Hard Boiled News

True Crime and News of the Weird from around the Globe

Alabama Executes 83-Year-Old Prisoner, Oldest in Modern Times

By HardBoiledNews Staff Leave a Comment

 

Walter Moody was put to death for sending a package that killed a judge in 1989

ATMORE, Alabama — It was his time to go.

An 83-year-old Alabama inmate jailed for the 1989 mail bomb killing of a federal judge, was executed Thursday, making him the oldest convict to be put to death in modern times.

Walter Leroy Moody Jr. was convicted in 1996 of mailing out four bombs in December of 1989, killing Judge Robert Vance of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, as well as Robert Robinson, a  black civil rights attorney from Savannah, Georgia.

Two other bombs, including one mailed to an NAACP office in Jacksonville, Florida, were found before they detonated.

At his trial, prosecutors said Moody had sent the bomb to Vance as part of an effort get revenge against the legal system, stemming from  a 1972 pipe-bomb possession conviction that prevented him from practicing law.

He then sent the other bombs to obscure his tracks and make it look like the Ku Klux Klan was responsible.

The bomb killed Vance instantly at his home near Birmingham, and severely injured his wife.

Moody was first convicted in 1991 in federal court and sentenced to seven life terms plus 400 years. He was later convicted in state court in 1996 and sentenced to death for Vance’s murder.

Moody’s attorney’s had appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which had initially granted a short stay, but later overruled it without explanation. Moosy was executed shortly afterwards.

Moody became the oldest U.S. inmate put to death since executions resumed in the U.S. in the 1970s, according to the non-profit Death Penalty Information Center. His attorneys argued in court filings that his advanced age and vein condition would make lethal injection more difficult.

Alabama’s Attorney General Steve Marshall, said the execution was justice served.

“Moody has spent the better part of three decades trying to avoid justice. Tonight, Mr.Moody’s appeals finally came to a rightful end,” Marshall said.

 

 

Well-Known Evangelical Pastor Hit With Child Sex Abuse Charges

By HardBoiledNews Staff Leave a Comment

The founder of the Acton Bowen Outreach Ministries is charged with sex abuse for allegedly molesting a young family friend

HOOVER, Alabama — A well-known evangelical pastor in Alabama has been busted on child sex abuse charges, police say.

Paul Edward Acton Bowen, the 37-year-old founder of Acton Bowen Outreach Ministries, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of second-degree sodomy, enticing a child to enter a vehicle or house for immoral purposes, and second-degree sex abuse.

Cops only described the victim as a male family acquaintance above the age of 12 but under 16.

“This is certainly one of the more disturbing cases that we’ve investigated in quite some time,” Hoover Police Capt. Gregg Rector told AL.com. “Mr. Bowen is in a highly-respected position of influence and he is trusted by many. We believe he betrayed that trust in the worst kind of way.”

Bowen was released Wednesday on $90,300 bond.  In a statement, Bowen denied the allegations against him.

“I have not done what I am accused of and have not acted inappropriately in any way,” Bowen said. “My family and I trust the legal system and the people who are entrusted with the duty of protection each of our rights. I believe the truth will stand and I will be vindicated of this false accusation. We ask that each of you keep everyone involved in this process in your prayers.”

Bowen describes himself on his website as a speaker, best-selling author and visionary.

“Many words are used to describe him, but Acton Bowen’s only passion has been to connect people with the one, true God,” the website states. “Once recognized as one of the nation’s leading student pastors, God has clearly blessed Acton with the ability to reach today’s high tech, attention-lacking culture.”

 

Husband Arrested in Death of Mom Who Led Secret Online Porn Star Life

By HardBoiledNews Staff Leave a Comment

Cops say they suspected Jeff West in the January killing of his secret porn star wife, Kat West, all along

CALERA, Alabama — The husband of an Alabama mom who had a secret life as an online sex star has been arrested for her murder, a month after her half-naked body was found bludgeoned to death on the street outside their home.

Cops were finally able to build their case against 44-year-old William “Jeff” West, 44, in the January slaying of his wife, Kathleen West, after  a key piece of forensic evidence  came to light, although they have yet to reveal what it is.

“We know what happened that night and we do have evidence to support that,” Calera Police Chief Sean Lemley said at a press conference, according to AL.com. “But providing that evidence may hinder prosecution.”

He said the husband was a suspect from the very beginning, and that when cops had spoken to him during the investigation, “he didn’t seem to be very upset.”

Security camera footage from a local liquor store had shown the couple looking happy the night before Kathleen’s body was found. But Lemley said it was unclear what happened in the interim.

“Unfortunately, domestics turn bad pretty quickly,” he said.

He said it took a while to work out exactly what had happened because, unlike most domestic violence deaths, Kathleen’s body was found on a public street, not at home.  The investigation was also complicated by the fact that she was partly naked when she was found.

