The toxicological study we did in addition to the cocaine analysis showed no alcohol or other drugs in his body at the time of his death." A plastic bag containing approximately 12 grams of cocaine was found in Bias leased Nissan 300ZX, and Marshall said police found cut straws used for snorting cocaine, some cocaine crystals, a cognac bottle and several beer bottles in a trash bin outside the dormitory. Put simply, a black cocaine user or dealer was far more likely to receive a long sentence than a white one. Mike was a 1981 Maryland graduate. Published June 19, 2011 9:01PM (EDT) Background: Friends of the late University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias carry his casket from the college chapel in this June 23, 1986 after a private . Four ways the Dodgers can fill the hole in their lineup. The story provided great detail on what happened inside Washington Hall in the hours before Bias died. The college basketball star became a symbol of the fight against drugs in the 1980s. The reaction to Bias's death fell into the Cobra Effect. Bias, who said he wanted to have the chain in time for a TV interview, put down some cash and arranged to pay $200 a month. After the draft, Bias and his family returned to their suburban Maryland home. The death of her two eldest sons left her seeing "nothing but utter darkness," she said last week. He had no criminal record, but mandatory minimums forced a judge to sentence him to more than 19 years in prison. Sometimes solutions can have drastic unintended consequences. By Scott Allen. They were young. It was an unexpected tragedy for the world of basketball, and Bias' autopsy report would reveal several tragic details about the last few hours of the former Terps standout's life. But this was so startling I didnt know whether to believe him. This is my account of June 19, 1986. Len Bias was six feet-eight inches tall. One thing seems clear: The better Bias became on a basketball court, the more that agenda changed. Bias died of cocaine intoxication. In 2010, the Fair Sentencing Act refined the crack-powder penalty ratio from 100-1 to 18-1 an improvement that critics say still reflects the arbitrariness of the original law. He leased a Nissan 300ZX sports car, paid insurance on the car, obtained two $1-million disability insurance policies, bought several new suits and a stereo worth between $500 and $600, and even paid some veterinarian bills for Ebony. However, that didn't prevent the doctors responsible for Lewis' autopsy from alleging to the Wall Street Journal (via The Seattle Times) that cocaine might have been responsible for the heart damage that eventually killed the Celtics ace. Moore also said he was in daily contact with Tribble and helped him distribute cocaine in northeast Washington and in Prince Georges County. A gurney was wheeled through the doors of the ER to a waiting morgue wagon. One oft-told story is of the time Bias went to his high school coach in tears because no one would talk to him about anything but where he was going to college. In husband always sick when i am. Smialek said, It is not unusual to be unable to restart the heart under such circumstances, and added: If he had had medical attention within four to five minutes, its possible that something might have been done. In four months lightning speed in Congress the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 became law. Marshall said Monday that 15 to 30 minutes might have elapsed between Bias collapse and the time an ambulance was called. It didnt make sense. About five months ago, Tribble accompanied Bias to Silver Spring Jewelry Manufacturing, where Bias had made a number of purchases over four years. None of which provides the answer to what made a good guy come to such a bad end. Around the guys, hed be pretty outgoing, hed ham it up, brag on himself. Long said the party was interrupted when Jeff Baxter, a Maryland player, walked into the room. So many, in fact, that Keith Gatlin, who roomed with Bias on the road, said, laughingly: Id just say hi and wave to them. It is also known as the "Len Bias Law". Those speaking at the service included Red Auerbach, who said he had planned to draft Bias for the Celtics for three years. I want to earn some.. Who Is Responsible? The image of journalists has taken a nosedive in the past three decades. STATter 911 Exclusive: Convicted arsonist serving as volunteer in MD. Four years later, after the act was initiated, the average federal drug sentence for African Americans was 49% higher. Why dont you get a loan, borrow some money from a bank? Brown said he told Bias. Mike helped start the careers of many young television journalists, including Connie Chung. It wasnt like today when journalists are constantly criticized and subject to frequent and instant threats via social media. 