Former NFL player charged with murder stabbed, strangled girlfriend and burned her body, court papers say

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Authorities allege that former NFL player Kevin Ware Jr killed his girlfriend last year by stabbing and strangling her before burning her body, according to court records.

Investigators claim that Ware dumped the body of Taylor Pomaski in a ditch in northern Harris County in Texas, which encompasses Houston.

Ware was indicted in July on a murder charge as well as evidence tampering relating to his handling of Ms Pomaski’s remains, The Houston Chronicle reported.

The indictment came after evidence was presented to a grand jury. The investigation concluded that Ware employed “a fourth, unknown way” to cause Ms Pomaski’s murder, a method which remains unknown and couldn’t be presented to the jury, according to the paper.

Police found the skeletal remains of Ms Pomaski, 29, in December. The identity of the remains was confirmed some months later.

Medical examiner records state that the manner and the leading cause of death are still not determined.

Ware played in the NFL for Washington in 2003 and for the San Francisco 49ers the following year. He played 16 games in total.

Prosecutors requested before his Monday court date that Ware be held on a bond of $1m. They noted California and Washington arrests as well as previous bond forfeitures and further Montgomery County violations.

In April and May, he was found with drugs and didn’t show up for supervision during that time, a 221st District Court arrest order states. He was previously convicted of intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance in December 2018. He spent two years in prison.

The disapperance of Ms Pomaski garnered a lot of attention in Houston last year as she remained missing for months. Ware was identified as a person of interest early in the investigation.

Media reports state that Ms Pomaski and Ware started dating in the autumn of 2020.

Ms Pomaski was last spotted on 25 April 2021, according to a missing person report. Her remains were found in December of last year and positively identified as Ms Pomaski in May 2022.

In June last year, Ware was identified as a possible person of interest in the case after he was detained on charges connected to drugs and weapons violations unrelated to the case of Ms Pomaski.

Ware is set to return to court next week, according to The Chronicle. If he’s found guilty, he could be sent to prison for life.

On 19 April 2021, he was arrested for a bond violation and was again charged with drug violations. Court records reveal that he was also charged with the unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

The following day, he posted a bond of $23,000. At the time Ms Pomaski went missing, Ware was out of jail. It was reported that they had an argument just days after his release.

Leslie Mandeville, the mother of Ms Pomaski, told Fox News that “he’s never been held accountable”.

She added that she wants Ware to spend “the rest of his life in jail” as well as “anyone else that is involved” and that “all parties are held accountable” in the death of Ms Pomaski.