Over the weekend as football fans tuned into the 2015 NFL Draft with much anticipation, relatives and friends of 29-year-old Brittany Mills were forced to say goodbye to the woman fondly remembered her for her “big, beautiful, brilliant smile.”
On Friday, April 24, Mills, who was eight months pregnant, was gunned down after opening the door of her Baton Rouge apartment. According to NOLA.com, investigators arrived at the home to find Mills “suffering from several gunshot wounds to her torso.” The expectant mother was rushed to a local hospital where her unborn child was delivered. Mills died from her injuries. The baby boy she was carrying survived delivery but died days later, according to WAFB.
It has been reported by investigators that former Louisiana State University offensive lineman La’el Collins, 21, was romantically involved with Mills in the past. It is unclear how long ago and for how long Collins and Mills were involved, but some reports have indicated that Collins may be the father of the baby.
Investigators have made it clear that Collins is not currently a suspect in Mills’ murder, but he is wanted for questioning in connection to the shooting. Collins was expected to be a first-round draft pick during this weekend’s NFL Draft; however, due to the timing of Mills’ unfortunate passing, he went undrafted.
“We’re looking to get in touch with Mr. Collins to question him about the (shooting),” said Baton Rouge Police Cpl. Don Coppola Jr. said Tuesday. “Again we’re not pursuing him as a suspect, but we know he had some type of relationship with Mills. As part of the investigation, we would like to sit down with him, and ask him who may be responsible for this.”
While in Chicago for the draft, Collins decided to leave the Windy City to meet with investigators in Baton Rouge. He is expected to sit down with police on Monday.
“We took the investigation seriously,” Collins’ attorney Jim Boren told ESPN. “We’ve tried to rule him out as a suspect. We’re going to provide that information to the police, and ultimately [Collins] will sit down and talk to them. But the timing is poor.”
Mills was laid to rest on Saturday, May 2 at New Mt. Olive Baptist Church. Approximately 250 people gathered to say their “goodbyes.”
“If you knew Brittney, you know that you saw her big, beautiful, brilliant smile before you saw her,” a family friend said prior to reading Mills’ obituary.
“When I look at you and your smile, I see your mom,” Mills’ high school classmate, Chanel Overton, told Mills’ daughter, Kamille.
It is unclear at this time whether or not investigators will have Collins submit to a DNA in order to determine paternity of the baby.
“I don’t know if we’re going to require if he does that,” said Baton Rouge Police Cpl. L’Jean McKneely.
Relatives of the victim are hoping that Collins is able to provide investigators with information that will help track down her killer.
“If he does have answers, I’m hoping that he can help in any way that he can to solve this,” said Mills’ sister, Tia Mills. “I can’t understand who would want her dead.”
Mills leaves behind her only child, Kamille.
Follow Jazmine on Twitter @JazmineDenise
