Rae Carruth's son to celebrate late mother's birthday in Charleston

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tuesday would have been Cherica Adams’ 40th birthday.

The pregnant mother was killed in a murder plot orchestrated by former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth in 1999.

IMAGES of Chancellor and Cherica Adams

Prosecutors argued that Cherica Adams was killed because Carruth wanted her to abort their son, something Carruth denies.

Cherica Adams’ son Chancellor Lee Adams was delivered via emergency C-section before she died.

Chancellor Lee Adams is being raised by his grandmother, Cherica Adams' mother, Saundra Adams.

Today would have been Cherica Adams' 40th birthday. I talked with Cherica's mother, Saundra Adams, today. She told me...
Posted by Erica Bryant Channel 9 on Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Channel 9 anchor Erica Bryant caught up with Saundra Adams by phone and she said that Cherica Adams always liked celebrating birthdays.

RAW: Chancellor Adams meets Erica Bryant

Cherica Adams was planning a big 25th birthday celebration for herself just before she was killed.

Saundra Adams told Bryant that she and Chancellor Lee Adams will celebrate what would have been Cherica Adams' 40th birthday Tuesday in Charleston, South Carolina to pay tribute to the nine victims killed in the shooting at Emanuel AME Church.

"We have many friends in Charleston," Saundra Adams said. "We plan to visit with survivors and relatives of the victims, and hopefully we can try to be of some support and comfort to them."

Carruth is still serving his 19-year prison sentence, with an expected release in 2018.

WATCH: In 2011 Adams talked to Channel 9 about Chancellor's challenges

When Carruth is free, Saundra Adams wants him to be part of Chancellor Lee Adams' life.

“I hope that he will want to see Chancellor because if anyone could turn his heart, it would be Chancellor,” said Saundra Adams. “And, Chancellor deserves the opportunity to meet his father.”

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