On the morning of December 2, 2021, the body of 48-year-old Jeffrey Hayes was discovered in a vacant lot near Hayford and Balmer roads in Airway Heights, Washington. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office responded to a call at approximately 10:10 a.m. and initiated a death investigation that would soon be classified as a homicide. The Spokane County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed that Hayes had died from a penetrating gunshot wound to the torso.
Investigators learned that just
minutes before his death, Hayes was seen on security footage from the Northern Quest Resort & Casino waiting near the casino at around 10 a.m. A white Kia Optima pulled up, and a passenger opened a back door for him. Investigators determined that Hayes and a man named Shawn Cottingham had arranged to meet that morning.
Within days, the investigation led to the arrests of two men in connection with the murder of Jeffrey Hayes. Ezekiel Mentell, 23, and Shawn Cottingham, 32, were taken into custody in December 2021. The investigation revealed that Hayes had sustained two gunshot wounds, one to his left calf and another to his neck, the latter of which proved fatal as it traveled into his torso.
Shawn Cottingham later pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and robbery. Although he maintained that he did not fire the fatal shot, he accepted responsibility for his role in the circumstances that led to Hayes's death. In an emotional court hearing, the family of Jeffrey Hayes offered forgiveness to Cottingham. He was subsequently sentenced to 23 years in prison.