By day, Kathleen was a typical stay-at-home mom. But she had a second life online as a porn star, where she posted racy images to a private Instagram account with nearly 52,000 followers — and promoted a $15.99-per-month subscription deal for “naughty fun.”

Asked whether her secret life online played a role in the killing, Lemley said simply: “I think her online profession, her activities, certainly warranted a lot of attention.”

 

Three Teens Arrested for Giving Meth-Laced Candy to Classmates

By HardBoiledNews Staff Leave a Comment

BAYOU LA BATRE, Alabama — Three Alabama teenagers have been arrested for handing out meth amphetamine-laced gummy candies to classmates, sending six people to the hospital, police said.

The six students at Alma Bryant High School — five girls and a boy between the ages of 15 and 17 — were hospitalized Thursday after a teacher noticed they were acting “loopy,” and showing signs of mood swings, lethargy and elevated heart rates, according to WALA-TV.

The teens didn’t suffer any long term injuries, authorities said.

Investigators said three boys — whose names were not released — who had brought the gummy candies into school were taken into custody.

The candy was sent to a lab where it was determined the candy had been laced with meth.

“Our main concern is finding the source and finding out how it is getting into the school,” said Capt. Scott Dagg. He said local authorities had not previously encountered anything like this out in the area.

 

“These edible incidents have happened elsewhere in the county, though, certainly,” he said.

Defiant Death Row Inmate Flips the Bird, Curses Alabama, Just Before Execution

By HardBoiledNews Staff Leave a Comment

Torrey McNabb was angry until his last breath

ATMORE, Alabama — An unrepentant cop killer callously flipped witnesses the bird and cursed the state of Alabama just moments before being put to death for the 1997 murder of a police officer.

Torrey McNabb, 40, defiantly raised both middle fingers toward witnesses while strapped to a gurney as the execution began.

“Mom, sis, look at my eyes,” he said. “I’ve got no tears in my eyes. I’m unafraid . . . to the state of Alabama, I hate you m—–f—–s. I hate you,” he said, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.

McNabb had been convicted of fatally shooting Montgomery Police Officer Anderson Gordon as he sat behind the wheel of his patrol car in 1997.

Gordon had pulled up just moments after the then 20-year-old McNabb had wrecked his car while fleeing a bail bondsman.

McNabb’s execution had been delayed as the Supreme Court reviewed his appeal but then ruled it could continue.

His lawyers had sought to stop the execution as he and other death row inmates in an have legally challenged the humaneness of the state’s lethal injection procedure.

Some have argued that the drug cocktail used to put convicts to death does not effectively knock a person out before other drugs are used to stop the heart and lungs from functioning.

Gordon’s family thanked prosecutors for seeing the execution through.

“Over twenty years ago, we lost a companion, a father, a brother, and a friend who only wanted to make a difference in his community,” the family said in a statement. “‘Brother,’ as he was affectionately called, worked to make a difference in his community until his life was taken on September 24, 1997.”

Man Charged After Mother’s Corpse Found Stuffed in Oil Drum Under Porch

By HardBoiledNews Staff Leave a Comment

Nathanial Sebastian is charged with killing his mother

WILMER, Alabama — A man obsessed with serial killer John Wayne Gacy has been charged in the murder of his missing mother after a woman’s body was found in an oil drum stashed under his front porch, Alabama police said.

Nathaniel Sebastian, 32, allegedly told cops, ‘OK my mama’s under the front porch. Y’all got me,’ just as officers were about to execute a search warrant to dig up the ground underneath the house.

Susan Mayo, 60, was reported missing on June 17, a week after she was last seen alive. Her body was found stuffed inside a 55-gallon oil drum buried under the porch.

Sebastian’s grandmother, Doris Clark, 81, also was charged with obstruction of justice, the Mobile County Sheriff’s office said.

Police said they believe Sebastian may have got the idea to bury his mother’s body body under the house from John Wayne Gacy, who was famed for stashing his victim’s under his home. The bodies of 26 young men were found there in 1978.

“One thing is that he claims to be a big fan of John Gacy, who was a serial killer and he in fact kept bodies of his victims underneath his house,” Capt. Paul Burch told Al.com.

Man Charged With Beating Twin With Bat Over Taco Bell Meal

By HardBoiledNews Staff Leave a Comment

Tyler Dukes wasn’t going to let family stand in the way of his Taco Bell

ATHENS, Alabama  — Blood may be thicker than water, but it’s got nothing on Taco Bell.

An Alabama man has been charged with slugging his twin brother on the head with a baseball bat after getting in a fight over having to share his Taco Bell meal.

Tyler Tarell Dukes, 19, allegedly blew his top after his brother and grandmother came home on Thursday with bagful of Taco Bell takeout.

