Doctor who was fatally shot wrote about fragility of life
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Robert Lesslie, the South Carolina physician and author who authorities say was killed along with three family members and a repairman by former San Francisco 49ers player Phillip Adams, frequently wrote of the fragility of life and a deepseated Christian faith that guided him personally and professionally.
“I know without a doubt that life is fragile,” the 70year-old doctor wrote in one of his books, a collection of missives he termed “inspiring true stories” from his work. “I have come to understand that humility may be the greatest virtue. And I am convinced we need to take the time to say the things we deeply feel to the people we deeply care about.”
On his blog, Lesslie wrote: “Life is uncertain. Things happen. Lives are unexpectedly changed or ended. And it happens suddenly.”
Lesslie’s lessons on faith were passed down to his children, as was evident in a statement from his family that law enforcement shared at a news conference Thursday, a day after the attack. Even in their grief, the family said their “hearts are bent toward forgiveness and peace,” York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson told reporters. He said they were also praying for the family of Adams, a former NFL journeyman who authorities say shot and killed himself early Thursday after officers surrounded his parents’ home.
According to police, Adams went to the home of Robert and Barbara Lesslie on Wednesday and shot and killed them; two of their grandchildren, 9-year-old Adah Lesslie and 5-year-old Noah Lesslie; and James Lewis, 38, an air-conditioning technician who was doing work there.
Adams also allegedly shot Lewis’ colleague, 38year-old Robert Shook, who was “fighting hard for his life” in the hospital, said a cousin, Heather Smith Thompson.
Tolson said investigators had not figured out why Adams would have carried out the attack. “There’s nothing right now that makes sense to any of us,” he said.
A person briefed on the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly said Robert Lesslie had treated Adams, who lived with his parents not far from the Lesslies’ home.
Tolson would not confirm that Adams had been the doctor’s patient.
Having practiced medicine in Rock Hill for more than three decades, Lesslie had indeed treated many of its residents. State Rep. Gary Simrill said that after years in emergency medicine, the doctor founded two urgent care centers that were the opposite of what many might expect from a quick-service practice.
“People developed a great relationship with him because he wasn’t just the doctor that saw you,” Simrill said. “He was the doctor that got to know you.”
Among his patients were Trent Faris, the spokesman for the York County Sheriff ’s Office, and Adams’ father, Alonzo Adams.
Tolson said evidence left at the shooting scene led investigators to Adams as a suspect. He said they went to Adams’ parents’ home, evacuated them and then tried to persuade Adams to come out. Eventually, they found him dead of a single gunshot wound to the head in a bedroom, he said.
Adams, 32, played in 78 NFL games over six seasons for six teams. He joined the 49ers in 2010 as a seventhround draft pick from South Carolina State, and though he rarely started, he went on to play for New England, Seattle, Oakland and the New York Jets before finishing his career with the Atlanta Falcons in 2015.
As a rookie late in the 2010 season, Adams suffered a severe ankle injury that required surgery, including several screws being inserted into his leg. He never played for the 49ers again, being released just before the 2011 season began. Later, with the Raiders, he had two concussions over three games in 2012.
Whether he suffered long-lasting concussion-related injuries wasn’t clear. Adams would not have been eligible for testing as part of a settlement between the league and former players over such injuries, because he hadn’t retired by 2014.
Adams’ father told a Charlotte, N.C., television station that he blamed football for his son’s problems, which might have led him to commit Wednesday’s violence. “I can say he’s a good kid — he was a good kid, and I think the football messed him up,” Alonzo Adams said. “He didn’t talk much, and he didn’t bother nobody.”