Family pleads for answers after man found beaten to death inside car

DARBY, Pa. (WTXF) - A family is pleading for answers after a retired postal worker died in what police are investigating as a homicide.

Vanessa Hayes spoke with FOX 29 in the dream home she recently bought with her husband 57-year-old Brad Hayes who died last Tuesday mornin. By all accounts, a good guy, a family man, retired after a long career with the post office.

'Warm personality. His jokes--he just told jokes all the time. His smile," she said.

What happened has police baffled. Brad was home watching the Eagles' Monday Night Football game with his brother. The two stopped briefly at a bar. Brad then dropped his brother off at his home near Lindbergh Boulevard around 1:30 a.m. Flash ahead several hours, Darby police say Brad Hayes died after he was found violently beaten inside his car in front of Penn Wood Middle School on Summit Street around 4 a.m. last Tuesday. According to police, his wallet was found a few blocks away.

He arrived there with someone who ran away when police pulled up. Another man was also spotted nearby and later was captured on video with another person. Police want to talk to both of them and two witnesses who were also caught on camera.

"He didn't pick up strangers, so I think whoever did this knew him. He wasn't one to go around picking up strangers in his car," his wife said.

His wife has no idea what happened in those few hours overnight.

"If anybody out there has seen anything or knows anything about this just please come forward, please put my heart to rest."