Alpharetta City Band Conductor Killed in Sandy Springs

ALPHARETTA, GA -- The Alpharetta community is mourning the loss of a man known around town for his passion for music.

Bill Haynes, the conductor for the Alpharetta City Band, has been identified as the fatal stabbing victim found dead Saturday evening in Sandy Springs.

"Mr. Haynes was a generous man with a larger-than-life personality; always bringing smiles and laughter to those around him," said Alpharetta Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard. "He will be missed in the community.

The Alpharetta City Band is an adult recreation program sponsored by the city's Recreation and Parks Department. The organization on Monday said it was "saddened" to learn of the conductor's death.

"There is a hole in our hearts that will never be filled," the organization wrote. "Rest in peace, Bill Haynes."

Haynes, 53, was found dead with multiple stab wounds at Extra Space Storage, which is at 6780 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs police spokesperson Capt. Mike Lindstrom said.

The educator's body was discovered just after 10 p.m. Saturday when officers were dispatched to the facility.
Lindstrom told Patch there appears to be no connection between Haynes and the man charged with his murder, 31-year-old Justin Paul Hess.

Hess is also accused of killing his mother in Cobb County hours before Haynes's body was found.
Following the discovery at the storage facility, investigators learned Haynes's red 2016 red Audi S5 was missing from the parking lot and that another vehicle was left at the scene, Lindstrom previously said.

That car, a blue Mazda 3, was taken from the townhome where Hess allegedly shot his mother, 61-year-old Carol Ann Hess.

According to Cobb police, Carol Hess was found dead around 6:20 p.m. at her home in the 400 block of Bridle Path NE in Marietta. A be-on-the-lookout alert on a possible suspect, later identified as Justin Hess, was issued to surrounding agencies and Hess was later taken into custody without incident.

Cobb authorities have charged Hess with felony murder and aggravated assault in his mother's death. Lindstrom added that Sandy Springs detectives have also obtained a murder warrant for Hess in connection to the Haynes case.

Haynes was also a music teacher at E. Rivers Elementary School in Atlanta, school system spokesperson Pat Stclaire confirmed to Patch.

Stclaire said the Atlanta Public Schools and E. Rivers Elementary family send their condolences to Haynes's loved ones.

"Mr. Haynes came to us from Fulton County Schools and has been a part of the Rivers staff family for 16 months," she said Monday evening. "This loss touches all of our students and staff, as Mr. Haynes taught music and drama for grades kindergarten through fifth. Grief counselors were made available to staff this morning."

Image via Atlanta Public Schools