Former NBA referee Troy Raymond commits suicide hours after wife found dead: NBA News
The former National Basketball Association and current college basketball referee Troy Raymond was found dead in a New Orleans hotel room late last week. According to reports, Raymond committed suicide just few hours after the
authorities found his wife dead at their home in Houston area.
Constable Tim Holifield of Montgomery County Precinct Three told that they were informed about the unfortunate incident, while they were in the middle of investigation at his Houston residence on Friday. The investigators were
told that Raymond’s death was caused due to a single gunshot in his head.
Prior to Raymond’s death, police found his wife, Leslie Anderson Raymond, dead in their Spring, Texas, home around 2:08 p.m. on Friday. Through the initial examination of Mrs. Raymond’s body it was known that her death was not
caused by murder or killing. Infact, it was caused by a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body, generally known as asphyxiation. This happens when the subject fails to breathe normally.
Raymond and his wife studied together at Southern University in New Orleans. His wife had two children from her previous marriage.
Holifield told that the authorities in Montgomery County are working in cooperation with the Jefferson Parrish Sheriff's Office and it’s too early to comment to say anything about the two deaths or whether these have any connection
between them.
Holifield said, "We're not prepared to tell you who's responsible. But certainly Mr. Raymond is a person of interest -- and his death brings about more questions than answers."
According to sources, the case has become extremely complicated with the death of Raymond, because his wife Leslie had asked for divorce in the recent past. Furthermore, it was also known that Raymond got the clue that he would
not be hired as a referee for the next season.
However, Sun Belt coordinator of men's basketball officials Mike Wood said otherwise. Wood said, "We definitely would have used him again this year. He would have made our roster."
The 46 year old Raymond had spent one year in NBA, but was relieved of his duties in 2004 after a reference on his resume was found fallacious. In that reference, Raymond had narrated that he was a member of his school football
team that won the national championship and attended the University of Colorado. Moreover, he also lied about the fact that he used to be a pilot in the United States Air Force.
After getting fired from the NBA, Raymond, initially worked in the Southland and Sun Belt conferences, where he adjudged 17 games.
Raymond’s fellow referee Bobby Bissant was saddened by the news, "I still can't believe it. I haven't been able to sleep since I heard the news. He was a very good official."
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