Former NFL player Terreal Bierria arrested for murder in Slidell, LA

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Former NFL player arrested in Slidell murder

05:45 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 20, 2009

SLIDELL, LA – A former Seattle Seahawks player from Slidell has been arrested on charges of murdering a Slidell-area man during a struggle inside of the victim’s home Monday.

St. Tammany deputies arrested former NFL player Terreal Bierria for the murder of Soron Salter.

Terreal Bierria

The bloody killing happened around 1:30 p.m. Monday, in Salter's apartment on Military Road, just outside Slidell.

"We know that drugs was involved," St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain said Tuesday. "We believe that the altercation began over the drugs. We think that was the first blow was from what we believe was a knife."

Roughly 20 minutes after the murder, detectives said, Bierria checked himself in to the emergency room at North Shore Hospital, with lacerations to his arms and hands. Hospital staff then notified police.

Bierria is charged with first-degree murder. He's being held in the St. Tammany Parish Jail without bond.

Bierria and Salter were childhood friends, investigators said, and played football together at Salmen High School. Bierria went from Salmen to the University of Georgia, then played two seasons as a defensive back with the Seattle Seahawks, in 2002 and 2004.

"We have seen nothing to indicate that their past behavior would have led to yesterday's events," Strain added. "So there was nothing in their history we should have recognized, or someone should have known that would have caused this to happen."

Deputies said, Bierria has refused to speak to them about his role in Salter's death. Investigators said Tuesday, they do not believe anyone else was involved in Salter's death, but they said, the investigation is on-going.
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Attorney says ex-NFL player accused of murder was only defending himself

06:03 PM CDT on Thursday, October 22, 2009
SLIDELL, La. – An ex-NFL football player accused of stabbing and strangling another man to death was only defending himself against an attack from a former high school teammate, according to his attorney.

Terreal Bierria, who played football with the Seattle Seahawks early in the decade, was arrested and booked on a first-degree murder charge in the killing of Soron Salter Tuesday. Salter’s bloodied body was found just inside the door of his residence by deputies. Bierria was found at a hospital with lacerations on his hands and body.

According to Bierra’s attorney, Frank DiSalvo, Bierra was in a struggle with Salter, but that he didn’t start it.

“This was a very fierce struggle,” he said. “I believe that he (Bierria) was fighting for his life and he won the fight and that’s what it comes down to.”

DiSalvo said the nature of Bierra’s injuries indicates he was being defensive.

“He had lacerations on his hands and arms,” said DiSalvo. “His hands were severely cut. He was defending himself and that’s how it ended.”

Sheriff Jack Strain said deputies believe the incident was over drugs.

“We know drugs was involved,” he said. “We believe the altercation began over drugs.”

DiSalvo said he doesn’t think that is correct.

“I think what the sheriff said is what they thought it might be,” he said. “Everything they've said is speculation.  They even said something about, from the scene, it looked like he was the aggressor.  You couldn't tell that from the scene.  I been doing this for 41 years, you can never tell that from the scene is who was an aggressor.”

Bierria went back to the University of Georgia to finish school this past spring and he graduated in May.
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