The man who shot and killed NFL star Will Smith in 2016 was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison, the Associated Press reported.
Cardel Hayes, 36, shot and killed a New Orleans Saints player after a dispute over a car accident. according to A.P. In the collision after Hayes’ truck rear-ended Smith’s car, Smith was reportedly shot eight times, seven of them in the back. Smith’s wife, Raquel, was shot in the leg during the incident, the newspaper said.
This is the second time Hayes has been sentenced in Smith’s death, according to the Associated Press. He was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury vote of 10-2 in December 2016, and was reportedly sentenced at the time to 25 years in prison. The conviction was overturned because the U.S. Supreme Court prohibited non-unanimous verdicts in such cases, the outlet reported.
Hayes was found guilty by a unanimous jury in a second trial in January, according to the Associated Press. During Thursday’s sentencing, Judge Camille Blas reportedly emphasized how armed Hayes and his compatriots were and how unarmed Smith was. (Related: Saints’ Michael Thomas arrested on misdemeanor charge).
Hayes has long maintained that he fired in self-defense, saying he thought Smith had a firearm, the newspaper said. He reportedly claimed to have heard a “pop” before he started filming. He also claimed he did not shoot Smith’s wife, the newspaper said.
According to the Associated Press, evidence showed the Saints player was intoxicated at the time of the incident. However, there is reportedly no evidence or testimony to support Hayes’ claims that Smith reached for the gun or fired the gun.
BREAKING: The man who killed retired New Orleans Saints star Will Smith during a collision following a car accident has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. https://t.co/DSzjqyJCT7
— Associated Press (@AP) April 25, 2024
The former defense attorney’s daughter Lisa spoke in court before the sentencing, according to the Associated Press. She reportedly recalled that her father was not around.
“Mr. Hayes, you ruined my life,” she allegedly said. “You took my father away from me.”
She also said her mother had to learn how to walk again, the paper said. The judge reportedly also noted Hayes’ support from her family and friends during her sentencing.
Hayes’ mother, Dawn Mumphrey, spoke in support of her son during the sentencing, the newspaper said. “Our lives have also changed forever,” she was quoted as saying. “Please have mercy.”
Hayes was released on bail in 2021 after serving more than four years of his original sentence, according to the Associated Press. He was reportedly remanded to custody after his January sentencing to anticipate a prison sentence. The outlet said he will receive credit for the time he served in prison, but it was unclear what that would mean for his new sentence.
Smith played for the Saints from 2004 to 2013. according to Team website. He led the team to a winning season in 2006 and helped them win the Super Bowl in 2010.
