updated 5:30 p.m. ET Oct. 31, 2006

TAMPA, Fla. - Prosecutors dropped charges against a man accused of killing Vanderbilt football star Kwane Doster, the Tampa state attorney’s office said Tuesday.

Rodney “Roscoe” Roman was charged with first-degree murder in Doster’s Dec. 26, 2004, shooting death.

But Roman, 30, has said he was elsewhere when the 21-year-old running back was shot in the parking lot of a sandwich shop.

“Since the filing of the charges against the defendant, repeated adverse evidentiary developments have taken place preventing the state from going forward in the prosecution of this case at this time,” Prosecutor Jalal A. Harb said in a court document filed Tuesday.

State Attorney Mark Ober said Doster’s slaying is still being investigated. His office released no other information.

Police said the shooting occurred after Doster and a group of friends and another group of men argued about their cars while leaving a night club.

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Roman’s mother owns an Infiniti sedan that matched a description of the car carrying the gunman. Doster’s friends had identified Roman as the one who fired at them, court documents said.

Roman was released on $250,000 bail in June.

Doster had finished his junior season at Vanderbilt. In his college career, he had 1,621 yards rushing, 256 yards receiving and seven touchdowns.

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