Germantown man convicted of pregnant wife’s murder

Atiya Perry, 24. Courtesy of the Perry family

A jury convicted a Germantown man of strangling his wife under Islamic law, who was pregnant, to death this week.

Roysce “Yusef” Haynes, 29, was convicted of third-degree murder and homicide of an unborn child for strangling Atiya Perry, 24, to death.

The slaying occurred on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, after an argument between the couple.

Evidence at trial included Haynes’ confession to homicide detectives that he murdered Perry after arguments in part related to her family telling her not to constantly wear her Islamic garb.

Haynes told detectives that he blacked out and choked Perry to death, then tried to administer CPR, which caused her body to spit up blood.

Blood around the mouth of the body led to an “abuse of corpse” charged against Haynes, which was dropped before trial.

Probation officers saw Haynes sitting outside his home on Monday, Sept. 10, and when they spoke to him he told them to call 911. The officers testified that they opened the door of his home and saw a body lying inside underneath a blanket.

Perry was seven weeks pregnant at the time of his death.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 1.