2 pick in the NBA draft on June 17, 1986. We want to get to the heart of what happened to crush out the life of this young man at his very prime, Slaughter said. Every time I went, Len was already there, Lewis said. Curry said last week that the anniversary of Bias' death and the reminder of what it wrought stirred up all sorts of regrets and what-ifs. Arthur A. Marshall Jr. to determine the circumstances leading to the athletes collapse. Thats when the phones started ringing. ometimes solutions can have drastic unintended consequences. Studies have shown that similar biological effects are found in developing brains that are exposed to either crack or powdered cocaine. But that all changed two days later when the 22-year-old Bias was found dead in his dorm room after a night of partying. In contrast, the threshold for powder cocaine became 500g. The source, now dead, made it clear through the years I should never name him or his involvement in the story even after he was gone. Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. But on 19 June 1986 at 6.30am, months before Bias was due to step on to a court as a professional, a 911 operator received a call that changed both sports and US history. According to Bias oldest and closest friends, as well as family, he remained a relatively clean-living, born-again Christian. Its like, who runs the yard, who has the most girls? Brian Lee Tribble, the man accused of supplying the cocaine that killed Len Bias, the all-America forward for the University of Maryland, was found not guilty on all charges tonight. The hospital had treated many Maryland students. By the end of last season, however, Bias seemed to revert to his earlier behavior, as the pressures of senior year in college mirrored those of senior year in high school. Long testified that Gregg removed the drug from the room. "You'd have to be pretty well connected.". Sierra Canyon proves to be too much for Taft in Division I regional basketball opener, High school soccer: Southern California Regional results and updated pairings, High school basketball: Southern California and Northern California Regional results and updated pairings, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Clippers still seeking right roster combination as they fall to Timberwolves, Anze Kopitar scores 4 goals, Andrian Kempe nets shootout winner as Kings top Jets, Times Sports earns third consecutive APSE grand slam, nine top-10 honors, LeBron-less Lakers cant keep pace with Ja Morant, Grizzlies, Who could replace Gavin Lux? I shared the news about the cocaine. But then she found purpose by waging her own war on drugs not to lobby for sentencing reform, but to uplift children. and I can handle anything? Theres that little voice in the back of your head saying the reason no one else is reporting the story is because its not true. (AP) _ Traces of cocaine were found in the body of college basketball star Len Bias, who collapsed and died of a heart attack, his coach said today, and police said a criminal investigation is under way. Just moments later I spotted JB near the entrance to Washington Hall. Keeping so many people behind bars has contributed to a dramatic decline in crime rates. Although Bias was 21 credits short of graduating, that did not necessarily mean he didnt intend to finish. We had seen the wave of grief moments earlier outside the emergency department as Biass teammates and friends were told. [3], From Landover, Maryland, Bias graduated from Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. Current firefighters & retirees hear details after 9-year battle. Slaughter said Tuesday that the university will cooperate fully with the grand jury investigation. All news WTOP Radio, where I had worked for almost four years, picked up our story minutes later. But I couldnt say he absolutely would have been able to be saved.. In a week he was going to be a millionaire, and he was doing yardwork.. Sierra Canyon proves to be too much for Taft in Division I regional basketball opener, High school soccer: Southern California Regional results and updated pairings, High school basketball: Southern California and Northern California Regional results and updated pairings, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Clippers still seeking right roster combination as they fall to Timberwolves, Anze Kopitar scores 4 goals, Andrian Kempe nets shootout winner as Kings top Jets, Times Sports earns third consecutive APSE grand slam, nine top-10 honors, LeBron-less Lakers cant keep pace with Ja Morant, Grizzlies, Who could replace Gavin Lux? I explained how I got the information and told him what JB learned from players. Those effects are now fueling a bipartisan reform effort. [6], Bias impressed basketball fans with his amazing leaping ability, physical stature, and ability to create plays, and he was considered one of the most dynamic players in the nation. In the days that followed, death threats arrived by mail. She answered, Yes and immediately hung up. But at that moment they werent focusing on Len Biass career or the tragedy of his death. Warren County, Ohios Frank Young resigns when details emerge of call taken in connection with high profile murder case. He told me there was evidence of cocaine in Len Biass body at the hospital. I would meet it there. Said someone who has known Bias as well as anyone the past eight years, I dont know whats real and not real anymore. Teenager