Ex Oakland Raider Charged In Murders

Anthony Wayne Smith was a defensive end during his college football years in Arizona and Alabama. He was taken in the 1990 draft in the first round by the Oakland Raiders. Smith was the 11th pick overall. He played seven seasons, registering 57 1/2 sacks during those years. He retired in 1998. In 1995 he married pop star Vanity who was suffering from severe drug addiction at the time. They divorced in 1996. In 2008 he was charged with the murder of Maurilio Ponce. The prosecution claimed that Ponce was stabbed to death over a business deal gone wrong. The trial ended in a hung jury with the vote being 8-4 in favor of guilty.

Los Angeles cold case detectives began going over some older unsolved cases in 2011 and came across three that they are now convinced were carried out by the former NFL star. Two brothers, Kevin and Ricky Nettles, were kidnapped at a car wash by two men who were posing as police officers. They were later found shot to death. Smith has also been charged with the 2001 kidnapping and murder of Dennis Henderson. Henderson was found beaten and stabbed to death in a rental car. The prosecutors claim that the three men were tortured which makes this a "special circumstances" case enabling them to seek the death penalty if they so desire. The prosecutors also plan to re-file the charges of murder in the 2008 trial.

Smith is due back in court on July 17. He plans to plead not guilty on all charges. Regardless of how the trials go, it's pretty safe to say that Anthony Smith is a very long distance away from his days as an Oakland Raider.