Son stabbed mother to death while she was watching TV, then kept watching the show before he went to bed
Inset: Zachary Hayes (Blount County Sheriff's Office). Background: The area near where Hayes killed his own mother in Louisville, Tenn. (Google Maps).
Posted For: Hauviette
A Tennessee man has been sentenced to decades in prison after pleading guilty to killing his mother and her cat, prosecutors said.
On Friday, 27-year-old Zachary Justin Hayes admitted guilt to second-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, aggravated animal cruelty, and intentional killing of an animal, according to the Blount County District Attorney’s Office.
Judge Tammy M. Harrington of the 5th Circuit Court sentenced Hayes to 37 years in prison for the 2023 killing of his 63-year-old mother, Kimberly Hayes. The attack took place at her home on Samples Road in Louisville, where deputies found her with multiple stab wounds. Her pet cat had also been fatally stabbed, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office said. Investigators recovered several blood-stained knives from the scene, including one that was broken.
Authorities quickly identified Hayes as a suspect. He was arrested the day after his mother’s body was discovered at his residence in Knoxville by the U.S. Marshals Service Smoky Mountain Fugitive Task Force, local ABC affiliate WATE reported.
During questioning, Hayes said he had not planned the killing and offered no clear motive. In an interrogation video later played in court and reported by The Daily Times, he said he stabbed his mother while she watched television, then had a drink and continued watching a show before going to bed.
Neighbors recalled seeing a red Mercedes commonly driven by Hayes parked outside the victim’s home the day before her body was found. When she failed to appear at work the next day, a coworker went to check on her and discovered the scene.
The medical examiner determined Kimberly Hayes died from multiple stab wounds to the neck and head, likely late on Sept. 7 or early Sept. 8, 2023. After the killing, the car was later spotted at her son’s home in Knoxville. Family members were present when Hayes returned there on Sept. 9, leading to his arrest without incident.
At a prior hearing, Hayes reportedly became emotional after seeing photos of his mother’s body and told the court he had been scared on the night of the killing. He received credit for time already served in jail before sentencing.
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