Man guilty of roommate’s murder

A Dublin man was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole Thursday after being found guilty in the May 2023 fatal shooting of his roommate.

Corey Shannon was found guilty on the felony murder and aggravated assault of Kala Martin Hayes, 42, said Dublin District Attorney Harold McLendon. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the count of malice murder, which McLendon said was dismissed. Shannon was sentenced to an additional 20 years on the aggravated assault.

“It was a good verdict,” McLendon said. “The case had been sitting around for a long time, and it needed to be tried. We got it ready and presented it with a good result.”

Assistant District Attorneys Kayla McLendon and Tommy Williams presented the case for the prosecution. Chief Judge Jon Helton presided over the case.

The DA thanked the Dublin Police Department, DPD Detective Amber Beasley and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, who were the leads on the case, for their work. 

The DPD received a call around 6:04 p.m. on May 2, 2023, after a resident arrived at the house on 903 Greenwood Drive where Haynes and Shannon had lived for years, the DA said.

“It was really a strange case,” McLendon said. 

“The neighbor’s door camera actually recorded the victim going home to the house and parking behind it. Within just a few minutes, the defendant’s car pulled in and went around back.”

About a minute later, at least three gunshots can be heard, the DA said. Less than a minute later, the defendant’s car was then caught on camera leaving.

“It was a very, very distinctive color car,” McLendon said. “The defendant had said he never lets anybody else drive his car. Then again, he said he was never there when it happened.”

Shannon also said he had not shot a gun in years, but had gunpowder residue on him when he was tested.