On January 23, 1984, Joyce Baldwin, a 45-year-old woman, was working in a beauty salon in a small Hampton, Virginia shopping center when a man entered around noon. The man, later identified as Syvasky Lafayette Poyner, initially engaged her in a friendly conversation about hair care products. Suddenly, he brandished a gun and demanded money. Though visibly frightened, Baldwin complied with his demands, placing money from the cash register into a bag.
Despite her cooperation, Poyner shot her in the head.
The investigation into Baldwin's murder led police to Poyner after he called them on February 1, 1984, claiming to have information about the killing. He was arrested on February 4, 1984, in Newport News on a warrant for the murder in Hampton. During questioning, after being advised of his Miranda rights, Poyner confessed to killing Joyce Baldwin. In a stunning admission, he also confessed to the murders of four other women in the Hampton-Williamsburg-Newport News area over an eleven-day period in late January and early February 1984, all of whom were also shot in the head. Approximately fourteen hours after his initial confession, Poyner provided a second confession on videotape, admitting to all five murders.
