Winston salem shooting trial#
Winston salem shooting free#

The area of the killings has transformed from rural to suburban, with the addition of shopping centers and subdivisions in the years since. General Assembly has made a few attempts to change the law regarding verdicts of 'not guilty by reason of insanity.' The most notable attempt came in 1998, when a handful of Republicans, outraged by the news that Hayes had fathered a second child while ostensibly in custody at Dix, attempted to introduce a bill that would change an insanity verdict to 'guilty but insane.' Such a change would allow for incarceration, rather than release, following psychiatric treatment. Īs a result of the public outrage at the Hayes verdict, the N.C.

Winston salem shooting free#

Hayes' yearly petitions to be set free are usually met with protest from the victims' families and scrutiny by the media. Since then, he has not been on medication for mental illness. The psychosis went away, and Hayes went off the drug in 1989. At Dix, he was given Haldol, a drug often used to reduce aggression or treat schizophrenia. Hayes was committed to the Dorothea Dix State Mental Hospital in Raleigh. The jury reached a verdict of 'Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity.' Many in the community and state were outraged. The scene became a media circus, resulting in difficulties in trying to seat an impartial jury.

Winston salem shooting trial#

Hayes' trial began in Forsyth County on March 27, 1989. Hayes later testified for his actions by saying that he believed the passersby were demons that needed to be killed. Complicating matters, the moped shop sat near the Forsyth and Davidson County lines, leading to confusion as to which law enforcement agency had jurisdiction. Four of those who were shot, Crystal Cantrell, Tom Nicholson, Melinda Hayes, and Ronnie Hull, died. Shooting Īfter exhibiting unstable behavior for a few weeks, and following police reports of concern over his behavior, Michael Hayes shot nine passersby from the centerline of the darkened road in front of his parents' moped shop on the night of July 17, 1988. After he stole funds from the business for a number of months, Hayes' parents threatened to sell the business and stop supporting him, an idea that helped to fuel Hayes' break with reality. The business, Edwards' Moped Shop, was located on Old Salisbury Road in southern Forsyth County, near the Davidson County line.

Īfter bouncing from job to job, Hayes began to work at a business purchased by his parents. After beginning to use drugs at age 13, Hayes became known for bullying and self-aggrandizing behavior, fueled by probable mental illness and drug abuse. Michael Hayes was born in Winston-Salem in Forsyth County, North Carolina where he was raised.