Hi, I'm Holly and I'm Hailey. Welcome to Mountain Mysteries Tales from Appalachia. Welcome back. Hello.
So we have a little PSA. We've had a stephoo. A little boo boo boo. So listen, I pulled into Holly's home this evening.
We didn't know where we're going with it. Just pulled into the driveway. I've driven a little bit of an hour with traffic to get here. You got Pat down by Randy.
Got Pat down by Randy the Garchack. Pulled right in my lip. No, I so get into the driveway and I immediately just go, oh my god. I had grabbed my laptop and all the things had come to Holly's.
Not realizing that I wrote my stories or my story for this week and I was ahead of the game and wrote mine for the next time as well. I too very well done stories on my work laptop. That doesn't feel good. So I would have had to driven another hour back to work and freaked my school resource officer out because he would have gotten alert that somebody was in the building at you know, seven o'clock at night.
It was me surprise. And then drove another hour back here. So thankfully the Angeladas would have been so cold. The Angeladas are wonderful though.
They're so good. Thank you. So with that being said, thankfully Holly was prepared and has another story that she can tell. I did because much like I did another story.
I'm going to get ahead of the game this week. It turns out I'm really glad you did because I too. And I was one of those where I was like, well I know like what they were. So I could maybe try to like quickly put something up but they like I didn't want to because I actually spent like pretty good time like making them, you know, good.
I mean she went out and she caused murder. I did it. I mean she has to have something to tell. So I was like, me so I'll you know, just you'll get two weeks of me next around.
So you got two weeks of Holly. I kind of like that. No, not not two weeks of me two weeks. So yeah, it just means that I will get to see Randy again.
That's right. You can see my son again. Maybe we'll do more dancing for you. Yeah.
Tonight the floor was a lot but floor was lava. We did do that. That was really fun. The floor is a lot.
I got here and he was in the shower. And I was like, what's happening? You know what he does? So we had one of those detachable shower heads with a little cord and he likes to sit in the bathroom and ask me to pull the shower down.
And he like will hold it up over his head and he like puts it in the bathtub and like cleans his cars with all the little stuff. And time will go by. And I mean admittedly I can get a lot of stuff down with his whole because my son is a mom. Do this.
Do this. Do this into it. I can't do anything. I can't do anything.
So I was trying to make the enchiladas. But he was in the shower and Haley came in and she was like, where's the kid out? I was like, oh, he's in the shower. Yeah, just in the shower.
And then I heard the shower like, you know, turn off and you go in there to help him and he was just like, is she here? And I was like, she's here. She's been here since you've been in the shower now, her honey. Yes.
Yes. She's here. And he was like, oh, and I just had told her like prepare. He's probably going to come out naked just so you know, and he did.
Well, he started with a towel on. The towel was on. Yeah. And he's little.
So like whatever. Yeah. He's not weird. So he had a towel on and then he had to show me his monster drug.
So the towel just we just dropped the towel. Yep. At that point. And he just showed me his monster drug.
To clarify it. It's not what we call things. Actually, the one with the remote control. Yeah.
Yeah. It's remote control operated monster truck and it's pretty cool. It's really cool. It lights up.
Let me do the remote control. And I was like, this is fun. It's really fun. Whenever he goes to bed, sometimes I want to play with myself.
It's really cool. Yeah. But then he also had to show me I was looking at, you know, as he was doing the monster truck and his like bare belly is out. And I'm like, it's a draw on yourself.
Like, what has happened to your stomach? Because it's like from where I was, like across the room, I couldn't really tell what was going on. No, he's just been tatted up. Yeah, he's tatted up.
And he will say that term. He was like, can you tap me up? You can't be up. And I'll say sure, honey.
And so we go into the bathroom and I put on the little tattoo in the water behind it. And it makes this, you know, tattoo that eventually will wash off. But he, it's a cat. Yeah.
It's really cute. It's a giant cat. It does. Like it does take up like this whole stuff.
It does. And he chose it. And he was like, I want that cat tattoo so bad. And I know that he's going to grow up to be the guy who's like tatted up because already at his young age, he's a preschooler.
And he is like tatted, you know, on his belly. It's always stomach. And I'm like, I mean, that's cool. He's a good.
Like, oh, don't do it. Like, exactly. Like, he did show his teacher this morning. I was like, I want to see my cat.
And she was like, what? Did you get a new cat? And he goes, no, look, it's my cat cat. My cat, that's pretty sad.
