Lori Hayes was a 25-year-old mother from Auburn, Illinois, who was abducted, sexually assaulted, and shot dead on 1 August 1999, leaving her nine-month-old daughter Alexis alone in a hot car. Her killer, security guard Dale Lash, was convicted in November 2002 and is now serving a life sentence. The case was later featured on Investigation Discovery's Unusual Suspects: Deadly Intent in 2017.
Source: UGC
Key takeaways
- Lori Hayes was 25 years old when she was murdered in Springfield, Illinois, on 1 August 1999.
- Her nine-month-old daughter Alexis was found crying alone in a parked car, leading police to discover the crime.
- Dale Lash, a security guard, was convicted of murder in November 2002 after DNA evidence linked him to the crime.
- His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2003 when Governor George Ryan cleared Illinois's entire death row.
- The case featured on Investigation Discovery's Unusual Suspects: Deadly Intent in October 2017.
Lori Hayes profile summary
Full name | Lori Hayes |
Date of birth | c. 1973–1974 (exact date unverified) |
Age at death | 25 |
Place of residence | Auburn, Illinois |
Nationality | American |
Education | Social work degree, University of Kentucky |
Relationship status | Married to Brad Hayes |
Children | Alexis Hayes (born c. November 1998) |
Date of death | 1–2 August 1999 |
Cause of death | Single gunshot wound to the back of the head |
Who was Lori Hayes?
Lori Hayes was a 25-year-old woman living in Auburn, Illinois, with her husband Brad Hayes and their infant daughter, Alexis. She held a social work degree from the University of Kentucky and was described by those who knew her as quiet, ambitious, and a devoted mother.
On the morning of 1 August 1999, Lori took Alexis, then just nine months old, to a shopping mall near Springfield, Illinois. She never came home.
Source: Original
What happened to Lori Hayes?
Passersby discovered Alexis crying alone in Lori's parked car outside a Springfield cinema. Police found blood on the bumper and inside the vehicle, along with a spent shell casing. Lori's purse, wallet, and wedding ring were all still in the car, ruling out robbery as a motive.
The following day, a police officer discovered Lori's body in a cornfield southwest of Springfield. A forensic examination confirmed she had been shot once in the back of the head. The autopsy also found evidence of sexual assault, and investigators recovered DNA evidence for testing.
Drag marks at the scene showed Lori had been killed elsewhere, then moved to the field. Her husband Brad, who had been on a business trip, was quickly cleared.
How was Dale Lash caught?
The DNA evidence from Lori's case matched a sexual assault from November 1998 targeting a local real estate agent. In that earlier attack, the perpetrator booked a viewing appointment under a false name, then pulled a gun, photographed the agent, and assaulted her before fleeing.
A second agent had narrowly escaped a similar attack and handed police a voice recording of the attacker's phone call. A composite sketch led investigators to Dale Lash, a local security guard. A colleague recognised Lash from the sketch. More decisively, Lash's own brother identified his voice on the tape. DNA confirmed the link to both the 1998 assault and Lori's murder.
Investigators concluded that Lash forced Lori into her car, drove to a secluded location, sexually assaulted and shot her, and then returned the car to the car park, leaving Alexis inside.
Source: UGC
Dale Lash's trial and sentence
In November 2002, a jury convicted Dale Lash on five counts: murder, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated vehicular hijacking, and endangering the life of a child. He was sentenced to death.
In early 2003, Illinois Governor George Ryan commuted all death row sentences to life imprisonment, sparing Lash from execution. Dale Lash, now in his early sixties, is held at Menard Correctional Centre in Randolph County, Illinois. He is not eligible for parole.
As of 2026, Dale Lash remains incarcerated at Menard Correctional Centre with no prospect of release.
Frequently asked questions
- Who was Lori Hayes? Lori Hayes was a 25-year-old mother from Auburn, Illinois. She was abducted and murdered on 1 August 1999, leaving her nine-month-old daughter Alexis alone in a parked car near Springfield.
- Who killed Lori Hayes? Dale Lash, a security guard, was convicted of her murder in November 2002. DNA evidence linked him to both Lori's killing and an earlier sexual assault in 1998.
- What happened to Dale Lash? Dale Lash was sentenced to death in 2002. Governor George Ryan commuted all Illinois death sentences to life imprisonment in 2003. Lash remains at Menard Correctional Centre and is not eligible for parole.
- Was the Lori Hayes case on Unusual Suspects? Yes. The Unusual Suspects: Deadly Intent episode "Field of Nightmares" on Investigation Discovery, which premiered on 4 October 2017, covered the case in full.
- How was Lori Hayes found? Her daughter Alexis was found crying alone in a car outside a Springfield cinema. Police searched the area and discovered Lori's body in a cornfield the following day.
- Where did Lori Hayes live? Lori Hayes lived in Auburn, Illinois, with her husband Brad Hayes and daughter Alexis.
- What was Lori Hayes' background? She held a social work degree from the University of Kentucky and was described as quiet, ambitious, and deeply devoted to her daughter.
- Is Dale Lash still in prison? Yes. As of 2026, Dale Lash is still incarcerated at Menard Correctional Centre in Illinois with no parole eligibility.
On that fateful day, Lori Hayes didn't know that she would never spend another day with her daughter. She was murdered by Dale Lash. The perpetrator is spending his entire life behind bars. It is one of the most shocking crimes of the late 90s that, fortunately, was solved.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
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