Rae Carruth Sentenced to 18 Years

Tuesday, January 23rd 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) â€” After listening to pleas for justice by the victim's parents, a judge gave former NFL player Rae Carruth nearly the maximum sentence for his role in the drive-by shooting death of his pregnant girlfriend.

Superior Court Judge Charles Lamm on Monday sentenced Carruth to at least 18 years and 11 months and a maximum of 24 years and four months.

Prosecutors urged Lamm to sentence Carruth to the maximum of about 25 years, saying he took advantage of victim Cherica Adams' trust to lead her into an ambush by confessed triggerman Van Brett Watkins.

``This man has not expressed one ounce of remorse,'' prosecutor Gentry Caudill said.

Defense attorney David Rudolf sought a sentence of just under 10 years and gave the judge a list of 19 mitigating factors to justify a lower prison sentence. The points included Carruth's clean criminal record and his mentoring work with young children.

Adams was eight months pregnant when she was shot four times in November 1999 and lost a substantial amount of blood in the attack. Her son â€” delivered prematurely by emergency Caesarean section after the shooting â€” is developmentally disabled and has cerebral palsy. She died a month later.

Lamm heard emotional pleas from Adams' mother, Saundra, who said ``in no way do I think he should get off easy for what he has done.''

``He's already gotten the greatest of mercy â€” his life is spared,'' she said, her voice breaking. ``Let him take the punishment not of a little boy, but of a man one time. Let him know he needs some help.''

Adams, 24, was mortally wounded in an attack prosecutors said Carruth set up to avoid paying child support. Prosecutors said he used his white Ford Expedition to block Adams' car so a hired gunman could shoot her.

Carruth was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and using an instrument with the intent to destroy an unborn child. He will get credit for the roughly 14 months he was jailed awaiting trial.

Carruth stared at the judge and showed no emotion as Lamm announced the sentence. Rudolf immediately filed notice of appeal.

``My son is innocent,'' Carruth's mother, Theodry Carruth, said outside court. ``My son did not try to destroy his own unborn baby.''

Adams' father, Jeffrey Moonie, said he still had a question for Carruth.

``I would like to hear why. I would like to know why,'' he said. ``I'm still surprised he has not shown any reaction so far.''