Fall of a Titan: Documents, Videos, Photos, More

SI: True Crime’s first narrative podcast,Steve McNair: Fall of a Titan will make you re-examine everything you think you know about the quarterback. His death, on July 4, 2009, was ruled a murder-suicide. But what if it wasn’t?

Over the course of this nine-part audio series, we’ll guide you through the McNair case, reviewing the findings and re-examining crucial details in a new light. To deepen your understanding of the case, each episode will have supporting documentation—archival reports, photos, videos, and more—that will be posted here every Wednesday.

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Episode 1

Autopsy Sketches

Dr. Feng Li’s report for Steve McNair and Jenni Kazemi, filed July 5, 2009.

Courtesy of Nashville Police Department

Courtesy of Nashville Police Department

Vincent Hill’s Letter to Lucille McNair

Written March 22, 2010.

Courtesy of Vincent Hill

Vincent Hill’s Police File

Including his Officer of the Month awards, his annual review scores and summaries of two incidents referenced in Fall of a Titan, episode one.

Timeline of Events

Episode 2

“Air McNair"

S. L. Price’s Sports Illustrated cover story about Steve McNair, from Sept. 26, 1994.

Photo Gallery

Classic images and candid glimpses from Steve McNair’s career.

1994

John Chiasson

McNair addresses his Alcorn State teammates in the locker room. In 2014, Alcorn State published a list of the 50 greatest football players in school history, with McNair coming in at No. 1.

1994

John Chiasson

McNair’s custom Mississippi license plate displays one of his nicknames, “Air II,” along with his Alcorn State jersey number, 9. Steve was also known as “Air McNair” throughout his college and professional career.

1994

John Chiasson

McNair with Alcorn State teammates on the sidelines of a game at Jackson State, a rivalry game known as the "Capital City Classic."

1994

John Chiasson

McNair strikes the Heisman pose on a pedestal during a Sports Illustrated photoshoot. The shoot accompanied SI’s 1994 cover touting McNair's Heisman campaign.

1994

John Chiasson

McNair lounges in his dorm room at Alcorn State below posters of athletes, including Emmitt Smith, Robert Pack, and Jeff Graham.

1994

John Chiasson

McNair removes his helmet during an Alcorn State football practice. McNair came off the bench in the first game of his freshman season, leading a comeback win over Grambling State, and was the Braves’ starting quarterback for the next four seasons, finishing his career with a record 16,823 total yards.

1994

John Chiasson

McNair throws a pass against the Chattanooga Moccasins on Sept. 10, 1994 at Chamberlain Field in Chattanooga, Tenn. Alcorn State won 54-28 behind 647 yards of offense (491 passing, 156 rushing) and eight touchdowns from McNair.

1994

John Chiasson

McNair poses with his family, including mother Lucille (front right) and brother Tim (back left) in Mount Olive, Miss.

1994

Al Tielemans

McNair on the cover of the Sept. 26, 1994 issue of Sports Illustrated. After breaking numerous records and winning the Walter Payton Award as the best offensive player in Division I-AA, McNair finished third in the 1994 Heisman voting.

1994

John Iacono

From left: Ki-Jana Carter, Kerry Collins, Rashaan Salaam, Steve McNair & Warren Sapp ride the Staten Island Ferry in 1994. Salaam, a Colorado running back, won the ’94 Heisman, while the other four finished in the top-six in voting. Led by No. 1 pick Carter, all five players were drafted in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft.

1995

AFP/Getty Images

NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue (left), Steve McNair (center), and Steve's mother, Lucille McNair, pose for a picture during the 1995 NFL draft at Madison Square Garden. McNair was drafted third overall by the Houston Oilers, making him the highest-drafted African-American quarterback ever at the time.

1997

AP

McNair marries Mechelle Cartwright on June 21, 1997 in Vicksburg, Miss., in front of more than 1,500 people. They had two sons, Tyler and Trent. (Steve also had two older sons from prior relationships.)

1997

Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

McNair and the other AFC Central quarterbacks appear on the cover of the Sept. 1, 1997 issue of Sports Illustrated. The Jaguars and Steelers posted 11-5 records to tie atop the division and the Oilers, in their first season in Tennessee, went 8-8.

1998

Getty Images

McNair looks for a receiver during a Dec. 26, 1998 game against the Minnesota Vikings in Nashville. The Vikings won, 26-10, and the Oilers finished the season 8-8 for a third consecutive season. The following year, the team changed its name to Titans and went to the Super Bowl.

2000

McNair is chased by St. Louis Rams defensive linemen Kevin Carter (93) and Jay Williams (96) on the penultimate play of Super Bowl XXXIV. McNair escaped Carter’s grasp and threw a 16-yard pass to Kevin Dyson down to the Rams’ 10 yard-line, where the Titans called their final timeout. On the famous last play of the game, Dyson came up one yard short of a game-tying touchdown and the Rams held on, 23-16.

1999

Al Tielemans

McNair flips into the end zone for a rushing touchdown during a 16-10 victory over the Steelers on Nov. 21, 1999. Including playoffs, the Titans went 9-0 at home in the inaugural season at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.

2006

Simon Bruty

McNair runs onto the field at M&T Bank Stadium. McNair played the final two seasons of his career for the Baltimore Ravens. He led the Ravens to a 13-3 record in 2006 but only started six games in '07 before retiring.

“Hand Him the Heisman"

Campaign rap video recorded by Alcorn State teammates.

Episode 3

Text Messages

The back-and-forth between Jenni Kazemi and Steve McNair over the final 24 hours of their lives.

Jenni Kazemi DUI Video

Police footage from Jenni Kazemi’s arrest for drunk driving, two days before her death.

Episode 4

Adrian Gilliam Interview No. 1

When Gilliam first sat down with Nashville police, he claimed not to know Jenni Kazemi, the woman to whom he is alleged to have sold the murder weapon ...

Adrian Gilliam Interview No. 2

... but investigators caught Gilliam in a lie, and in a second session with police, his story changed.

Jenni Kazemi's Phone Records

Kazemi’s phone activity in the three weeks before she and Steve McNair died: June 15-July 4, 2009.

Character Map

Tracing the connections throughout the McNair investigation.

Episode 5

Crime Scene Sketch

From the Nashville PD case file: The bullet strikes, casings and bodies at the scene of the crime.

Courtesy of Nashville Police Department

Crime Scene Note on Steve’s Possessions

From the Nashville PD case file: A catalog of items found on McNair.

Episode 6

Condo Complex Surveillance Footage

A camera near McNair's condo captured video of what appears to be two cars leaving the complex the night of the murder.

Episode 7

Video of McNair on His Ranch

McNair gives a tour of the ranch he bought for his mother, Lucille.

Episode 8

Kazemi Domestic Violence Report

When Jenni was a teenager living in Florida she assaulted her older sister, who had tried to stop Jenni from leaving the house to see two boys.

Kazemi Crisis Intervention Report

According to a Jacksonville Sheriff’s office report, Jenni told a counselor at a mental health center that she was feeling suicidal, and that she’d tried killing herself before.

Episode 9

Confidentiality Agreement

The NDA Mechelle McNair allegedly presented to Raymond White.

Grand Jury Letter and Supplement Report

Two documents Vincent Hill prepared for court in 2010.