- Will Smith died in a traffic accident almost eight years ago
- Cardell Hayes was found guilty of manslaughter early Saturday morning
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The man who shot former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith was found guilty of manslaughter on Saturday – nearly eight years later after the incident.
Cardell Hayes faces up to 40 years in prison after being found guilty in a retrial in an April 2016 case in which Smith was shot following a traffic accident.
Hayes was acquitted of attempted murder charges for shooting Smith's wife, Racquel, who was injured in the same incident.
Defense attorneys had insisted that Hayes was right to fear for his life when he shot Smith, but the city's top prosecutor argued that Hayes fired unnecessarily.
“A gun was fired by a man,” District Attorney Jason Williams said, holding up the evidence-stamped handgun that Hayes fired, hitting Smith eight times – seven times in the back – and also Smith's wife in the legs met.
Former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith died in a traffic accident nearly eight years ago
Cardell Hayes faces up to 40 years in prison after being found guilty of manslaughter
Hayes was convicted in December 2016 of manslaughter in Smith's death and attempted manslaughter in the shooting death of Racquel Smith.
But the jury voted 10-2 and the conviction was overturned after the Supreme Court banned non-unanimous verdicts. Hayes was released on bail after serving more than four years of a 25-year sentence.
His retrial was delayed for various reasons, including the closure of courts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Friday, the prosecution dropped its case against Hayes and the defense decided not to call any witnesses after that, setting the stage for closing arguments and jury deliberations.
Smith was one of the leaders of the Saints team that lifted spirits in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina
Assistant District Attorney Matt Derbes readily admitted during closing arguments that Smith was drunk when Hayes drove into the back of his car before the shooting and that a loud argument ensued.
Hayes, 36, insisted at his 2016 trial that he shot Smith in self-defense during the April 2016 confrontation. Hayes said he only shot Smith because he believed a drunk and belligerent Smith had gotten a gun from his SUV.
Smith, a 34-year-old father of three, was a defensive leader on the Saints team that lit up New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005. He helped lead the team to a winning season in 2006 and a Super Bowl victory in 2010.
Hayes, who owned a tow truck company, once played semi-pro football. He has a son.