The life of Joshua Johnston Hayes, a 27-year-old White man, was cut short in his Birmingham, Alabama, home in the spring of 2024.
On the morning of Tuesday, April 2, police received a call just before 11:00 a.m. reporting that a person had been shot at a residence in the 900 block of Navarro Lane in the Huffman neighborhood. Officers from nearby Irondale were the first to arrive and found Joshua inside, deceased from a gunshot wound.
Investigators from the Birmingham Police Department soon determined that the shooting had occurred during a domestic dispute between Joshua and his girlfriend.
At the scene, authorities took the girlfriend, identified as 31-year-old Kayla White, into custody for questioning. She was initially held on a 48-hour felony extension for murder but was subsequently released as detectives continued to investigate the case. On May 29, 2024, investigators presented their findings to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office. After reviewing the information, the office issued a warrant for White’s arrest on a charge of murder.
On June 6, 2024, officers with the Helena Police Department pulled Kayla White over during a traffic stop. Upon discovering the active warrant, they arrested her in connection with Joshua’s death. She was transported to the Jefferson County Jail and held without bond. As of her arrest in June 2024, the case against her is proceeding through the court system.
