Sharef Hayward sentenced to life on murder, assault charges

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – The family of a mother brutally beaten to death by her fiance back in 2016 has finally received justice, as her killer was sentenced to life in prison on Monday.

Sharef Hayward pled guilty to one count of first degree murder and two counts of first degree assault in the murder of Airealle Sells and assault on her two minor children.

On December 6th, 2016, Hayward allegedly stabbed Sells multiple times and hit her and her two children with a hammer. Sells died as a result of her injuries just three days later on December 9th, while her children suffered injuries that required numerous surgeries and continue to require medical treatment to this day.

A Somerset County judge sentenced Hayward to life plus an additional twenty years for each count of first degree assault, totaling an additional forty years.