Two years ago, a shooter in a wig-and-mustache disguise calmly walked away after gunning down a young woman in front of her toddler in a Target parking lot.
Monday the suspect in the killing, Joanna Hayes, is set to stand trial in Gwinnett County on murder charges for the brazen slaying. Authorities say Hayes killed her daughter-in-law, 25-year-old Heather Strube, in broad daylight because she and Hayes' son, Steven Strube, were involved in a custody dispute over their 18-month-old son.
Steven Strube dropped off the son in a custody exchange just minutes before Heather Strube was killed. The shopping center was a routine drop-off spot for the estranged couple. He has not been charged in connection with the slaying.
Hayes was labeled as a suspect early on. Evidence connecting her to Strube's death is largely circumstantial, prosecutors said.
A 1991 Ford pickup truck she drove matched the description of an older white Ford pickup truck seen pulling away from the scene of the crime. When investigators impounded and searched the vehicle, they collected a fiber commonly used in making wigs from inside the cab. They also found a receipt to a Wendy's restaurant in Newnan that prosecutors said is a key piece of evidence, although they wouldn't explain why before the trial.
At least four people witnessed the shooting or its aftermath. The witnesses described a male shooter because of the disguise. Upon reviewing the surveillance footage from the store parking lot, police said they suspected the killer was female.
Sara Kouidri, a 20-year-old student who testified at a pretrial hearing in March, said she saw the suspect walk past her vehicle clutching a laptop bag with the gun tucked inside. Kouidri said she didn't get a good look at the shooter's face.
"All I remember is the wig," Quidri testified. "I knew it was a wig."
Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Dan Mayfield said he expects jury selection to take at least three days. Three to four weeks have been allotted for the trial. Mayfield said the state could call as many as 30 witnesses.
Defense attorney Bruce F. Morriss did not return a call seeking comment.
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