Songwriter Charged with Murder In Death of Former SNL Star Cheri Oteri's Father

[Zoneboy]

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Nashville songwriter Richard Fagan was charged with criminal homicide on Monday morning (April 28) in the death of Gaetano Thomas "Tommy" Oteri, 69, father of former Saturday Night Live cast member Cheri Oteri.

The victim, who was Fagan's manager, music publisher and roommate, was found stabbed to death inside their Nashville home on Sunday night (April 27). According to police, Fagan, 61, and Oteri got into a fight inside the residence around 9 p.m. Saturday. At 10:45 p.m., Fagan was arrested for DUI in another area of Nashville and admitted drinking six shots of alcohol.

He was bonded out of jail at 2:15 p.m. Sunday. Around the same time, a mutual friend who had been told of the fight by Fagan, reported to police that the screen door to the home was locked, the house appeared to be in disarray and Oteri was not responding to the door. Police arrested Fagan at his bail bondsman's office. Fagan wrote two No. 1 hit songs, "Be My Baby Tonight" and "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)," for John Michael Montgomery. His credits include Clay Walker's "Only on Days That End in 'Y'" and Montgomery's "I Miss You a Little," both Top 10 hits, and other songs recorded by George Strait, Hank Williams Jr., Neil Diamond, Shania Twain and others. Fagan is being held without bond.