Cassandra Hayes

Investigative Specialist

Cassandra received a Bachelor’s in English at the University of Texas at Austin in 2010. After that, Cassandra worked as a bartender while prioritizing her dreams of travel. Cassandra has been lucky enough to spend extended time in Thailand, Laos, France, Amsterdam, England, and Mexico. In 2016, Cassandra began training as a professional criminal defense investigator. By 2017, she was the lead investigator at Mayer Consulting in Austin, TX where she worked on pre-trial cases, including capital murder cases. In 2018, Cassandra was approached to be a part of The Forensic Project, a new post-conviction, non-profit office dedicated to reviewing cases where convictions were made using unreliable DNA evidence. As a lead investigator at the Forensic Project, she worked on case reviews and habeas writ investigations, which included mitigation investigation. Cassandra’s background as a service industry professional and world traveler, along with her criminal defense investigation experience, has given her a unique blend of communication and interpersonal skills that lead to a personable, team oriented, and client-centered methodology for conducting investigations.

Education and Training

The University of Texas at Austin

B.A., English/History, 2010

 Capital Mitigation Skills Workshop-Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

From the Habeas Assistance and Training Counsel

January 2019 & 2020

The Component Method- Brandon A. Perron

Training provided at Mayer Consulting

January 2016