Nevada’s attorney general has called for clemency for a man who killed a pregnant woman and her unborn baby. 

Norman Smith, 30, went before a Nevada parole board after Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is running for reelection, sponsored his application.    

Smith killed Tinesha Adams on December 13, 2015, during an argument that broke out among a large group of people in an O’Reilly’s parking lot after she confronted her on-and-off boyfriend, Chris Cooper, at an Applebee’s. 

Smith, who was on house arrest at the time, was sentenced to 10 to 39 years behind bars for an armed robbery case in 2017. Two years later, he was sentenced for the death of Adams, and the sentences were ruled to run concurrently. 

Ford was first approached about the parole application by Smith’s mother, a school teacher with cancer, who asked the AG to put her son’s case on the board agenda for a sentencing modification. 

After ‘receiving a letter of support from the prosecutor in the case,’ Ford agreed to put the case on the agenda, a spokesperson from his office told 8 News Now. 

‘But [he] informed Mr. Smith’s mother that he would not guarantee her that he would vote in favor of clemency or a sentence modification,’ his office told 8 News Now. 

In the letter, Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael J Schwartzer recalled the case and said the victim’s family showing up to court and the previously armed robbery case should be considered when making a decision. 

AG Aaron Ford is facing backlash after he sponsored the parole application for Norman Smith, who killed a pregnant woman in 2015 during an argument 

Smith killed Tineshea Adams on December 13, 2015. He was friends with her on-and-off boyfriend. Smith and Adams were said not to get along 

In a separate letter from 2025, Schwartzer wrote to the parole board as an individual, not as a member of the AG’s office, saying that he supported Smith being granted parole for his robbery sentence. 

He said Smith ‘took responsibility’ for his crimes and that he received a ‘significantly higher prison sentence for his role in this [robbery] case than any of his co-defendants.’ 

The DA’s Office told 8 News Now on Thursday that Schwartzer did not oppose parole for the robbery case because the criminal would still be serving time for the manslaughter of Adams. 

Smith went before the board on September 15, but Ford did not attend the meeting, as was scheduled due to a family emergency, 8 News Now reported.  

Smith was denied his clemency bid. 

When Ford returned from his emergency, he declined to answer questions about his absence, Fox News reported. This has sparked fury against the AG, as some question if he only did it for Smith’s sick mother. 

The 2015 altercation began at an Applebee’s restaurant, where Adams approached Cooper, who was dining with Smith, his girlfriend Bobbi Williams, and her sister Alexzandrea Williams, who was dating Cooper. 

Cooper and Adams spoke inside the latter’s car before he went back inside and called his mother to pick him and his dinner guests up. 

The altercation began after Adams confronted her on-and-off boyfriend Chris Cooper at Applebee’s about seeing another woman 

When Smith and Cooper and their girlfriend’s left the restaurant, Adams followed them to an O’Reilly’s parking lot, where a mass brawl broke out 

Smith shot Adams while her family member tried to separate them. He admitted to it but told police it was an accident 

Adams allegedly followed the group of five from the restaurant to O’Reilly’s, where Cooper’s mom had pulled in after noticing that Adams was following them. 

Two other cars, holding Adams’ family members, arrived shortly after. The large group got into an argument, with many shoving and pushing people. Adams also pepper-sprayed multiple people, including Cooper. 

At one point, Smith, who prosecutors said did not get along with Adams, grabbed the pregnant woman and threw her to the ground. This caused Cooper to come over. He grabbed hold of his ex-girlfriend to ‘calm her down,’ and that’s when she pepper-sprayed him, the letter said. 

She then ran off to pepper-spray the Williams sisters, who were still inside Cooper’s mother’s car. Smith then pulled her out of the vehicle and threw her to the ground again. 

The two started to ‘go at each other,’ and at one point, Smith yelled: ‘I’m going to shoot!’ 

Seconds later, a ‘pow’ sound was heard by one of Adams’ family members, who was attempting to separate the pair. 

The family member later testified that she saw Smith with his right arm extended and a gun in his hand. 

When police arrived at the scene, they were informed that Smith had shot Adams, who was visibly pregnant. 

Prosecutor Michael J Schwartzer said he was for a parole hearing on Smith’s robbery case, but only because Smith would still be serving his sentence for Adams’ death. He was sentenced to 10 to 39 years in the robbery case, which runs concurrently with his manslaughter conviction

Smith would tell a police officer he found the gun on the ground and picked it up because he feared someone would shoot him. While attempting to put it in his sweatshirt’s pocket, he said he was pushed, causing his finger to pull the trigger. 

He admitted he was the one who shot Adams and claimed it was an accident. 

Smith, who was a part of the YNIC street gang, was on house arrest at the time for the armed robbery. He was later sentenced to 10 to 39 years in 2017. 

For the shooting of Adams, a jury later found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter with use of a deadly weapon in 2019. His sentence was ordered to run concurrently with the robbery one. 

Adams’ family showed up every day for the trial, Schwartzer noted.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Ford’s Office for comment.