2 indicted in killing of former basketball star Howard Porter

1/24/2008 5:36 PM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -Two men were indicted by a Hennepin County Grand Jury on Thursday on first-degree murder charges in the death of former Villanova basketball star Howard Porter.

Fredquinzo Ronte King and Rashad Arthur Raleigh, both 29, each were indicted on counts of premeditated first-degree murder and first-degree murder while committing or trying to commit aggravated robbery.

Porter disappeared the night of May 18 after leaving his St. Paul home. He was found in Minneapolis the next morning, badly injured, and was taken to the hospital as a John Doe. Authorities realized later that the assault victim was Porter. He died on May 26.

A third suspect, Tonya Evette Johnson, 33, was charged with second-degree murder in September for her role in Porter's death. She told authorities that she was street walking near her St. Paul apartment when she approached Porter for a ``date.'' She said she brought him to her apartment to exchange sex for money and crack cocaine when four men rushed in and beat him, according to the complaint against Johnson.

Porter worked as a probation officer for Ramsey County Community Corrections at the time of his death.

Porter was a standout at Villanova, leading the Wildcats to the 1971 NCAA championship game and was selected outstanding player of the tournament despite the Wildcats' loss to UCLA in the final. But he was stripped of his award and the team's accomplishments were wiped from the record books after it was learned he had begun dealing with an agent before the season ended.

Porter was drafted 32nd overall by the Chicago Bulls in 1971 and played seven professional seasons including stints with Detroit and New York but never achieved the success he had in college.

He became addicted to drugs and came to Minnesota for treatment. He decided to stay and became a probation officer for Ramsey County in 1995. Those who worked with Porter said he often used his past struggle with drugs to show his probation clients that they, too, could turn their lives around.