Back on April 9, 2016, former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith was involved in a road rage incident that turned uglier than anyone could have imagined.
After Smith’s Mercedes G-Wagon accidentally rear-ended a Hummer that was being driven by then-28-year-old Cardell Hayes, the Hummer returned the favor by rear-ending Smith’s vehicle less than two blocks later. Things boiled over between the two individuals from there, resulting in Hayes grabbing a firearm from his vehicle and fatally shooting Smith while injuring his wife, Raquel Smith.
Smith died as a result of the shooting while Raquel was injured. Hayes was arrested at the scene and eventually charged and convicted of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter. In 2017, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for manslaughter, and an additional 15 years for the attempted manslaughter charger.
However, Hayes was awarded a retrial in 2020, as a result of a ruling in the case of Ramos vs. Louisiana. As a result, Hayes’ conviction was vacated in 2021, and the retrial commenced…
But it didn’t turn out any better for Hayes this time around, as the jury reached a verdict in his retrial and was once again found him guilty of manslaughter with a weapon.
As a result of the ruling, Hayes could now face up to 40 years in prison.
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Raquel released a statement following the ruling, thanking everyone who helped bring “justice to our family.”
Smith, who made a Pro Bowl and won a Super Bowl during his 10 seasons with the Saints, was only 34-years-old at the time of his death.
