Naman Shrestha
Helmed by Rodney Lucas and Taylor Alexander Ward, Netflix’s ‘Untold: The Murder of Air McNair’ is a documentary film that focuses on the rise of Steve McNair, a legendary NFL quarterback who lost his life in the summer of 2009, at the age of 36. Apart from shining a light upon his well-deserved fame and glory, this movie also explores the circumstances around his death and the investigation that followed. It also features family and friends of Steve, giving us a detailed account of his life and tragic demise.
Steve McNair Was Found Murdered Inside His Condominium
Affectionately referred to as “Air McNair” by his loved ones and fans, Stephen LaTreal McNair was an NFL star who put a smile on the faces of hundreds of thousands of people in his impactful career of over a decade. Just like on the field, he dealt with several hardships off the field, too, yet he never let it hinder his ambitions or drive. He was born on February 14, 1973, and was raised among the love and care of his four brothers — Fred, Jason, Michael, and Tim. While growing up in Mount Olive, Mississippi, the McNairs didn’t really have the most affluent of living conditions and had to make do with a tiny tin-roofed abode that remained crammed with many inhabitants. Nevertheless, as a freshman at Mount Olive High School in 1987, Steve was able to dive deep into the world of sports — he did track and field, football, baseball, as well as basketball.
Even in his teens, Steve was quite passionate about football, and his talent secured the Mount Olive Pirates an entry straight into the state championship. After joining Alcorn State University, he played for the college football team and won the 1994 Walter Payton Award by being the top player in NCAA Division I-AA. Therefore, of course, his impressive performance led him to be signed by the Oilers in the 1995 NFL draft as the third overall pick. In 1997, he started regularly as the team’s quarterback and cemented his position for the Titans until 2005. During his stint, he played a pivotal role in taking the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV and nearly clinching the title — the Titans were a mere yard away from a possibly winning touchdown when the final whistle blew.
Then, Steve continued his career with the Ravens for two more seasons before hanging up his boots for good. In total, he played in the NFL for 13 seasons and became the first African-American quarterback to win AP NFL MVP while also being a member of the Titans Ring of Honor. On the personal front, he led a seemingly fulfilling life with a loving wife and four children. On June 21, 1997, when he was in his early 20s, he tied the knot with the love of his life, Mechelle McNair, in the presence of their closest family and friends. This couple then welcomed two kids into their lives — Tyler McNair and Trenton McNair. However, he already had two sons — Steve LaTreal McNair Jr. and Steven O’Brian McNair — from his relationships prior to his marriage to Mechelle.
Post his football journey, Steve donned the hat of a restaurateur when he launched Gridiron9 on Jefferson Street in Nashville in 2009. He was enjoying his life post-retirement and shuffled between Mississippi and Nashville. In fact, as per reports, taking into account the quick success he garnered with Gridiron9, he had apparently planned to open another eatery. All Steve wanted to do was lead a comfortable life with his family, and watch his kids grow into amazing individuals. But alas, that chance was snatched from him when he was suddenly fatally shot on July 4, 2009. On the fateful day, Steve’s friends Wayne Neely and Robert Gaddy found him dead on the couch in a condominium where he was residing in the downtown area of Nashville. Following the discovery, they immediately called the police. As per reports, the 36-year-old had four gunshot wounds across his body and head.
Steve McNair Reportedly Died at the Hands of Someone Close
Along with Steve McNair’s body, the police also found the body of Sahel “Jenni” Kazemi on the floor in front of the couch. As they ran a background check on both victims, they learned they were having an affair. The officials then examined the firearm found under Jenni’s remains and discovered that it was indeed the murder weapon. A couple of days prior to their demise, the couple was pulled over by the police with Jenni in the driving seat under the influence. They were accompanied by Vent Gordon in the back seat, with whom Steve took off in a taxi, leaving the woman alone with the arresting officer. Later, the former NFL player bailed her out of jail. Reports suggest that a few hours after her release, she purchased a gun from a convicted killer named Adrian Gilliam.
Since the investigators found the gun underneath Jenni and there was residue of gunpowder on her hand, they came to the conclusion that it was a murder-suicide case. They believed that the 20-year-old woman held the gun in her hand and shot down Steve McNair before pulling the trigger on herself, which was later also made public as the official explanation. In order to come to this conclusion, the authorities also looked at other aspects, including the fact that they were having issues in their relationship in the days leading up to the incident as she had suspected that he was involved with other women too – not just her and his wife. Moreover, Jenni was apparently heavily stressed about her financial situation and needed to pay her phone bill, for which Steve transferred $2,000 to her.
In order to check up on her and ensure that she was fine, her boyfriend had offered to come over to her place on the night of his untimely demise. According to reports, after he had put his children to sleep, he texted her that he was on his way. In an unexpected turn of events, though, Adrian and Jenni had exchanged more than 200 calls and text messages in total in the days before the night of the murder, so he was also a person of interest. Suspicions were also thrown in the direction of Robert Gaddy and Wayne Neely, who discovered the bodies. That’s because the former had a disagreement with Steve over their shared restaurant business and was expecting to receive more than $13,000. Moreover, there was allegedly a gap between when the bodies were found and when officials were called.
Although the official statement blamed Jenni for the murder-suicide, another private investigator noticed these aspects and considered them holes in the investigation. As per him, not only did the police not interrogate Adrian thoroughly, but he was ostensibly also the last person to speak to Jenni around 12:02 am on July 4, 2009. Adrian also claimed that he was with a friend at the time of the murder, but that friend denied his claims, fueling more theories as to what occurred on the fateful night. However, Steve’s case remains closed as a tragic murder-suicide.
Read More: Sahel “Jenni” Kazemi: Who Was She? Why Did She Kill Steve McNair?
