Mother of Chiefs Player Jovan Belcher Files Wrongful Death Against Team

January 2, 2014

The mother of former Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the team after exhuming his body so that his brain could be examined.

The lawsuit, filed by Cheryl Shepherd in Jackson County circuit court Tuesday, alleges that Belcher was subjected to “repetitive head trauma” and that the Chiefs failed to provide adequate medical care before he killed his girlfriend and then committed suicide last December.

Belcher’s body was exhumed this month at his family’s request so his brain could be studied for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative condition found in some former players.

Shepherd is seeking a jury trial and $15,000 in damages.

A spokesman for the Chiefs told The Associated Press that the team was aware of the lawsuit but could not comment on pending litigation.