Detectives Seek Information on Murder of Chris Hayes

A woman and two small children were waiting at home on Shady Point Circle when Christopher Shawn Hayes pulled up to his residence on Nov. 7, 1995. It was just before 10:30 p.m. when the female heard his car in the drive. But she couldn't go meet Hayes. That's because for the past two to three hours, she and her children had been waiting on the floor in a dark bedroom, held captive by an unknown man whom they believed to be carrying a gun.

When Hayes entered the residence, the gunman lay in wait. Words were exchanged as Hayes entered the doorway, and moments later the assailant fired multiple rounds at Hayes, who died due to gunshot wounds.

Eighteen years later, the case is still cold, however San Angelo Police Department detective Jim Coleman has been dedicating his time and efforts to solve the murder and bring justice to the perpetrator.

“He had a purpose,” Coleman said of the killer. “After about two or three hours, Christopher Hayes ended up showing up at the house…The guy had already said what he was going to do. He was there to do something to Hayes. He didn’t want to hurt them [the female and children], but he needed to do what he needed to do to Hayes. Hayes opened the door, stepped into the house just a little bit, into the doorway, and he was shot multiple times.”

Detectives worked the case for approximately a year, interviewing residents, witnesses, associates, however no one reported that they had seen or heard anything. Evidence was also collected at the scene and the police ultimately developed some suspects, but as of today the man behind the gun remains on the loose.

On the night of the murder, the killer disabled lights in the house and kept the rooms dark as he waited for Hayes to come home. No trace of his arrival was found, but after he shot Hayes, the man left in the woman’s car, which was located within an hour of the shooting, abandoned near a boat dock across from the KOA. The car was a 4-door, white ’92 Mercury Tracer.

“We don’t know if he parked his vehicle there and then walked to her house, then took her vehicle back so he didn’t have to walk,” Coleman said. “It was probably cold in November. It’s probably a 10-15 minute walk, for sure.

Coleman noted that the murder took place in wintertime, meaning that it was likely already dark when the man arrived, however the exact timeline remains unknown.

“He got into the house—I think they actually found a window that had been messed with and that’s probably how he gained entry,” Coleman said. “Who knows how long he’d been there before the female roommate and her kids arrived.”

As per witness statements, police believe Hayes knew his killer personally, and the motive is suspected to be retaliatory or a grudge stemming from something in the past.

“That was a big thing; he was waiting on Hayes and called him by name,” Coleman said.” He knew for sure who he was waiting for. He repeated over and over, ‘I’m not here to do anything to y’all. Y’all will be ok. Y’all just be quiet. I’ve got to do this to Chris when he shows up.’”

Christopher Shawn Hayes was 31 years old when he was killed. He was a white male with brown hair and brown eyes, approximately 170 pounds. Hayes and his girlfriend—the female at the house that night—had been living together for less than two months at the time of the shooting.

“There was some evidence recovered from the scene, some forensic evidence,” Coleman said. “Any kind of crime—whoever did it brought something to the scene and took something away. It could be so small you can’t see it with the naked eye, but it’s there. It’s just a matter of knowing where it’s at and recovering it. Of course 1995, the science and the forensics—you just didn’t have what you have today. Fingerprints, pictures, that’s about it in 1995.”

Over the years, over a dozen detectives have worked the case, however no solid information has turned up. Hayes’ family is still waiting for answers.

“It’s just one of those things where you don’t have anybody that saw anything or heard anything,” Coleman said. “Of course you’ve got the lady and the kids inside the residence and they provide what they knew at the time and that’s all they know. It’s pretty hard to track stuff down.”

Coleman has been working the Chris Hayes case intensively for the better part of a year. There’s someone out there with information, he said, and that information is what detectives need to bring the perpetrator to justice and to provide closure to the Hayes family.

If you or anyone you know has information pertaining to the murder that took place on Nov. 7, 1995, contact Crime Stoppers at 325-658-HELP. Tips may also be submitted online at sanangelocrimestoppers.com, or via the SAPD website under cold case investigations.