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Will Smith Shooting: Cardell Hayes Indicted on Charges of Second-Degree Murder, Attempted Murder in NFL Star’s Death

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Mugshot of Cardell Hayes, accused killer of former New Orleans Saint Will Smith. Photo courtesy of CNN.com

Cardell Hayes was charged with second-degree murder Thursday for the fatal shooting of former New Orleans Saints football player Will Smith. Hayes was also indicted on a second-degree attempted murder charge for shooting Smith’s wife, Racquel, ESPN reports.

The day was filled with chaos as multiple hearings against Hayes occurred simultaneously. According to CNN.com, Hayes’ day began at 9 a.m. with a meeting at the district attorney’s office. Meanwhile, his lawyer, John Fuller, was busy working on other court cases and a grand jury was meeting to determine if Hayes should be charged with murder.

The legal hearing to determine probable cause began about an hour later. One group of lawyers presented their case to a grand jury while another did so in front of a judge, CNN.com reports.

Hayes pleaded not guilty to the four charges against him, which included aggravated criminal damage to a vehicle and aggravated assault with a firearm. He was held on $1.75 million bond, according to ESPN.com.

On April 9, Hayes’ Hummer struck Smith’s Mercedes SUV from behind, after which an argument ensued between the two men. Hayes then shot and killed Smith.  Police say he also shot Smith’s wife Racquel twice in her legs. According to the Orleans Parish coroner, the former football star had been shot eight times and suffered seven bullet wounds to his back.

Immediately after the grand jury indictment was handed down, an assistant district attorney rushed in to halt the preliminary hearing happening in another courtroom. The prosecutor interrupted the defense’s third witness, David Olasky, a private investigator, who was in the middle of giving his testimony, CNN.com reports. The preliminary hearing was unneeded now that the grand jury had made its decision.

According to ESPN, right before the hearing was interrupted however, a private investigator working with Hayes’ lawyers testified that a witness to the shooting said she saw retired New Orleans police Capt. Billy Ceravolo removing a gun from Smith’s vehicle before police arrived at the scene. Ceravolo had also dined with Smith earlier that day. The retired police captain vehemently denied the accusations of tampering with a crime scene.

Fuller, Hayes’ lawyer, expressed his dismay with the verdict at a news conference following the court proceedings. He also pointed out that the indictment was handed down just 19 days after the shooting.

“In my 14 years practicing, I have never, in the midst of a preliminary hearing, seen an indictment handed down,” Fuller said. “What happened today was unprecedented. I’m disappointed, but I don’t think anyone that was in the courthouse was surprised.”

He also said he was dissatisfied with the indictment process.

“My client has been indicted without an autopsy report, without a ballistic report, without a finalized police report,” he said at a news conference after the court hearings,” Fuller said.

An attorney for Racquel Smith, Peter Thompson, said the family is happy with the court’s decision, per CNN.com.

“We’re not surprised,” Thompson said. “And we’re very confident that once all the facts are in evidence, then the defendant will be convicted on all counts. While nothing can relieve the pain that Racquel and her family are dealing with, we feel this is a step in the right direction toward justice.”

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