New Video Shows The Moments Before Ex-NFL Star Will Smith Was Fatally Shot
Cardell Hayes was found guilty of manslaughter Sunday night for the shooting and killing of former Saints defensive end Will Smith on April 9 in New Orleans.
Manslaughter carries a sentence of up to 40 years in the state of Louisiana, with a minimum of 20 years. hayes was also found guilty of attempted manslaughter for the shooting of Smiths wife, Racquel Smith, in both of her legs.
The verdict came at the end of a much-delayed trial. Hayes was charged with second-degree murder, which could have meant a life sentence. The sentencing date is tentatively set for Feb. 17.
The shooting stemmed from a traffic incident in which Smith and Hayes reportedly got in an argument. Hayes shot Smith eight times seven times in the back. Hayess attorneys argued that he was acting in self defense.
The trial brought out testimony from many of Smiths former teammates. Saints head coach Sean Payton was in the courtroom for the verdict after landing in New Orleans from the Saints road game in Tampa Bay earlier in the day.
Because of the late hour of the outcome, the District Attorneys office will hold a press conference Monday morning to discuss the verdict.
Danny Monteverde / Eyewitness News , WWL 7:09 AM. CST December 12, 2016
(Photo: Art by Tony O. Champagne exclusive to WWL-TV)
NEW ORLEANS -- An Orleans Parish jury on Sunday night found Cardell Hayes guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of Will Smith.
Hayes, who stood still and stared straight ahead during the verdict, was also found guilty of attempted manslaughter in the shooting of Will Smith"s wife, Racquel, who could be heard weeping in the courtroom after the verdict was read.
Hayes was found not guilty of the third count of criminal damage to property for the crash that. The verdicts were not unanimous -- 10-2 on both guilty verdicts -- and unanimous on the not guilty verdict.
He faces up to 40 years in prison for the manslaughter charge. He will be sentenced on Feb. 17.
Deputies placed Hayes in handcuffs after the verdict as friends and family began to cry. Bounce artist Big Freedia, a cousin of Hayes, had her head in her hands.
Current Saints head coach Sean Payton was in the courtroom as the verdict was read, and former Saints running back Pierre Thomas was also there.
Deuce McAllister, also a former Saints player, said outside the courthouse, "It"s not a win for anybody. It was a tough situation. There was no way either side could win."
The prosecution attorneys didn"t speak to the media after the verdict. The Orleans Parish District Attorney"s Office releases a statement, saying, "The District Attorney is gratified by the verdict. He believes that it was victory for the Smith family as well as the citizens of of New Orleans."
Cardell Hayes attorney John Fuller said, "I respect the jury"s verdict, and I respect the pain both families are feeling tonight."
The jury handed up their decision5hours after Orleans Parish Criminal District Judge Camille Buras sent the four men and eight women to deliberate at 4:53 p.m.
The decision came after hearing almost five hours of closing arguments and a rebuttal from Assistant District Attorneys Jason Napoli and Laura Rodrigue, and defense attorney John Fuller.
Both sides reiterated their cases as the seven-day trial nears its end: the state arguing Hayes needlessly shot a defenseless man, while the defense said Hayes saved his own life after an enraged Will Smith went for a gun.
Rodrigue, in her 52-minute rebuttal to Fuller"s nearly three-and-a-half hour closing argument, noted that Hayes"s claim of self-defense doesn"t stand since he rammed his Hummer into Smith"s SUV intentionally and that Hayes got out of his vehicle with a gun.
Napoli told the jury hayes should be found guilty of all three charges he faces, including second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder for Racquel Smith"s injuries to her legs.
"A man is dead. A man is dead with seven bullets in his back," Napoli told the jury during the first part of his closing arguments, which lasted 52 minutes. "This is cold blooded murder on our streets."
"Things were happening so fast, as every witness testified so far, that split-second decisions had to be made," Fuller told the jury. "We still don"t have a clue as to what all of them were going through that night."
Fuller, who spoke for almost four hours, didn"t directly speak to Hayes"s Hayes"s testimony from the day before that Smith fired first and Hayes"s denial he shot Racquel Smith until the tail-end of his closing.
