Kevin Ware Jr., a former NFL tight end, was sentenced on Wednesday for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Taylor Pomaski.
Ware, who played for Washington and the San Francisco 49ers in the early 2000s, reached a deal with the prosecution to plead guilty in the case in exchange for a 30-year prison sentence.
According to NBC Houston, Pomaski disappeared under suspicious circumstances on April 25, 2021, after she was last seen at a party at her home in Houston.
Her remains were found in a ditch in Harris County in December 2021.
Days before her disappearance, Ware had been pulled over in Montgomery County, just north of Houston, for speeding at 185 km/h. He was found to have guns in the car – including a loaded AK-47 – as well as cocaine and meth, according to ABC13 News.
He was released on bond for the incident before Pomaski disappeared.
WARNING: Graphic description of murder
According to court documents, Ware had “cut her with a knife, hit her with a blunt object, strangled her and then burned her corpse.”
An ex-boyfriend of Pomaski had expressed concern about her relationship with Ware, saying that he believed she was in an abusive relationship at the time she disappeared.
“Taylor reached out to me many times throughout the month of April. We were talking about her getting out of there, getting back on her feet, getting herself set and stabilized,” Eric Zuleger told KHOU 11 News.
Ware, 41, previously had plead guilty to the drugs and weapons charges resulting from the traffic stop and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
He played two seasons in the NFL following his signing with Washington after going undrafted. He played 11 games in his rookie season, making two starts, but only collected three receptions for 17 yards.
In 2004, he joined the San Francisco 49ers and played five games, making just one catch for nine yards.