In the early afternoon of October 16, 2019, a Wednesday, a 911 call reported a physical altercation unfolding at 362 Yarmouth Road in Hyannis, Massachusetts. When police arrived at approximately 1:16 p.m., they discovered a man lying on the ground. The man, identified as 33-year-old Darrell Anthony Russ of Hyannis, was transported to Cape Cod Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Stunned witnesses described a bloody scene, with the victim found on the side of the road, partially on the sidewalk. An autopsy later determined that the cause of death was three gunshot wounds, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. Darrell, a Black / African American male, was known for his giving spirit and a smile that could light up a room. He had grown up in Hyannis, playing football at Barnstable High School, from which he graduated with honors.
The investigation into the death of Darrell Russ was an active and ongoing effort by the Barnstable Police and Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Cape & Islands District Attorney's Office. In the days following the shooting, authorities worked to piece together the events that led to the fatal encounter. The investigation led them to identify a suspect in the case.
On November 1, 2019, William Hayes, a 38-year-old man from Falmouth, was apprehended in Yazoo, Mississippi. He was arrested by the United States Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force at a relative's house on a fugitive from justice warrant for murder. State Police Detectives from the Cape & Islands District Attorney's Office and Barnstable Police detectives were present in Mississippi for the arrest. Hayes was subsequently extradited back to Massachusetts to face charges. He was arraigned in Barnstable District Court on one count of murder and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the shooting death of Darrell Russ and was ordered held without bail.