Fuller finally reiterated what Hayes said on the stand and claimed Richard Hernandez, one of Smith"s passengers that night, was the instigator.
He argued it"s not known if a bullet from the gun Hayes fired or another hit Racquel Smith.
The state has repeatedly asserted that no ballistics evidence or testimony outside of what Hayes said supports such a theory.
Fuller called Hernandez "that chump who got on the stand."
"Hernandez is a coward!" he shouted, noting that Hernandez fled the scene after he ripped off his shirt in an act of aggression.
"Hayes can look at you and lie with a smile on his face," Napoli told the jury during his closing argument.
Those was among the various conflicting accounts of what happened during the shooting.
Napoli accused the defense of calling Racquel Smith "a liar." He said that everything she testified on Tuesday was backed up by evidence.
But Fuller said that the number of casings and bullets the state said were found on the scene weren"t adding up. "And you want to call this young man a liar?" he said.
Fuller told the jury they need to reach their verdict based on facts presented during the trial and not emotion.
"The lies are done. Will Smith played defense for this city," Napoli said. "He was defenseless that night. Now it"s your turn to play defense for him."
"Cardell acted in self-defense. He is not guilty," Fuller said. "You"ve got to make some tough decisions. The proper decision is not-guilty on all counts."
Rodrigue, whose voice rose as she continued her rebuttal, said Hayes "pumped garbage into this courtroom" when he took the stand.
"You know what this case is about? Stupidity," she said, her voice almost shrieking.
Hayes based his whole defense on trying to avoid saying "I got really p****d off any killed someone."
New Orleans Advocate reporter Ramon Antonio Vargas contributed to this report.
Report: Ryan Tannehill Suffers Torn ACL In Win Over Cardinals
By: Steven Ruiz| December 11, 2016 3:26 pmFollow @theStevenRuiz
Ryan Tannehill is a good NFLquarterback who gets paid a lot of money to throw footballs. Keep that in mind when you watch the following video.
Worst pass attempt in NFL history doesnt even do this dud of a throw justice. It might be the worst passing attempt in the history of football. At any level. That includes toddlers throwing a nerf football for the first time.
Technically, whatever that was wontgo down as a pass attempt, as the ball went backward. It was ruled a fumble, so maybe its the worst handoff attempt in the history of football. Either way, its bad.
Behold, the saddest moment after the Browns loss, in one photo3hr agoPOLL: Should the Cowboys bench Dak Prescott for Tony Romo?3hr agoRedskins player defends teammate for terrifying hit on Darren Sproles: "It"s football"3hr ago
Melvin Gordon 2015-2016 Rookie Year Highlights ||HD|| "Tha Dawg"
Week 14 wasn"t a good one for fantasy football owners, as Matt Forte and Melvin Gordon bothsuffered early-game injuries, and guys like Matthew Stafford, Donte Moncrief, Darren Sproles, Vance McDonald, and more were banged up throughout the afternoon. Mix that with players such as Julio Jones and A.J. Green not even suiting up, and owners might already be looking for waiver wire pickups before Week 15 is even officially here.
We have updates for these players as you (hopefully) continue on in your fantasy playoffs.
For more fantasy football news throughout the week, follow us on Twitter at @SN_Fantasy.
gordon"s hip injury looked bad on Sunday, but early reports are "good", according to the San Diego Union-Tribune"s Michael Gehlken. What exactly that means, we don"t know, but obviously it"s better than Gordon already being announced out for Week 15.
For now, we"re hesitant to put Gordon in our RB rankings, as the Chargers have no reason to take any chances with him, but once Gordon"s MRI results come back, we"ll have a clearer picture of his availability. Kenneth Farrow, who had 21 touches and 67 total yards in relief of Gordon against the Panthers, is a must-add in a favorable matchup against the Raiders.
Matt Forte injury news
Forte said he felt "cracking and popping" in his knee on Sunday against the 49ers, which seems like a sign he could be done for the remainder of the season.
Bilal Powell, who took over for Forte and finished with 179 total yards and two TDs, will likely be the No. 1 waiver add in most leagues this week. With a matchup against the Dolphins on deck, Powell is not only a must-add, but also a must-play.
