The man who shot and killed former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith following a traffic crash almost eight years ago was found guilty of manslaughter early Saturday morning.
Cardell Hayes could face up to 40 years in prison following the jury's decision in a retrial of the 2016 case. Hayes was acquitted of attempted manslaughter for the shooting that injured Smith's wife, Racquel, in the same altercation.
A defense lawyer had insisted that Hayes rightfully feared for his life when he shot Smith, while and the city's top prosecutor insisted that Hayes fired needlessly.