Joy Hayward
Suspected murderer.
Case background:
Joy Patricia Hayward, 28, was brutally murdered. Her killer is still at large. Her family and friends would like very much to see justice served.
Joy Hayward had checked into the Days Inn hotel in Chester, Pennsylvania after an argument with her boyfriend on February 11, 2004. The desk clerk said that a black male followed Hayward into the elevator. Hayward’s room was on the sixth floor.
According to police, Joy called the front desk shortly after reaching her room. She said that she had a situation and needed help. The phone line went dead.The desk clerk allegedly did nothing in response to her pleas.
The next day, February 12, Hayward’s body was found in the bathtub of her hotel room by a maintenance man at around 4:00 in the afternoon. She had been brutally raped, beaten and strangled to death.
Police investigating the scene said that the beds were made with her clothes neatly folded on one of them. There were Newport and Marlboro light cigarette butts found floating in water in the ice bucket.
DNA taken from the crime scene revealed the killer to be a black male. Hayward’s cell phone had been taken. Her sister, Kathi, called the phone on the night of the twelfth. A male voice answered the phone, but quickly hung up. The phone has not been located.
Question of the freaking day...
Why in the hell didn't the desk clerk check out Joy's distress call? Okay, sure they are not paid to babysit guest, but come on, apparently something had gone wrong, a bit of humanity would of saved this woman's life for crying out loud!
My theory:
Joy had left the hotel to go somewhere and no one had no idea where she went for 90 minutes before she returned and a black man was seen with her or following her if you will.
Now I'm thinking, she met this man and decided to befriend him, just to have some friendly company. From the evidence it was two kinds of cigarette butts, more than likely her killers' brand of smoke and her brand.
So, if they were smoking in her room, she had a small amount of trust to let him in the room to have a smoke, let alone invite him to where she was staying in the first place. I believe things got out of hand when the killer believed it was going to be more than what Joy actually wanted and it turned deadly.
What's your theory?
The theory that she invited the man into the room is wrong. Followed into the elevator, that was the last time she was seen alive. The fact that the desk clerk didn't respond is disgusting and they should have been fired. Joy checked into the hotel earlier (around 1am) then went out and returned about 90 minutes later (around 3am). She stopped at the front desk and said something to the front desk clerk, but the clerk "doesn't remember what she said." She was then followed onto the elevator by this unknown black male. A short time later she called the front desk and asked for help, which fell upon deaf ears. So the folded clothes and the beds being made is an oddity. If she called the front desk, wouldn't there be some sort of identifier on the beds, because the phone is typically next to or between the beds. And if there was a struggle were the beds never part of the fight? Maybe, could it have been, that she was murdered by someone who cleans up after himself, but made the mistake of leaving his cigarette but in the ice bucket? Also, do you feel there should be some responsibility on the hotel for not having working security cameras in their hallways? (They had security cameras, they just weren't operating)
ReplyDeleteHonestly, in a perfect world the hotel should bear some responsibility, but of course that's not going to be the case...
DeleteAs far as you not believing she didn't invite him in, I find it rather hard to believe that she DIDN'T invite this man in her room because it definitely would of been a struggle and that causes noise and the fact that she even had a chance to use the phone, shows that she wasn't that much in duress to not be adamantly crying for help... I'm sure if she seemed in a panic, the desk clerk would of called 911 and responded to her call, they thought it was a crank, so that tells you, that she didn't sound too much in a panic enough to raise concern.
Thinking about it now, perhaps the killer asked her for a light for his cigarette and she says "Sure, hang on, I got one inside my room." She opens the door, enters, and tells him " I was just about to have a smoke, we can smoke together." Although that was never his intention anyway, but he goes with it in order to gain access to her room and her trust, so he can do what he really came for. Now, I'm no rocket scientist, nor do I smoke, but usually people who smoke, they like to smoke with someone.
So, after the cigarette smoke, she wanted him to leave and he wouldn't so she called down stairs to get someone to throw him out. The fact that she even got a chance to use the phone and wait for the desk clerk to answer the rings, tells me that the suspect was not being violent yet until after the call, had he been being violent beforehand she would of never had a chance to call anyone, let alone call and not be screaming for help. Another point as well would be, if she felt she was really in danger she would of call 911 directly on her cell or from the phone in the room, but she didn't.
I think she was comfortable enough to let him in that room but he wouldn't leave. And let's think about this as well, both brands of cigarettes were in the ice bucket... what's the chance of that? Unless that's what Joy had designated as the "ash tray" for them both while they were smoking. Had it been separate smoking times, I'm sure the suspect would have NOT left the cigarette butt in the ice bucket, heck he would of took them with him. It was because they were both smoking together at the same time and he completely forgot about them.
