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Member of Penn’s 1979 Final Four team found stabbed to death

Former Player Stabbed

FILE - In this March 18, 1979 file photo, Pennsylvania’s Matthew White (21), right, grabs the ball in front of St. John’s Reggie Carter (35) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball East Regional final in Greensboro, N.C. Matthew White was found stabbed in the neck around 12:45 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, 2013 in bed at his home in Philadelphia , police said, and was pronounced dead a short time later. An officer responding to the home for a report of a stabbing found White’s wife, Maria Rey Garcia-Pellon, as she pulled into the driveway, authorities said. As she was being taken into custody, according to a police affidavit, she said, “I caught him looking at pornography, young girls. I love kids. I had to do it.” (AP Photo/Michael O’Brien, File)

AP

Matthew White, the starting center on Penn’s 1979 Final Four team that lost to Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the National Semifinals, was stabbed to death by his wife on Sunday night.

Police found his body around 12:45 p.m. on Monday, according to the AP.

White’s wife, Maria Rey Garcia-Pellon, 52, told police that she discovered her husband looking at pornography, possibly child pornography, although it’s still unclear. On Sunday night, she went to their kitchen to get a glass of water before coming back to bed and hiding two knives under the mattress. When White fell asleep, she stabbed him in the neck, killing him.

Here’s more:

After her husband had fallen asleep, police said, she grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the neck. When he awoke, the two struggled, and the victim collapsed on the bed after saying “I’m dying, I’m dying,” police said. Garcia-Pellon then allegedly changed her clothing and left the home.

[...]

Investigators said they interviewed a friend of Garcia-Pellon, who told them she had come to her house Monday afternoon and said she had stabbed her 53-year-old husband after catching him viewing pornography - possibly child pornography - on the computer. The friend called police.

[...]

As she was being taken into custody, according to a police affidavit, she said, “I caught him looking at pornography, young girls. I love kids. I had to do it.”


White is still the career leader in field goal percentage for the Quakers.

His former coach from the 1979 team, Bob Weinhauer, said in a statement: “It was an honor to have been his coach at Penn and to see him develop into a great defensive player and an important member of the 1979 Final Four team. Obviously this is a very difficult time for all who knew Matt, but I prefer to remember his playing the piano in hotels we stayed in on the road or assisting me in coaching the alumni game last year at Penn.”

“Matt will always be remembered as a true supporter of Penn Athletics. I am very sad that he has left us so soon.”

You can find Rob on twitter @RobDauster.