Trial has begun in Franklin County Common Pleas Court for Shannon D. Haynes, who was charged with the murder of Ohio State student Kara Parrish that occurred May 20, 2000.
Haynes, who was 30 at the time of the crime, is being tried for kidnapping, rape and aggravated murder, according to officials at the Franklin County Prosecutor’s office.
Neighbors said they saw Parrish helping Haynes, who was intoxicated, into his apartment located at 1608 Summit St. the night of May 19.
Police later found Parrish dead in a gray Honda that was parked in an alley behind 1745 N. Fourth St.
Parrish, who was 19, was smothered, according to James J. Marsh of the Columbus Division of Police.
Josh Helsel and Randy Standard, Haynes’ neighbors said in a May 22 Lantern article that they were shocked that Haynes could have committed such a crime.
“He was quiet, kept to himself. The times I’ve been out with him, he’d be pretty friendly,” Helsel said.
Both Helsel and Standard said they had come to know both Haynes and his wife, Christina, an undecided sophomore.
Although Helsel and Standard had never seen Parrish until the night of May 20, another of Haynes’ neighbors at the time of the crime, Edward Casey, said he had seen Parrish hanging out with Haynes and his wife the week or two before her murder.
