Man Who Fatally Shot Former NFL Star Will Smith is Granted Bond⁠

In April 2017, Late NFL player Will Smith was shot dead by a man named Cardell Hayes during an incident that also left his wife Racquel Smith injured. Now, news has surfaced that 29-year-old Hayes was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of Smith, as well as the shooting of his wife. He was given 25 years with out a possibility of a parole, and 15 years for attempted manslaughter

According to reports, the man who fatally shot NFL player Will Smith was granted bail after he had his sentence overturned.

Cardell Hayes was accused of killing Smith in an incident that went down on April 9th, 2016, after both of the men exchanged words while in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans. The exchange led to Smith being shot in the back seven times, along with Smith’s wife Racquel being injured in the melee. Hayes noted that he shot Smith in self-defense during his trial, but was ultimately convicted of attempted manslaughter and manslaughter in a 10-2 jury decision. Since then, the United States Supreme Court voted to invalidate split-jury convictions that were pending on appeal, as it was ruled unconstitutional. As a result, Hayes’ conviction along with his 25-year prison sentence were overturned.

Now, Hayes has been granted a $225,000 bond according to his attorney. The judge in the case noted that prosecutors will be proceeding with prosecution for the manslaughter and attempted manslaughter charges.