Convicted steroids dealer David Jacobs found dead in Plano home
By JASON TRAHAN and RICHARD ABSHIRE / The Dallas Morning News
Convicted steroids dealer David Jacobs, who recently agreed to tell the NFL which football players received banned substances he manufactured, was found dead in his Plano home this morning.
The body of a woman identified as Amanda Jo Earhart-Savell, 30, and a gun were also found at the home.
Police received a missing-person call this morning shortly after midnight from the family of the dead woman, said Plano police spokesman Rick McDonald. The family said she might be at the house on Honey Creek.
Police arrived to found the two dead inside from apparent gunshot wounds. Authorities were not saying whether this was a murder-suicide.
"We're not speculating," Officer McDonald said. "It's a high-profile case. They're not going to leave anything unturned."
About 11:30 a.m., four men in ski masks and raid jackets with "police" on the back — indicating they may be undercover narcotics officers — arrived at the busy scene and entered the home with a cart to carry documents.
The Dallas Morning News spoke to Mr. Jacobs frequently and exchanged e-mails with him as recently as this weekend. He was interested in getting on with his life after accepting a plea deal for three years of probation on charges related to his steroids trafficking.
Mr. Jacobs said he wanted to rebuild his nutritional supplement business, but he was having trouble getting his old client base to work with him. He also was having financial problems, but the former Marine seemed to be in good spirits.
Art Atwood, a nationally noted bodybuilder and former close friend of Mr. Jacobs, is himself awaiting sentencing on charges related to steroids trafficking. He said Thursday such stresses and pressures are "a recipe for disaster."
He described Mr. Jacobs as a passionate man. "Whatever he did it was 100 percent. Full blaze on."
His attorney, Hank Hockeimer, said early Thursday he had not yet been briefed on the situation at the home.
On May 21, Mr. Jacobs met with NFL security officials to share information about steroids use and their football players.
Mr. Jacobs has publicly accused ex-Dallas Cowboys lineman Matt Lehr of buying large quantities of banned substances, but has never for the record named other football players who received the steroids he manufactured.
Mr. Hockeimer said this of the meeting at the time:
"The general topic was his knowledge of steroid and human growth hormone use by current and former players. They were thorough in their questioning. David provided them with documents corroborating what he was telling them."
Mr. Hockeimer would not say which players were discussed. But he said Mr. Jacobs provided documentary evidence of claims he was making.
At the time of Mr. Jacobs' alleged transactions with Mr. Lehr, the football player was playing for the Atlanta Falcons. He is now signed with the New Orleans Saints.
Mr. Lehr's attorney, Paul Coggins, has said prosecutors have informed him that Mr. Lehr will not be indicted in the Jacobs case.
Federal agents had been investigating Mr. Lehr for alleged distribution to other players, but have not commented on his status, other than to say the case is ongoing.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello at the time declined to comment on the meeting between Mr. Jacobs and league officials. He did say that the league was not paying Mr. Jacobs for his information.
Outside the Sherman federal courthouse, having just been sentenced on May 1, Mr. Jacobs said that he wanted to share his knowledge of testing loopholes and the prevalence of performance enhancing-drug use with the NFL to "clean up" the game.
Mr. Jacobs imported raw powder from China and made steroids, which he sold through a network that investigators believe could be one of the largest in the United States.
His six co-defendants were either personal trainers or amateur bodybuilders.
