Anthony Smith, Former Raiders 1st-Round Pick, Convicted on 3 Counts of Murder

Former Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders defensive end Anthony Smith was convicted of the murder of three men by a Southern California jury Thursday.

Smith, 48, was charged with killing four men from 1999 to 2008, according to ABC7.com. Jurors had reached a verdict last Friday, but it had been sealed until Thursday because of scheduling conflicts, per Reuters' Olga Grigoryants. Smith was convicted on three of the murder counts, and the fourth was thrown out on a mistrial.

The former defensive end was initially arrested in 2011 and eventually charged in the deaths of Kevin Nettles, Ricky Nettles, Dennis Henderson and Maurilio Ponce. Kevin Nettles, Ricky Nettles and Henderson were all tortured before they were killed.

City News Service (via the Los Angeles Daily News) provided details from the case: "The Nettles brothers were found with their heads wrapped in duct tape and Ricky Nettles' stomach had been branded with a burn in the shape of a clothing iron, according to testimony during Smith’s preliminary hearing."

A 1990 first-round pick of the Raiders, Smith played for the franchise until 1997. He accumulated 57.5 sacks in 98 career games. Before becoming a pro, Smith starred at the University of Arizona.

Prosecutors already determined in November 2014 that Smith will not receive the death penalty. He will likely be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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