Nick Van Exel, the former NBA star has a son who has been charged with premeditated murder for the death of a close friend, police revealed Thursday in Dallas.
Nick Van Exel’s 20-year-old son, Nickey Van Exel, was arrested on Wednesday night, and his bail was set at $ 1 million.
Nickey Van Exel is accused of killing Bradley Bassey Eyo, 23. If found guilty, he could face the death penalty.
Eyo was found on Sunday with a gunshot wound to the chest, near Lake Ray Hubbard, a suburb of Dallas, said the police.
Later, authorities determined that Eyo died in a house in Garland, a suburb of Dallas, and his body was dumped near the lake.
Paul Johnson, a lawyer for Van Exel son, told The Associated Press that his client told police he shot Eyo, his old friend and neighbor, while both were playing with a shotgun.
Johnson said Van Exel did not know that his stepfather’s gun, was charged.
After hurting his friend, Van Exel “panicked” and decided to hide the body, Johnson said. In addition, the son of the basketball star threw the gun into a creek, according to his legal counsel. Here is what the Lawyer told AP:
“It’s a real sad situation. Emotions are running high, and, obviously, we recognize that some very bad decisions were made on how he responded.”
The weapon has not been found.
Van Exel father’s played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1993 to 1998, in a career that lasted 13 seasons and six teams.
Nick Van Exel who now works for the Atlanta Hawks has not yet commented on the situation.
In the NBA, he was mostly known for his flashy style and elegance on the court.
Yesss he deserves every bit of the death penalty…
i stay n garland and i dnt knw dem personally bt i hav alot of friends dhat does…im prayin 4 tha eyo family and friends…nickey i seen him a couple times and he doesnt seem like tha type of person that wld do such a thing…im also prayin 4 him to…im nt goin to judge cuz 4 1 dhats nt mi place and 2 i wasnt there to say i just have both familys and friends in my prayers and hope they get through everythang ok…i knw it wld kill me if i found out mi son was shot.i wld die…
Money talks. Just ask lindsey lohan, paris hilton oh need I mention OJ. He murdered TWO pple. I doubt VERY seriously he will even get remotely close to the death penalty.
While it’s true justice can be “purchased” in this and many other countries, it seems too early to make assessments (judgements) one way or the other.
On the other hand, it’s likely his father’s wealth and social status will work in his favor. The key factor is, Van Exel, and others of wealth, can afford to hire a top rate defense attorney (and top $) These “ace” attornies
Top $ defense attornies are paid handsomly to devote lots of time to their clients’ cases.
Often, they have the skill and savvy to poke holes in the prosecutions’ case. They’ve been known to badger the DA’s star”:witnesses into losing credibility in the eyes of the jury and judge (Hence, creating “reasonable doubt”).
In addition, the “hot shot” lawyers are established and are usually well liked and respected by the court judges. They may even be golfing buddies or belong to the same country club (Political “in roads”)
Unfortunately, those without “deep pockets” have nothing of the kind. They’re assigned a public defender, appointed by the courts. Many public defenders are either interns or fresh out of law school, with little experience and usually no “political in roads.” Granted, many of them, are capable, caring and competent, but they almost always have HUGE caseloads. This places severe limitations on the amount of time they have to dedicate to any one case. Hence, they’re over worked and under-paid.
assumption that this person will get a light sentence because his