News Flash

A Roswell man accused of fatally shooting his uncle was arrested Nov. 17 at a friend’s home on the west side of the city.

Cody Denard Hairston, 35, was arrested around noon at a residence in the 400 block of South Aspen Avenue on a warrant issued Nov. 9 charging him with first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm. The investigation by the Roswell Police Department included important assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the state Adult Probation and Parole Office.

The investigation led authorities to obtain search warrants for two addresses in the 400 block of South Aspen Avenue. Those warrants were executed Nov. 17 and Hairston was believed to be inside one of the residences. Police spent a short time calling out for Hairston to exit the home. As police prepared to enter the home, Hairston announced he was coming out and then exited the home and was arrested without incident. Hairston will be booked into the Chaves County Detention Center on a $500,000 cash-only bond.

RPD investigators identified Hairston (pictured) as the suspect in this case shortly after the shooting occurred Nov. 8 around 11:45 p.m. at the victim’s residence in the 100 block of South Stanton Avenue, a few blocks from the downtown area.

At the shooting scene, RPD officers found 56-year-old Ernest Ray Allen lying unresponsive on the porch of his residence. Allen, who had been shot once in the chin, was transported to a hospital, where he was declared dead a short time later.

Investigators were told by family members who were with the suspect and victim that night that Hairston and Allen began arguing and pushing each other while they were at another family member’s residence. Prior to the argument, Allen was trying to console Hairston regarding the recent death of Hairston’s mother, according to family members.

Shortly after Allen and others returned to Allen’s residence, investigators were told, Hairston came to the front door calling for Allen to come out. When Allen walked through the door onto the porch, he was shot and collapsed. Hairston then fled the area in a vehicle.