charged with impersonating a firefighter in Michigan. But after struggling in college, Curry returned home and began hanging out with friends involved in the drug business. [21], On December 5, 1990, Len's younger brother, Jay Bias, was murdered in a drive-by shooting at age 20. Long, 41, lives in Baltimore. Terrence Lewis, one of Bias closest childhood friends, said the two, shortly before Bias death, had played basketball together at Columbia Park Recreation Center in Landover, Md., the neighborhood gym where both learned the game. I couldnt imagine this persons connection to the story. [4][5], Bias attended the University of Maryland. Like a normal group of college people trying to have some fun.. Lewis recalled Bias saying two weeks before the draft that he wanted a job: He said, I want a real job, like you guys. He had a lot of free time and he was tired of waiting for the draft, and he was a little bored, I think.. Another book is Lenny, Lefty, and the Chancellor: The Len Bias Tragedy and the Search for Reform in Big-Time College Basketball by the late C. Fraser Smith of The Baltimore Sun. The cocaine angle would lead the 5:00 p.m. newscast. We were the only ones reporting Len Bias had been using cocaine. attacking incapacitated 5e. A lot of girls were calling him, they all wanted to be the one because he was going to be rich and a star. During the cross-examination, Long was asked if he feared that cocaine would show up on the drug test given to all players. In the investigation of Maryland basketball star Len Bias death, people in dark glasses go in and out of a small-town courthouse, friends become suspects, mystery women appear and disappear, a local nightclub becomes prominent. Celtics scout Ed Badger called Bias an "explosive and exciting kind of player" and compared him to Michael Jordan. Now, Joe Bidens administration is looking to permanently change the disparity in sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine. He was pronounced dead of two gunshot wounds to the back at 2:52 p.m. at Leland Memorial Hospital in Riverdale, the same hospital where his brother Len Bias was pronounced dead in June 1986. Or did he do it himself, uttering, according to sources, a now-chilling phrase the moment before he collapsed and lost consciousness: Im a bad . When Tribble was preparing to pick out a silver Mercedes-Benz, Bias accompanied him on at least one occasion to look at the car. I wanted confirmation. Finishing the call with Mike, I walked over to JB. The desk said one of my friends urgently needed to talk with me about Len Bias. Ed Statter said to himself, I hope Daves right, or he will soon be living back home., It was 10:15 p.m. Mike Buchanan summoned me to his desk near mine in the newsroom. Still, the accuracy of Buchanans scoop or my initial report didnt matter to the hundreds of people calling to complain. I quickly reached the producer of Ken Beatrices show. Months down the road we learned that every bit of Mike Buchanans story the night of June 19th was accurate. Len Bias in 1985. It was reported that there were no other drugs or alcohol found in his system. Hed say, No, Im not drinking right now. He was very strict about what he put into himself; he was proud of his physique. Four ways the Dodgers can fill the hole in their lineup. "You're not going to stop on the street corner and get that quality," he continued. He explained why we reported Bias had used cocaine. We were the only news crew at Leland. Since the Len Bias laws took effect, racial differences in drug-related sentencing have become even more apparent. In 1986, University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias died suddenly after a cocaine overdose. We met with Pearce in his office at Channel 9s Broadcast House in the early afternoon. As late as the end of May, he made arrangements with an academic counselor to get help on a paper due in summer school. After we saw he couldnt make it to the bathroom on his own, we told him to recline on the bed, Long said. An acquaintance of Bias, Terry Long, testified in Prince Georges County Circuit Court Wednesday in the third day of the trial that he first tried cocaine in late 1984 at the suggestion of Bias, a former University of Maryland teammate. Youd have to be pretty well connected.. But Bias worked hard to eliminate that behavior from his game. President Barack Obama has granted clemency to many others. It doesn't have to be a milestone anniversary to stir up all the familiar melancholy recollections. Millions are now unable to hold steady jobs, maintain housing, keep their families together or vote. When he completed his extraordinary basketball career at Maryland, the only question surrounding Len Bias was whether he would dominate the NBA in the same fashion he ruled the Atlantic But the major goal remains unfulfilled: passage of the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act, which would allow judges to impose shorter prison terms in certain scenarios and make the Fair Sentencing Act retroactive. Thirty-five years after his death, Len Bias's story continues to resonate. June 15, 