The heartbreaking news keeps coming involving late Cowboys defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland.
On Wednesday, Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer revealed that Catalina Mancera, the girlfriend of the Kneeland, is pregnant.
During his news conference, Schottenheimer announced that Mancera is expecting the couple’s first baby just a week after the defensive end died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Dallas Morning News.
“We want to make sure she’s taken care of and the baby is taken care of for the rest of their lives,” Schottenheimer said during the news conference.
Schottenheimer also said that the organization has created the Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund, which aims to financially support both Catalina and the unborn baby.
“The Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund is dedicated to preserving Marshawn’s legacy and extending his impact through direct support for his surviving partner and unborn heir,” the website says.
Girlfriend breaks silence on Kneeland’s death
Earlier on Wednesday, Mancera broke her silence on her partner’s death, sharing a post on Facebook.
“My sweet baby, words could never express how broken I feel, you’re my everything. I’ll love you forever my beautiful angel,” she wrote, adding a white heart emoji.
The Cowboys have announced that the team will wear decals on their helmets the rest of the season in memory of Kneeland and will wear special T-shirts at least for the next couple of games.
At their next home game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 22, there will be a pre-game moment of silence and a video tribute to Kneeland.
Last Thursday morning, the Frisco Police Department released a statement saying that Kneeland had died by “an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound” following a police pursuit.
Police pursuit last week in Texas preceded death
Frisco police said units responded on Nov. 5 at roughly 10:39 p.m. to assist the Texas Department of Public Safety in locating a vehicle that had “evaded troopers” and was later found “crashed” on the Dallas Parkway.
The statement said that the male subject, later identified as Kneeland, fled from the scene on foot while officers established a perimeter and searched the area using K-9 units and drones.
During the search, police said officers “received information that Kneeland had expressed suicidal ideations.” He was found at 1:31 a.m. “deceased with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
In police audio obtained by TMZ, Mancera told the dispatcher that he was “armed” and had a history of mental illness. She also said that the second-year pro had texted his family “goodbye.”
“We’re talking to the girlfriend, she’s trying to call the agent, so we’re trying to get her to call him first but she’s saying he is armed and has a history of mental illness, and her quote was, ‘He will end it all,’” the dispatcher said in an audio clip.
“You all do me a favour: Everybody stay with a buddy, don’t go looking alone, this guy is armed.”
Family was ‘concerned’ for Kneeland’s welfare
Mancera and family were “concerned for his welfare” during the incident.
“I just received a group text from him saying goodbye, they’re concerned for his welfare, they do not have a key to the apartment,” another dispatcher said.
The dispatch audio also revealed that Kneeland was found in a porta-potty near a building.
“We didn’t see any movement, still got that heat signature, looks like it’s curled up at the bottom of that porta-potty,” the dispatcher said. “With the stream of blood coming from the porta-potty.”
“He’s going to be laying on his side, facing inward, and quite a bit of blood coming out,” another person said.
Kneeland’s official cause of death has yet to be released and the investigation is ongoing.