A Douglas County man was found guilty of murder, among other charges, for fatally shooting a man after the two got into a fight while the victim and his wife were visiting the defendant’s home, officials said.
Jarrod Hayes, 36, was found guilty Tuesday of killing the man after the January 2020 fight in which the defendant was the “primary aggressor,” the Douglas District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday. Hayes was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to the DA’s Office, the incident began when the victim and his wife, who were not identified, were in the area for a family funeral. The couple paid a social visit to Hayes and his wife the evening of Jan. 17, 2020. At some point, the two men began arguing and it escalated to a physical fight.
During the fight, Hayes left the room and came back with a rifle, the DA’s Office said. Hayes fired three shots at the man, hitting him once in the upper body. After firing the fatal shot, Hayes waited to call 911 until he could hide the rifle, the DA’s Office said.
At the scene, Douglas sheriff’s deputies found the victim with a gunshot wound and injuries to his head and face from the fight, while Hayes was uninjured, prosecutors said. The sheriff’s office opened an investigation and ultimately found the gun Hayes hid in his home.
“This case is tragic on many levels,” Douglas DA Dalia Racine said. ”The victim was mourning the loss of a family member when his own life was senselessly taken. We are glad our community spoke out against this loss by finding the defendant guilty of these offenses.”
Hayes has been in custody in the Douglas County Jail for more than two years after being booked the same day the shooting took place. He will be sentenced March 7.
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