Patrick Hayes had a towering presence in both stature and spirit.

Standing at 6’5” with a head of blonde hair, Patrick appeared intimidating at first glance, naturally commanding attention in any room he entered. But that imposing impression quickly faded, the atmosphere subtly shifting the moment Patrick offered a flash of his “million-dollar smile” or a quick, disarming joke, his laughter like music. 

The 61 year old exuded a magnetic warmth and an easy charm that instantly made those around him feel at ease. Wherever he went, people knew him, or felt like they did.

Friends and family gathered on Saturday at Jordanelle State Park — Patrick’s playground — for a tender, heartfelt celebration of his life nearly nine months after it was cut short. Patrick was shot and killed in a road rage incident at the Ross Creek entrance on Sept. 25, 2024, just a half a mile from his home and a short stretch from the area where loved ones came together to honor his memory.

The Hideout community was rattled by the news of Patrick’s death. 

Alan and Shelley Baumgardner lived next to Patrick and his fiancée, Sue Ann Kern, for three years. A few days before Patrick died, the two couples spent a great day celebrating Oktoberfest at Snowbird Mountain Resort. The men bonded over swimming and water polo — sports Patrick was passionate about — and developed a friendship that extended beyond neighborly duties. 

The Baumgardners described Patrick as someone with a great heart who was always willing to lend a hand. They said their neighborhood is close-knit, with Patrick and Sue Ann meeting up with other couples for community events and concerts. Patrick was also well known for chatting with neighbors during daily walks with his beloved dog, Tilly. 

Everyone was shocked to learn that Patrick was dead last fall and that his killer remained on the loose. Some even questioned their safety.

The Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office spent weeks looking for a suspect driving a Jeep Gladiator who was seen on surveillance footage fatally wounding Patrick and driving away without calling 911.

A 62-year-old Peoa man, Greg Kyle DeBoer, was detained in mid-November and questioned about the shooting, during which DeBoer claimed “he acted in self-defense.” Law enforcement claims Patrick was carrying a pocket knife and a baton while yelling profanities at DeBoer.

In late December, DeBoer was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice after he admitted burying the gun used to shoot Patrick. His friends and family say it’s not enough. While they want DeBoer to be charged with homicide, Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby has said “more evidence” would be necessary to pursue such a crime. 

The situation remains an open wound for Patrick’s loved ones.

Mike Hayes, the oldest of the four boys, said there was a knot in his stomach being at the Ross Creek day use area so close to where his brother was killed. Still, he felt like being there was helping to reclaim Patrick’s life.

“He loved this place,” Mike said. “After Pat was murdered, it makes you think about the (old) times.”

The four brothers, each separated by two years, grew up outside of Los Angeles. They spent most of their free time outdoors swimming, camping or hiking. During vacations and weekends, they traveled up the coast from one body of water to the next, stopping at Big Sur, Russian Gulch State Park and the Devil’s Punchbowl. 

Mike was the first to move to Utah to attend university. Then Matt Hayes, the second oldest, did. Patrick came next. The youngest, Andy Hayes, followed.

Patrick, gregarious and the life of the party, majored in economics and found a career in sales. His brothers said if he were here today, Patrick’s voice would be unmistakable as he made his way through the crowd to socialize with everyone. Patrick was the type of man who could walk into a bar, sit at the counter and leave with a new friend — unlike his brothers, who were much more reserved.

Each of the Hayes boys had a different relationship with Patrick, one that they said evolved over the years as they matured.  

Mike had a unique influence as the oldest, acting as a guiding force. Closer in age, Matt and Patrick swam and played water polo together in college. Their bond was cemented as they grew older, traveling around the world together with their kids to watch matches. Andy and Patrick were close, too. The youngest brothers lived together after high school and were always together until Patrick married.

Though his first marriage ended, Patrick became a father to his son Christian Hayes, who his brothers said keeps his spirit alive. Patrick was an active father committed to maintaining a positive co-parenting relationship with his first wife. He had spent the evening of Sept. 25 with Christian before he was shot in the chest by DeBoer. Christian is suing DeBoer for $20 million.

Then, more than a decade ago, Patrick met Sue Ann. Their first date was at a Red Robin right before Thanksgiving. Sue Ann recalled Patrick’s gentle, kind nature as he left his wallet and keys on the table when he used the restroom. Years later, they took a ski trip to Telluride, boated around Coeur d’Alene Lake, and swam with sea turtles in Costa Rica — Patrick’s signature smile plastered to his face through it all.

His family and friends said Sue Ann was the love of his life and a steady heartbeat that kept Patrick going. Patrick had proposed, but the couple put off the wedding to help one of Sue Ann’s daughters, who recently became engaged as well, plan for hers.

Sue Ann described how the loss has left a hole in her heart and how the community has rallied to support her. It’s difficult for her to imagine the first year without Patrick and his infectious energy. Her daughter, Sam Kern, thanked the community for taking care of Sue Ann, saying the kitchen is always full and people are always checking in on her.

“The hardest part is yet to come,” Sue Ann said. 

For Matt, the feelings associated with Patrick’s death have turned from sorrow to anger. Andy agreed. The brothers said being at Jordanelle State Park brings back painful memories, and the lack of charges has done little to dampen the grief or offer a sense of relief.

