In the winter of 2013, the life of 18-year-old Jayson Marquis Syrkes was tragically cut short in Spotsylvania, VA. On December 7th, his body was discovered along a wood line behind his own home, the victim of a fatal shooting. The events that led to this moment began to unfold earlier in the month with the theft of six firearms from the home of a law enforcement officer.
Two local teenagers, 17-year-old Steven Foster and 15-year-old Douglas 'Dougie' Hayes, had arranged to meet with Jayson to sell him one of the stolen guns, a Glock 9 mm, for $100. During the encounter, however, Foster presented a different firearm. He admitted to police that he pulled the clip out, pushed it back in, and then pulled the trigger, striking Jayson in the face at close range. An altercation was mentioned as a precursor to the shooting. When police arrived, Jayson was already deceased, with a $50 bill still in his pocket.
The sound of the gunshot prompted Jayson's own grandfather, Michael Dunivan, to call the police after he heard the shot and saw two boys running away. Within an hour of the shooting, law enforcement, with the help of tracking dogs, apprehended both Foster and Hayes. Hayes later told police that he wiped down the gun and discarded it over a fence. Investigators were able to recover the firearm.
Both teenagers were charged as adults. Steven Foster pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and statutory burglary. He was sentenced to life in prison with all but 30 years suspended. Douglas Hayes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and statutory burglary. He received a 33-year sentence with 14 years to serve. Foster told investigators that he had gone to the meeting with the intention of killing Jayson and that Hayes was aware of the plan.
