The man who fatally shot retired New Orleans Saints player Will Smith was scheduled to face a retrial on Monday, nearly eight years after the deadly shooting.
Cardell Hayes continuously maintained that he shot Smith out of self-defense during their altercation in April 2016. Smith’s wife was also wounded.
Several months after the shooting, Hayes was convicted of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter a jury convicted him by a 10-2 vote. The conviction was reversed after the U.S. Supreme Court later said such convictions must be unanimous. Hayes was released on bond after serving more than four years of a 25-year sentence, the Associated Press reported.
During his December 2016 trial, Hayes said he only shot at Smith because he believed a drunken and belligerent Smith had retrieved a gun from his SUV. On the witness stand, Hayes insisted he heard a “pop” before he started shooting, the Associated Press reported.
Evidence indicated Smith was intoxicated during the the confrontation with Hayes. But there were no witnesses or forensic evidence to support Hayes’ claim that Smith had wielded or fired a weapon.
More on the trial and manslaughter charges.
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