FAYETTEVILLE — Acquaintances of a West Fork man and the former University of Arkansas football player accused of killing him said Thursday they were shocked to hear about the deadly incident.

“I just hate it for all parties,” said Harold Horton, retired executive director of the Razorback Foundation, who helped recruit Josh Melton in the late 1990s. “I hate it for the victim. I hate it for Josh’s family.”

“He just went too far with alcohol, and I hated to hear something like that would happen with somebody I knew was a good person,” Horton added.

Melton, 33, faces a charge of second-degree murder in the death of Michael Gover, 30. Melton was released Thursday from the Washington County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond. His arraignment was set for Sept. 30.

According to multiple accounts, Gover and Melton were friends. Sgt. Craig Stout said Melton told officers they went drinking Tuesday night, first at Hooters on North Shiloh Drive, then they closed JJ’s Grill and ended up at Melton’s home, 6316 W. Copper Ridge Lane, just south of Wedington Avenue.

According to a preliminary arrest report, Melton passed out, woke up and found Gover vomited on the living room floor. After “lewd comments” from Gover, the two fought and Melton punched Gover multiple times, causing him to collapse on the floor. Melton went to bed and when he woke up Wednesday morning, Gover was dead, according to the arrest report.

Roger Morris, county coroner, said Thursday his office hadn't identified a cause of death. Gover’s body was sent to the State Crime Lab in Little Rock.

Jesse Poole, a longtime friend and former co-worker of Gover’s, described the West Fork native as a fun-loving guy who liked to fish and hang out with friends.

“He always had a big smile; he had a good laugh,” Poole said. He said Gover “always gave you a hard time.” Poole said he could see how someone might take Gover’s messing around the wrong way.

According to Poole and Gover’s Facebook page, Gover worked as a service manager at Ozark Mountain Air, a heating and air conditioning company in Fayetteville. He was a 2001 graduate of West Fork High School, unmarried and had no children.

Melton, a Batesville native, played for the Razorbacks from 1999 to 2002. He was the starting center as a redshirt freshman, before being benched two games into his junior year. A preseason knee injury kept Melton off the field for most of the 2002 season.

Melton received a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2001 and a master’s degree in recreation and sport management in 2003, according to university records. He was on the Southeastern Conference’s Academic Honor Roll multiple times. He worked as parks and recreation supervisor for Miami, Okla., for about 1 1/2 years, before taking a job in Northwest Arkansas as a pharmaceutical salesman with Pfizer.

Melton called 911 after finding Gover’s body and voluntarily went to the police department for questioning, according to the arrest report.

Prosecutor John Threet said a second-degree murder conviction carries six to 30 years in prison and/or a fine up to $15,000.