Is Matthew Stafford going to keep playing?
Stafford finished Sunday"s game against the Bears despite tearing ligaments in his right middle finger early on. He wasn"t as sharp as usual, throwing two interceptions (one that wasn"t entirely his fault, one that definitely was), but he ultimately led the Lions to a win and finished with 223 yards and two total TDs.
There"s little doubt that Stafford will continue to play, but he"ll have to wear a glove and could have accuracy issues, especially outdoors next week in New York. Fortunately, the Lions" final two games are indoors (at Cowboys, vs. Packers), but this injury still doesn"t help Stafford"s fantasy outlook or the outlooks of his receivers.
Donte Moncrief injury news
Moncrief hadn"t caught a pass on four targets before leaving Sunday"s game against the Texansin the fourth quarter because of a hamstring injury. When an injury occurs that late in a game, it"s always tough to tell how serious it is, but if Moncrief was forced to leave such a crucial contest at such a crucial time, it must have been pretty bad.
For now, consider Moncrief questionable for Week 15"s game against the Vikings.
Darren Sprolesinjury update
Sproles suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter of Sunday"s game against Washington and is currently in the NFL"s concussion protocol.
At this point, it"s not up to him when he returns, and it"s anyone"s guess as to whether he"ll be ready for next week"s game against the Ravens. Wendell Smallwood (knee) was also hurt in the game and is unlikely to return soon, which means Kenjon Barner is the primary backup to Ryan Mathews now.
Vance McDonald injury news
McDonald exited before halftime against the Jets because of a shoulder injury and did not return.
There have not been any updates on his condition yet, but it would be shame if he was forced to miss Week 15"s favorable matchup against the Falcons.
New Video Shows The Moments Before Ex-NFL Star Will Smith Was Fatally Shot
After the jury deliberated for nearly six hours,Cardell Hayeswas found guilty Sunday (Dec. 11) of manslaughter in the fatal shooting ofWill Smith. Here are five things learned from the final day:
1. Lawyers" animus takes center stage
The bitter feud between defense attorney John Fuller and District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro"s office dominated a large portion of Fuller"s closing argument. With the DA watching from the front row of the gallery, Fuller accused his office of a pattern of misconduct and accused prosecutors Jason Napoli and Laura Rodrigue of "cheating."
"I recently paid them a compliment, saying they are both really good trial lawyers and they don"t have to do that stuff," Fuller said, referencing a pretrial interview with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune reported hereand here. "Great lawyers don"t have to do this. It"s almost an insult to their G*d-given talent that they have to do this stuff, to cheat."
Fuller claimed the prosecution was disingenuous with a decision not to call as a trial witness St. Tammany Sheriff"s Office crime lab deputy Madelyn Collins. Collins was called to the stand late Friday afternoon as a defense witness. She testified that trace amounts of gunshot residue were found on Will Smith"s hands, though not in the density usually seen on someone who recently fired a weapon.
"If not for us calling her before she left town for the weekend, y"all would have never known that Will Smith had gunshot residue on his hands!" Fuller thundered to the jury.
Fuller was accused in July of possible witness tampering in a memorandum Cannizzaro"s office sent to local law enforcement agencies, in five cases unrelated to Hayes". No charges have been filed but an ethics complaint was lodgedby a Baton Rouge attorney unhappy that Fuller spoke to his client without his knowledge or permission.
2. Ceravolo also a topic
Both sides" closings also involved William Ceravolo, the retired New Orleans police captain accused months ago of tampering with evidence at the crime scene, specifically of removing a gun from the interior of the Mercedes SUV belonging to his friend Will Smith within moments of the shooting.
The purported witness who made the accusation, identified in court Friday by defense-hired private investigator David Olasky as Warnisha "Weedy" Hudson, was not called to testify. Prosecutors had already debunked the accusation with surveillance video showing Ceravolo at the Windsor Court Hotel at the time of the shooting.
Napoli again accused Hayes" defense team of unfairly allowing unwarranted suspicion of Ceravolo to linger, as a distraction from the central point that Will Smith was shot seven times in the back by defendant claiming self-defense. Fuller countered that he had no intention of even bringing up Ceravolo, until prosecutors raised his name in opening arguments and put him on their witness list.
