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Fourth suspect arrested in football player's death

  • Story Highlights
  • Devin Jefferson, 21, charged with murder in shooting death of football player
  • University of Memphis athlete Taylor Bradford, 21, found dead September 30
  • Three others in custody; police say Jefferson was the "brain trust" behind crime
  • After player was shot, he got in his car, drove off and then crashed into a tree
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(CNN) -- A fourth man was charged Tuesday with murder in the shooting death of University of Memphis football player Taylor Bradford, Memphis police said.

Devin Jefferson, 21, planned the armed robbery of Bradford because he thought the football player was carrying a large amount of cash, police said.

"He was the brain trust on this one, he was the one that got the information that Taylor had cash," Sgt. Vince Higgins said. "Taylor and Jefferson knew each other. They had a girlfriend in common so there was some history there."

Police investigating a car crash on September 30 found Bradford, 21, fatally wounded near the campus residence hall area.

He had apparently gotten into his car after he was shot and drove a short distance before crashing into a tree.

The 5-foot-11, 300-pound defensive lineman from Nashville was taken to Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

DaeShawn Tate, 21, Victor Trezevant, 21, and Courtney Washington, 22, have been charged with murder in perpetration of attempted aggravated robbery, Memphis Police Department Director Larry Godwin said Monday.

Homicide investigators developed their case with the help of a citizen's tip and from Crimestoppers, Godwin said.

"It was an attempted robbery, aggravated robbery," he said. "He [Bradford] was targeted because of some information that was out there and the fact that they believed he had some cash, or he had something that they wanted."

Officials at the 21,000-student school said Bradford, a marketing major who lived on campus, was popular with the football team and on the campus. He had transferred from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and was 36 credit hours short of graduation. E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend

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