It's also possible he cleaned up after him self but he did a horrible job of it... forgot fixing the beds, get your cigarette butt, idiot.
As far as identifiers on the bed, when she called down to the clerk, doesn't necessarily mean she was sitting down, especially if she trying to get someone out of her room, she's not going to be sitting, which would be a sign of submission. How do you feel about this theory?
Anonymous,
DeletePlease contact at thomasgdeitman@yahoo.com re Ms. Hayward.
Thank you.
TGD
Also, she was found in the bathroom, I believe most of the struggle took place there. And the fact that there is lack of evidence of a struggle in the room, tells me she was comfortable with this man in her room at some point in time, yea he could of cleaned up, but folded her clothes back as well? Nah, I doubt it.
ReplyDeleteWell she was checked into the room ahead of time, before the man ever was in the hotel or room. So the folded clothes could have been from when she checked in earlier. I do find it suspicious that both brands of cigarettes were in the ice bucket. Maybe she did invite the man into the room for a smoke. But here's another burning question...What did she say to the desk clerk before she went up to the room, and why wasn't the man walking WITH her, rather FOLLOWING her? Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteRandom question...how did you hear about this case, and what sparked your interest?
ReplyDeleteRight, what I meant to say was... had there been a struggle in the room, her clothes would of scattered and I don't believe the suspect would of took the time to gather them and fold them back.
ReplyDeleteI think Joy may have asked or said something so casual or repetitive that the clerk was use to hearing from customers at the job, that the clerk just answered and pretty much forgot what was said. Like for instance "What time is checkout?" Or "Where's the ice machines located at?" But then again, simple questions like that, I'm not sure if that would qualify as something to forget. It's really hard to say what she may have said to the clerk. Apparently it wasn't important enough for the clerk to remember.
As far as the suspect... what I'm saying is maybe he was following Joy and she didn't know she was being targeted, she probably thought the man had a room in the hotel and she got on the elevator without seconds thoughts about this man getting on the elevator with her, then she got to her floor, they both exit the elevator, and she probably thought he was staying on the same floor as her, it's more than likely she didn't feel threatened by him. At some point in time, between getting on the elevator with her and her standing by her door, he casually asked for a light and it went downhill from there.
This case is very odd indeed.
I believe I came across this case just browsing the internet about a year or two ago and it stuck with me because I find it rather odd that someone asks for help and it's shrugged off as nothing. The clerk is what baffles me in this case really. It bothers me that s/he did nothing and Joy died offhandedly because of that.
ReplyDeleteWhat about you? How did you find out about it? Did it spark your interest? If so, why?
Well I've been following this case for a little while. You could say it's kind of a part of my life now. It is good however to be able to find someone else to bounce ideas back and forth with. You clearly have put a lot of thought in this and from someone else who has as well, it's appreciated.
DeleteAs for the clerk, it's an interesting concept that it was something typical like "When's checkout." But you also make a good point that if it's something so typical, wouldn't they have remembered? Did she maybe say something to the clerk and he/she shrugged it off and ignored it and just replied with a simple "Ok" to make it seem like they were listening when in reality they weren't? Could she have said something like, "I think I'm being followed." but the clerk wasn't actually paying attention? Does someone who checks in at a hotel at 130am really care about check out time? Maybe...? Who knows though. The only person who really knows the answers to our questions is the suspect. I wish there was a way to get more attention to the case and have it looked into more, but I don't know how to make that happen.
I'm still caught up on the beds and clothes being neatly made and folded. Joy had been brutally beaten, raped, and murdered. Do you think all of that could have happened in the bathroom itself? I guess I just always assumed the majority of the assault took place in the bedroom area or on the bed, and never gave thought to it happening in the bathroom.
She was drunk when she arrived and went back out, people do dumb shit when they are drunk like drugs and other shit
DeleteDid you ever see joyhayward@blogspot.com? Her sister made a page for her with the rundown of the story. I'm not sure if the page is active or not but I have thought of contacting her, to perhaps maybe gain more insight from her and this case, I think it would be awesome if we could get a hold of Joy's case file to examine it. Might be wishful thinking???
ReplyDeleteSome others things I have questioned myself about is whether this man was hanging around the hotel lobby before even targeting Joy, cause remember it's said that she was followed into the elevator, NOT into the hotel by the suspect. So he had to be hanging in the lobby trying to find a woman to target, I believe. Right? And if that's the case, he was loitering, why wasn't he thrown out?
Another point I wanted to bring up is whether there could of been a language barrier between Joy and the clerk perhaps? I don't know that might be too far fetched.
I really have a hard time believing she told the clerk she was being followed, because if that was the case, why get in the elevator alone with this man? I don't think she would of took her chances.
