Thrashers' Heatley indicted
ATLANTA, July 16 (UPI) -- A grand jury in Georgia indicted the Atlanta Thrashers' Dany Heatley on vehicular homicide charges Friday for a car crash that fatally injured a teammate.
Heatley's car hit a wall at an estimated 80 mph last fall and Dan Snyder, who was a passenger, was thrown from the vehicle. He died six days later from his injuries.
The 23-year-old Heatley, a Thrashers right wing, was indicted by a Fulton County grand jury on a charge of first-degree vehicular homicide, a felony, and other misdemeanor charges. The vehicular homicide charge carries a possible prison sentence of three to 15 years.
Ed Garland, an attorney for Heatley, said the car crash was a "a tragic accident."
Snyder's family has publicly supported Heatley and had asked prosecutors to drop charges against him.
Heatley suffered a broken jaw, bruised kidney and other injuries in the crash. He returned to the Thrashers'lineup in January.
Mike Danton admits guilt in Calif. court
SAN JOSE, Calif., July 16 (UPI) -- A former St. Louis Blues forward pleaded guilty Friday to a murder-for-hire conspiracy charge in a California court.
Mike Danton, 23, faces seven to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 22, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
The Brampton, Ont., native, admitted he tried to have his agent, David Frost, killed -- a plan that failed when the hitman turned out to be a police informant.
Danton's pretrial hearing was set for Monday. His co-defendant, Katie Wolfmeyer, 19, has pleaded not guilty and will be tried in September.
Danton has been jailed since his arrest on April 16 in San Jose, Calif., a day after the San Jose Sharks eliminated the Blues from the NHL playoffs.
A judge has 30 days to decide the length of Danton's sentence. Prosecutors, who recommend a sentence of seven to nine years behind bars, agreed to let Danton serve any possible prison time in his native Canada.
Clemons gets contract extension
CINCINNATI, July 16 (UPI) -- Defensive end Duane Clemons signed a contract extension through 2006 with the Cincinnati Bengals.
ESPN reported Clemons, who is the Bengals' career leader in sacks, will make $2 million annually under the contract signed Thursday. He got a $1.3 million signing bonus, and if he gets eight sacks in any season, he'll make an extra $100,000.
"Duane is excited about this team and excited about the moves it has made this off-season," his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told the Cincinnati Post. "He's excited about being a part of what (Coach Marvin Lewis) is doing and is ready to have a great year. He wasn't interested in becoming a free agent again."
Clemons, 30, had six sacks last season. He signed a two-year contract last May, when he became a free agent. He was drafted in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings in 1996.
Babe's daughter pays to give Yankee award
NEW YORK, July 16 (UPI) -- When Babe Ruth's 87-year-old daughter presented an award at Yankee Stadium she had to pay to get in, the Boston Herald said Friday.
The Yankees blamed the incident on a "publicity-hungry trophy promoter" and had always accommodated Ruth's kin in the past and would continue to do so.
Julia Ruth Stevens, who lives in New Hampshire, went to New York June 5 to present the Babe Ruth Home Run Award to Alex Rodriguez.
Brian Sullivan, co-creator of the award to honor the past season's top home run hitter, complained this week to Yankees owner George Steinbrenner they had to pay their way into the "House That Ruth Built."
"He's lying," said Yankees spokesman Richard Cerrone. "He said, I need seven tickets and I'm happy to pay for them.'"
Cerrone said Sullivan wasn't sure if Stevens' health would even permit her to make the trip when he asked for the tickets.
