On Friday, January 16, 2026, Zachary Justin Hayes, a 27-year-old man from Tennessee, was sent behind bars for fatally stabbing his mother, Kimberly Hayes, and her pet cat in 2023.
According to the Blount County District Attorney’s Office, Hayes pleaded guilty to one count each of murder in the second degree, abuse of a corpse, aggravated cruelty to animals, and intentional killing of an animal.
He was then sentenced to 37 years in prison by 5th Circuit Court Judge Tammy M. Harrington. The shocking incident reportedly took place in September 2023 at a Samples Road home in Louisville.
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