Background: The neighborhood in Alton, Ill., where Jarred Hayes was killed in November 2023 (Google Maps). Inset: Stanford Stokes (Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office).
A man who prosecutors said barged into the Illinois home of his ex-girlfriend and shot her new lover has been found guilty of murder.
Stanford Stokes, 44, from St. Louis, Missouri, had maintained a self-defense claim before his trial for the murder of Jarred Hayes, aged 32, whom he shot on November 7, 2023. According to courtroom coverage by local news source The Telegraph, prosecutors stated that Stokes had entered his former girlfriend’s home and discovered her in bed with Hayes, her current boyfriend. Stokes subsequently took her handgun from her purse and fired at Hayes, who tried to flee.
Stokes’ defense claimed that Hayes also had a gun and that Stokes was trying to defend himself. The jury, however, disagreed.
Prosecutors, detailing the relationship as “on-again, off-again,” said Stokes called his ex-girlfriend repeatedly throughout the day before he arrived at her residence on the evening of November 7, 2023. Upon arrival, he kicked the door open and discovered the woman and Hayes in an intimate position.
Prosecutors alleged that Stokes, knowing the woman kept a handgun in her bag, “retrieved her gun and shot” Hayes multiple times as Hayes attempted to escape. However, Stokes’ critical error was “inadvertently” placing another call to his ex-girlfriend that recorded the gunfire. As reported by St. Louis-based Fox affiliate KTVI, Assistant State’s Attorney Luke Yager said, “Twenty seconds after [Stokes] shoots, he’s still sitting there, arguing. He gets right up in her face, and he’s yelling at her.”
Hayes was discovered by police outside the home, following reports of a shooting in the area. He was transported to a St. Louis hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. Alton, Illinois, is near the state border with Missouri, close to St. Louis.
Stokes’ defense attorneys acknowledged that their client shot Hayes but argued that Hayes was also armed. They insisted Stokes “did what he had to do to defend himself.”
Police said that Stokes fled Alton for Texas after the shooting, throwing the murder weapon in the Missouri River along the way. Stokes was arrested in Texas and extradited to Illinois’ Madison County for his trial.
In addition to first-degree murder, Stokes was also found guilty of home invasion and possession of a stolen firearm. His sentencing date has not yet been determined.
