HEATHER ALLEN STRUBE - JOANNA HAYES ARRESTED FOR MURDER OF HEATHER ALLEN STRUBE

    2007 - A friend "Steven has a conviction for a charge brought against him in 2007 by one of
                             his best friends for making terroristic threats."

                                   HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS
 
             High school sweethearts Heather Allen and Steven Strube are dating.
             Strube's mother Joanna isn't thrilled and discourages her son.

kris10 "Heather had confided in me that Joanna hated her when she and Steven first got together and tried to forbid Steven to date her. (They were highschool sweethearts.)"
 

                                                   MARRIAGE
     Heather Allen marries Steven Strube in a ceremony officiated by her grandfather, an ordained
     minister.

Buddy Allen "Heather was a stickler for things being right. There was a marriage certificate, there was a wedding (I wrote a song to sing to her at the reception), and Heather's grandfather was the officiant (an ordained minister for 50 years)."
 
A friend "Heather was a special kind of person, you don't meet too many people in this life that are truly self-less and who embody words like love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.... she did."
 
 
                                             A HAPPY OCCASION
                                   Heather has a difficult pregnancy
 
                          A son, Carson is born to Heather & Steven Strube
 
 
 

Photo: Heather, Carson and Steven Strube
 
kris10 "Heather was the MOST beautiful soul anyone could ever know. She was generous and kind and gentle and intuitive and understanding. She touched my life in so many ways and I will miss her greatly."
 
 
                                                    BLOOMS
 
                 Heather owns a flower shop in Porterdale. Both Steven and his mother Joanna hang
                 around the shop and at times help out when the shop is busy with sales.
                 After becoming unemployed, Steven is there almost every day.

 
                                                INFIDELITY
 
  Steven Strube finds marriage constricting. He engages in an affair with a new girlfriend.

Angeleyes14 "Steven Strube told many people he was never married to Heather; especially those who did not know Heather and her family. I think he did this because rather than looking like he was having an affair he wanted his girlfriend and her whole side of this story to think that he was never married to Heather. People who knew Steven in the past years (which are several) were told by Steven he was never married to Heather, that she was an ex-girlfriend he happened to have a child with."
 
 
A friend "Steven is a very good liar, very calm and cool about it, (got that from his mother) he was involved in an affair for almost as long as he was married, all the while seeking spirital counseling through several churches trying to understand what their issues were."
 
 
kris10 "Heather's pregnancy with Carson was very difficult. She was sick almost the entire time and it really took a toll on her and their marriage. I really believe that this was when the cheating started. Our friends figured it out much earlier than Heather did, she loved him dearly and was devastated that he could do such a thing. She talked to me more than once about how crazy Steven and his family were being during the divorce. She definitly felt that she was in danger."
 
 
Heather Allen Strube finds out about her husband's affair. Although heartbroken, Heather
decides to move on with her life and files for divorce. She and Steven sign a document giving
her custody of their son Carson.
 
      Despite this, Heather tells family and friends that she is afraid of Steven...and his family.
 
 
 
Another friend "I spent an evening with Heather last fall to catch up. She shared with me some of the horrific details of the pending divorce. Heather told me that she was scared of Steven. I was good friends with Heather and Steven for many years and knew both of them before they met each
they met each other."
 
"All of this talk about Heather being such a sweet angel is highly understated. Words cannot encapsulate just how loving and bubbly she was all the time. As my heart broke last fall during our evening together, she still had a sparkle in her eye and a hopeful attitude. She concentrated on the positive in her life. I was blown away by such a bright outlook. Still am really."

 
                                                 BLOOMS
 
               Heather fears financial ruin from her divorce with Steven. She closes her flower shop 
               "Blooms" and goes to work for her mother Mary Allen at her flower shop.
 

                                  A CONTENTIOUS DIVORCE & CUSTODY

               The Target parking lot on Scenic highway (Snellville) becomes a routine spot
               for Heather to bring Carson to, or pick up from his father Steven for visitation.

Mary Allen "The shopping center was a routine drop-off spot for the couple. Heather chose the spot because it was a public place monitored by security cameras. She was concerned for her safety becuase of the contentious divorce she was going through."
 
