the gun from an individual in the parking lot of the Dave & Busters where she worked. Earlier that day, Kazemi had been arrested for driving under the influence.

What made Kazemi “distraught,” according to police, was learning earlier in the week that McNair might have been romantically involved with yet another woman besides his wife. Police said Kazemi recently even followed the woman to her residence.

Serpas said that in addition to Kazemi’s troubled state of mind, all of the scientific evidence and tests pointed to a murder-suicide as well. Ballistics and gunshot residue tests [2] performed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation linked the bullets and casings found at the scene to the handgun found under Kazemi’s body. Although gunshot residue tests were not completely conclusive, residue was found on Kazemi’s left palm, Serpas said.

As for the events leading up to police being notified, Serpas said McNair’s roommate Wayne Neeley and friend Robert Gaddy did not act inappropriately. Serpas said it was not unheard of for an individual to be in a state of shock and not call the police immediately after coming upon a traumatic crime scene, like the one Neeley found on Saturday afternoon.

Neeley first phoned Gaddy, who didn’t call 911 until about 40 minutes later. 

Listen to Gaddy's complete 911 call here [3].

Police said there were no signs of a struggle at the crime scene and reiterated that absolutely no evidence indicated the tragic events to be anything other than a murder-suicide.

Neeley admitted to moving one shell casing, but detectives believe he was truthful in his answers to questions.

Although loose ends still need to be tied up, according to Serpas, detectives conclusively believe no other evidence points to anything beside a murder-suicide.

"There's no question that she shot herself," Serpas said.

Click here [4]for information on two public memorial services for McNair to be held Thursday.