His car was rear-ended by a Hummer driven by 28-year-old Cardell Hayes. The man who fatally shot retired New Orleans Saints player Will Smith faces a sentence of up to 40 years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter … Former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith, 34, was shot dead on Saturday night A former police chief who dined with New Orleans Saints star … In the wake of Will Smith's death, Saints coach Sean Payton said, "I hate guns," expressing his strong anti-gun opinion in an interview with USA Today Sports. One only has to look at Twitter, to see the tragedy of Smith’s death, but also the admiration and respect that Smith gained over the course of his nine NFL seasons, all with the Saints. An image of Will Smith, former New Orleans Saints defensive end, is seen over an image from the scene in New Orleans where he was shot and killed after a traffic run-in on April 10, 2016. Smith was part of the Saints team that lifted the city’s spirits in the years after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, helping carry the team to a winning season in 2006 and a Super Bowl victory four years later. He called the incident "stunning and numbing," and said that Smith was one of the more genuine players he'd worked with. He spent nine seasons in the National Football League – all with the New Orleans Saints – and had been settling down after his playing days were over. Smith (right) was pictured dining with former New Orleans Police Department commander Billy Ceravolo (left) and former New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas (center) before his death. … The man convicted of killing former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith has asked for a new trial because the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that split verdicts are unconstitutional in state criminal cases. The man who fatally shot retired New Orleans Saints player Will Smith faces a sentence of up to 40 years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter during a trial that made spectators of some of the city’s sports heroes. Former Saints defensive end Will Smith shot and killed in New Orleans, Sean Payton's attack on guns was clear and courageous. He spent nine seasons in the National Football League – all with the New Orleans Saints – and had been settling down after his playing days were over. His car hit Hayes’ car and the Saint drove off. The decision to convict Cardell Hayes in the death of former NFL player Will Smith has been overturned. William Raymond Smith III (July 4, 1981 – April 9, 2016) was an American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). They were heading from New Orleans’ Lower Garden District toward downtown when a series of events led to the shooting, beginning with Smith’s vehicle appearing to lightly bump Hayes’ Hummer — although the prosecution raised doubts that the two vehicles actually touched. Hayes claims he […] Smith’s death has sparked a conversation on guns, in particular, that has never been broadly held in New Orleans. Cardall Hayes was convicted of attempted manslaughter in the death of Will Smith and the wounding of Smith’s wife. He also finished with 7.5 sacks. The man who shot and killed former New Orleans Saints player Will Smith in a road rage incident was sentenced Thursday in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, according to court documents. In 2014, he signed with the New England Patriots but was cut before the season started. Smith was drafted by the Saints in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft. The man who fatally shot former New Orleans Saints football player Will Smith in April 2016 is no longer a convicted killer after a new ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, per multiple reports. He was also a valuable member of the community as he was involved with numerous charities. #SCOTUS officially vacates manslaughter conviction of Cardell Hayes for killing @Saints star Will Smith in 2016, after non-unanimous jury verdicts found unconstitutional. Supreme Court convicted Hayes 10-2 on the manslaughter charges. The United States' Supreme Court vacated the manslaughter conviction of Cardell Hayes in the 2016 killing of New Orleans Saint defensive lineman Will Smith. The US Supreme Court has overturned the manslaughter conviction for the man who shot and killed New Orleans Saints star Will Smith in 2016. “I should have just let him (Smith) kill me,” said Hayes prior to the sentencing. Former defensive end Will Smith was killed in an apparent road rage incident that also left his wife hospitalized with two gunshot wounds to the leg. Coroner Classifies Former New Orleans Saints Player's Death A Homicide. by: Chris Welty. Smith made an immediate impact with the Saints. Lyman Bostock’s Promising MLB Career and Life Senselessly Ended in Fit of Rage. Following Saturday’s fatal shooting of former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith, the team’s coach, Sean Payton, mourned Smith’s death and spoke out in support of gun control. He was a freak of an athlete. Last updated on April 13, 2016, at 2:16 p.m. … He was given 25 years for Smith’s death and 15 for attempted murder of Racquel Smith. Posted: Jan 11, 2021 / 04:13 PM CST / … That was one reason defense lawyer John Fuller had cautioned jurors Sunday against being “star-struck” by the NFL luminaries. His words mattered | Les Carpenter. He will be sentenced in February. New Orleans Saints senior writer John DeShazier, who wrote a tribute to the former defensive end the day of his death, also spoke on WWL Radio about