                                                  MURDER
 
2009 - Sunday - 6 P.M - Heather meets Steven to pick up Carson.

                    
                                     Photo: Heather & Carson Strube

                                    Steven hands over Carson and takes off in his vehicle.

                                    As Heather buckles Carson into his car seat, a person wearing a wig and a
                                   fake moustache approaches Heather.

                                   They argue for a few moments. Heather attempts to get into her vehicle
                                   and calls out for help.

                                   The person shoots Heather in the head, in front of Carson, in his car seat.
                                   The person walks calmly away.

                                   Carson is found holding his mother's cell phone in his hands.

                                   Heather Allen Strube (25) is taken to the hospital.
                                   
                                   Heather is pronounced deceased.

                                             INVESTIGATION

Witness Kouidri "He walked past us and he had like a laptop bag holding it like this and he had the gun inside of it folded in half. I was actually scared he was coming towards me and my boyfriend, like we jumped into the truck and drove off."

Witnesses tell police "after Heather buckled her 18-month-old son into his car seat, a person wearing a wig and a fake mustache approached her. The two argued for a short time, and the unidentified person shot Heather in the head."

A local woman (who wants to be a police sketch artist) creates a sketch of the wigged and
moustached perpetrator and provides it to police to aid them.
 
                                          CRIME SCENE VIDEO & EVIDENCE

Video - detective describes the crime. Video of the suspect shown walking into and out of the parking lot

 
Crime scene photos - WSB Atlanta

             Investigators review store surveillance video of a person wearing what witnesses
             described as a wig and a fake moustache. 

           Steven Strube is seen in surveillance videos leaving the parking lot right before Heather
           Strube is appoached by the strange figure in the black wig and mustache.

     Police inform Steven Strube. He shows shock when he is informed of Heather's murder.
 
                                   PROBATION VIOLATION
 
                Steven Strube is on probation for Felony Theft by taking. His bail is revoked for
                probation violation. (Inmate 982591)
 
                                           RULED OUT AS SUSPECT
 
             Investigators rule out Steven Strube and his girlfriend as suspects.
              Steven Strube doesn't believe his mother is guilty.
 
                                                  CUSTODY
 
2009 - April - Rockdale County judge issues a temporary protective order barring Steven
          Strube from contacting Carson or his grandparents, Buddy & Mary Allen while he is in their
          care.
 
2009 - July - The Custody of Carson Strube is  postponed. Steven Strube did not attend court
                    due to incarceration. He also fails to produce certain court documents. The court
                    issues a direct order that he do so.
 
   Steven Strube is awarded a single 2 hour visit with Carson -- under the supervision of a Deputy
   Sheriff.
 
 
2009 -  10 August - Joanna Hayes drives a white pickup truck similar to one that was seen idling in
                              the Target shopping center where Heather Strube was killed.
 
 
              26 August - Buddy & Mary Allen retain custody of Carson Strube until such time as a
                       custody trial is scheduled.
 
                               Phyllis Miller (Attorney) "My clients believe that Carson and custody were
                               probably a factor in Joanna's decision to murder Heather."
 
 
              August - Law Enforcement names Steven Strube's mother, Heather's mother in law,
                           Joanna Hayes as "a person of interest."  She has been interviewed twice
                           and is unco-operative.

                                          INDICTMENT & ARREST
 

2009 - October 22 - Joanna Hayes is charged with "Malice Murder, Felony Murder,
                              Aggravated Assault and possession of a firearm during the
                              commission of a Felony."
 
 

Photo: Joanna Hayes mug shot
 
GBI assist Roy Whitehead (Snellville Police Chief) and Meriwether County Sheriff's Dept. in
arresting Joanna Hayes. She is transferred to Gwinnet County jail and held without bond.
 
         INTERVIEW FROM JAIL  Video at link
 
  
   Photo: Joanna Hayes

Steven Strube has stated (through his attorney) that he "disagrees with the assessment that custody is at the center of the murder." He also doesn't believe that his mother committed the crime.