Hayes Found Guilty of Killing Daughter-in-Law

LAWRENCEVILLE — Gwinnett County jurors found a woman guilty Wednesday in the killing of her daughter-in-law.

Joanna Hayes was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to a report by the Associated Press. The report states that Hayes was given life in prison for murdering Heather Strube in the Snellville Target parking lot in 2009.

Gwinnett Superior Court Judge Warren Davis presided over the trial, which began on May 4. Jurors spent nearly three days in deliberation after attorneys gave closing arguments on Friday, May 13.

Strube and her husband, Steven, were in the middle of a divorce when she was shot in April 2009. At the time, prosecutors said the couple had just completed a child custody swap, and they believe Hayes didn't want her daughter-in-law to get custody of the baby.

Prosecutors said that Hayes wore a mustache and a wig to attempt to disguise herself during the shooting. By October 2009, six months after the murder, Hayes had been arrested and charged, according to court data.

According to Georgia law, Hayes will not be eligible for parole for 30 years.