FLINT – Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said that on October 1, a jury found a Flint Township
man guilty of first-degree premeditated murder in the 2022 stabbing death of his roommate.
Terrence Joseph Haywood, 38, is convicted of killing 34-year-old Cole Campbell with multiple
strikes from a machete sometime between February 1-2, 2022.
According to testimony at trial and police reports, on February 1, 2022, Campbell had made several claims to his mother and ex-girlfriend that Haywood had been swinging machetes around their home for 48 hours and claiming to be God. Campbell then met with police at a local McDonald’s where he shared the same information and expressed concerns for his safety, but declined a police escort back home.
The next day after not being able to reach her son, Campbell’s mother called police to request a welfare check. Upon arriving at the residence, officers observed blood on the porch and throughout the residence along with several machetes – and Haywood was providing evasive explanations.
During police interviews, Haywood described a dream where he was chasing after Campbell who was running away like a victim toward Mitson Boulevard.
On February 4, 2022, searchers located Campbell’s frozen body at 1451 Mitson Boulevard, in the precise location Haywood had described. The autopsy confirmed that Campbell died from multiple sharp-force injuries consistent with machete strikes.
Haywood testified at trial, offering his version of events which were similar to what he had previously reported to police during the investigation. He claimed he had been receiving messages instructing him to murder his roommate in order to protect his sister and her children.
Campbell had previously dated Haywood’s sister and they shared children together. On the night of the incident, Haywood testified he told Campbell about the messages and asked Campbell to kill him instead. Campbell refused and dropped the machete that Haywood had given him. Haywood then picked up the weapon and brutally attacked Campbell, inflicting severe and fatal slash and cut wounds. He testified that he followed Campbell to the location on Mitson Boulevard where his body was later found.
“This was one of the more unusual homicide cases I have seen given the weapon that was used and the way the events unfolded,” said Prosecutor Leyton.
He credited the Flint Township Police and his staff for their efforts in seeing this case through to
justice.
Haywood had previously been found incompetent to stand trial after a report was read that had been put together by a doctor with the Center for Forensic Review in Saline. But, at that time, the Courier reported Haywood’s competency would be revisited.
Haywood now faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole when he is sentenced on
October 27.
.
