Jurors have returned a guilty verdict in the trial of a woman accused of gunning down her daughter-in-law two years ago in Snellville.  

Joanna Hayes was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony.  Hayes was sentenced to life in prison plus five years.

The judge let Hayes speak following the verdict and she tearfully told the court she was innocent.

"I tell you sir that I did not commit this offense, I could not, I would not because I loved her as much as anyone else," said Hayes.

After the verdict, Strube's mother, Mary Allen, says just was served today and says the family was relieved.

"This woman did this with an 18-month-old child witnessing it.  How much more vicious and evil can you be," said Allen.

Hayes' mother, Lois Hands, mantains her daughter's innocence.

"A grave injustice was done today.  Joanna did not do this.  She's never hurt anything in her life and she never would have hurt Heather," said Hands.

The jury deliberated for three days. Tuesday, jurors asked to hear the phone call again between Joanna Hayes and her son.  In that call, Hayes' son essentially accused his mother of murder.

"Mom, why did you do it?" Steven Strube asks in the tape. "It looks just like you."

Prosecutors say Hayes was wearing a wig and fake mustache when she put a gun to Strube's head in the parking lot of a Target in Snellville in April of 2009 and pulled the trigger. 

Hayes' son and daughter-in-law were in the middle of a bitter divorce, and the state contends Hayes committed murder to prevent custody of the couple's 18-month-old son from going to the mother.