Clermont County husband charged with murdering estranged wife, gets $1M bond

CINCINNATI (FOX19) - A Clermont County man is charged with murdering his estranged wife, Clermont County Jail records say.

Union Township police say James M. Hayes, 55, was arrested in Pierce Township for shooting and killing his wife Jeanette Hayes. He was booked into the Clermont County Jail ‘without incident', police say.

Police say they were called to Spotswood Common at 9:08 p.m. Wednesday after hearing several gunshots in the area.

“I’m not sure what they were screaming but they shot four times," a 911 caller said.

One neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said he heard about the shooting from someone who was frantic.

“Person that was walking through the complex yelling ‘call 911, call 911 somebody’s been shot,’” he said.

They found Jeanette Hayes suffering from at least one gunshot wound and say she later succumbed to her injuries.

The man then said he entered the condo and noticed a bullet hole had shattered the sliding glass door in the back.

“I found a lady sitting in a reclining chair with a gunshot to the chest and bleeding and what appeared to be another shot in a lower area and her head was tilted down," he said.

The neighbor said he immediately checked Jeanette for vital signs.

“Found no pulse and I told the dispatcher that, that there was no pulse to her and it appeared that she was already dead," he said.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and have not released further details.

Hayes appeared in court for the first time Thursday morning where a judge set his bond at $1 million.

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