Dukes “became irate over having to share tacos and because his brother didn’t get him a soft drink,” the Athens News Courier reported, citing a police report. “Tyler produced a baseball bat and struck his brother in the back and across the head, causing a deep cut.”

Seems like the bad blood may have been brewing for some time. When asked why he did it, Dukes told cops that his brother was “always disrespecting me.”

The victim was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and released.

Dukes was charged with assault and held on $10,000 bond.

Phony Cancer Victim Charged With Fraud for Using Fake Illness to Raise Cash

By HardBoiledNews Staff Leave a Comment

Jennifer Cataldo raised over $100,000 from friends and relatives

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — This is sick.

A woman who falsely claimed she was battling with cancer in order to bilk her friends and family out of cash has been hit with federal fraud charges.

Jennifer Flynn Cataldo, 37, of Sterrett, Alabama, pretended she was terminally ill and convinced pals to give her $1000,000, all of which she put in her pocket, prosecutors said.

“Sadly, crimes like this make good people think twice before they are willing to be charitable,” FBI Special Agent Roger Stanton said. “It is hard to comprehend how anyone could sink so low as to claim to have cancer just to fuel their greed.”

Federal authorities say that between 2014 and 2017, Cataldo told her friends and family that she was dying from cancer and allegedly solicited contributions from people she knew to fund her lifestyle.

For example, in January 2016, Cataldo allegedly launched a GoFundMe campaign dubbed “Mom had Terminal Cancer Disney Trip,” with the goal of raising $4,000 to take her daughter to Disney World before she died.

The campaign ended up raising more than $10,000, prosecutors said.

Then in September 2016, a friend who believed Cataldo was dying created a second GoFundMe page titled, “Jenny Flynn Cataldo Medical Care,” to raise $20,000. It ultimately took in $25,000.

In both cases, prosecutors say Cataldo transferred the cash from the GoFundMe accounts into her personal bank account.

Cataldo, who was hit with state charges in Alabama earlier this month, faces up to 20 years on each of several counts of wire fraud she now faces in federal court and up to 30 years on bank fraud charges.

GoFundMe officials have said they are working to recover the cash and return it to anyone who donated to Cataldo.

Girl, 9, Narrowly Escapes Vicious Kangaroo Attack at Alabama Animal Park

By HardBoiledNews Staff Leave a Comment

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — A 9-year-old girl had the fright of her life when she was viciously attacked by a jumpy kangaroo at an Alabama petting zoo.

Jennifer White was filming her daughter. Cheyenne, as she approached the enclosure housing a kangaroo named Erwin on Saturday and captured the beast as it reached through the fence, grabbed the screaming little girl by the hair and bit into her ear, Huntsville’s WAFF-TV reported.

Cheyenne ended up needing 14 stitches in her head but was otherwise not seriously injured, her mother said.

“I’m just glad I was there,” she told the station. “I don’t want it to happen to someone else’s kid because they might not be as lucky as she was.”

Erwin has lived at the park for nine years

Operators of the Harmony Park Safari outside of Huntsville told AL.com that Erwin had been there for nine years and had always been well behaved. Still, his enclosure featured two signs warning that the animal does bite.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees such animal parks, said that a complaint had been filed following the incident and that it was investigating.

A park operator, who gave his name only as Lewis, told AL.com, that the park receives “tens of thousands” of visitors a year and that they do not keep any dangerous animals.

“We’re just so happy the little girl’s OK,” Lewis said.

Woman Filmed Stomping Boyfriend’s Car Says She ‘Prayed About it and Stuff’

By HardBoiledNews Staff Leave a Comment

CULLMAN, Alabama — A woman caught on video angrily smashing in the windshield of her ex-boyfriend’s car says a night of prayer convinced her not to launch the wild attack but that she changed her mind when she saw a shovel lying near the vehicle.

Barbara Emily Lowery, 24, landed behind bars on a disorderly conduct charge for the Monday episode in which she stomped in the windshield and sunroof of the car in the parking lot of a furniture store. She also scrawled on the hood in permanent marker: “You’re so pretty, fucker.”

The furious fracas was filmed by several stunned passersby and the video spread online.

“I prayed about it first, and I slept on it, and I decided it wasn’t a good idea. Then I saw a shovel,” Lowery told WBMA-TV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obwHFRG42i8

The station reported that the eruption of violence stemmed from a love triangle that took an ugly turn, but Lowery declined to kiss and tell.

“Well I’m not trying to give his personal business out like that,” she said.

The owner of the car, Nick Myrick, said on his Facebook page that Lowery was not his ex, but was simply, “an angry person.”

But Lowery said she had no regrets.

“I already knew going into it that I would have to face some consequences, and you know it kind of sucks, but like I said I prayed about it and stuff, and I did it anyway,” Lowery said to the station.