WHO KILLED BRAD HAYES?
WIDOWED FOR 2ND TIME, SHE BEGS PUBLIC TO COME FORWARD WITH INFO
CLIFTON HEIGHTS » Vanessa Hayes was sitting in the kitchen of the Washington Avenue “dream home” she and her husband, Brad, bought in June, but her thoughts Tuesday afternoon were miles away – in Darby Borough.
Tuesday marked one week since the body of 57-year-old Brad Hayes was found in the back seat of his black Chrysler 300, which was parked in front of Penn Wood Middle School in the 100 block of Summit Street in Darby Borough.
An investigation is continuing by both the Darby Borough Police Department and the Delaware County Medical Examiner’s Office. Though the cause and manner of Brad Hayes’ death is pending, Darby Borough Police Chief Robert Smythe said the investigation is being handled as a homicide.
“Somebody had to see something,” Vanessa, 55, said, appealing to the public to come forward with any information that could help authorities, and bring justice for her husband. “He was murdered.”
One of the widow’s last happy memories is of Brad sitting in the kitchen with his older brother Lamont, who goes by the nickname Sonny. They were watching the Philadelphia Eagles game on Monday Night Football.
“He was sitting right there,” son-in-law Wakeen Moore chimed in, pointing to one of the chairs around the counter in the kitchen. “Watching that television,” he continued, pointing to the flat-screen on the wall.
Vanessa, who had planned to attend an Order of the Eastern Star conference in Philadelphia the following morning, had gone to bed long before the Eagles posted a 34-24 win over the Washington Redskins. But after the game, Brad woke her to say he was leaving to drive his brother home. She estimated it was between 12-12:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24.
“He came up and gave me a kiss. I said, ‘Be careful.’ He said, ‘All the time.’ They are the last words he said to me,” Vanessa said, her voice dropping to a whisper.
Looking back, Vanessa said the brothers had spent the day on Monday, Oct. 23, with their father and stepmother at their home in Mount Airy, Philadelphia. Since Brad retired last year from the U.S. Postal Service after 32 years, he had been spending a lot of time with his parents, taking them to doctors’ appointments and whatever else they needed. He also spent time with his brother.
On their way to Sonny’s house on Lindbergh Boulevard in Philadelphia that fateful Oct. 24 morning, the brothers stopped at Rose’s Tavern on Elmwood Avenue.
“Sonny said they only stayed at the bar about 45 minutes,” recalled Vanessa.
When Vanessa awoke about 6 a.m. Tuesday and found that Brad wasn’t home, she thought he just fell asleep at his brother’s. She was driving on the Schuylkill Expressway on the way to her masonic convention when she got a call from their son Brad.
“I just got a call from the Darby Borough police. They want me to come down there. It’s about dad,” Vanessa recalled her son telling her. Vanessa got the phone number from her son and called the police department.
“I identified myself … they told me, ‘You need to come here right now,’” Vanessa said. The person Vanessa had spoken to suggested that she get a ride to police headquarters. Vanessa said she called Brad back.
“I’m at Fourth and Girard (in Philadelphia),” the Willingboro, N.J., man told his mother. The two were at Darby police headquarters by about 9 a.m.
“We found out together,” Vanessa said. “I thank God he was with me.”
Vanessa said she really doesn’t know why her husband would have been on Summit Street.
“Only thing I know is in Darby, on Main Street, there was a detour. Maybe that could have been it. I don’t know,“she said.
According to information released by Darby police, the body of Brad Hayes was found shortly after 4 a.m. on Oct. 24. He suffered from “a number of injuries” and he was taken to Mercy Fitzgerald Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased.
His wallet was subsequently found in the 700 block of Greenway Avenue in Darby Borough.
“My heart is just broken,” Vanessa said. “What makes it worse is he had to fight for his life. I know he suffered. That is what hurts me the most.”
Darby Borough police have video from a number of surveillance systems throughout the town. “At least two witnesses
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