Former NFL player for Oakland Raiders Anthony Smith was sentenced to life without parole in California after he was found guilty for the murders of three men between the years 1999 and 2001.
According to The Source, the 48-year-old was convicted last year for the kidnapping and killings of two men named Rick and Kevin Nettles back in 1999. He was also convicted for the 2001 murder of Dennis Henderson.
NESN reported that at the time of the trial for the 1999 and 2001 killings, Smith was also tried for a 2008 murder but the case ended as a mistrial. However, after the announcement of the sentencing for the murder of the Nettles brothers and Henderson, he could be retried for the 2008 shooting of a 31-year-old man named Maurilio Ponce.
It was noted that the bodies of the two brothers were found dead with their heads wrapped in duct tape outside a Los Angeles car wash. As per multiple reports, Smith pretended to be a police man and took the Nettles brothers from their car wash business as they were closing up their shop.
Smith reportedly first pointed the gun at Kevin and handcuffed him then shackled Ricky next. The brothers were placed in the back of a sedan and when they were found, an iron burn mark on the stomach of Ricky was also seen. Kevin's body was found eight miles away from where his brother was recovered and his head was also duct taped with multiple gunshot wounds to his body.
Henderson, on the other hand, was found stabbed and beaten inside a rental car in Watts, Inquisitr reported. Henderson had a fractured cheekbone and a dislocated jaw. He was also stabbed behind the left eye and ear and 11 times in his back.
As for the death of Ponce, he was found in the Antelope Valley poppy fields.
It is unclear what the motive in the killing was as Smith did not make any comments during the sentencing. Superior Court Judge Daviann L. Mitchell said while he announced the sentencing that Smith seemed to be cold and insensitive in the murders.
Michael S. Evans, the attorney of Smith, said that his client plans to appeal the life sentence.
