The testimony from two financial experts was part of the defense effort to chip away at the football player's alleged motive for murdering his pregnant girlfriend. The prosecution claims Carruth, already saddled with $5,000 monthly payments to a son in California, masterminded the drive-by shooting of Cherica Adams to avoid paying more child support.

Forensic accountant Adrian Barnett cast that theory in doubt Monday when he testified that the wide receiver had a net worth of $368,000 in November 1999 when Adams was shot. He noted that Carruth's financial situation had actually improved slightly since May when, according to witnesses, Carruth learned of Adams' pregnancy and seemed pleased.

Barnett, a former IRS agent, told jurors that Carruth was living well within his means. He made nearly $55,000 per month while his living expenses totaled just $9,500.

"Is there any indication Rae Carruth was in any financial difficulty in November 1999?" defense attorney David Rudolf asked.

"No, sir," Barnett replied.

Prosecutors remained silent during most of the financial testimony. Near the end of Barnett's turn on the stand, however, prosecutor David Graham made two attempts — barely veiled as objections — to keep the victim fresh in jurors' minds.

When Barnett referred briefly to the shooting as an "incident," Graham shouted, "Objection, your honor. This is not an incident. This is a murder."

When Barnett began describing what Carruth's finances would have been like had Adams not been killed, Graham objected again, saying, "Objection, unless he can bring Cherica back from the dead."

Judge Charles Lamm overruled both objections and later, out of the presence of the jury, told both sides to save their speeches for closing arguments.

The defense also deflated suggestions by Adams' family that Carruth became worried about money after an ankle injury sidelined him. His former financial manager, Erika Worthy, testified that Carruth had a disability insurance policy with Lloyd's of London. If he suffered a career-ending injury, Worthy said, the insurance company would pay him $1 million tax-free.

Worthy, who asked that pictures of her face not be broadcast, also proved an unexpected character witness for Carruth. She said she spoke with him over the telephone on a daily basis and found him unfailingly polite.

"Even though I worked for him, he never expected anything. It was always 'please' and 'thank you,'" she said.

She added, "He's always very thoughtful and very intuitive to people's feelings."

She said that while her relationship with Carruth was strictly professional, they talked at some length about his 6-year-old son, Rae Jr., who lives in California with his mother, a high school acquaintance of Carruth.

According to Worthy, the football player religiously paid his monthly child support and even set up a trust fund for the boy. She said Carruth complained that he was never allowed to spend any private time with the child because his mother was always present.

"He didn't like that. He was very upset about that," Worthy said.