Jim Dunaway
Encyclopedia
James Kenneth Dunaway born September 3, 1941 in Columbia
, Mississippi
) was an American football
player. A defensive tackle, he played college football
at the University of Mississippi
, and played professionally in the American Football League
for the Buffalo Bills
, as part of a defensive line that held opposing runners without a rushing touchdown for a pro football record seventeen consecutive games in the 1964 and 1965 AFL seasons.
Dunaway was charged with her murder but a grand jury chose not to indict Dunaway of the charges. In response, his children filed a wrongful death lawsuit
, alleging that Dunaway was responsible for their mother's death. In 2002, Dunaway was found liable and ordered to pay $579,000 to his children.
Ironically, Dunaway had been a teammate for three seasons of star running back O.J. Simpson, who was similarly found responsible for his ex-wife's death after being acquitted of her murder in a controversial trial in 1995.
http://www.basketballdraft.com/football/news/2002/06/04/dunaway_lawsuit_ap/ Article about the suit.
http://www.niagarafallsreporter.com/staba55.html Article about the civil suit
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E1D61338F932A05754C0A96E958260 Article about his arrest.
http://www.thephatphree.com/Features.asp?SectionID=2&StoryID=850&LayoutType=4.39864525840442 - Comedy site names Dunaway a member of the "All-Criminal Team"
Columbia, Mississippi
Columbia is a city in Marion County, Mississippi, United States, which was formed six years before Mississippi was admitted to statehood. Columbia was named for Columbia, South Carolina, from which many of the early settlers had migrated. The population was 6,603 as of the 2000 census. It is the...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
) was an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. A defensive tackle, he played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, and played professionally in the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, as part of a defensive line that held opposing runners without a rushing touchdown for a pro football record seventeen consecutive games in the 1964 and 1965 AFL seasons.
Murder Charge and Aftermath
In 1998, Dunaway's ex-wife, Nonniel Dunaway was found dead in a half-empty swimming pool. An autopsy revealed that she had a fractured skull and was unconscious when she was placed in the water by her assailant where she drowned. Prior to this event, Nonniel had won a divorce judgement which gave her more than 800 acres (3.2 km²) of property that the couple owned, $1800 a month in alimony and half of Dunaway's NFL pension. They had been divorced since 1995 and Dunaway was planning to appeal.Dunaway was charged with her murder but a grand jury chose not to indict Dunaway of the charges. In response, his children filed a wrongful death lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
, alleging that Dunaway was responsible for their mother's death. In 2002, Dunaway was found liable and ordered to pay $579,000 to his children.
Ironically, Dunaway had been a teammate for three seasons of star running back O.J. Simpson, who was similarly found responsible for his ex-wife's death after being acquitted of her murder in a controversial trial in 1995.
See also
http://www.basketballdraft.com/football/news/2002/06/04/dunaway_lawsuit_ap/ Article about the suit.
http://www.niagarafallsreporter.com/staba55.html Article about the civil suit
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E1D61338F932A05754C0A96E958260 Article about his arrest.
http://www.thephatphree.com/Features.asp?SectionID=2&StoryID=850&LayoutType=4.39864525840442 - Comedy site names Dunaway a member of the "All-Criminal Team"