Source: OL La'el Collins leaving draft in attempt to clear his name

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Wednesday, April 29, 2015

LSU offensive lineman La'el Collins is voluntarily leaving Chicago and the NFL draft to return to Louisiana to meet with police, who want to talk to him about the shooting death of a pregnant woman in Baton Rouge, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Police said Tuesday that Collins is not believed to be a suspect in last week's death of Brittney Mills, but they want to talk to Collins to see if he can provide them with information.

A source told Schefter that Collins is leaving the draft in an effort to clear his name.

Mills, 29, was found shot to death in her apartment Friday night. She was rushed to the hospital, where her infant was delivered.

Police believe Mills is the former girlfriend of Collins and are trying to determine who killed her, and whether Collins is the father of the child delivered after Mills' death.

Collins' attorney, Jim Boren, said Tuesday he is taking the police investigation seriously, has provided information to the police and has hired a private investigator.

"We have identified where La'el was the day the lady was murdered to establish he was nowhere around," Boren told ESPN. "We have offered to give names, witnesses who can vouch for his whereabouts that day until after the woman's body was discovered. We believe that when [police] have verified that information, that they will rule him out as a suspect in the homicide, just as I believe he should be."

Collins was one of 27 prospects scheduled to attend Thursday's first round of the draft.

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