Dele's brother, Dabord, dies in California hospital

CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- The brother of missing NBA player Bison Dele died while hospitalized, a spokeswoman said late Friday.

Miles Dabord's mother had said Thursday that she would ask doctors to remove life support systems from her son, who authorities say is suspected of killing Dele.

"Dabord died this evening," said Monica Montano, a spokeswoman for Scripps Memorial Hospital. She declined to give the cause or exact time of death, but said his family had been notified.

Investigators believe Dabord was the only person who could have told them firsthand what happened to Dele.

The 35-year-old computer operator, whose name was once Kevin Williams, was found in Tijuana, Mexico, and taken to Scripps on Sept. 14. His mother, Patricia Phillips, has said he fell into a coma after overdosing on insulin and failing to take asthma medication.

Phillips said Thursday she was asking that life-support systems be disconnected because doctors told her there was little hope he would recover. Hospital officials refused to say if he was removed from life support.

On Thursday, Phillips, two of Dabord's aunts, four cousins and a friend prayed at his bedside. One of the cousins, the Rev. Eugene Marzette, led the prayer service.

Investigators believe Dele, girlfriend Serena Karlan and boat captain Bertrand Saldo were killed while sailing in French Polynesia. They were last seen in early July near the tiny island of Maiao, west of Tahiti.

The French investigation will continue, but the part of the inquiry relating to Dabord will be dropped because someone who has died cannot be tried, French officials said.

At the Tahiti port of Taravao, officials began dismantling parts of Dele's boat to prepare to probe it with a metal detector, looking for bullets. If anything suspicious is found they are prepared to cut parts of the boat open.

Authorities in French Polynesia said Wednesday that Dabord made a satellite phone call from his brother's catamaran. They said Dabord abandoned his brother's boat in Tahiti and flew home.

Authorities have interviewed Dabord's former girlfriend, Erica Weise, who spent time with him on the island of Moorea after the others disappeared. She said there had been a struggle on the catamaran.

Tahiti-based investigating judge Jean-Bernard Taliercio said FBI agents planned to question the person on the other end of the satellite phone call. The name of the person, a South Pacific resident, wasn't disclosed.

Dabord wasn't charged in his brother's disappearance. After returning to the United States, he signed his brother's name while trying to buy $152,000 worth of gold in Phoenix.

After he was hospitalized, he was arrested for investigation of impersonating his younger brother, who played for the Chicago Bulls' 1996-97 championship team.

Dele changed his name from Brian Williams during his basketball career to honor his mother's American Indian ancestry.

Dele and his companions have been missing for more than 10 weeks and officials have given up hope of finding their bodies. Investigators believe they were tossed overboard into deep, shark-infested waters near Maiao.

Phillips said she was planning a private memorial service for both sons on Oct. 12