Update: Vols player Richardson released from jail

Jailers at the Knox County Detention Center Friday night say Nu'Keese Richardson is no longer being held in the jail.

There is no word yet on the conditions of his release.  Richardson was being held on a $19,500 bond.

Previous Story: Arrested Vols won't play

The 3 freshmen Vols arrested early Thursday morning will not play this weekend against Ole Miss.

Athletics spokesperson Tiffany Carpenter said the three--Nu'Keese Richardson, Janzen Jackson, and Mike Edwards--will not travel with the team, either.

Jackson and Edwards were both released from jail Thursday.

The three are accused of attempted aggravated robbery and face Class C felony charges.

Safety Janzen Jackson has retained Don Bosch as his attorney. Yesterday, Bosch released a statement asserting Jackson's innocence in the armed robbery attempt.

This office represents Janzen Jackson. As of this afternoon his bond has been reduced from $15,000 to being released on his recognizance. Mr. Jackson vehemently asserts his innocence. And we hope that this will become apparent in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Second attorney claims innocence

Marie Montmarquet, 22 and of Mount Juliet, was the woman arrested with 3 freshman Tennessee Vols Thursday morning.

Up until yesterday, it wasn't a name familiar to Vols fans. Yesterday, it was in Google's top 50 searches.

Her attorney Greg Isaacs said she vehemently denies involvement in aggravated robbery.

Marie has proven to be an excellent student and was even a past legislative intern. She adamately denies any involvement in the criminal acts (agg. Robbery), Isaacs said.

Isaacs said Montmarquet wants the issue resolved quickly and is working with the Knox County District Attorney General's office. Regarding the account by law enforcement that she confessed to possession of marijuana, Isaacs said their focus was on the felony charge for now, rather than the misdemeanor charges releated to marijuana.

As for how Montmarquet ended up with the three players, Isaacs said Montmarquet and Mike Edwards are friends. Isaacs said Jackson and Richardson happened to be with them that night.

The accusation

Three young men from Maryville said they were at the Pilot station on the Cumberland Strip getting some food and cigarettes when the incident happened.

They say two men they didn't recognize jumped out of a nearby blue car, pointed a gun in their faces, and demanded all their cash.

Police say that gun turned out to be a pellet gun, that blue car turned out to be Marie Montmarquet's Prius, and the men with the gun turned out to be Nu'Keese Richardson and Mike Edwards--players for the Maryville men's favorite team.

Reaction on campus

Though there's no comprehensive gauge of reaction on campus, at least one student has expressed bemusement at the situation.

The Rock, often a visible display of student sentiment on the UT campus, contains the words "HONESTLY NUKEESE A PILOT?" as of Friday afternoon. It also says "GO UTK" and "Go Vols."