A Williamsville, Mo., man was charged Friday with first-degree murder after allegedly suffocating his 85-year-old bedridden father in September 2016 following a heated disagreement. The motive, said Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs, was to receive a substantial inheritance of property his father allegedly had revoked.
Kevin Eugene Hayes, 54, has been incarcerated for nearly three weeks on suspicion of three counts of first-degree property damage. Prior to his arrest on Aug. 28, he'd recently been released on bond for unrelated charges of first-degree burglary and third-degree assault.
While serving time behind bars, Hayes implicated himself in the death of his father, Floyd Hayes, formerly of Broseley, Mo. It was during a recorded phone conversation with a bail bondsman on Aug. 19 which led to an investigation.
"During screening of jail inmate phone calls, Hayes made mention of a homicide," Dobbs said. "After listening to the conversation, it was evident to me that the details surrounding his dad's death on Sept. 4 were suspicious."
According to the sheriff's probable cause statement, all phone calls contain a recorded message from the operator notifying both parties they are being recorded.
"Furthermore, Hayes has indicated in other jail phone conversations that he knows inmate conversations are recorded," the statement says.
During the conversation, Hayes allegedly requested bondsman David Lundy "have firm conversations" with his wife, Amanda Hayes, to sway her to remove the order of protection restraining him from contacting her. During the same conversation, he mentioned his father and the date "Sept. 4, 2016." Furthermore, he stated "If (Amanda) wants to set behind bars for 30 ... years, she better think about it," followed by "I can do my time, can she do hers?"
Hayes reportedly went on to explain the recent physical abuse he has inflicted on his wife is because "she brings up my inheritance and my dad and I told her don't ever ... bring it up again and it's all in the past and it's gone, let's move on with our lives. She did that and that's why I'm smacking the piss out of her."
Dobbs said after putting it all together, investigators met with Amanda Hayes on Wednesday for questioning.
"She said (Floyd Hayes) died because (he and Kevin) had an argument about turning ownership of the family farm over to (Kevin)," Dobbs said. "The dad denied that request. He was bedridden at that point. So basically, Kevin Hayes decided to go in and put a pillow over his face and suffocate him."
Amanda Hayes then told investigators her husband stated "he had to hold the pillow harder than he thought he would have to" in order to kill his father. The probable cause statement said Amanda Hayes reported she knew Floyd Hayes had been alive before her husband entered his bedroom.
She then stated Kevin Hayes next instructed her to call Jim Sanders of White-Sanders Funeral Home.
Sanders told investigators after he was contacted via telephone by Amanda Hayes, he responded to the residence.
"He further states that Kevin Hayes was highly intoxicated. Sanders states that Floyd Hayes was observed laying in the bed of his bedroom and was obviously deceased," according to the sheriff's report.
Amanda Hayes confirmed her husband did in fact inherit the family farm after his father's death and in turn, sold it for more than $350,000. A check of records in the Butler County Recorder of Deeds office confirms this information is correct, according to Dobbs.
"It was all about the inheritance," Dobbs said. "He knew the farm was in the will and when the father died, it was his to inherit. But the father had denied the request. He didn't want to relinquish control to Hayes, who has a drug and alcohol problem."
Bond is set for $350,000 cash and Hayes is scheduled to appear at 9 a.m. Monday for his arraignment in front of Associate Circuit Judge John Bloodworth.