Woman, 20, Is Fatally Shot in Hearns’ Home : Boxer Says Fight Won’t Be Affected; Brother at Police Station in Michigan

LAS VEGAS —  An unidentified woman was shot to death in a bedroom of boxer Thomas Hearns’ home in Southfield, Mich., Saturday night, and six witnesses were being questioned, police said.

One of the boxer’s brothers was at the police station, accompanied by defense attorney Neil Fink, but Southfield Police Officer Gary Conat refused to say if Henry Hearns, about 19, was among those being questioned, the Associated Press reported.

Lt. Lloyd Collins of the Southfield Police Department told The Times early Sunday that police had a suspect in custody. He said he could not identify the suspect until after an arraignment, which was scheduled for later in the day.

Promoter Bob Arum said late Saturday night that Hearns would meet Sugar Ray Leonard Monday night, as scheduled, in a 12-round bout for Leonard’s World Boxing Council super-middleweight title at Caesars Palace.

Arum said he went to Hearns’ hotel suite, where he found Hearns, several members of his camp and Hearns’ mother, Lois, who he said was crying.

“Tommy was angry at me for coming by and he said to me: ‘This is not going to affect me. Look, I’m here to do a job--I’ve been waiting eight years to knock this guy out.’ ”

The dead woman, whose name was not released, was shot once in the head, Collins said. She was in her 20s and was known to the Hearns family, but the fighter did not know her well, Arum said.

Detectives found a gun they believed was used in the slaying, Collins said.

Collins said Southfield, a suburb two miles north of Detroit, is considered a “quiet community.” He said the neighborhood of the shooting rarely has disturbances.

“Incidents are incidents and they’re unfortunate, but we’re all professionals here,” Arum told Associated Press. “Is he (Hearns) concerned about his brother? He probably is, but he says he doesn’t want to think about it, and he won’t.”

Arum said three people in Hearns’ entourage left Las Vegas for Detroit, including another younger brother, John Hearns, who is a student at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. His mother will remain in Las Vegas for the fight.

“Tommy talked to her and asked her to stay in Las Vegas,” Arum said. “She is here and she is going to stay.”

Arum said: “It has been made clear to me that the (dead) woman herself has absolutely no connection with Thomas.”

Asked how he knew that since he didn’t know the victim’s name, he said, “They apparently know who she is.”

Prentiss Byrd, chief assistant to Emanuel Steward, Hearns’ manager, quoted the former world champion as saying: “I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do. A lot of people worked to make this fight happen.”

Leonard told Charlie Brotman, a publicist: “I don’t know any of the details, but I certainly feel empathy for him, especially in light of the big championship fight.”

Times staff writer Elliott Almond contributed to this story.