201602:31. @DC_Chander Because @DCPoliceDept radio traffic is encrypted we have no independent way of keeping an eye on police https://t.co/6NmoaAz55R, New: Tractor-trailer fire on the Inner Loop of the Beltway near Telegraph Rd. The facts are these: Police say three people were with Bias when he collapsed at about 6:30 a.m. in Washington Hall--basketball players Terry Long and David Gregg, and close friend Brian Lee Tribble. But Barrette Palmer, a Maryland student and friend of some members of the team, said she smoked marijuana with Bias, Terry Long or David Gregg about 10 times. An investigation revealed that Bias was 21 credits short of the graduation requirement despite having attended the university for four full years; in his final semester, he earned no academic credits, failing three courses and withdrawing from two others. Long testified that the party on June 19 began around 2:30 a.m. when Bias woke him up and asked him to help celebrate his new contract with the NBAs Boston Celtics. Five days after her son, Len Bias, died, Lonise Bias held up a Boston Celtics jersey presented by the team's president, Red Auerbach. On Sunday, the 30th anniversary of Len's death, Lonise Bias will gather her two remaining children and her five grandchildren in Maryland and celebrate what she has, rather than what she's lost. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. We shared an uncomfortable truth about the sudden death of a revered young athlete. Bias ultimately developed into an All-American player. Instead of getting additional confirmation about what was going on with Bias, something very different happened. On the same day college basketball star Len Bias died, I was the first to report the 22-year-old Bias used cocaine in the hours before his death. Politicians from both parties wanted to be seen as doing something anything about drugs. We would soon learn that some members of the team werent initially cooperative with police investigating Biass death. He selected an agent. I believed in Lens judgment, Lewis said. The length of the body under the sheet was hard to ignore. In my book, Tiger Woodss Back and Tommy Johns Elbow, I examine athlete deaths and tragedies and how their consequences ripple outward resulting in something called the Cobra Effect. He made another wise move. In the mid-80s, it took a little more effort especially from the person who sent me a large envelope with a silhouette target, complete with curly hair, multiple bullet holes from at least two different weapons and a message that said Go Terps. They did not make sense then. His first two seasons, the Terrapins were Branchs team. [20], The controversy prompted athletic director Dick Dull to resign on October 7, 1986, with Driesell following suit on October 29 after 17 years as coach. I think my words were something like, Really Buck? While I may have been a little skeptical a reporter was able to gather so much inside information this early, Buchanan was confident. The trigger became five grams of anything containing a detectable amount of crack cocaine. One thing that confuses friends is that if Bias was a regular drug user, it almost surely would have taken a toll on his physical condition. The reformers include Eric Sterling, who left government soon after his experience with the 1986 law and formed the The Criminal Justice Policy Foundation, which advocates for a new American drug policy. Despite his initial disbelief, Doug got the wheels moving. But Palmer, who testified before the grand jury last month, said she never saw or heard of Bias using cocaine. Seven years after Bias' tragic passing, another Boston Celtics player this time, someone who had actually become a star with the team died at a young age under mysterious, allegedly drug-related circumstances. With no market for their cobras, the farmers released them into the wild, increasing the snake population. Freshly pulled from his typewriter, Buchanan handed over a copy of the script for his 11:00 report. There was also criticism from inside the news business. The world was just a little slower in 1986. O'Neill, a canny politician, heard his constituents clamoring about Bias and saw drugs as the path to victory. Youre not going to stop on the street corner and get that quality, Silverman said. Bias "became the face of the urgency for this effort," Sterling said. [26], A few weeks after Bias' death, committees in the United States House of Representatives began writing anti-drug legislation. But there was no explanation why a seemingly healthy 22-year-old athlete suddenly stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating. He later . Its where firefighters and medics found Bias in cardiac arrest. The phone rang around 6:45 a.m. that Thursday morning. The latter measure was no doubt inspired by one of Biass friends who allegedly supplied the drugs that killed the young player (he was later acquitted of the charges). The studio is just a block from Chadwicks. I said to my early morning caller, Didnt he just get drafted by the Celtics? The answer, of course, was Yes. 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