FBI, DA to review Harrison case

Just when you thought you'd never see the words "Marvin Harrison" and "shooting" in the same sentence again ...

The Inquirer linked earlier today to an exhaustive article in the new issue of GQ that retells the 2008 North Philly shooting that was linked to Harrison, the once-great Indianapolis Colts wide receiver.

As someone who covered that case extensively, I can't say there's much in the way of new information. The author of the GQ article, Jason Fagone, tells the story well, albeit mainly from the view of Robert Nixon, the second man who claimed he was wounded by Harrison in 2008.

I made a few calls tonight, for the hell of it, and found that there are two new developments in the old case, although neither is earth-shattering:

The FBI is working with Philadelphia homicide detectives to review a 2008 shooting that was linked to former NFL star Marvin Harrison, authorities said tonight.
The case seemed to have reached a controversial end point last January, when then-District Attorney Lynne Abraham declined to press charges against Harrison, who was accused of wounding two local men, Dwight Dixon and Robert Nixon.
Dixon claimed Harrison shot him in the hand after the two tussled near a North Philadelphia garage Harrison owned on April 29, 2008.
Nixon claimed he was wounded in the back by a stray bullet that was fired from Harrison's gun. Both men filed civil lawsuits against Harrison, the once-prolific Indianapolis Colts wide receiver.
Ballistics evidence proved shell casings at the crime scene had been fired by Harrison's Belgian-made firearm. Still, Abraham declined to press charges, citing numerous conflicting and contradictory statements made by Harrison, Dixon and Nixon.
Dixon was riddled with gunfire on July 21 in Fairmount, two blocks away from Harrison's bar, Playmakers. He died Sept. 4; the case is unsolved.
Special Agent J.J. Klaver, an FBI spokesman, said agents are reviewing the 2008 case with police. Detectives were told several weeks ago to prepare the original case files to be reviewed by new District Attorney Seth Williams, a source said.

So there you have it. The wild card here is Williams, who would send shockwaves through the city -- and certainly the sports world -- if he decided to take his chances in court and criminally charge Harrison, something Abraham was unwilling to do.