In the spring of 2025, the life of Kathleen Hayes, a 40-year-old Caucasian woman, was tragically cut short in her hometown of Topeka, Kansas. On the morning of May 12th, officers from the Topeka Police Department were dispatched to a residence on Southeast Minnesota Avenue following a report of a disturbance. Upon arrival, they discovered Hayes, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Known to her loved ones as "Kat," she was a beloved mother, daughter, and sister, remembered for her vibrant, funny, and sassy personality. A graduate of Shawnee Heights High School, she was a doting mother to her four children, Kiarra, Kaleah, Kamilla, and Vincent, and cherished the time spent with them.
The investigation into Hayes' death quickly developed, connecting her homicide to a bank robbery that had occurred earlier the same day. Authorities identified 47-year-old Anthony Marshall Jr. of Topeka as the suspect in both the robbery of an Equity Bank on Southwest 29th Street and Hayes' subsequent death. It was reported that Hayes and Marshall Jr. were known to each other, though the full extent of their relationship was not publicly detailed. The events took a dramatic turn as law enforcement pursued Marshall Jr.
A day after Kathleen Hayes' death, on May 13th, the pursuit of Anthony Marshall Jr. concluded in a chase that ended in Marion County. As law enforcement closed in, Marshall Jr. suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was transported to a hospital for medical treatment but ultimately succumbed to his injuries. His death closed the criminal case against him, leaving a community to mourn the loss of Kathleen Hayes and grapple with the violent series of events that led to both of their deaths. Private services were planned for Hayes as her family and friends were left to remember a woman whose laughter and love for life had deeply touched their community.
