The Louisiana Supreme Court has decided to hear arguments on whether the man accused of killing former Jets running back Joe McKnight in a 2016 road rage incident can be tried for murder again after his conviction on a lesser charge was overturned, according to The Associated Press.
Ronald Gasser was originally charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of McKnight. However, the jury convicted Gasser of manslaughter in a verdict that was later overturned because it came from a non-unanimous jury.
District Attorney prosecutors from Jefferson Parish — a suburb outside of New Orleans — want another chance to try Gasser for murder with his manslaughter conviction now overturned. According to the District Attorney’s office, Gasser’s overturned manslaughter conviction should not be treated as an acquittal on the murder charge.
A state district judge and a state appellate panel originally agreed in a 2-1 ruling that trying Gasser for murder a second time would violate his double jeopardy constitutional protection. The Louisiana Supreme Court has yet to set a date for arguments on the issue.
In 2018, Gasser was convicted of manslaughter by a 10-2 vote and sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatally shooting McKnight in a road rage incident on Dec. 1, 2016. At Gasser’s trial, witnesses testified McKnight had been weaving in and out of traffic at a high speed prior to the shooting. Prosecutors argued that Gasser escalated the incident by chasing McKnight over a bridge for 5 miles and following him down an exit that he normally would not have taken. Gasser claimed that he acted in self-defense as McKnight lunged into his car.
McKnight starred at USC before being selected by the Jets in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was with the team from 2010-2012. He saw limited action as a rookie, running for 158 yards on 32 carries.
In 2011, McKnight emerged as a return threat for the Jets, returning a kick for 107 yards, the longest play in franchise history.
McKnight was released by the Jets in 2013. He resurfaced with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014 but suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a September practice, ending his season. He was then subsequently released by the Chiefs. Prior to his death, McKnight was a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.
