STORRS, Conn. — Police today charged a man with the murder in the stabbing death of a University of Connecticut football player outside a school-sanctioned dance, but his defense attorney says he was just trying to break up a fight.

Two others also were charged in the fight that led to the death of 20-year-old Jasper Howard, of Miami.

John William Lomax III, 21, of Bloomfield, was arrested this morning and charged with murder, police said. His bond was set at $2 million.

Police would not discuss evidence or a motive during a news conference today. More than 40 investigators conducted more than 200 interviews and "have not stopped working," UConn police chief Robert Hudd said.

Police charged Hakim Muhammad, 20, of Bloomfield, with conspiracy to commit assault and Jamal Todd, 21, of Hartford with pulling a fire alarm that emptied the dance early Oct. 18, triggering the fight.

Lomax, who is not a UConn student and lives 30 miles from campus, wasn't present when the argument started and doesn't know what it was about, but tried to break up the fight, said his attorney, Deron Freeman.

"He was just partying," Freeman said. "Often people from out of town go to the UConn campus to party."

Howard, a starting cornerback whose nickname was Jazz, was stabbed outside a university-sanctioned dance, hours after helping his team to a homecoming game win over Louisville.

The entire UConn team attended his funeral Monday in Miami.

A fourth man, Johnny Hood, 21, of Hartford, was arrested last week and faces charges of breach of peace and interfering with police but also is not charged in the killing.