A 49-year-old home invasion suspect who killed his partner in crime at the same time he accidentally shot himself 10 times was sentenced to seven years in prison Monday.
Richard Michael Hayes pleaded guilty in November to manslaughter in the death of William B. Ayers, 43, in exchange for several other felony charges being dismissed, including first-degree murder, armed robbery and kidnapping.
According to court records, Hayes and Ayers went into a house Oct. 26, 2005, and assaulted two women before locking them into a closet and stealing their belongings.
Sometime shortly thereafter, the gun Hayes was carrying discharged, striking both Hayes and Ayers.
According to police, both men were found shot in a vehicle in the 1400 block of West Speedway, near North Silverbell Road.
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During Hayes' sentencing hearing Monday, defense attorney John O'Brien told Judge Stephen Villarreal that there are a number of unanswered questions about the events of that day, including where the shooting took place and how the gun went off.
What O'Brien said he does know is that the gun's firing mechanism was defective, causing the gun to keep firing after the initial pull of the trigger.
Hayes himself was struck 10 times in the leg and one of those bullets accidentally struck Ayers in the femoral artery, causing him to bleed to death, O'Brien said.
Hayes "truly, truly wishes he could turn back the clock," O'Brien said.
O'Brien noted that Hayes — who was facing up to 21 years in prison — has a single conviction in his background, for a misdemeanor DUI.
Before Villarreal pronounced sentence, Ayers' brother told Hayes the Ayers family doesn't harbor any hate for him and they hope he comes out of prison a better man.
A tearful Hayes apologized for his actions and said he is already a changed man.
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