NEW ORLEANS — Cardell Hayes will plead guilty to manslaughter in the death of former Saint Will Smith.
There was speculation that might happen today when all parties, including Hayes, reported to court for his scheduled retrial on Monday.
Hayes will plead guilty as charged to manslaughter on Wednesday.
Hayes was found guilty of killing former Saints defensive end Will Smith and for shooting Smith’s wife, who was shot in both of her legs. But later granted a new trial after the Supreme Court outlawed non-unanimous jury verdicts.
Hayes was sentenced to 25 years in prison at the time. There was no immediate word on what the sentencing might look like as part of the plea agreement.
Smith’s death shocked the city, and details slowly emerged that the two men had been involved in a situation where Smith’s vehicle bumped into Hayes’. A chase then ensued, with Hayes slamming his vehicle into Smith’s.
The two men got out and a confrontation that ended, according to testimony, with Smith heading back to his vehicle to get a gun and Hayes’ firing and fatally hitting Smith.
Hayes was sentenced in 2016 at the end of a highly publicized trial. After the Supreme Court hearing, he was released on bail in 2021, pending a retrial.
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