SOUTHWEST RANCHES, Fla. – A former Miami Dolphins cornerback’s cause of death remained a mystery despite Broward County’s release of an 11-page autopsy and investigation report that included details about his alleged drug use to cope with a degenerative brain disease.
Vontae Davis played in the NFL for 10 seasons from 2009 to 2018. Records show he was living in Southwest Ranches when his assistant Valentina Bukharova reported finding him dead, naked, and lying on the floor of his home gym on April 1, 2024, records show.
According to the investigation report, the home security system’s surveillance video showed nothing suspicious, and the driver who dropped off Davis, 35, shortly after 7:20 p.m., March 30, 2024, said he was “acting normal.
FILE – Indianapolis Colts cornerback Vontae Davis (21) gives his gloves to a fan after an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, in Nashville, Tenn. The Colts won 35-33. Former Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts cornerback Vontae Davis was found dead in his South Florida home on Monday, April 1, 2024, but police say no foul play is suspected.(AP Photo/Weston Kenney, File) (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
According to the investigators’ report, Bukharova was aware that Davis was a drug user who often displayed “erratic behavior” such as running back and forth down the hallway several times without reason.
When detectives searched the home, they reported finding a spoon with a burnt marking, drug paraphernalia, pink and white tablets, clear capsules with white powder, and cannabis gummies.
Relatives told investigators Davis had abused alcohol and drugs. The medical examiner included a toxicology report showing Davis tested positive for marijuana and stimulant and psychedelic drugs.
Broward County records (BC)
According to the autopsy report, Davis suffered blunt force injuries, which could be caused by a blow or fall. The injuries were in the head, torso, and arms.
The medical examiner described the injuries to his head as a “linear red abrasion” above the right eye, and blood coming from the scalp on the right side.
The other injuries were “hemorrhage in the deep tissues” of his upper back, a laceration on his right elbow, and an abrasion on his left forearm.
Broward County record (BC)
During the investigation, Megan Harpe reported Davis, her ex-husband, was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a progressive brain disease that results from repeated head trauma, according to the report.
Before playing in the NFL, Davis, who was born in Washington D.C., played football and ran track in high school. The Miami Dolphins drafted him in 2009 after he played football for the University of Illinois.
The couple wed while he was playing for the Indianapolis Colts in 2015. Davis was playing for the Buffalo Bills when he abruptly retired during his first game with the team about three years later.
Harpe, who ran track in college, said Davis started to use alcohol and drugs to cope with the CTE symptoms and then had a DUI record, according to investigators. They divorced in 2023.
The two-time Pro Bowler’s 2024 death was an unsolved mystery. According to the medical examiner’s March 30 report, after the investigation and the autopsy findings, Dr. Rebecca MacDougall did not make a final determination.
“Due to the totality of the circumstances, including inconsistencies between the scene and the findings at autopsy, the cause and manner of death is best classified as undetermined,” MacDougall, the medical examiner, wrote in her March 30 report.
