In the summer of 2020, the life of a young woman was tragically cut short in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Leonna Monae Tucker, a 21-year-old female, was found deceased in her apartment at The Grand at Rum Creek on Highway 69 South on Sunday, July 19, 2020. Officers had been dispatched to the residence after receiving a report of a shooting and discovered she had suffered a single gunshot wound.
The investigation into her death quickly focused on a suspect: her 23-year-old ex-boyfriend, Eric
Markett Hayward. The relationship between Tucker and Hayward had recently ended, a development that witnesses said left him depressed. In the time leading up to the incident, Hayward's behavior had reportedly escalated to stalking, causing Tucker to consider moving from her apartment for her safety. A witness later told investigators that Hayward had made a chilling statement, saying that 'if he could not have no one could have her.'
On the evening of Saturday, July 18th, surveillance video captured Hayward arriving at the apartment complex and waiting for Tucker to return home. She arrived shortly before 7:00 p.m., and just thirteen minutes later, Hayward was filmed driving away from the complex. It was the following afternoon that a friend who was looking for Hayward discovered Tucker's body in her apartment.
Law enforcement swiftly identified Hayward as the primary suspect. A day after the discovery of Tucker's body, on July 20th, he was located and arrested in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Following his apprehension, Hayward was transported back to Alabama. He was formally charged with murder and booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail, with his bond set at $150,000.
