NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Rarely have we seen a murder investigation with so many public statements from attorneys connected to the case.
Attorney Peter Thompson is not a prosecutor, but he did represent the Smith family during a news conference a few days after the former New Orleans Saints player was shot and killed following a car crash in the Lower Garden District. During that news conference, Thompson gave reporters his account of what happened on April 9, the night that Smith was killed.
Shortly after Thompson’s news conference, an attorney representing the suspect in the case also fielded reporters’ questions during a news conference. John Fuller’s statements directly conflict with many of Thompson’s.
One key point of contention in the case involves the initial fender bender — or near-fender bender — between Smith’s SUV and the Hummer of Cardell Hayes, the man booked with Smith’s murder. Other points include the circumstances of the car crash prior to the shooting, the tone of each man during their confrontation, and the location of the firearms in the possession of each men or in their cars at the time.
Above is an edited video montage that looks at many of the points. Click on the video button to watch.
At this point, the next scheduled court appearance in the case is on Thursday, April 28th. It is a preliminary hearing for the suspect, Hayes.