Married couple is found murdered inside their waterfront home after chilling 911 call – as police arrest friend
A married couple were found shot dead inside their waterfront home in Maryland after a friend allegedly broke in and gunned them down, police say.
The bodies of Jeanna Hayes, 54, and her husband William, 56, were discovered inside their home in Pasadena, Maryland on Sunday afternoon.
Police allege 61-year-old Anthony Louis Reyes, a business associate who also knew the couple personally, ambushed the couple in a horror attack. He is facing charges of first and second degree murder.
Investigators said a woman called 911 around 2pm Sunday, and dispatchers could hear her pleading with a man she referred to as ‘Tony’ not to shoot her.
The witness said he was arguing with a man referred to as ‘Charlie’ – the same nickname William went by – about money, before gunshots could be heard over the call, police said.
Reyes allegedly led police on a high-stakes pursuit following the shooting, in which police said he assaulted an officer, before he was taken into custody.
The bodies of Jeanna Hayes, 54, and her husband William, 56, were found inside their home in Pasadena, Maryland on Sunday afternoon
Police allege they were shot dead and have charged 61-year-old Anthony Louis Reyes, a business associate who also knew the couple personally, with first and second degree murder
Police believe the couple were killed in a targeted attack, but have not released any details about a potential motive.
In court documents, police reveal they ‘a verbal dispute over money [was] recorded’ during the 911 call.
‘This isn’t something that was random. We do believe this person was here for a purpose,’ Lieutenant AJ Gardiner from the Anne Arundel County Police department said.
Gardiner praised the woman’s 911 call, saying it helped officers quickly piece together what they believe happened inside the house.
‘When it comes to the 911 call, that was fantastic,’ Gardiner said.
After the couple’s bodies were discovered, police found Reyes’s car in a nearby neighborhood and attempted to perform a traffic stop.
Reyes allegedly refused to stop and officers engaged in a seven-minute police pursuit along Interstate-97 until he was ultimately caught.
One officer was taken to hospital with minor injuries sustained during a ‘brief struggle’ with Reyes at the time of his arrest.
He remains in custody without bond.
A woman had called police and was pleading with a man she referred to as ‘Tony’ not to shoot her as he argued with a man referred to as ‘Charlie’ – the same nickname William went by
Police believe the couple were killed in a targeted attack, but have not released any details about a potential motive
They own a home improvement and construction business which they run from their property
Gardiner said the 911 call could prove vital to understanding the horror shooting.
‘It’s unfortunate we weren’t here in time to prevent it, but the information that was relayed really led us to a position where we could start isolating other things,’ he said.
‘This was a person who was known to the family, both personally and in business. I don’t know of any issues.’
William has been remembered as a ‘good’ man who ‘took care’ of his family and the broader community.
The couple reportedly own a home improvement and construction business which they run from their property.
A friend who also works in construction, Mason Burress, told CBS that the couple were both ‘good to our family.
‘They always helped us when we needed they’ve always been there for us,’ he said.
According to police, the couple’s adult granddaughter lives with them at the home, but was not there at the time of the tragedy.
Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad described the situation as ‘terribly horrific, especially right before the holiday season.’
‘This is a very close-knit community. You can see it by how they have already started decorating for the holidays.’
