What Happened To Steve McNair? Death Case of NFL Star Showcased in Netflix Documentary

The latest episode of “Untold” on Netflix, which premiered on August 20, delves into the tragic 2009 murder-suicide involving former NFL player Steve “Air” McNair.

The 58-minute documentary examines McNair’s notable NFL career, particularly his Super Bowl run with the Tennessee Titans in 2000, and investigates lingering questions about his death, including potential discrepancies in the Nashville police’s handling of the case.

“One of our main objectives was to just lay all the information out as objectively as possible, and to show his full life, which includes his death,” Untold co-producer Taylor Ward told.

“There’s some mystery around it and it’s fascinating to people… There’s equal screen time given to his life as well as the investigation surrounding his death.”

Rodney Lucas, a co-producer of the documentary, expressed gratitude for the involvement of Steve McNair’s family in the project.

Their participation was crucial in providing insights and perspectives on McNair’s life and the circumstances surrounding his death.

“We were fortunate to have the blessing of enough people connected with Steve to know that we were the real deal and weren’t just out looking for the juiciest hit piece,” he said. “There was a real level of diligence done with this.”

What Happened To Steve McNair?

After retiring from the NFL, Steve McNair began an affair with Jenni Kazemi, whom he met while she was working at Dave & Buster’s.

Kazemi, then 19, had faced significant personal trauma, including the murder of her mother when she was 9. She emigrated to the U.S. from Iran at the age of 13, as reported.

“They started to really fall for each other, and it was genuine,” said Emily Andrews, a friend of Kazemi and her roommate at the time, in the documentary.

“They had conversations about adopting kids one day together and really building a life together.” They also had allegedly been looking at houses.

During his affair with Jenni Kazemi, Steve McNair remained married to his wife Mechelle.

Despite being in a committed relationship, McNair did not make significant efforts to conceal his fling with Kazemi.

They traveled together to destinations like Las Vegas and Florida, visited McNair’s farm in Mississippi, and introduced each other to their families, according to Kazemi’s friends.

According to investigation documents obtained, Jenni Kazemi told friends and family that Steve McNair planned to divorce his wife and marry her.

Additionally, McNair was involved in financial support for Kazemi, including cosigning for the purchase of her black Cadillac Escalade.

Jenni Kazemi confronted Steve McNair after seeing another woman leaving his condo. McNair reassured her that she was his only partner.

However, just days before their deaths, Kazemi discovered used condoms in McNair’s apartment.

On July 1, the same day she made this discovery, Kazemi also approached Adrian Gilliam Jr., a man she had known for only a few weeks, about purchasing a gun.

Although Metro Police initially thought their acquaintance was brief, it was later reported that they had known each other for several weeks.

On July 2, Jenni Kazemi was arrested for DUI after being pulled over with Steve McNair and one of his friends.

She refused a breath test and was subsequently taken into custody, while McNair and his friend were allowed to leave. McNair arranged for her bail, but witnesses noted Kazemi’s frustration that he did not pick her up himself.

On July 3, the day before their deaths, Kazemi texted McNair multiple times, expressing panic and physical symptoms from stress.

By that afternoon, she was seeking a time to meet with McNair after finalizing arrangements to purchase a gun.

That night at work, Kazemi allegedly told her shift manager,

“My life is just shit and I should end it.”

Who Killed Steve McNair?

Investigators concluded that Steve McNair’s death was a murder-suicide carried out by his girlfriend, Sahel “Jenni” Kazemi.

According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, Kazemi shot McNair four times before taking her own life at a Nashville apartment.

The police attributed the motive to relationship and financial pressures, noting that Kazemi was struggling with money problems and facing calls from bill collectors.

“I know she was stressed out,” her ex-boyfriend, Keith Norfleet, told police at the time. “I know Jenni, and she’s never been stressed out like that before.”

Kazemi ended her relationship with Norfleet in the same month she met Steve McNair. However, they rekindled their relationship in the months leading up to their deaths.

Police interrogated Norfleet after he posted a cryptic quote on his MySpace profile:

“Never let anything or anyone come in between you and the one you love because when you do you lose everything.”

In “Untold”, Norfleet admitted that he was still in love with Jenni Kazemi and was heartbroken to learn she was involved with Steve McNair, whom he considered his favorite player.

During the investigation, Norfleet told police he was unaware of the apartment where McNair and Kazemi were found dead.