WACO, Texas -- The FBI is lending its assistance into the disappearance of Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy, who authorities now fear might be a victim of homicide.

Meanwhile, police have questioned the teammates of Dennehy, who hasn't been heard from in more than two weeks.

FBI spokesman Rene Salinas of San Antonio said Sunday there is federal involvement in the case. Dennehy's sport utility vehicle turned up abandoned in a parking lot last week in Virginia with its license plates missing, but investigators say the 21-year-old may have been killed in the Waco area.

"We were asked by the Waco police to assist in the case, and we are assisting," Special Agent Salinas told The Dallas Morning News.

Meanwhile, Waco police spokesman Steven Anderson told the Morning News on Friday that information has been received that might reclassify the search from missing person to homicide.

"It escalated from a missing person's case because of information coming in," Officer Anderson told the newspaper. "It's not classified as a homicide at this moment, but because of the information we're getting it's going that direction."

On Saturday, Dennehy's stepfather, Brian Brabazon, criticized Baylor officials, saying they seemed aloof and brushed off any foul-play theories when he first contacted them.

"Nobody did anything," Brabazon told the Waco Tribune-Herald. "I was doing all the calling. Nobody at that school did anything until the police department was involved.

"I think they should have at least called us or called somebody after Patrick went missing for three or four days.''

A school spokesman said coaches have kept in constant touch with Dennehy's mother.

"The coaching staff was very diligent in contacting the proper authorities when Pat first disappeared,'' Baylor spokesman Scott Stricklin said.

Coach Dave Bliss read a brief statement Saturday afternoon.

"Right now, the team, the university and all the members of the Baylor family and myself are in tremendous disbelief about the recent events,'' Bliss said. "If fact, no part really seems real.''

Investigators believe the 6-foot-10, 230-pound center might have been killed in the Waco area, though authorities wouldn't say what led them to that conclusion.

Officer Anderson said police have interviewed Baylor players, as well as other people, in the case.

"Several sources have mentioned names of players,'' Anderson said. Waco police spokeswoman Joy Mauer said Saturday that authorities had no additional information to release.

Brabazon said someone had recently stolen money from his stepson and that Dennehy had told Baylor coaches he was scared. The stepfather declined to discuss specifics.

"I don't see why anybody would threaten the guy,'' Brabazon said. "He's a great kid. He's never done anything wrong to people that I know of."

According to the Morning News, authorities found nothing unusual after searching a computer inside Dennehy's apartment.

"I heard that was a dead end," McLennan County District Attorney John Segrest told the Morning News. "It didn't give any indication of his whereabouts or his condition. It was just college stuff."

Several team members did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press on Saturday.

Baylor player Ellis Kidd Jr. told the Morning News that police talked to a group of team members who hadn't already left for summer vacation.

"They just wanted our help,'' he said. "We just started having meetings with them. We don't know nothing. Everybody's shook up. We don't know what's going on. It's unknown.''

Investigators have searched Dennehy's apartment at least twice in recent days, the Tribune-Herald reported Saturday. They also sent at least one detective to Virginia Beach, Va., to examine Dennehy's Chevrolet Tahoe.

Dennehy grew up in the San Francisco Bay area and played for Wilcox High School in Santa Clara and St. Francis High School in Mountain View.

Dennehy played two years at the University of New Mexico under coach Fran Fraschilla before transferring to Baylor. His sophomore season there was clouded by problems, including an argument during a game in 2002 when Dennehy shoved a teammate, kicked over a chair and stalked off to the locker room. He didn't return to the game.

Fraschilla declined to discipline Dennehy, and the team doctor said Dennehy was being treated for "a confidential medical condition."

Dennehy sat out last season after transferring to Baylor.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report