Montana State ex-athletes charged with murder

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Montana State University will take a “serious look at itself,” including its recruiting process, after two former athletes were charged with murder, university President Geoff Gamble said Friday.

The second of those two former athletes, one-time redshirt football player John LeBrum, made an initial appearance in Justice Court on Friday. Bail was set at $1 million for LeBrum, as it had been a day earlier for Branden Miller, a former basketball player. Both LeBrum and Miller are charged with murder in the death last week of Jason Cody Wright, a suspected cocaine dealer whose body was found June 23 at a university farm.

Gamble, who called the case “probably the most significant in my experience as an administrator,” said he assembled the campus’ senior leadership team Thursday to take a closer look at what the university is doing, including in recruiting.

Neither LeBrum nor Miller completed their degrees, he said, and both were dropped from their teams – Miller for low grades and LeBrum for violating team rules, according to MSU’s sports information director.

“As an educator, that’s very troubling for me,” said Gamble, adding that officials have an obligation to help all the students brought on campus succeed.

Other concerns raised by the case include security on campus and whether there are any systemic issues that may have led to problems, Gamble said. Of particular concern to Gamble is what he called the drug culture.

Court records state a former assistant basketball coach at Montana State told investigators Miller had been in possession of handguns and Wright’s ID card. Gamble said school officials are waiting to hear more from investigators.