Man charged in Porter murder

Second-degree murder charges were filed today against a 29-year-old St. Paul man in the Howard Porter case, according to an AP article available on ESPN.

Rashad Arthur Raleigh was arrested and released in early June before he was charged with the murder of Porter today. He has been in police custody since mid-August on unrelated charges.

The details of the complaint are not pretty for the memory of the former Villanova great. From the AP:

Former Villanova star and Ramsey County probation officer Howard Porter was trying to trade money and crack cocaine for sex with a prostitute when he was beaten to death, according to murder charges filed Tuesday against a St. Paul man.

The AP also reported the criminal complaint filed today described the manner in which Porter was murdered:

According to the criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court, Porter accompanied a prostitute he had picked up on the street to her apartment for a "date." The woman, Tonya Evette Johnson, told police four masked men rushed in to her apartment, threw her to the floor and demanded drugs and money.

Johnson told police the four men beat Porter "real bad, God real bad" and that "there was blood everywhere," the complaint quoted her as saying. Police said they found blood spattered throughout the house.

Porter died May 26 in a Minnesota hospital after being found unconscious and unidentified in a Minneapolis alley.

Widely considered one of the greatest players to ever wear a Villanova uniform, Porter struggled with drug addiction after a seven-year NBA career.

Porter was living in Ramsey County, Minnesota and working as a probation officer at the time of his death at age 58.


You can read Let'sGoNova's previous Howard Porter coverage here.

Porter honored amidst murder mystery

ESPN runs two pieces on the memorial service for Howard Porter. The first piece is a standard AP report on Porter's funeral service in St. Paul, Minn.

According to that article, more than 500 mourners attended the Minnesota funeral on Saturday. Those in attendance included relatives, friends, and former teammates, all of whom praised Porter's life on and off the basketball court.

The second article is from freelance sportswriter Jay Weiner, who gives us more details on the mysterious murder case at the forefront of Porter's tragedy.

According to Weinar, there are scores of unanswered questions about what happened to Porter:

Did Porter voluntarily walk out the house's front door that Friday night and head somewhere to meet somebody or to check on a client on probation?
Or was he forced out?
Did he exit out a side door, toward the garage, to get into a rented Cadillac? Why was the car rented from Enterprise in the days just before his murder?
[...]
Was Porter forced to this narrow street one block from busy Interstate I-94, which connects the Twin Cities to Chicago? Was he beaten here, then transported the 20 minutes by car, past the skyscrapers of downtown Minneapolis, to be dumped in that alley?
Or did the crime occur in Minneapolis, the car abandoned in St. Paul later?

Whether or not we ever get any answers to these questions is anyone's guess.

One thing that is for sure is Porter's great impact on Villanova basketball and on society in general. Two more funerals are planned, one each in Villanova and Florida, to honor Porter.

Ex-'Nova star Porter fights for life

Howard Porter, one of the all-time great Villanova Wildcats, was found seriously injured Sunday in a Minnesota hospital after apparently suffering from an abduction and brutal assault.

Porter, 58, was reported missing earlier this weekend, but it was not until photos were released by police that he was located Sunday, already in a St.-Paul-area hospital, unconscious and previously unidentified.

According to a source cited by Dana Pennett O'Neil today in the Philadelphia Daily News, Porter "has severe brain damage and might not survive."

Porter had been working in Minnesota as a Ramsey County probation officer. There is no word yet on whether the attack is related to one of his probation cases.

According to a story in the Philadelphia Inquirer, police have no reason to believe Porter suffered a drug relapse. Porter had struggled with cocaine use in the seventies and eighties.

Porter led his 1971 Villanova Wildcats team to a Final-Four appearance and was voted the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player. He played professional basketball in the NBA until 1978.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune runs a comprehensive timeline of Porter's life.

Porter dies from attack injuries

The former Villanova basketball star Howard Porter died yesterday from injuries suffered in a mysterious attack last week in Minneapolis.

Porter, 58, was found severely beaten in an alleyway last weekend and was admitted into a hospital as an unidentified assault victim before police were able to verify his identity.

Porter had been working as a probation officer in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Police are investigating as to whether the attack was related to one of Porter's cases. No one has yet been arrested and police have not identified any suspects.

Villanova University issued a statement calling Porter "one of the finest players to ever wear a Wildcat uniform." Villanova retired Porter's jersey in 1997 in the Pavilion.

"The entire Villanova family is saddened by the news of Howard's death," said Villanova head coach Jay Wright.

Wright praised Porter's contributions to Villanova basketball on and off the court:

Howard provided so many Villanovans with thrills on the basketball court playing for Coach Kraft. Since his playing days ended, he has been an outstanding role model for our current players and coaching staff. Howard was a kind, gentle, and humble man who loved his family and Villanova. We will all miss him.

According to Villanova University, funeral arrangements are pending.

Woman released in Porter case

An article posted today on CBS's WCCO Web site reports that Tonya Washington, the 33-year-old St. Paul woman arrested Sunday in the Howard Porter murder investigation was released and will not be charged at this time.

St. Paul police said that there is insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against Washington. Though there was speculation that Washington and Porter had known each other, no official details have been given.

Authorities also released a man arrested Sunday night in connection with the case who was widely believed to be the current or former boyfriend of Washington. No charges have been filed against that individual.

Though police assured the media that they still had several leads on the case to consider, the release of Washington likely signals that the Howard Porter murder mystery is back to square one, at least for now.

Woman arrested in Porter murder

According to a story published today in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, a 33-year-old woman was arrested Sunday night in St. Paul in connection with the murder of former Villanova basketball star Howard Porter.

KSPT, ABC television's Twin-Cities affiliate, reports on its Web site that the woman is named Tonya Washington and was arrested at 9:30 p.m. Sunday,

Police would not comment on the details regarding the arrest, but did say they have referred the case to the Ramsey County (Minnesota) attorney general's office.

There are $25,000 in rewards for information on Porter's death, according to the Star Tribune, and police are still seeking other suspects and evaluating further evidence in the case.

Doug West joins coaching staff

Doug West will return to Villanova as an assistant basketball coach next season, the university announced this month.

West starred for the Wildcats from 1985-1989, and led the 'Cats to an Elite Eight trip in 1988. West is also in fourth-place on the all-time Wildcats scoring record book, with 2,037 points.

After graduating in 1989, West was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves and played nine seasons in the NBA.

West spent last season as an assistant coach for the Duquesne women's basketball team in Pittsburgh.

West said he was excited about the chance to join the Villanova coaching staff:

It's something I have thought about for a long time. I have watched this team up close and from afar. I bleed blue and white and this is a chance for me to contribute in another way. I am very happy to be here.

Villanova head coach Jay Wright praised West's experience and background:

We are thrilled to have another member of the Villanova basketball alumni family join our staff. Doug is a great addition to our staff because of his experience in the NBA and, most importantly, for the pride he takes in being a part of the Villanova basketball program.

Villanova's unusual connection with the state of Minnesota continues: West, a former Timberwolf himself, replaces former assistant and 1985-title star Ed Pinckney, who left Jay Wright's bench this fall for an assistant coaching position on the Timberwolves.

Pinckney will once again coach former Villanova star Randy Foye, a starting guard for the Timberwolves.

Howard Porter, the former Villanova great, was also found murdered in Minneapolis this spring. Porter had been working in Minnesota as a parole officer.