A Fort Bend County jury has handed a life sentence to 44-year-old Anthony Sorel Haywood for the 2024 killing of his estranged girlfriend, Coralyn “Shae” Hunt. The conviction means Haywood will spend decades behind bars for the deadly shooting.
Verdict and Sentence
Jurors convicted Haywood last Thursday (May 14) after deliberating for less than two hours, according to FOX 26 Houston. Prosecutors said the same jury then returned the maximum punishment during the sentencing phase. Chief Domestic Violence Prosecutor Sunni Mitchell publicly thanked jurors for their work, while District Attorney Brian M. Middleton said the quick deliberation showed how clearly they viewed “the brutality of the crime,” as relayed by the DA’s office and quoted by FOX 26.
The Killing and Discovery
Hunt, 38, was found shot inside her Fort Bend County home in the pre-dawn hours of February 19, 2024, after her 17-year-old foster daughter discovered her, Click2Houston reported. Three children were inside the house at the time and were not physically harmed. Investigators said Hunt had been trying to leave Haywood and had kept those plans to herself.
Investigation and Arrest
Haywood was taken into custody on March 1, 2024, in the 6700 block of Long Point Road, according to a press release from the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators used Flock license-plate readers, surveillance video from a nearby Kroger and phone analysis to place Haywood at or near the crime scene, and a witness told detectives that Haywood called and confessed after the shooting, according to the district attorney’s office as reported by FOX 26 Houston.
Prior Record and Punishment Phase
Court records show Haywood has prior convictions and has previously served prison time, including a six-year sentence that was the subject of an appeal, according to public court documents on Justia. Prosecutors presented that criminal history to jurors during the punishment phase as they argued for a life sentence.