Smith. Smith was strong enough to fight through the offensive line and quick enough to get around the outside. He had a career-high 13 sacks in 2009. Pierre Thomas, 31: Thomas, a former running back for the Saints and close friend of Smith's not only dined with Smith prior to his death, he was a witness at the crime where Smith died. On April 9, 2016, Will Smith was involved in a traffic accident. In his rookie year, he led the league in forced fumbles with six and had 32 solo tackles. A pathologist report showed Smith was legally drunk with a high blood-alcohol level when he died at the end of a day in which he had spent time at the city’s annual French Quarter Festival, a bar and two restaurants. Former New Orleans Saints DE Will Smith shot dead ... "We are devastated and saddened by Will's tragic and preventable death due to a senseless act that will leave a … Last modified on Fri 14 Jul 2017 19.06 BST. Smith was killed on April 9, 2016, following an altercation between the Saints great and Hayes, a then 28-year-old tow truck driver and semi-pro football player. Smith was a member of the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl-winning team in 2009. He was 34. Will Smith was ready to enjoy retirement. For full obituary and coverage from Legacy.com, click here . The U.S. Supreme Court has thrown out the manslaughter conviction for the man who shot Thomas R. Proctor High School graduate and former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith to death … Smith had a Pro Bowl season in 2006 when he racked up 10.5 sacks and had a hand in 52 tackles. He had been expected to be sentenced anywhere from 25-60 years, according to USA Today. “In our community, he was an important contributor to numerous charitable causes to benefit those in need. Will Smith, a former New Orleans Saints defensive end who was shot dead Saturday, had a loaded gun inside his car, police said. The decision to convict Cardell Hayes in the death of former NFL player Will Smith has been overturned.. On Monday, the Supreme Court dismissed the … Will and Racquel Smith have three children (some sources say that … According to People Magazine, Hayes fatally shot Smith in April 2016. Matthew Champion BuzzFeed News Reporter Tamerra Griffin BuzzFeed News Reporter. On cross examination, assistant Orleans Parish district attorney Jason Napoli repeatedly noted that no other witness said Smith had a gun and that Hayes never told investigators he saw a gun in Smith’s hands that night. Supreme Court convicted Hayes 10-2 on the manslaughter charges. Smith was killed on April 9, 2016, following an altercation between the Saints great and Hayes, a then 28-year-old tow truck driver and semi-pro football player. “Will came to New Orleans 12 years ago and quickly developed both on the field as a player and off the field as a leader to become one of the cornerstones of a team that would go on to win a Super Bowl,” said Saints GM Mickey Loomis. Will Smith played for the Saints from 2004 to 2013. who fatally shot retired New Orleans Saints player Will Smith, Smith helped New Orleans Saints to victory in Super Bowl XLIV. The decision to convict Cardell Hayes in the death of former NFL player Will Smith has been overturned.. On Monday, the Supreme Court dismissed the case based on another occurrence, which decided in criminal cases, non-unanimous verdicts are unconstitutional. According to the police report, the former New Orleans Saints defensive end was shot multiple times in the back and the torso. His death at the hands of Hayes, 29, was stunning, even for a city where residents are accustomed to regular reports of gunfire deaths. Less than four years after Smith played his last football game, he was the victim of a road-rage incident that ended his life at the age of 34. After words were exchanged, Smith was shot multiple times, while his wife Racquel was shot in the leg. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling may allow the man convicted in the 2016 death of New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith to have a new trial, the Louisiana attorney general’s office said Wednesday.. Cardell Hayes was convicted of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter in 2017 after Smith died and the player’s wife was wounded in a shooting during a traffic dispute in New Orleans. 32-year-old Cardell Hayes, who was convicted of killing former Saints player Will Smith, will get a new trial, according to new filings with the Supreme Court. Hayes followed Smith and shot him in the subsequent altercation. Will & Racquel Have 3 Children. He played college football for Ohio State and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft, where he played for the entirety of his career. Former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith died at 34 years old after being shot in his car on Camp Street in New Orleans late on the night of April 9. Will’s contributions to both our franchise and our community as a whole will always be remembered.”, “I am shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Will Smith, my close friend and client,” agent Joel Segal said in a statement, according to ESPN. NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A man convicted in the shooting death of retired New Orleans Saints star Will Smith has appealed the conviction and 25-year-sentence ari A U.S. Supreme Court ruling may allow the man convicted in the 2016 death of New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith to have a new trial, the Louisiana attorney general’s office said Wednesday. 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