Police seeking ex-PSU player
Chisley a 'person of interest' in student's death
By Pete Bosak
[email protected]
Posted on Wed, Jul. 19, 2006
BELLEFONTE -- Former Penn State football player Lavon Chisley is a "person of interest" in the June 5 stabbing death of university senior Langston D. Carraway, the Centre Daily Times has confirmed.
Chisley, who is a friend of the victim, left the area soon after Carraway's bloody body was found inside of his Patton Township apartment He is being held on marijuana-possession charges in Anne Arundel County, Md. Centre County authorities also placed a detainer on Chisley, saying he is wanted in Centre County.
Karen Muir, Chisley's attorney, said she expects the former Nittany Lion to be charged with homicide in the very near future, although police have remained tight-lipped about the investigation.
"I anticipate in the next 10 days he will be charged," Muir said. "And we do intend to fight these charges to the fullest."
While Chisley is wanted on an outstanding drug charge in Centre County, District Attorney Michael Madeira confirmed Tuesday that police want to talk to him about Carraway's death, which the coroner said was from multiple stab wounds to the neck and chest.
Carraway, 26, was found in a pool of blood in his living room, where he was attacked. Police think Carraway knew his killer, as officers found no sign of forced entry into his Northbrook Lane apartment.
A racial epithet was smeared onto a nearby wall in the apartment, sources said.
"He is a person of interest," Madeira said. "We'd like to talk with him. He may be able to shed some light on what occurred. Because he hasn't been around, we want to talk with him."
Sources said Chisley left Centre County within days of Carraway's death, first heading to Georgia before landing in the Anne Arundle Detention Center in lieu of $2,700 bail. Because of the detainer placed on him by Centre County authorities, Chisley cannot be released even if he posts bail, detention center spokeswoman Angela Walker said.
Chisley, 22, was scheduled to be in Centre County Court for a protection from abuse hearing Monday. The hearing was the result of charges brought against him by his former girlfriend, who said in court documents that Chisley threatened her and their child and threatened to shoot a member of the woman's family.
The 6-feet, 5-inch former defensive end -- kicked off of the Penn State team last season because of poor grades -- has had some run-ins with the law, including accusations he threatened to kill his girlfriend's uncle and later causing a disturbance in the courthouse before a scheduled court appearance.
Police first became suspicious of Chisley after he did not attend the funeral for his friend or contact the Carraway family to offer condolences, Madeira said.
"I know they were friends," Madeira said. "He was friends with the victim, and he has not answered some of the questions we have because he was not around. That does not make him guilty.
"He's just someone we want to talk with," Madeira said.
When that will happen was unclear Tuesday. Chisley will have to go through the court system in Maryland before returning to Pennsylvania to face drug charges in Centre County.
Madeira, who is out of town at a district attorney's association meeting, did not know whether police had arranged to interview Chisley in that Maryland jail.
The county's top prosecutor declined to say whether police found physical evidence at the scene that they can link to Chisley. "Nothing we could discuss at this point," Madeira said.
The apparent motive in Carraway's death appears to be drug connected, perhaps a robbery, Madeira said.
Carraway's father, Vernon, who works in Penn State's office of Vice Provost for Educational Equity, declined to comment.
Chisley started nine games for Penn State in 2003, and has 67 career tackles (35 solo) and five sacks.
