On a sunny Saturday afternoon, February 27, 2021, a senseless act of violence tragically cut short the life of 74-year-old Mary Jessie Mae Hayre in North Charleston, South Carolina. A beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she was known as the glue that held her family together. On that fateful day, she had driven to the Pinecrest Apartments on McMillan Avenue for a simple errand: to retrieve a cell phone her great-grandson had left behind at a sleepover.
While sitting in
her car and talking on the phone with her daughter, Pamela, an unknown individual approached the driver's side and opened fire. The shocking and brutal event was tragically overheard by her daughter on the other end of the line. Despite the shooting occurring in the middle of the day, few witnesses initially came forward, possibly out of fear. The community was left in shock and her family was plunged into unimaginable grief.
In the early stages of the investigation, a witness identified a man named Zaswan Rosendary from a photo lineup. Less than a week after the shooting, on March 5, Rosendary was arrested and charged with murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. However, just weeks later, the charges against him were dropped after new information came to light, which authorities did not publicly disclose. This development returned the investigation to square one, leaving the family devastated and still searching for answers.
Months after her death, North Charleston Police and Mary Hayre's family held a press conference, renewing their plea for anyone with information to come forward. They emphasized that the shooting happened at 1:45 p.m. on a Saturday when many people, including children, were likely outside. They believe someone in the community holds the crucial piece of information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for her death. As of now, the murder of Mary Jessie Mae Hayre remains unsolved, and her family continues to hope for justice.
