Husband convicted of third-degree murder in death of strangled Germantown woman

Roysce “Yusef” Haynes has been found guilty of two counts of third-degree murder in the strangulation and death of his then 24-year-old pregnant wife Atiya Perry in Sept. 2012.

Perry’s body was discovered on Sept. 10, 2012 when two probation officers encountered Haynes sitting on the stoop outside the apartment the couple shared, avoiding eye contact and acting strangely.

She was seven weeks pregnant when her naked body was discovered under a blanket on the floor inside 850 E. Chelten Ave.

At hearings on Tuesday, Officer Jonathan Ransom — the first to arrive on the scene after the body was discovered — testified that Haynes told him he’d “choked” Perry the previous afternoon.

Officer Richard Rodzwic also testified that Haynes confessed to the killing.

Marital problems between Perry and Haynes centered on family interference and trust issues, according to testimony. 

The couple engaged in “intense and passionate” fighting in the days leading up to Perry’s death. Photographs of the crime scene show holes and dents in the walls of the apartment. 

Haynes’ sentencing is scheduled for July 1.