Dallas Cowboys player Marshawn Kneeland was discovered dead by apparent suicide following a high-speed police pursuit that reached speeds of up to 160 mph (258 kph), culminating in an extensive search involving K-9 units, drones, and pepper balls fired into drainage tunnels.
The 24-year-old was found deceased in the early hours of 6 November, hours after officers attempted a traffic stop in suburban Dallas.
Authorities initially did not know the driver they were pursuing on the evening of 5 November was Kneeland, believing the vehicle might have been stolen.
After the driver abandoned the car following a crash, an hours-long search ensued, during which officers learned the suspect was Kneeland.
His family and friends, having received goodbye messages, had frantically contacted authorities, fearing he intended to harm himself.
The pursuit began at 10:33 pm on 5 November when a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper initiated a chase after Kneeland, who was driving a Dodge Charger northbound on the Dallas North Tollway.
An offence report released by the agency stated Kneeland’s vehicle reached speeds exceeding 145 mph (233 kph), though other troopers in body camera footage suggested speeds hit 160 mph (258 kph).
The trooper lost sight of the Charger, but it was located around 10:42 pm after it had collided with a Ford F-350 truck and ended up in a grassy area beside the tollway in Frisco, a Dallas suburb. The crash site was near an office park area.
An unidentified woman, whose truck was struck by Kneeland’s Charger, was visibly distressed.
“I saw him in my rearview mirror coming as fast as he was. I was like Oh my God he’s not stopping and then he just plowed into me,” she told a trooper in footage released on Friday.
At this point, officers were unaware of the driver’s identity, initially suspecting the vehicle was stolen.
During the search, a man driving a car informed a trooper he had seen the suspect run through a field, but Kneeland was no longer there when they investigated.
By approximately 11:20 pm, DPS troopers and Frisco police officers were searching for Kneeland in a nearby wooded area and a series of drainage tunnels.
A Frisco officer issued a warning: “Frisco K-9. If you’re in this tunnel, I’m going to send my dog in here. He is going to bite you. This is your last opportunity.”
Authorities subsequently fired pepper balls into the tunnels and deployed a drone, but Kneeland was not found.
Around 1 am on 6 November, authorities identified the driver as Kneeland. His girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, who had driven to the search area, was briefly detained.
She initially withheld information, with a Frisco police officer stating: “The girlfriend has his location. But she’s not giving it to us… “She’s like, ‘He’s going to kill himself. I can’t tell you where he’s at.’” Mancera later cooperated with officers.
Law enforcement officers, while continuing their search, discussed Kneeland’s status as an NFL player and his messages to family members.
Approximately 30 minutes later, the search concluded when Kneeland’s body was discovered inside a portable toilet.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Mancera, who is pregnant with the couple’s child, expressed her grief: “My sweet boy is really gone. The things that I would do just to hold you one more time and tell you how much you mean to me. But now I have you to watch over me and wait for me on the other side. I will see you again.”
The Cowboys have since established a memorial fund to support Mancera.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
