Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland has died at the age of 24 following a police pursuit in suburban Dallas earlier this month. Authorities reported that Kneeland took his own life after a high-speed chase that reached speeds exceeding 145 mph.
The events unfolded on the evening of November 5, when law enforcement attempted to stop a vehicle they initially believed was stolen. Kneeland’s car was involved in a crash and then abandoned. At that time, authorities were unaware that the driver was the NFL player. Kneeland’s family and friends, concerned after receiving messages in which he said goodbye, had contacted authorities to help locate him.
A Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper began pursuing Kneeland’s car at approximately 10:33 p.m. Other officers indicated in body camera footage that the chase may have reached speeds of up to 160 mph. The vehicle was later located around 10:45 p.m. after colliding with a truck in Frisco. Officers found an empty holster inside the car, raising concerns that the driver could have been armed.
Following the crash, DPS troopers and Frisco police officers conducted a search in nearby wooded areas and drainage tunnels. Officers issued warnings and deployed pepper balls and a drone during the search, but Kneeland was not found in the tunnels. By 1 a.m. on November 6, authorities had confirmed the driver was Kneeland and had briefly questioned his girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, who had been at the scene. She later assisted officers in locating him.
Officers noted during the search that Kneeland had texted farewells to his family, signaling he may have been in distress. Approximately 30 minutes later, Kneeland was found deceased.
Mancera, who is pregnant with the couple’s child, expressed her grief in a social media post, saying, “My sweet boy is really gone. The things that I would do just to hold you one more time and tell you how much you mean to me. But now I have you to watch over me and wait for me on the other side.”
The Dallas Cowboys have established a memorial fund to support Mancera and the couple’s unborn child. Kneeland’s teammates have also paid tribute, with quarterback Dak Prescott saying, “We love Marshawn and will continue to shine a light for him. We’re blessed to carry his light forward.”
