COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio – A man accused of shooting and killing his two sisters and wounding a 17-year-old family friend was indicted Monday.
Matthew Hayden, 22, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is charged with two counts of aggravated murder and one count of attempted aggravated murder for the Oct. 21 shooting that ended with his 16 and 17-year-old sisters dead.
“I can’t imagine what these families are going through,” Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said. “Two young women’s lives are wasted and another has been seriously injured at the hands of their brother and friend. “
Police said Matthew sprayed a van with bullets while his sisters – 16-year-old Sarah Hayden and 17-year-old Elizabeth Hayden – sat inside with their friend Joshua Hacker. The van was sitting in the Hayden family’s driveway at the time.
Elizabeth and Sarah Hayden
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Judge Josh Berkowitz set Matthew's bond at $6 million the following day, saying Matthew "lit up the van" with bullets with a Beretta 9mm handgun.
Berkowitz described the police account of the shooting and said: "It shocks the conscience. It is disturbing, to say the least."
The shooting was reported about 2:45 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21 in the 3400 block of Banning Road. When police arrived, Matthew met them at the door – his gun tucked in his waistband – ready to be taken into custody, they said.
"The question is, of course, what triggered this? What started this? Is it drug-related? Is it an anger situation? Is it a relationship situation?" said James Love, Colerain Township public information officer.
"Why were they up at 2:30 in the morning in a backyard? Those questions are all on the table and they are all good questions. That is exactly what the detectives of Colerain Township will be doing until they get the answers."
Hacker is currently recovering at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. He was shot 10 times, authorities said.
Hacker’s father, Jaeson Hacker, told WCPO his son is unable to speak, has a tube in his throat, had his jaw wired shut and has bullet wounds across his body. He said one bullet is lodged in his son's temple and he has gunshot wounds to his face, torso and both arms.
Jaeson told WCPO Monday his son is improving.
"He is up walking now...We are just waiting to get (his) mouth unwired so he can start to eat real food again," the father said. "His eye surgery went great. The swelling is gone."
Joshua Hacker recovering in the hospital
Police ask anyone with information in this case to call Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.
