Man indicted in fatal shooting of ex-Saints player Will Smith
New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith appears before an NFL football game against the New York Giants on Dec. 9, 2012.
Reporting from NEW ORLEANS — A grand jury has indicted a business owner on a second-degree murder charge in the shooting death of retired New Orleans Saints’ defensive end Will Smith.
The indictment was read Thursday. Cardell Hayes also faces charges of attempted second-degree murder because police say he shot and wounded Smith’s wife April 9 after they got into a traffic dispute.
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Police said Hayes’ Hummer hit Smith’s Mercedes SUV from behind and they got into an argument.
A lawyer for Hayes has said repeatedly that his client was not the aggressor and that the truth will come out during the investigation. Hayes has been jailed since the shooting.
A lawyer for Smith’s family has described Hayes as “enraged” during the shooting and portrayed his clients as the victims.
The indictment was announced during a preliminary hearing in the case.
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