Also if she was brutally beat wouldn't there have been mention of blood spatter on the room walls and bed etc.? Things were in place, in order, wouldn't it be blood everywhere? Yes, he could of cleaned up but I doubt he got all the blood up.
Lightbulb went off for me just now.... I don't think he cleaned up... Why would he and why would he care to? It's not like he could be trace back to Joy in any way other than his face being seen... He didn't even wear a mask or try to conceal his identity. He didn't take his cigarette butts, I'm wondering if he used a condom??? Since there is no mention of other DNA other than the cigarette butts. Which is weird if he did wear one cause he didn't bother to conceal his identity, he left his butts, so did he take time to put a condom on with the commotion going on? Makes me wondering...
But back to what I was trying to say, a person that doesn't want to be connected to a murder cleans up and makes sure they aren't noticed. He already messed up by being seen so what's the point? I don't know, some people are backwards. This case has a lot of unanswered questions.
Unanswered questions are the biggest factor in this case. The police seem to just blow it off in my opinion. That or they did a poor job informing people of the truth.
ReplyDeleteAs for getting the case files, it would probably be a very long shot, but you never know. I'd like a couple days alone with those files to run through the information that hey that wasn't disclosed.
It's a good point that he was seen "following her onto the elevator" rather than "followed her into the hotel." I wish there were camcorders that were operating in the hotel, that would have helped and I'm sure this case would have been solved by now.
As for the language barrier, the only way that would have been would be if the clerk spoke a different language, because Joy spoke english clearly. And I'm sure she didn't tell the clerk she was being followed, because she was smarter than that, had she known she was a target I doubt she would have ever gotten on the elevator with that man.
As for being brutally beaten, she was, which is why there was no mention of blood being found. Was there any of the suspects blood from the attack left behind? I know they have his DNA, from the cigarette butt as well as from under her finger nails from when she fought back during the attack...they just don't have any matches in the system. (One of the reasons I have thought about the need or benefits from everyone's DNA being entered into a national crime prevention system...probably won't happen, but it would help catch criminals dramatically.)
I couldn't imagine someone so vile and sick would have the mind to clean up after himself, but there are plenty of murderers that have in the past, and I couldn't put it past this one. I don't know if you're on Facebook or not, but there is a page called "Who Killed Joy Hayward in Chester Pa, 2/12/04" made by Joy's family.
I hope to one day be able to watch this man be sentenced, it's unfortunate that he probably won't get a death penalty, but knowing that he will one day rot in prison will have to do for the time being.
Earlier, you asked me why I took such an interest in this case. I was reluctant to say it on the internet as I do not know you, but you seem genuinely interested in this case, and I find that inspiring and heartwarming that there is still others out there who care about those who have not had justice brought to them and their family. As for my interest, and why I am so sure about some of the things and details of this case, well I am very close to this case because Joy Hayward was better known to me as Aunt Joy, I am her youngest nephew.
O um wow... first, let me extend my deepest condolences and sympathies to you and yours, I do hope this monster is caught sooner rather then later to bring closure to your family.
ReplyDeleteI checked out the page and I must say I never seen it before and I was almost to tears seeing how happy she was in those photos and how her life was cut short so tragically. What a tremendous lost. Wow.
With that said, does your family not have access to her case file to view? Or do you have to wait for the case to be solved first in order to retrieve a copy of the case file?
You said you were sure of certain details of the case, can you tell me what is absolutely certain?
I also came upon a site, that had your aunts case up there that was possibly connected to a rape case in a park not far from the hotel she stayed in and they believe its the same man, I do believe it was a newspaper article, have you ever seen or heard of that case? If not, let me know and I will forward the site to you, to have a look.
Also you had said that you didn't know what to do to get more publicity for Joy, have you considered calling the newspaper and news stations in Pennsylvania to get them to run her story in the paper or news? Or perhaps putting up fliers in the area where the hotel was?
By the way, how did you come upon my site? Were you searching for new information on your aunts case?
I also thought about maybe your family can make a public plea on live television in Pennsylvania for more information into the murder of your aunt. Perhaps?
ReplyDeleteAlso I check the site and it wasn't a news site it was on websleuth, the case of the rape victim... here is what it said:
Investigators believe there may be a link between Hayward’s homicide and the rape of a 44-year-old Darby woman at nearby Deshong Park four months later. The physical descriptions of both men are “significantly similar,” authorities have said.
It was about 7 a.m. on June 22, when the Darby woman, waiting for a bus at Ninth and Upland streets, first spotted the suspect. He rode past her on a bicycle several times, causing her to become suspicious.
The man got off of his bicycle and approached the woman. Speaking with a Spanish or Jamaican accent, he told her he had a gun. He ordered the woman to walk westward on Ninth Street toward Deshong Park, forced her into a heavily wooded area behind the museum and raped her, according to investigators. He fled when several people walked by.
