Pasadena football player suspected of murder found shot in Upland

Ben Baeder, Staff Writer
Created: 05/19/2009 10:49:45 PM PDT

A convicted sex offender who once played on Pasadena City College's football team while wearing a government-issued GPS ankle bracelet and was suspected of a recent murder has been found mortally wounded in an Upland apartment.

Authorities found Darryl Stephens, 24, in an Upland apartment Sunday suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.

He died Monday at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, according to Deputy Coroner Andrew Avery of the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department. An autopsy is planned but has not been scheduled, Avery said.

Stephens was a suspect in the May 5 slaying of Darron Henderson in an unincorporated area near San Bernardino on Third Avenue north of 41st Street, authorities said.

"Stephens was wanted for the murder of Henderson," said Jodi Miller, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Department.

Henderson, 30, of Rialto was trying to stop a fight between two parties when Larry Caldwell, a transient who once lived in Pasadena, pulled out a gun, according to sheriff's statement.

Stephens then took the gun from Caldwell and shot Henderson, according to the statement. Henderson died at the scene.

Caldwell was arrested Sunday in Rialto, according to a sheriff's statement.

Authorities are still investigating the deaths of both men Miller said.

Stephens made news in Pasadena in September when he was found to be playing on the Pasadena City College football team while wearing the bracelet. He had previously been convicted of assault with intent to commit rape in concert with another using force or fear.

The incident was first reported in the PCC Courier, the school's newspaper.

Pasadena City College placed its head football coach, Kenny Lawler, on paid administrative leave and launched an internal investigation into the incident.

Lawler was hired in 2006, becoming PCC's first black head football coach.