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Lawrence Phillips Found Dead In His Prison Cell

9 Sep 1999: Lawrence Phillips #3 of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball during the game against the New Orleans Saints at 3Com Park in San Francisco, California. The 49ers defeated the Saints 28-21. Mandatory Credit: Jon Ferrey /Allsport

Former NFL running back Lawrence Phillips was found dead in his prison cell on Wednesday morning. There is suspicion that it was a suicide.

Phillips was initially convicted of felony assault in 2006 after he allegedly drove his car into three teenagers. During that sentence, he was found guilty of assault with great bodily injury, false imprisonment, making a criminal threat, and auto theft, stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend.

Then in April 2015, Phillips was found guilty of the murder of his cellmate Damion Soward. Following that verdict, Phillips was potentially facing the death penalty. Despite that, his possible suicide comes as a surprise to those who had dealt with him.

“There was nothing about his demeanor that made me think he was suicidal at all, or depressed,’’ Jesse Whitten, Phillips attorney, told USA TODAY Sports. “He was very confident about winning this case and he was even optimistic about his appeal on his prior cases.’’

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The legal battles may have taken a toll on Phillips, though.

“I do think it was hard for him to sit there and listen to people accuse him of this stuff,” Whitten said. “He was frustrated after the hearing.”

Photo: 9 Sep 1999: Lawrence Phillips #3 of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball during the game against the New Orleans Saints at 3Com Park in San Francisco, California. The 49ers defeated the Saints 28-21. Mandatory Credit: Jon Ferrey /Allsport

Joe Kozlowski