The rape victim described her attacker as a black man, between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 8 inches tall. He has several gold teeth in the upper portion of his mouth, a dark complexion, slanted eyes and a light mustache and facial hair.
The victim told police her attacker appeared to be a drug user.
Authorities have noted that the composite of the rape suspect is nearly identical to that of the man seen with Hayward the night she was murdered.
On this site it has discrepancies: such as saying Joy was accompanied by a unidentified man into the hotel and also that her mom said it look like someone pressed a pillow over her face.
I don't know... but this is the site:
http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84085
And it's the three one down.
It's been a very long and difficult journey since the day we found out that she was taken from us. For a while we were in contact with the investigators, and they were giving us details all the time. Then, there was another case that they said could be related to Joy's and that they would keep us in the loop. We then didn't hear back from them for a long time. Our family called and tried to contact them and left messages and there was never an answer or response to the messages. We did learn that there was a new investigator put on the case within the past 2 years I believe, but we haven't heard much. Our family still has an offer of a reward to any information that leads to the murderers arrest.
ReplyDeleteAs for the other case, I personally did not hear about that one. I will have to look into it.
The 9th anniversary is approaching and I'm always trying to think of ways to get more answers.
1) She went to the bar around the corner during the 90 minutes between checking in and returning. I know, because I went in there and questioned people.
ReplyDelete2) The video cameras in the hotel were not working.
3) She was found in the bathtub.
4) Flyers were distributed all around that cesspool of a neighborhood. People there will NEVER talk....its the culture.
PA now collects DNA from all convicted felons to enter into the database. This murderer will commit another crime some day and his DNA will hit.
ReplyDeleteMy comments, while pertinent, are being blocked.
ReplyDeleteHello, sorry for the delay, I have been pretty busy. Are you a officer of the law? If not, what is your connection to this case?
ReplyDeleteI was Joy's boyfriend, Mike. I conducted my own investigation into this case. There are people in Chester that know exactly who did this. I would randomly question people on the street, in the bars, in the diner, etc. and some would look like they just saw a ghost. A couple even ran away. I have always thought a good PI (black preferably) might have a shot at getting answers. I have also thought that a steeper reward would drag it out of someone. Its the whole anti-snitching culture there....no matter what the crime.
ReplyDeleteI have my own beliefs as to what happened that evening, particularly in regards to the black male that "followed" her into the elevator. There are things Joy said that evening that explain the connection there. However, I am not about to print them here. He is most certainly a local there. While Joy was intelligent and kind, she had a naivety and over trusting way about her.
A day does not go by that I don't think about Joy and this case. The vengeance is my heart is hidden from view....but just below the surface. Joy's death with be with me until I die.
So, I make a comment and the blog shuts down? Yeah, good job searching for the truth.
ReplyDeleteThe site is not down, I just have been very busy in my life that I haven't been moderating the website, I will do better, my apologies.
DeleteMike, odd you didn't ever bring this information up during you lie detector tests, of which you failed. So, Joy talked of a black man to you? And....you know what bar she went to? You, Mike, know more than you are willing to admit. Joy was very trusting......I wish she hadn't trusted her life to you.
ReplyDeleteI just want to say to you Mike if you have anything worthwhile to add to solving Joy's murder then you need to talk to the POLICE and not advertise on a web blog. Detective Gordon is expecting your call as I informed him of your above comments. 610.891.4703
ReplyDeleteThat is a blatantly racist statement and has not a thing to do with the case. Please keep the focus on Joy and bringing her justice. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYou obviously have not been following the case. Since you only seem to care about bashing me, instead of seeking justice....just keep your hate to yourself. I have helped the police and the PI. Maybe you should be certain of the facts before spouting off negative and non-productive hate. Try to grieve a little classier. Maybe contribute something….but I doubt it. DNA doesn't lie. Joy loved me. Peace out.
ReplyDeleteNews article dated Feb 27, 2014 for Joys' case:
ReplyDeletehttp://delconewsnetwork.com/articles/2014/02/27/news_of_delaware_county/news/doc530f76cd302e4231523863.txt?viewmode=fullstory
Here is my take. The boyfriend. The sister has said that Joy had been a victim of abuse. Having been in an abusive relationship in my first marriage I know personally how far those men will go to keep control. They won’t let you go- they think they own you.
ReplyDeleteI think he followed her, and paid the clerk to get her room number and to keep their mouth shut and not respond. Then I am willing to bet the black man was a ruse, supposedly to distract. He was probably waiting up on her floor.
She cane to her room and the black man was invited in, and right behind him the boyfriend. I am willing to bet she called begging for help before being raped and killed. The boyfriend bring the control freak he is, folded the cllothes. It shows his personal remorse.
I am wondering if the boyfriend was questioned?