Saturday, August 7, 2010

Olathe, KS: Olathe woman third murder victim of the year

By JOE LAMBE
jlambe@theolathenews.com
Following an unusual two murders within days of each other in June, Olathe police officers worked another one this week when a woman was shot dead.

Tiffani L. Hayes, 28, was killed Thursday. Her estranged husband, Terry R. Hayes, 39, was in the Johnson County Jail Friday on suspicion of first-degree murder.

Tiffani Hayes was shot in the head and police found her body about noon Thursday outside a home on the 400 block of East Spruce Street. They later arrested Hayes after they stopped his SUV following a three-hour manhunt. He was arrested in the 12100 block of Walnut Street.

The couple was married in February 2009 and Terry Hayes filed for divorce in April of this year. The shooting occurred outside a home where Hayes’ previous wife was living, according to a neighbor and records.

In addition to Olathe police, members of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, Kansas Highway Patrol and the Johnson County Park Police worked to find Hayes. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Olathe Police Department, 913-971-7455, or the TIPS Hotline, 816-474-TIPS (8477).

The three killings this year mark only the third time in the last decade the city has had that many killings in a year. The other two years were in 2002 and 2003. There were no murders at all last year.

Two men are facing charges for unrelated cases in June—the killing of Stephen L. Cook in a motel room and the asphyxiation of Asuncion Delgado-Lopez in her apartment.

Maurice O. Stewart, 22, of Kansas City, Kan., has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, burglary and theft of a laptop computer related to the cutting death of Cook.

Police found Cook, 57, of California, dead on June 29 at the Econo Lodge, 209 E. Flaming Road.

Jorge Rodriguez-Hernandez, 29, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Delgado-Lopez, 50.

The two were roommates at an apartment on the 1600 block of East Cedar, where the victim was found dead.

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