Super Bowl publicity about Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis has renewed interest in an unsolved double homicide outside an Atlanta nightclub in 2000–at a Super Bowl party. Two men were fatally stabbed. Lewis and two friends, Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting, were charged with the murders. In the end, only one person received a conviction in the case — Lewis, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor obstruction of justice. Oakley and Sweeting were acquitted at trial.
Was Lewis involved? “I can’t answer that,” Oakley told USA Today. He said he believes Lewis was targeted “because of the way he was dressed” and that it all started when Lewis had a confrontation with the victims, possibly after one of them called Lewis a name. “They exchanged words then, and it just went from there,” Oakley said. In exchange for his murder charge being dropped, Lewis testified for the prosecution at trial. He never directly linked his friends to the killings, helping lead to their acquittals. Lewis admitted to lying to police, which led to his misdemeanor guilty plea. He also admitted to going to a sporting goods store the day before with Oakley and Sweeting, who purchased knives there. Blood from one of the victims was found in Lewis’ limousine. The white suit Lewis was wearing that night never was found.