“There has to be some sort of justice,” Andy said. “How can someone do that without consequence?”

Sue Ann and the Hayes family struggle to make sense of Patrick’s death, questioning how they can find closure when the case is “far from over” and “justice has not been served.” They want DeBoer to take responsibility for killing Patrick, and said they can’t move on or find forgiveness until that happens. 

They’ve also advocated for new laws in Utah that would impose harsher criminal penalties for road rage altercations or leaving the scene of a crime. DeBoer faces a single obstruction of justice charge, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 9.

“It shouldn’t take a tragedy to spark change,” Mike said, adding that the Hayes family hopes and prays justice will play out.

Still, the fury doesn’t burn quite as hot while surrounded by Patrick’s friends, who all shared stories about how they’ll miss the way he lived boldly, laughed deeply and loved with his whole heart. 

Patrick didn’t tiptoe through life. Rather, he cannonballed in.

The post Patrick Hayes’ family celebrates his life, while still waiting for justice after his death appeared first on Park Record.

When Hideout resident Patrick Hayes, 61, was fatally shot in a road rage incident, the shooting was initially deemed a homicide by Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office officials. After a 48-day investigation, police found the shooter, Greg Kyle DeBoer, 62, who admitted to using lethal force the night of the incident.

DeBoer claimed he pulled his .45 caliber Kimber 1911 out of self-defense, according to court documents. 

Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby said there’s not enough evidence to charge DeBoer with homicide. Because DeBoer admitted to burying the gun he used to shoot Hayes, he faces an obstruction of justice charge, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Hayes’ friends and family, indignant, said it’s not enough. 

Peter Kintner was a friend of Hayes for more than a decade. They met through Hayes’ partner, Sue Ann Kern, and became close over the years. Kintner, outraged that DeBoer is not facing any homicide charges, decided to take matters into his own hands. On Thursday, he started an online petition titled “Justice for Patrick Hayes.”

“It’s one thing to lose a close friend like that, but it’s another thing to lose somebody in that manner,” Kintner said. “I’m a gun owner, and if I were ever in a situation where I had to use deadly force, I would have stayed on the scene. I would have called the police and called an ambulance.”

Kintner said the fact that DeBoer left the scene after shooting Hayes, then later burying the gun, is “telling.” He referred to the surveillance footage recently released that shows the interaction between Hayes and DeBoer the night of the shooting, Sept. 25, 2024. 

“It seems to me that the charges they want to charge DeBoer with basically amount to a slap on the wrist,” Kintner said. 

There were more than 100 signatures on the petition within 24 hours of its launch. By Monday, there were more than 700 signatures. 

“Everyone that’s signing this petition was impacted by Patrick, and we all think that the way they’re handling this case is not fair,” Hayes’ fiancée, Kern, said. “DeBoer needs to be held accountable for his actions.” 

Kintner references a new state law in the petition that passed during the last legislative session. House Bill 30 enforced tougher penalties on deadly road rage incidents. The bill went into effect on July 1 — just one month after two deadly road rage cases in Utah and Davis counties.

The bill made amendments such as modifying the elements of aggravated assault to address the use of a motor vehicle and the requirement of the courts to collect data regarding road rage incidents.

“It is essential to uphold justice and the safety of our community, and to give credibility to the new Utah Law HB30,” the petition reads. “There is a strong belief in our community that Greg Kyle DeBoer has not been held fully accountable for his actions.”

After DeBoer fatally shot Hayes at around 11 p.m. on Sept. 25, no call was made to the police about the shooting until 12 hours later when a passerby saw Hayes lying on the ground. His car, a few feet from Hayes, was still idling with the right blinker flashing. Hayes died that night less than half a mile from his Hideout home. 

Because no call by DeBoer was made, police were unaware of the shooter’s identity. Investigators later received a tip from a local, who said DeBoer used the ammunition forensic specialists uncovered — a .45 Winchester Black Talon round, which was popular until manufacturing ceased in 2000. 

When DeBoer admitted to shooting Hayes and burying the gun, he also claimed self defense. Sheriff Rigby said that despite the discovery of “minor pieces of evidence,” the footage of the shooting complicated matters, and there is not enough evidence so far to charge DeBoer with homicide.

The footage shows Hayes, followed by DeBoer, arriving at the Ross Creek entrance of Jordanelle State Park. When Hayes exited his car, DeBoer apparently attempted to hit Hayes with his car twice. When Hayes regained his feet after falling, he started talking to DeBoer, using profanity and saying “You want to get out?” DeBoer then shot Hayes in the chest. 

“If the shooter was in self defense, why did he follow Patrick to begin with? Why did he actually pull the trigger, why did he hide the gun?” One petition comment reads.

“Utah, being a law and order state, should stand by its law,” Kintner said, referring to H.B. 30. “If they want this sort of thing to stop, then this particular case is a landmark that shows that this does, in fact, need to be addressed. Patrick Hayes deserves that justice.”

Wasatch County Attorney McKay King, a prosecutor on the DeBoer case, was not available for comment by the time of publication.

The post Locals turn to petitioning for homicide charges in road rage case appeared first on Park Record.