Following a car accident about eight years prior, the man who shot and murdered former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith was found guilty of manslaughter on Saturday morning.
After the verdict in a retrial of the 2016 case, Cardell Hayes may spend up to 40 years behind bars. After the jury debated for almost four hours, Hayes was found not guilty of attempted manslaughter for the shooting that wounded Smith’s wife, Racquel, during the same altercation.
Read More: Cops Release Will Smith’s Blood Alcohol Level at The Time of His Murder
The city’s chief prosecutor maintained that Hayes fired needlessly, but a defense attorney said Hayes had a legitimate fear for his safety when he shot Smith.
In the retrial of Cardell Hayes, who had been convicted in the shooting of #Saints star Will Smith in 2016, the jury found Hayes guilty of manslaughter with a firearm.
Statement from Raquel Smith and The Smith Family: https://t.co/0XzNulYMuz pic.twitter.com/ygK97blfS3
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 27, 2024
After the decision, Raquel thanked everyone for contributing to “bringing justice to our family” in a statement.
Smith was just 34 years old when he passed away. During his ten seasons with the Saints, he was a Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl winner.
