TRENDING NEWS: Former New Orleans Saints player Will Smith was killed, man found guilty of manslaughter

A man convicted of manslaughter shot former New Orleans Saints player Will Smith after a car accident almost eight years ago.

In the retrial of Cardell Hayes, the jury debated for over four hours before returning a decision shortly after midnight on Saturday, according to press reports. He might spend up to 40 years behind bars.

Hayes was found not guilty by the jury of attempting manslaughter in the shooting and injury of Smith’s wife in April 2016.

In December 2016, Hayes, then 36, was found guilty of manslaughter in Smith’s death and attempted manslaughter in Racquel Smith’s gunshot wound. However, once the US Supreme Court banned nonunanimous judgments, the jury’s 10-2 vote resulted in the conviction being overturned. Hayes completed more than four years of a 25-year sentence before being freed on bond.

A number of factors, including court closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, contributed to the postponement of his retrial.

The defense decided not to call witnesses after the prosecution rested its case against Hayes on Friday.

During his closing remarks, the top prosecutor for the city maintained that Hayes dismissed without cause.

District Attorney Jason Williams declared, “One gun was fired by one man,” raising the evidence-tagged handgun that Hayes had fired, striking Smith eight times (seven times in the back) as well as Smith’s wife’s legs.

Defense attorney John Fuller argued that prosecutors failed to establish that Hayes didn’t act in self-defense. He pointed to a 911 call recording made shortly after the shooting, where Hayes can be heard claiming that Smith had expressed an intention to retrieve a gun from his car.

Fuller aimed to challenge the prosecution’s assertion that Racquel Smith had successfully calmed down her husband before Hayes opened fire. He emphasized the significance of statements like “Calm down, it’s not worth it,” suggesting that such phrases wouldn’t be uttered if there was no need to diffuse the situation.

Although evidence indicated that Will Smith was intoxicated during the confrontation, there was no supporting testimony or forensic proof to corroborate Hayes’ assertion that Smith had brandished or fired a weapon.

Will Smith, a 34-year-old father of three, had been a pivotal defensive figure for the Saints, playing a crucial role in uplifting the spirits of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He contributed to the team’s success with a winning season in 2006 and a Super Bowl victory in 2010.

On the other hand, Hayes, a former semi-pro football player and owner of a tow truck business, has one son.