Jasper Howard, Jon Fenlon, Rick Brown and Daniel Langdon All Depart This Earth After Athletic Endeavors, Could It Just Be In The Stars? ~by Seeker

It was simply a bad weekend for athletes. First there was the Connecticut football player who met his maker. Then it was the runners in a Detroit race. Just why was it such a bad weekend? Before we blame it on the stars, lets look at some more terrestrial facts.

Jasper Howard was a corner back for Connecticut. They had just beaten Louisville. He called his mom after the game and told her that he had been awarded the game winning ball. Life was good. Then at 12:33 a.m., after a sponsored student dance on campus, Jasper's life ended after he was stabbed to death. Watch Family Reaction.

To make matters worse, Howard, 20, was a soon-to-be dad. So how could such a thing happen? At the university student center dance, a fire alarm was pulled at about 12:26 a.m. More than 300 dance attendees left the building and spilled out into the street. Suddenly, two groups of people began to fight. Next thing any one knows, Howard had been stabbed by an unidentified person at 12:33 a.m. Howard and another victim were taken to a local hospital. Howard was airlifted by helicopter to St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, where he was pronounced dead. The other victim was treated and released.

University police and the Connecticut State Police currently do not have a suspect. Similarly there were deaths in Detroit this weekend without a clear victim to blame.

Specifically, three runners in Detroit died during or shortly after a race and the public wants to know why. This was the 32nd annual Free Press/Flagstar Marathon in Detroit. 26-year-old Jon Fenlon collapsed at the finish line. 65-year-old Rick Brown and 36-year-old Daniel Langdon collapsed between the 11- and 12-mile mark at a rest station. All three were running in the half marathon (13.1 miles.) 3 Runners Die.

Did the runners die because of lack of qualified personnel? The race director says there were 60 medical professionals along the route, including 14 doctors. Each man apparently received medial assistance within seconds of their collapse. All three were taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital. Jon Fenlon was from Waterford, Michigan. In 2006 he caught a home run ball hit by the Detroit Tigers Magglio Ordonez in a game against the A's. The Tigers went on to the world series. He was a 2007 graduate of Eastern Michigan University. He worked at Campbell- Ewald in advertising. Daniel Langdon was Laingsburg. Langdon was celebrating his 36th birthday. Rick Brown was a resident of Mariette, Ohio. He was an experienced runner. He was at the race with his wife and friends from a running club. While heart disease is the suspected killer, an autopsy will be done to confirm the identity of the killer. In 1994, a 42 year old died at this same race which of course brings up discussion of a possible serial killer. Those interesting in seeing the scene of the crime may view: http://www.freepmarathon.com/.

Keep in mind, that all suspects, including heart disease are to be presumed innocent until such time as there is a legal decision to the contrary.