Man sentenced for murder of pregnant woman found dead in Austin house fire, court docs show

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man has pleaded guilty to the murder of Stephanie Hayes. She was pregnant when police found her dead after a house fire in 2020.

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The body of Stephanie Haynes, 34, was found after a fire in Austin on November 9, 2020, police said according to Haynes' sister, Lesley, the 34-year-old was 5 months pregnant.

Her body was discovered inside a home in the 5000-block of West Gladys shortly before 3 a.m., police said in a statement.

Nearly two years after her death, Victor Terrell was charged with first-degree murder and arson.

Lesley Haynes said that her sister lived a difficult life. She lived in shelters, managing mental health issues before moving from Seattle to Chicago.

Haynes moved into the Austin home with her grandmother who died and then she lived in the home alone. At the time, police said they believed Haynes was dead before the fire.

Terrell pleaded guilty to first degree murder in October 2025; he was sentenced to 28 years at the Illinois Department of Corrections.

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