"This is smoke-and-mirrors foolishness," Fuller said. "Mr. Ceravolo should have never been an issue at this trial. But we all know how this district attorney"s office works. I"ve never seen any trial where somebody who is not even accused of something is brought in and defended by the district attorney"s office. I"m wondering why they"re putting so much emphasis on it when I haven"t mentioned his name since May."
Rodrigue said, "We didn"t know they would abandon that claim. They never retracted that it would be part of their defense. Of course we had to mention his name, because they blasted it all over the media."
3. Fuller a marathon man
Jurors listened to 5 hours and 16 minutesof closing arguments in the trial Sunday. Prosecutor Jason Napoli went first with a closing statement that took 51 minutes.
Defense attorney John Fuller"s closing took 3 hours, 37 minutes (217 minutes). Fuller spoke without pause for 1 hour and 47 minutes before Judge Camille Buras interrupted for a recess to allow jurors a bathroom break. After the recess, Fuller resumed speaking for another 1 hour and 50 minutes.
Jurors took a lunch break of 1 hour and 12 minutes, before prosecutor Laura Rodrigue gave the state"s rebuttal closing, which spanned 48 minutes.
4. Jailhouse phone call played
Responding to a challenge laid down by Fuller in his closing argument, Rodrigue included in her rebuttal presentation an audio recording of one of cardell hayes" jailhouse phone calls, which was referenced Saturday but not previously introduced for the jury.
In the call, Hayes is heard speaking to an unidentified woman about Racquel Smithaccepting on her late husband"s behalf Will Smith"s induction into the Saints Hall of Fame on Oct. 28. The ceremony marked Racquel Smith"s first public commentssince her husband"s death.
The recorded call was at times inaudible inside the courtroom. But jurors heard Hayes say, in reference to the widow, "Yeah, her with all her bulls---," and "phony, phony, phony."
5. "This case is about stupidity"
Rodrigue spoke bluntly toward the end of her closing argument, telling jurors that Fuller was right that this case should be evaluated on its merits, no matter the victim"s celebrity.
"This case is no different than the senseless and unnecessary murders that happen every day in this city," she said. "This is about somebody that got really mad. This case is about stupidity, about someone getting p****d off and shooting someone eight times. Cardell Hayes had the courage to grab a gun, but not to shoot Will Smith while he was standing in front of him. He waits until he"s got a clean shot at him, and shoots him when Will Smith walks away because he thinks it"s over.
"Is that the world we want to live in? When you"re born, you get a birth certificate and a gun, and whoever shoots first wins? The argument was over between them. It had been defused and Will Smith was walking away."
Titans S Daimion Stafford Recovers Fumble to Seal the Win for Tennessee! | NFL Week 14 Highlights
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Playing their most important home game in five years, the Tennessee Titans hung on Sunday to edge the Denver Broncos 13-10 at Nissan Stadium.
Tennessee (7-6) sealed the victory when Rashad Johnson forced a fumble from A.J. Derby after an 11-yard reception at the Denver 40 with 53 seconds left. Daimion Stafford recovered as the Titans took a temporary lead in the AFC South, pending the outcome of the Houston-Indianapolis game. The Texans won 22-17 to also go to 7-6.
Denver cut its deficit to 13-7 on Trevor Siemian"s 3-yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders with 9:58 remaining in the game, then got a 34-yard field goal from Brandon McManus at the 4:28 mark to draw within three points.
The Broncos (8-5) got the ball back at their 2 with 2:26 remaining, but the Tennessee defense came up with its second and biggest turnover of the day to wrap up the win.
The Titans won despite an off-day from quarterback Marcus Mariota, who completed just 6 of 20 passes for 88 yards.
Siemian, returning from a one-game absence due to a foot injury, hit on 35 of 51 attempts for 334 yards.
Tennessee owned most of the first half, using its ground game against Denver"s 28th-ranked run defense to chew up the clock.
