News spread in the early hours of Monday (Dec. 12) that Cardell Hayes had been convicted of manslaughter in the road rage-related killing of former Saints football player Will Smith. One man's life had been lost, another man's life was forever altered.
The 29-year-old tow truck driver fatally shot the retired Saints defensive lineman April 9 after a traffic dispute in the Lower Garden District.
Later in the day, Joe McKnight, another former pro football player shot to death during an apparent road rage incident, was laid to rest.
To anyone who drives on the competitive streets of the Crescent City, the deaths of Smith and McKnight were cautionary tales.