A Blount County man was booked into jail Saturday on charges including criminal homicide and aggravated burglary, according to booking records.
Zachary Hayes was processed into custody on September 9, 2023, facing four separate charges that include some of the most serious offenses under Tennessee law.
The timeline of events leading to Hayes' arrest has not been detailed in available court documents, though the combination of charges suggests a complex criminal incident involving both property crimes and violence.
Hayes faces criminal homicide under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-201, the state's most serious criminal charge. The statute covers intentional, knowing, or reckless killing of another person. Court records do not specify the classification level of the homicide charge, which can range from first-degree murder carrying potential life sentences to voluntary manslaughter with lesser penalties.
Alongside the homicide charge, Hayes was booked on aggravated burglary, a felony under TCA § 39-13-1003. This charge typically involves unlawfully entering a building with intent to commit a felony while armed or causing bodily injury to someone inside.
The charges also include abuse of corpse, classified as a Class E felony under Tennessee law. This offense carries a potential sentence of one to six years in prison and fines up to $3,000. The charge generally involves unlawfully disinterring, removing, or mistreating human remains.
Hayes additionally faces a charge for intentional killing of an animal, listed as offense code 205 in booking records.
Jail records show this marks Hayes' second booking in the county, with one prior arrest recorded in Blount County. The nature and timing of that previous booking were not immediately available.
Blount County, located in East Tennessee near the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, processed no other bookings on the same day as Hayes' arrest, according to jail records. The county seat of Maryville typically sees regular booking activity as law enforcement agencies process arrests from across the county's communities.
The Blount County Sheriff's Office, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, or local police departments may have been involved in the investigation leading to Hayes' arrest, though specific details about the investigating agencies have not been released.
Tennessee's criminal homicide statute encompasses several degrees of killing, from premeditated first-degree murder to reckless homicide. Without additional court filings specifying the exact classification, the potential penalties Hayes faces for the homicide charge remain unclear.
The aggravated burglary charge suggests the alleged crimes may have occurred at a residence or business. Tennessee law defines aggravated burglary as entering a building unlawfully with intent to commit a felony while the defendant is armed with a weapon or causes bodily injury to any person during the commission of the crime.
Class E felonies like the abuse of corpse charge represent mid-level felonies in Tennessee's sentencing structure. Defendants convicted of Class E felonies typically face sentences ranging from one to six years, though judges have discretion within statutory guidelines based on criminal history and other factors.
The animal cruelty charge adds another dimension to the case, suggesting the alleged crimes may have involved harm to pets or livestock. Tennessee has strengthened its animal protection laws in recent years, with intentional killing of animals carrying increasingly serious penalties.
Court records do not indicate whether Hayes has retained legal counsel or been appointed a public defender. Initial appearances for defendants facing such serious charges typically occur within days of booking, where bail and representation issues are addressed.
The Blount County District Attorney's Office will likely handle prosecution of the charges, working with investigating officers to present evidence to a grand jury for potential indictment on the felony counts.
Given the severity of the charges, particularly criminal homicide, Hayes could face decades in prison if convicted on all counts. Tennessee's sentencing guidelines allow for consecutive sentences on separate felony convictions, potentially extending any prison term.
The case represents one of the most serious criminal matters processed through Blount County's justice system in recent months, according to booking data patterns.