Katie 
Mitchell, Indiana: 53-year-old Shawn E. Hayes has been charged with nine felonies following the December 20, 2022 death of his father, 73-year-old Rodney E. Hayes.
The Lawrence County Dentral Dispatch received a call at 5:51 pm requesting a welfare check on Rodney. The caller making the request told dispatch that they had received a call, believed to be from Hayes, stating that his father had turned into a robot which he had then shot and mutilated.
When officers arrived at the residence, they stated they located Hayes inside of a silver pickup truck attempting to leave. Deputies successfully stopped the vehicle from leaving and engaged Hayes.
Officers noticed a shotgun on the passenger seat next to Hayes. While one officer spoke to him as a distraction, another was able to take possession of the firearm.
When asked about his father, Hayes is reported to have told them that he was "laying over there" while gesturing towards the house. Hayes allegedly went on to say that his father was actually "a robot that looks like a human" and that he "had to shoot at it to destroy it."
Hayes is said to have become agitated when asked to step out of the vehicle which resulted in a brief struggle between Hayes and the officers. He was taken into custody without incident.
Rodney's body was found on the property with what appeared to be gunshot wounds to the head and chest. His body was additionally found to have been mutilated and partially dismembered.
Following the issuance of a search warrant, Detectives with the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department and Indiana State Police Crime Scene Technicians found reason to believe that an attempt had been made to destroy physical evidence.
Hayes has been charged with murder, aggravated battery, reckless homicide, domestic battery, battery, abuse of a corpse, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, pointing a loaded firearm and obstruction of justice. Additionally, he faces a misdemeanor charge of resisting law enforcement.
His initial appearance in court was scheduled for Tuesday, December 27, 2022.
He is being held in the Lawrence County Jail.
Contributor
