HIDEOUT, Utah — It has been two weeks since 61-year-old Patrick Hayes was shot and killed during a road rage incident in Wasatch County.
On Thursday, the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office and the Hayes family asked for the public's help in finding the person or people responsible for Hayes' death.
Sheriff Jared Rigby with the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office spoke to the media near the Ross Creek Day Use area at Jordanelle State Park, where Hayes' body was found on September 26th.
"On Wednesday, September 25th, it was about 11:15 p.m. Pat Hayes was killed here, as part of what appears to be a road rage incident," said Sheriff Rigby.
Hayes' body would be found 12 hours later.
The Sheriff gave a detailed timeline of events from the night of September 25.
He says Hayes left his son, Christian, house around 10:30 pm.
"We just spent the night together, the three of us and, you know, hugged him and told him I loved him and that was that," Christian said.
License plate recordings and cell phone data traced Hayes Volkswagon Taos through Midvale, onto I-215 east and eventually I-80 over the course of nearly 30 minutes.
The sheriff noted that as Hayes' car approached Kimball Junction just before 11 p.m., the vehicle was traveling at highway speed going 400 yards in about 12 seconds.
"Pat drives under the I-80, Kimball's Junction overpass and when he goes on for the 400 yards to the west of the overpass, it takes him a minute and about 33 seconds, so compared to the 12 seconds to go the same distance just before," said Sheriff Rigby.
Sheriff Rigby noted that information was obtained through cell phone data.
The sheriff is hopeful someone may have dashcam or vehicle camera recordings from that area on the night of the 25th.
"Especially having to do with dashcam or other vehicle video cam that you have on that I-80, Parleys and Kimball's junction area, people might not even be aware that there could be something there that's helpful," said Sheriff Rigby.
Sheriff Rigby says Hayes was attempting to make it to his home in the area of SR-248. He says Hayes made a sharp right turn on Shoreline Drive, which is something the sheriff says Hayes would normally do.
However, the sheriff says, Hayed turned down the road to the Ross Creek Day Use Area. He says the video shows him pulling up near the gatehouse, as well as the suspect's vehicle.
"You do see Pat exit his vehicle from the driver's, the driver's door and he walks back to this vehicle that now is pulling up right behind him," said Sheriff Rigby.
Sheriff Rigby says footage shows words were exchanged between Hayes and someone inside that vehicle.
"And ultimately, then, what appears to be a gunshot, a single gunshot rings out," said Sheriff Rigby.
The sheriff says the video hasn't been helpful in identifying a license plate, color or how many people were in the suspect vehicle.
Hayes' fiancée, Sue Ann Kern, says she is devastated and numb about what has taken place.
"This has put a huge hole in our family and our community, Patrick was loved by so many, so many people, so many people have had wonderful things to say about him and he's, he's going to be missed so much by so many people," said Kern.
As for Christian, he described his father as larger than life.
"He had a big personality, and he loved hard, he loved everybody hard, swimming water polo, he touched the community forever," Christian said.
Both Christian and Kern were surrounded by several of Hayes family members as they spoke to the media on Thursday.
"There is a coward out there that committed an unforgivable act and they're running and hiding and so I think that's honestly our biggest ask for everybody is like, please, if you know anything, if you know this person, if you saw anything, like just please come forward and bring it to the police." Christian said.
Sheriff Rigby says they are looking for a Jeep Gladiator in this case. He said the vehicle could have damage to the front end, to the bumper area. However, with it being two weeks since Hayes was killed, he said repairs or alterations could've been made to that vehicle.
Anyone with any information or video of the vehicles involved in this incident is asked to contact the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office at 435-654-1411.
