In the winter of 2025, the life of 54-year-old Sarah Hauer was tragically cut short in a violent encounter within a Binghamton, New York, high-rise apartment building. On the night of January 11th, police responded to reports of gunfire at the Woodburn Court One tower located at 21 Exchange Street. Upon their arrival, they discovered Sarah unresponsive in a seventh-floor hallway, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
Investigators soon pieced together the harrowing events
of that evening. Sarah, a beloved friend to a resident on the seventh floor, was confronted by her friend's former boyfriend, 51-year-old Terell L. Heyward. The confrontation escalated, culminating in Heyward shooting Sarah before fleeing the scene. The attack was swift and brutal, leaving a community in shock and a family devastated by the sudden loss of a woman described as a devout Christian with a big, bubbly personality. Known affectionately as 'Skittles' to her karaoke friends and 'Boombee' to her family, Sarah was remembered for her love of singing, crafting, and gardening.
The Binghamton police department's Community Response Team located Heyward shortly after the incident as he was leaving his own apartment on Isbell Street. He was taken into custody without incident, and at the time of his arrest, was found in possession of a loaded. 380 caliber handgun. The weapon was later determined to have been stolen. Heyward was subsequently charged with second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of stolen property.
Following his arrest, Terell L. Heyward was arraigned in Binghamton City Court and held at the Broome County Jail. In August of 2025, he was convicted of second-degree murder for the death of Sarah Hauer. A judge sentenced him to 21 years to life in a New York State Prison, bringing a measure of closure to a case that had deeply affected the Binghamton community. The successful prosecution was the result of a collaborative effort between the Binghamton Police Department and the Broome County District Attorney's Office, ensuring that the man responsible for the senseless act of violence would be held accountable for his actions.
