Joy Hayward was murdered on February 12, 2004, in a Days Inn Hotel, in Chester, Pennsylvania. She was last seen in the lobby around 3am; her body was discovered by a cleaning woman the following evening. Joy’s murder remains unsolved.
Joy was born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland. She had attended Salisbury University and graduated before moving to Jacksonville, North Carolina, in 2003, to live with that boyfriend.
During the time of Joy’s murder, that boyfriend had been staying in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, for a temporary work assignment. Joy, who had been staying with her mother in Annapolis during this time, decided to take a drive to visit that boyfriend.
When Joy arrived at that boyfriend’s rented room the couple had a few drinks. Shortly after, they had an argument, prompting Joy to leave. When Joy left, she took her cellphone along with that boyfriends cellphone. She drove to a nearby hotel, the Days Inn in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Joy checked into the hotel around 1:30am but did not go up to her room on the 6th floor. She left for about an hour and a half; according to the desk clerk, they exchanged a few words before she went upstairs around 3:00am. The desk clerk also recalled a man walking behind Joy, who rode the elevator at the same time.
After Joy got to her room, she called the front desk requesting assistance, though she did not say what she needed assistance for. The desk clerk told Joy they were unable to leave the front. This would be the last time Joy spoke to someone. Joy was murdered in her hotel room.
A worker discovered Joy’s remains the following day around 4:30pm on February 13, 2004. Investigators believed she had been dead for 12 hours before she was. The beds in the room were made and Joy’s clothing was folded and left on one of the beds. Investigators also found an ice bucket in the room, filled with water, that had Newport and Marlboro Light cigarette butts floating in it. Neither phone was recovered.
Joy was found in the bathtub. A washcloth had been placed in the drain and there was about 6 inches of water in the tub. Investigators could tell she had been beaten, but could not conclusively determine if she had been sexually assaulted. The cause of death had been determined to be asphyxiation.
Police were able to gather DNA from the scene. The genetic profile came back as belonging to a Black male. Police felt this was a strong lead, as the desk clerk described the man who got into the elevator with Joy to be Black.
Though the DNA did suggest that an unknown Black man may have been responsible for Joy’s death, investigators sm
The DNA gathered by police did not receive any hits in the National Database.
On June 22, 2004, a woman was waiting for a bus a few blocks away from the Days Inn. A man on a bike circled around the block a few times before he approached and told her he had a gun. He forced her into a nearby wooded area and raped her. The man attempted to strangle the women but fled when he heard people nearby. The victim described her attacker to be a Black male, between 5’5” and 5’8”, had several gold teeth in his mouth, a light mustache, and facial hair, who could be approximately 30 years old. Investigators were able to collect DNA from the victim and it matched the suspect who had murdered Joy.
It has been over 21.5 years since Joy’s murder without any leads. Joy’s family is still hoping to find the person responsible for her murder. They would like to bring as much awareness to Joy’s unsolved murder as possible.
The family is offering a $25,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of Joy’s murderer.
Anyone who might have any relevant information can call the Chester Police Department at (610)447-7931
Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1800-472-8477
Online www.crimewatchpa.com/crimestoppers
Email JusticeForJoy2022@gmail.com
Facebook Group Ran by Joy's Family: https://www.facebook.com/groups/22750638916
https://www.oddmurdersandmysteries.com/the-unsolved-murder-of-joy-hayward/