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Criminal homicide charges dropped against former football star

A judge determined there was no evidence that Camion Patrick was connected to the death of an 18-year-old Maryville man, according to his attorney.
Camion Patrick, former Indiana University football player, during a 2016 game against Rutgers.

Criminal homicide charges have been dropped against a former Knox County and Indiana University football star.

Camion Patrick was charged along with three others in the July stabbing death of 18-year-old Caleb Radford of Maryville. A judge dismissed charges against Patrick at a preliminary hearing this week, saying there was no evidence that Patrick was involved in the crime, according to Kevin Shepherd, whose firm is representing Patrick.

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In August, Alcoa detectives arrested 21-year-old Keshawn Lonnell Hopewell of Alcoa and 28-year-old Itiq Tivone Green of Louisville. Both were charged with criminal homicide. Patrick's brother, Isaiah S. Wright, 20, of Harriman, was also charged with criminal homicide in the case in September.

In a court filing requesting a separate preliminary hearing for Patrick, his attorneys claimed that while Patrick was with two of the other defendants on the day of Radford's death, he didn't know Radford and was not there when he was killed.

Attorneys believe Patrick "was only charged with the homicide because of his loose connections with Defendants Hopewell and Green," according to the motion.

Patrick was a high school football star who played for Lenoir City and Clinton before being declared ineligible for his senior season at West High School because of transfer issues. He was originally committed to play football at the University of Tennessee, but ended up at Indiana University.

His football career ended with injury, but he was still attending IU when he was arrested and charged in this case.

Shepherd told 10News that Patrick wanted to move on with his life, finish his education, and pursue a career as a sports broadcaster.

The other three defendants in the case were bound over to the grand jury.

The victim in this case, Caleb Radford, was a recent graduate of William Blount High School, where he also played football. He had a young son named Kylon with his longtime girflriend.

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