Former NFL DL Justin Bannan Found Guilty of Attempted Murder, 1st-Degree Assault

Former NFL defensive lineman Justin Bannan was found guilty Friday of attempted murder and first-degree assault for shooting a woman in Boulder, Colorado, in 2019.

According to Tom Schad of USA Today, Bannan shot acupuncturist Ashley Marie as she walked into a treatment room Bannan was located in. The woman suffered a fractured humerus but survived.

Bannan had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, saying that head injuries suffered through years of playing football had damaged his brain.

Police said they found a rolled-up $20 bill containing traces of cocaine on Bannan's person when they arrested him, resulting in prosecutors arguing that Bannan was voluntarily intoxicated at the time of the shooting but not insane.

According to Schad, "Bannan, 42, told police he was hiding from the Russian mafia when he entered acupuncturist Ashley Marie's treatment room in Boulder, Colorado, then shot her when she opened the door." 

Marie, who played college basketball at Colorado State, has also filed a civil lawsuit against Bannan and Black Lab Sports, a sports tech firm co-founded by Bannan and located in the same building as Element 6 acupuncture.

Those found guilty of attempted murder can spend between 16 and 48 years in prison in Colorado.

Bannan was originally a fifth-round pick by the Buffalo Bills out of the University of Colorado in the 2002 NFL draft.

He went on to spend 12 seasons in the NFL from 2002 to 2013 with the Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions.

All told, Bannan appeared in 163 games and made 72 starts, recording 313 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and one interception.