(LEX 18) — January marked 10 years since a cross-country crime spree involving two Kentucky teenagers captured the country's attention, drawing comparisons to Bonnie and Clyde.
After spending the last decade in prison, one half of that duo spoke to LEX 18's Evelyn Schultz.
Dalton Hayes is living at his parents' home in Leitchfield, where he's starting over at 28 years old. He was released from prison in January.
"It's hard, it's difficult," he said. "Some mornings I wake up and wish that I was back where I was five months ago."
In January 2015, Hayes and his then-girlfriend Cheyenne Phillips stole cars and evaded police for two weeks until they were caught in Panama City, Florida.
Hayes said he believed Phillips was 19 years old, and they fled to escape abuse from her family. In 2017, a jury determine he was not guilty of second-degree rape.
"I'll maintain that until the day I die because I didn't," he told LEX 18. "And when I found out it was too late. I'm not gonna come back to Kentucky and turn myself in."
While on the run, the duo made headlines nationwide. These days, Hayes said he's not a fan of the Bonnie and Clyde comparisons.
"I didn't hurt nobody," he said. "It'd be different if I even attempted to hurt somebody. I didn't do it though. I didn't hurt nobody, you know. It's not nice for people to say that."
"When I first heard it, I think I thought it was pretty cool," he added. "I mean, I was 18 and I was stupid, to be honest, but it's not cool. And when I thought about it, you know, months and then years, it's not cool. Because I don't want my kid growing up and seeing, well this is what my dad was portrayed to be. I don't want that. It's not something I'm proud of."
Hayes is referring to the daughter Phillips gave birth to after their arrest. She's now nine years old. Hayes hopes one day he'll be in her life and is working to hire an attorney so he can get visitation rights.
He's also focused on another challenge: Finding a job. He wants to get his GED and become an electrician, or a nurse.
"My criminal record don't define me as a person I am today," he said. "It don't make me the person that you've seen then. Look at me now, give me a chance. That's all you have to do because if you give me a chance, I'm only gonna climb, I'm not gonna go down."
Hayes said he's also in therapy for his mental health. He doesn't feel he was able to get the help he needed in prison.
"I'm not the same person I was when I was 18," he said. "I do not ever wanna see the inside of them walls again. Just cause you make a decision at a young age don't make you a bad person."
