The domestic violence charges levied against Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy have been dropped. His accuser, Nicole Holder, has not been located by state officials despite repeated attempts, and she did not appear in Hardy's appeal hearing this morning.
The Mecklenburg County, N..C., District Attorney's office made it clear that it had been made aware that a civil settlement had been reached between Holder and Hardy and that she has "intentionally made herself unavailable to the State," according to ESPN.
"Without her testimony, in this particular instance, the State could not proceed," the DA's office said.
The NFL will now conduct an independent investigation into Hardy's domestic violence situation. Just because the charges were dropped does not mean that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will not punish Hardy.
Hardy, 26, missed all but one game this season after being placed on the NFL's exempt list. He received his full salary just north of $13 million this past year.
Hardy is not expected to be re-signed by the Panthers as he hits free agency this offseason. In fact, several teams will likely be wary of signing Hardy until the NFL announces what, if any, penalty he will be facing next season. However, despite his recent troubles, some organizations may find his talent too hard to pass up.
Hardy recorded 26.0 sacks from 2012-2013.
