Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy’s domestic-abuse case was abruptly dismissed Monday because his accuser could not be found to testify.
The prosecution said repeated attempts to reach Nicole Holder, Hardy’s ex-girlfriend, failed and the domestic violence charges were dismissed.
Hardy left the courthouse without comment.
“Due to the circumstances of this case, the victim’s testimony would have been critical evidence for the jury to consider,” District Attorney Andrew Murray said in a statement Monday. “The victim appears to have made herself unavailable to the state.”
The district attorney’s office said it has “reliable information” that Holder and Hardy have reached a civil settlement.
“To prosecute domestic violence cases, we encourage domestic violence victims to not only report domestic violence but to participate in every level of the prosecution,” Murray said outside the courthouse in Charlotte, North Carolina. “We need that participation in order to gain justice for not only victims of domestic violence, but for this community.”
Hardy was convicted last summer of assaulting and threatening to kill his former girlfriend. He appealed the ruling and was assigned for a jury trial that was to start Monday morning at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse in Charlotte.
Hardy requested the jury trial on July 15 after Mecklenburg District Court Judge Rebecca Thorne Tin found the 2013 Pro Bowl selection guilty. Under North Carolina law, his appeal set aside the guilty verdict.
Hardy played only one game last season but received $13.1 million from Carolina after being designated the franchise tag in February. He was placed on the inactive roster in Week 2 and then put on the commissioner’s exempt list before Week 3 until his case was resolved.
An NFL spokesman said Hardy’s status with the league “remains unchanged until we fully review the matter.”
A Panthers spokesman said the team has no comment until it has reviewed all the facts.
Ravens respect Lewis’ decision to sell ring
The Baltimore Ravens said Monday that they understood the decision of Jamal Lewis to sell an honorary Super Bowl ring they gave the former running back.
Lewis, one of seven players in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards, sold the Super Bowl ring at auction for $50,820 on Sunday.
Lewis, who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens during the 2000 season, had been one of several Ravens legends to receive rings after Baltimore beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.
Lewis, who signed contracts worth more than $30 million during his nine-year NFL career with Baltimore and the Cleveland Browns, declared for bankruptcy in 2012. He listed $14.5 million in assets and $10.6 million in debts, according to the Baltimore Sun.
The 35-year-old owed debts to several companies for not repaying loans associated with failed real estate projects and a trucking business, the Sun reported.
In a statement Monday, the team said, “Jamal Lewis informed us that he was forced to sell the Super Bowl XLVII ring due to financial difficulties. We understand and respect his decision.”
Lewis helped the Ravens win the Super Bowl as a rookie in 2000 and he rushed for 2,066 yards in 2003 — a number that stands as No. 3 in NFL history behind Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 in 1984 and Adrian Peterson’s 2,097 in 2012.
Lewis also served four months in prison in a drug-dealing case in 2005, returning to the Ravens in time for the season.
Favre will have No. 4 retired at Lambeau
Brett Favre announced on his website Monday that he will return to Lambeau Field in 2015 to be inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and have his No. 4 jersey retired by the team.
Six years removed from the franchise he represented for 16 years, the Packers previously announced that Favre will be inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 18, during the annual banquet at Lambeau Field. Also that night, the uniform No. 4 that he wore for the Packers from 1992 to 2007 will be retired.
Favre and the franchise have been in the process of healing an acrimonious divorce that occurred when the team moved forward with Aaron Rodgers as the quarterback. But tension between Favre and the Packers have cooled since his retirement from the NFL after the 2010 season.
“I’m pleased to announce that I will be returning to Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 2015 for induction into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and retirement of my jersey,” Favre wrote on his official website. “It was a tremendous honor to play 16 years for the Green Bay Packers. Now to have my name placed among others such as Starr, Hornung, Kramer, Taylor, Lambeau, Nitschke, Lombardi, Davis, White and Hutson is a special honor that I share with all of my teammates and coaches, and that would not have been possible but for the foresight of Ron Wolf, the greatest GM In the history of the NFL.
“I’m truly looking forward to celebrating and sharing this special moment with all of the great fans of the Green Bay Packers. Go Packers!”