*On Thursday, Anthony Wayne Smith, a former Oakland Raiders defensive end was found guilty of killing three men. However, a mistrial was declared in a fourth killing after jurors deadlocked.
After eight days of deliberations, a jury convicted Smith, 48, of the 1999 double killings of brothers Ricky and Kevin Nettles and the 2001 death of Dennis Henderson, according to Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Jurors also found true special circumstance allegations that Smith committed kidnapping, torture and multiple murders.
But jurors were unable to reach verdict in the 2008 death of Maurilio Ponce, Santiago said. They were split 9 to 3 for a guilty verdict, he said.
On Monday, a juror left a note for attorneys, saying the jury had not properly followed the law while deliberating the Ponce charge, said Smith’s attorney, Michael Evans. The juror believed the jury was confused on the first-degree murder charge and began deliberating second-degree murder. The jurors had to find Smith not guilty of first-degree murder before they could begin deliberating on second-degree murder.
When jurors returned Thursday to announce the sealed decision, Judge Daviann L. Mitchell declared a mistrial on the Ponce charge. The decision to retry the case will be made later.
Get the FULL story at LA Times.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
