Nevada AG Pushes For Pardoning Man Who Killed Pregnant Woman

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford ignited a storm of anger by championing a pardon request for Norman Smith, the man who killed pregnant Tinesha Adams and her unborn child just seven years into his sentence. The 30-year-old offender stood before a parole board after Ford, seeking re-election, pushed to add the application to the agenda.

The violence erupted on December 13, 2015, inside an O'Reilly's parking lot following a heated confrontation at Applebee's restaurant. Adams had approached her boyfriend Chris Cooper while he dined with Smith and his girlfriend Bobbi Williams, plus Williams' sister Alexzandrea. The argument moved outside after Cooper's mother arrived to pick him up and stop the fight from spreading.

Smith fired shots that ended Adams life during the scuffle as a relative attempted to pull them apart. He later told police it was an accident yet admitted pulling the trigger. In 2017, he received ten to thirty-nine years for armed robbery, with officials ruling the new death sentence would run concurrently rather than stacking on top of that term.

Ford first met with Smith's mother, a school teacher battling cancer, who requested his office help get her son considered for clemency. A spokesperson noted Ford agreed to place the case on the board docket after receiving a support letter from the chief deputy district attorney handling the original investigation. However, the official also warned the grieving family that he could not promise a favorable vote on forgiveness or sentence reduction.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael J Schwartzer wrote to the parole board in 2025 as an individual rather than representing the state office. He argued Smith had accepted responsibility and served a significantly longer prison term for robbery than any co-defendant received. The DA confirmed Smith still faced time behind bars for manslaughter when considering his earlier request for release related to the theft charge.

Smith appeared before the board on September 15 only to have his clemency bid denied shortly after Ford left town due to a family emergency. When asked about missing the hearing, Ford refused comment and this silence has fueled accusations that he acted solely because of Smith's ill mother rather than justice for Adams. The shooting victim was pregnant at the time her life ended during that chaotic afternoon outside the liquor store parking lot where friends turned enemies so quickly.

A massive group erupted into a violent argument, shoving and pushing those around them. Adams used pepper spray on several individuals, including Cooper. At one moment, Smith, who prosecutors claimed did not get along with Adams, grabbed the pregnant woman and threw her to the ground. This action brought Cooper over. He held onto his ex-girlfriend in an attempt to 'calm her down,' which is when she sprayed him with pepper spray, according to a letter.

She then fled to pepper-spray the Williams sisters, who were still inside Cooper's mother's car. Smith pulled her out of the vehicle and threw her to the ground again. The two began fighting fiercely, and at one point, Smith yelled: 'I'm going to shoot!' Seconds later, a distinct 'pow' sound was heard by a family member of Adams who was trying to separate the pair. That same person testified that she saw Smith with his right arm extended and a gun in his hand.

When police arrived, they were told Smith had shot Adams, who was visibly pregnant. Prosecutor Michael J Schwartzer noted he was requesting a parole hearing on Smith's robbery case only because Smith would still be serving his sentence for the death of Adams. He received a sentence of 10 to 39 years in the robbery charge, which runs concurrently with his manslaughter conviction.

Smith told an officer he found the gun on the ground and picked it up fearing someone would shoot him. While trying to put it into his sweatshirt's pocket, he claimed he was pushed, causing his finger to pull the trigger. He admitted he fired the shot and insisted it was an accident. Smith was a member of the YNIC street gang and was under house arrest at the time for the armed robbery. He received his sentence in 2017.

Regarding the shooting of Adams, a jury found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter with use of a deadly weapon in 2019. His sentence was ordered to run concurrently with the robbery term. Adams' family attended every day of the trial, Schwartzer pointed out. The Daily Mail has contacted Ford's Office for comment.