In the late hours of February 13, 2015, the life of 18-year-old Kiasha Clovis, a female, was tragically cut short in an Alexandria, Louisiana apartment she shared with a roommate. What began as a personal dispute between roommates escalated into a devastating double homicide, leaving two young people dead and a community in shock. The events of that night would unravel a story of anger, violence, and ultimately, a lengthy legal battle for justice.
The conflict reportedly started between
Kiasha and her roommate, Melissa Hayes. As Melissa was in the process of moving out with the help of her family and friends, tensions simmered. A phone call alleging that Kiasha's boyfriend, 25-year-old Richard Prenell, had threatened Melissa brought Melissa's brother, Mark Will Hayes, to the apartment. Upon his arrival, he found a physical altercation in progress between his sister and Kiasha.
The situation took a deadly turn when Mark Hayes produced a pistol. After a brief struggle, he shot Richard Prenell multiple times. In a chilling turn of events, as Mark Hayes was leaving the apartment with his sisters, he expressed his intent to eliminate any witnesses. He then went back inside and fatally shot Kiasha Clovis. The Alexandria Police Department responded to reports of gunfire and discovered the bodies of Kiasha and Richard inside the apartment.
The investigation swiftly led to the identification of Mark Will Hayes and Melissa Hayes as suspects. In April 2015, a grand jury indicted Mark Will Hayes on two counts of second-degree murder. His trial took place in February 2017, and after hearing the evidence and witness testimonies, a jury found him guilty as charged. Subsequently, he was sentenced to serve two concurrent life sentences in prison for the murders of Kiasha Clovis and Richard Prenell. An appeal of his conviction was later denied. Information regarding the final disposition of any charges against Melissa Hayes was not available in the online sources.
