NY Services Held For NFL Player in Murder-Suicide

DIX HILLS, N.Y. (AP) – Hundreds of mourners have attended a wake in New York for Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, who killed his girlfriend and himself.

The 25-year-old Long Island native was in an open casket in an auditorium-size room at the Upper Room Christian World Center church in Dix Hills, 30 miles east of New York City.

Police say the West Babylon native shot 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins and then shot himself Dec. 1. The couple had a baby daughter named Zoey.

Belcher’s mother, Cheryl Shepherd, declined to speak with a reporter when contacted by telephone Tuesday.

Belcher’s casket was surrounded by floral arrangements. Poster boards of family snapshots also were displayed.

Teammates and coaches attended a service for Belcher last week in Kansas City. Belcher’s funeral is Wednesday.

Two funerals were held for Perkins in Texas.