Neighbors stunned after 81-year-old found murdered in longtime Baltimore County home
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore County Police found 81-year-old Jaward Hannah unresponsive at his longtime home in the 3400 block of Kelox Road in the Powhatan Farms community on Nov. 10 and are still looking for his killer.
Aaron Barnett, the community association president, called him "a pillar in the community."
"I was real upset. I cried like a baby because he was a real good friend of mine, and I'm going to miss him," a neighbor and longtime friend told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren.
He asked us not to use his name. He said he is heartbroken over the death of the man he considered "like a brother" to him.
"I'm going to miss Jay. The rest of my life I'm going to miss Jay," he said. "Jay was a real nice person. I loved Jay. I'm getting kind of upset now, so I'm going to go on and let it be. Ain't nothing you can do about it but just try to find out who done this."
He said Hannah once worked at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
Hannah loved his old Pontiac, which is still parked outside his home with custom plates bearing his last name. His neighbor remembers seeing him working on a project for his carport.
"I spoke to him the day he got murdered," the neighbor said. "I said, 'How are you doing man?' He said, 'I'm doing alright,' because he was building that so he could park his car underneath of there—not knowing that was his last project that he would ever do in his life."
He said a relative told him Hannah was found handcuffed and slumped over.
A source told WJZ the victim was found face down with trauma to the head in his carport and had been robbed.
Police will only confirm he "suffered trauma to the upper body" and "was pronounced deceased at the scene."
Many in the tight-knit community told Hellgren they are hopeful police can find the killer.
"He was a very kind gentleman and very helpful, a hard worker," one woman said. Her husband chimed in, "We're very shocked because this doesn't happen in this community."
Anyone who has information about the crime should contact Baltimore County homicide detectives at 410-307-2020.
Anonymous tipsters can call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP.
Family members at the home on Thursday declined to comment.
