Former NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman remains tied to a four million dollar wrongful death judgment in Los Angeles, nine years after the death of 30-year-old model Kimberly Fattorini, marca usa reported.
The civil case centers on whether a judge will reduce the joint payout ordered against Merriman and three other defendants. Fattorini died on July 21, 2017, following a night out in Los Angeles.
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Court Filings Reveal Text Messages From That Night
To block any reduction in the sentence, Fattorini’s parents submitted new court documents containing text message exchanges from the night she died, according to legal filings obtained by TMZ.
The papers include conversations attributed to Elias Wehbe, a former nightclub promoter involved in the case. One message featured an invitation to Wehbe’s house to consume cocaine, referred to colloquially as blow.
The parents also maintain that Wehbe knew about a message in which Fattorini warned that a friend had put GHB in her drink. The filing states that Wehbe subsequently saw the intoxicated model leave in an Uber with Merriman.
Autopsy Reveals Accidental Overdose Caused Death
An autopsy determined that Fattorini died from an accidental overdose, listing alcohol, cocaine, and GHB in her system. GHB carries a narrow safety margin, meaning minor dose variations can trigger a coma or respiratory arrest.
In 2019, the victim’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit. A jury found Merriman, Wehbe, and two others responsible in 2025, leading a judge to formalize the four million dollar joint settlement.
Prosecutors Filed No Criminal Charges Against Merriman
During the proceedings, Fattorini’s parents alleged that their daughter may have been drugged and sexually assaulted. Those claims remain part of the family’s civil accusations rather than a criminal conviction.
The death was classified officially as accidental, and prosecutors filed no criminal charges against Merriman. His representative rejected the accusations, noting that a police investigation found no irregularities attributable to the former player.
Merriman retired from the NFL in 2013 after eight seasons as a defensive star for the San Diego Chargers and a brief stint with the Buffalo Bills. Now 42, he works as a television analyst and entrepreneur, leading the mixed martial arts promotion Lights Out Xtreme Fighting while managing a clothing brand and streaming projects.
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