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Maine running back held in connection with stabbing fatality in Florida

Graham Watson

Maine running back Zedric Joseph is being held in connection with a double stabbing that resulted in the death of a 23-year-old man in Florida.

Joseph, 23, was being held at the Richmond County Jail in Augusta, Ga., on Wednesday on warrants for one count of murder and two counts of aggravated assault.

The stabbing occurred Friday. A woman was stabbed in the hand and a man was stabbed multiple times. Both victims were taken to the hospital, and the man, Ricardy Chery, 23, died from his injuries. The woman, Vashti Laurore, 23, was treated and released.

No further information was released and motive for the attack is not known.

“This is very hard to comprehend,” Maine football coach Jack Cosgrove said in a statement. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims and their families and friends connected to this tragedy.”

This isn’t Joseph’s first brush with the law. He was charged 15 months ago with domestic violence assault during an incident on campus.

According to The Bangor Daily News, university police had questioned Joseph on five other occasions regarding various instances and almost all related to either verbal or physical violence.

Joseph, who had exhausted his eligibility, was suspended from Maine on March 8, the day after the stabbing incident. Joseph appeared in five total games from Maine during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He rushed for 143 yards and one touchdown.

He suffered a broken leg on Sept. 14, his first start with the program, and missed the remainder of the season.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter