Newz Forum: COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Seattle men arrested; no motive available

MOSCOW, Idaho -- Police were still tracking down leads in the death of a University of Idaho cornerback, including the possibility that the shooting was revenge for a post-game brawl.

On Thursday, prosecutors in Latah County issued warrants for two Seattle brothers, currently being held in Washington state, in connection with the slaying of Eric McMillan, 19. The shooting occurred the day after Washington State beat Idaho 49-8 in Pullman, Wash.

McMillan was pronounced dead early Monday at an area hospital, Moscow police Capt. Cam Hershaw said. McMillan was a starting cornerback for the Vandals and played Saturday against Washington State. A motive for the shooting was not immediately clear.

On Thursday, Idaho police were still tracking down numerous leads in the case, including the possibility that the shooting was revenge for a post-game brawl.

Prosecutors in Latah County issued warrants for two Seattle brothers, currently being held in Washington state, in connection with the slaying. The shooting occurred the day after Washington State beat Idaho 49-8 in Pullman, Wash.

Idaho players will wear a decal with McMillan's initials on their helmets when they play at Oregon on Saturday, coach Nick Holt said Tuesday.

Holt canceled practice Monday, but said returning Tuesday would be a form of therapy for the Vandals.

"Practice might be the best thing for what our team is going through," Holt said in a conference call. "I know Eric would want us to practice.

"He was a competitor and he would want us to compete."

A memorial service is planned Wednesday in Moscow, and Oregon officials have asked Holt if the Vandals would like a moment of silence for McMillan prior to the game, Holt said.

"We thought that would be a good idea if it is available to us," Holt said.

Police responding to a report of gunshots Sunday afternoon arrived at McMillan's house to find someone had already taken him to the hospital, Hershaw said.

Based on a description and license plate number given by witnesses who saw a car speeding from McMillan's home, sheriff's deputies pursued the vehicle, officials said.

A spike strip across a highway ended the chase several hours and jurisdictions later. Matthew R. Wells II, 27, and James J. Wells, 25, of Seattle, were arrested Sunday night on Interstate 90 near Vantage, Wash., about 150 miles west of Moscow.

The brothers, former football standouts at a high school in Seattle, were being held in a Washington jail for investigation of felony attempted eluding. Bail was set at $75,000 each, prosecutor Denis Tracy said.

Arrest warrants for first-degree murder were issued for the men from Latah County, Idaho.

McMillan's friends and relatives struggled with the grim news.

"We'll deal with this as a football family and get through this together," Idaho coach Nick Holt said.

"We're all baffled," Idaho sports information director Becky Paull said.

McMillan, a redshirt freshman from Murrieta, Calif., had three tackles in Idaho's 49-8 loss to Washington State on Saturday. He is survived by two sisters, one of whom is his twin, Paull said.

"If you wanted a son, you'd pick Eric McMillan. He affected everybody he was around," said McMillan's former high school coach, Wally Clark. "He had a bubbly personality, a huge white smile, no enemies. Teachers used him as an example: This is what you want to become."

A former high school teammate said the Wells brother were good students and good athletes.

"Everybody is still shellshocked right now," Adrian Conley told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.