A woman’s body was found stuffed inside a washing machine after police received an anonymous tip directing them to search a nearby pond. Eight years on, her family are still fighting for justice.
Trish Haynes was just 25 years old when she suddenly cut off all contact with her grandmother. The abrupt communication breakdown occurred shortly after she moved in with two friends. Two months later, her worried grandmother filed a missing person report with the Grafton Police Department in New Hampshire, revealing she had only been receiving messages from her granddaughter via her friends.
During the early stages of the investigation, authorities were tipped off anonymously to search Grant’s Pond, where they uncovered a washer and dryer submerged beneath the water containing Haynes’ remains. Police ruled the death a homicide and carried out a year-long investigation before publicly disclosing the murder. Eight years after her disappearance, the case remains unsolved with no arrests made.
View 3 ImagesTrish Haynes as a child(Image: provided)
Family raising funds for breakthrough
Haynes’ cousin Carey-Ann Wilson, 51, revealed the family has received numerous tips regarding her death and is currently working to raise funds for a reward to anyone who can provide information leading to a conviction. Carey-Ann, a human resources generalist from The Lakes Region in New Hampshire, said: “I was living in Arizona when I learned of Trish’s death. I was stunned, deeply saddened.”, reports the Express US.
“I couldn’t understand why anyone would hurt her, kill her – especially in the manner in which they did. To this day, I just don’t get it. The words, still eight years later, are hard to find.”
Alarm bells ring after sudden relocation
After Hayes moved in with an old friend in May 2018, Carey-Ann revealed that her family became increasingly worried by the drastic change in the way Hayes was communicating with them. The family noted that she had ceased all contact with her grandmother, with whom she had shared both a home and an incredibly close bond.
“She was extremely close with her grandmother, Sandi, and with Trish’s great aunt, Val,” Carey-Ann explained. “They spoke with her almost daily. So when the calls became infrequent, short, and guarded, it immediately felt out of character.
“Trish eventually told Sandi that her phone was broken and that she had to use her friend’s phone to call. After that, communication became even more sporadic until eventually most of the communication was coming from her friend instead of Trish herself.”
Family determined to keep fighting
View 3 ImagesTrish Hayes’ murder remains unsolved with no arrests made.(Image: provided)
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office didn’t publicly acknowledge Hayes’ death until July 2019.
Since that announcement, no arrests have been made and the case has seen no significant breakthroughs. Carey-Ann said: “It’s incredibly frustrating and painful. Time keeps moving forward, but for families like ours, part of you remains stuck in that unanswered space.
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“I think one of the hardest things is knowing someone out there likely knows more than they’ve ever said. Meanwhile, our family has spent years carrying grief, unanswered questions, and the feeling that Trish’s story still hasn’t concluded.
“At the same time, we refuse to let her be forgotten. That’s why we continue speaking publicly, working with advocacy groups, and trying to bring renewed attention to the case.”