Idaho State University assistant football coach Davonte’ Neal charged with first-degree murder

Idaho State assistant Davonte’ Neal charged with first-degree murder in 2017 incident, placed on administrative leave

DaVonte’ Neal, an assistant football coach at Idaho State University, has been charged with first-degree murder in Arizona, and the university plans to terminate his contract.

The Idaho State Journal said that Neal has been charged with one crime of first-degree murder, one offence of drive-by shooting, and one count of discharging a handgun at a structure.

The event allegedly involved the shooting of a man on November 11, 2017, according to the police. Other information was not immediately accessible.

On May 16, a grand jury in Maricopa County, which encompasses the Phoenix metropolitan region, indicted Neal. The newspaper said that the indictment was sealed by court order.

The publication claimed on Thursday that an arrest warrant had been issued for him earlier this month.

Neal, a former University of Arizona football player, is being held without bail at the Bannock County Jail in eastern Idaho.

Neal joined the Idaho team as a coach in January, along with the rest of the new coaching staff for the Bengals. On May 25, Pocatello police arrested him outside his apartment on a warrant from Maricopa County. The newspaper said that he did not fight back.

Idaho State University said that Neal had been put on administrative leave and that steps had been taken to end his contract.

For his part, President Kevin Satterlee emphasized the importance of student safety and well-being, saying, “Idaho State takes all claims involving our personnel extremely seriously.”

An investigation into Neal’s criminal record was found to be clean, according to a university news release.

Prior to employment at Idaho State University, “all Idaho State workers must undergo a criminal background check,” the university stated. During the hiring process, “Neal’s background check was clean and he was approved for work.”