After forcing a 3-and-out to start the day, the Titans drove 70 yards on 11 plays -- nine on the ground -- over 6:06. DeMarco Murray finished the drive with a 1-yard run over left tackle on 3rd-and-goal for a 7-0 lead at 7:29 of the first quarter.
Ryan Succop made it 10-0 at the 5:48 mark with a 53-yard field goal, set up when Justin Forsett fumbled on his first carry with the Broncos. Jason McCourty recovered it at the 40.
Succop converted a 41-yarder with 1:27 left in the half for a 13-0 advantage. The Tennessee drive covered 74 yards in 19 plays and 8:04, but a Mariota touchdown pass to Rishard Matthews was nullified when tight end Delanie Walker was flagged for his second offensive pass interference call of the half.
Murray ended with 92 yards on 21 carries for the Titans, which outrushed Denver 180-18.
NOTES:
ILB Brandon Marshall (hamstring) led the list of Denver inactives, which also included QB Austin Davis, WR Jordan Norwood, CB Lorenzo Doss, LS Casey Kreiter, G Connor McGovern and G Billy Turner.
DT Jurrell Casey (foot sprain) was deactivated by Tennessee, as was WR Kendall Wright, who was late and missed meetings on Saturday. The Titans also deactivated RB David Fluellen, DB Curtis Riley, LB Justin Staples, G Sebastian Tretola and TE Jace Amaro.
Titans QB Marcus Mariota"s first completion made him the franchise"s first 3,000-yard passer in a season since matt hasselbeck (2011).
Vikings: Season 4 Returns Comic-Con Full Trailer | History
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Minnesota Vikings" path to the postseason virtually demanded they win out, after losing six of their past seven games before Sunday. And no matter the resume of their opponent, the Vikings need not apologize for coming out of EverBank Field with a 25-16 win over the 2-11 Jacksonville Jaguars.
The victory keeps the Vikings" hopes alive. It sends them home with a winning record and legitimizes the chance that Adrian Peterson could return for a pivotal game on Dec. 24 at Lambeau Field if the Vikings can beat the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday. And at the end of the day, when they had to claw out of a hole they helped dig, the Vikings made some of the plays they"d not been able to string together for the better part of two months, driving 39 yards for a touchdown that helped put the game away.
The win-out strategy, though, requires a measure of consistency, especially now that the only way the Vikings can win the NFC North is if they claim their next three games while the Detroit Lions lose their final three. And it"s a safe bet the vikings will spend part of the week trying to hammer out the mistakes they might not be able to afford against better competition.
Complete 2016 schedule
Statistics
Scoreboard
Standings
After the Vikings" loss to the Dallas Cowboys 10 days ago, Zimmer cited the team"s lack of discipline as the reason the Vikings were losing games. That was a striking charge for a team that had the fewest penalties in the league a year ago; a 10-day break between games didn"t fix the problem.
The Vikings lost the turnover battle against a team that entered the game with a minus-18 margin. They lost a challenge at the goal line on third down after Matt Asiata was stopped in the second quarter and they couldn"t clear room for the running back on the next play. Xavier Rhodes was flagged for a 31-yard pass interference penalty on the ensuing series, before Danielle Hunter"s and Anthony Harris" missed tackles facilitated Marqise Lee"s 39-yard gain on a pass from Blake Bortles.
The second half brought a holding and unsportsmanlike conduct penalty from Rhodes and a 22-yard pass interference penalty from Mackensie Alexander after Rhodes came out of the game. Kai Forbath pushed an extra point well to the left of the uprights, and with a chance to put the Vikings up by two scores, Asiata fumbled on the 1-yard line.
Minnesota"s defense summoned up two stops after the Vikings took the lead, and the Vikings" stellar pass-rush trio of Brian Robison, Everson Griffen and Hunter combined for four sacks of Bortles. That, combined with the late touchdown drive that followed Asiata"s fumble, delivered a noticeable lift to the Vikings" locker room after the game.
"To win games like this, when it seems like, "Up and down, roller coaster, roller coaster," and to finally finish the game out, it"s great," cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said. "Hopefully we can build from this and get more confidence."
As the Vikings fly home from Jacksonville, though, their reason for a sigh of relief was rooted in the final result, not because of what happened in the game itself.
