Chiefs players observe a moment of silence prior to the start of their game against the Panthers at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo, Dec. 2, 2012. (DAVE KAUP/Reuters)
It was a teammate who introduced Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher to the woman he would murder before killing himself Saturday.
Running back Jamaal Charles' wife, Whitney, was a first cousin of Kasandra Perkins. Thus, Charles lost not only a teammate and friend in Belcher, but a family member in Perkins.
"Our family has suffered a personal tragic loss," Charles and his wife said Monday in a statement.
"As this is a very tough time for our family, I ask that we are respected as we grieve. Kasandra was not only family, but a friend and a loving mother. As my actual family and my Kansas City Chiefs family have been altered forever, we ask that you keep us and most importantly their child in prayer."
