Police interview La'el Collins about shooting death of former girlfriend

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Monday, May 4, 2015

Former LSU offensive lineman La'el Collins was interviewed by police Monday about the shooting death of a 29-year-old pregnant woman in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Collins, an All-SEC lineman who was not selected during the NFL draft, has not been named as even a person of interest -- never mind a suspect -- in the murder investigation.

"It went fine; we answered all their questions," Collins' attorney, Jim Boren, told reporters. "La'el is not going to make any comments. I'm not going to have any comments. The investigation is going to continue. La'el is now going to start making an effort to start getting his football career back on track."

It's possible that Collins will be asked to return for more questioning,Baton Rouge Police public information officer Don Coppola told Gannett Louisiana.

"There is that possibility of more questioning of Mr. Collins," Coppola told Gannett Louisiana. "No one can be ruled out until an arrest has been made."

Coppola added that "Collins fully cooperated with investigators and is still not considered a suspect in the homicide of Brittney and Brenton Mills."

Collins' former girlfriend, Brittney Mills, 29, was shot to death April 24 after opening the front door of her Baton Rouge home. She died of multiple shots to her torso; her unborn child survived the shooting but died a week later in the hospital.

Baton Rouge police have not publicly named any suspects in the case.

"I think he's not a suspect. He answered all the questions they had. Every question," Boren said. "We didn't claim the Fifth [Amendment]. We answered every single question. We gave them all the information they asked for. He's ready to get his life back."

Collins, who was once seen as a likely first-round selection, is now classified as an undrafted free agent and, despite his original intention to do so, cannot re-enter the 2016 draft, an NFL spokesman told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Collins also tried to pull out of the draft shortly before it started, asking if he could instead enter the supplementary draft in hopes that he would be cleared by then. The NFL, however, denied that request.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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