My cat, and she thought that was so cute. That's hilarious. I also have one to match him because he said, Mom, you need one on your way too. So I didn't see that as well.
I didn't show the teacher this morning, but I did show Hayley because we're there. That's fine. We're at that point. In a past life, we shared a strong mattress.
So I think we're to the point where I can see your cat tattoo. To clarify tattoo of a cat. There we are. No, you can't tattoo.
No, you can't tattoo. I'm not there yet. I'm not seeing that one. I mean, you said I would know.
Nope. That sounds like it would hurt really bad. Yeah. I mean, I'm sure there are people who do that.
But sure. Oh, look at that. Pierce. I know that still sounds.
That sounds terrifying. It's apparently a really like, erogenous, erotic to like do that. I. Makes my stomach turn.
I mean, do each their own. That's your thing. Yeah. Even like, hypnotized.
He was like, I, er, hypnotized. He's going to be in nibble rings. Like I feel like that would just get ston things, you know? Yeah.
I don't know. That would hurt. That freaks me out too. Yeah.
Yeah. I love friends in college who had this done. Really? Yeah.
It was like really big thing when I was a college. It's kind of, you know, seen as like a sexy thing. I don't- It's not my thing. I don't think getting caught on my blouse is sexy.
Like, oh, wow. Oh, wow. Yeah, that sounds like it. I think if I had those, I would set off the metal detector when I have to go through the guard check.
It's true. Yeah. When I have to get searched. Does I don't have to go on?
You said a mill to no is a lot. No is a lot new. But sometimes it's like a random selection thing. It's what Randy has told me.
It's a random selection thing. It's not random. It's just me. It's like I've never seen anybody else stop.
He said you have a cat to get out of it wanted. Yeah. This actually happened twice. It's probably been a lot of kids.
But each time it was amazing. And he said- He did not? No. No.
He's like, are you like his 40s? Hey. So hi. I know he's great.
I don't know. It was discrimination. It seems 50s. No.
He's probably mid 40s. That would be- I mean, I don't ask him because he's kind of intimidating. Yeah. But like he's got that kind of like, like gruff.
Right. I mean, like- Like he's seen some things. I'm sure he's been through some things. You.
Yeah. I aged him at least five years. He actually looked way younger before he was right here. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. I've lived here for several years and I feel like he's aged in that time. So it could be us living here.
Which way I get wanted? Well, no. My mother hasn't mentioned it. Well, that's probably because I've gotten- I've had to get out of the car.
Before- What are you doing? Like dropping things off. I brought a donut at that time. Yeah, but- And then I don't want it- To see.
But I feel like it was a joke. Like it was a joke wanding. Because like we- Because I was telling him about how like I had to want a kid at school. Because if they get caught with like vapes or whatever, we have to want them.
And the new state role is you have to do, you have to have two faculty members of the same sex as the students. Like two females have to search a female student. Two males on a male student kind of thing. So but his scenario was not- No, but I was joking with him.
I was like, you know, had to want- I wanted to get the wand. I wanted to want to get whatever he's like, I have this wand. I killed a guy in there. I was like, okay.
So no, he like had the thing there. And I was like, haha. And then he like jokingly wanted me. Haha.
Yeah. Oh, it's just your nipple rings. Right. No.
Oh, thank god. Was- If he did that to me, he'd be like, oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wander knees. When I worked in- When I was in DC, I went up with a capital a lot for my internship.
I set off every metal detector. Ever seen one of them. I don't know why or how. But I set off every metal in my body.
Okay. But I set off every single one of them. I got pulled aside and patted down just so many times. I feel like you're just the person that just people want to pat down.
Um, I got- I really ran- Pat it down at the airport. I'm not going to pat it down, but I just wanted to pat it down at the airport because I accidentally had my money built on. Yeah. And I knew what I had done as soon as I got in full thing, I had to put your hands up to the scan or whatever.
And I was like, oh, and I went to reach and I'm like, do not reach. Oh, yes! I just thought I was so sorry and so sorry. Um, but I like, you know, she's like, what is it?
And I was like, it's my money belt. They'll say passport in it and my foreign currency. Oh my gosh. She was like, okay, just take it off and hit it to me.
And then I had to get like the cool she said, do you want to go in the- the other room to get patted down or you cool right here? I'm like, no, just go for it. Yeah. Same thing.
I mean, it happens to be over here and our friend, uh, we had gone through the actual airport. We got through the airport, all the things. And everyone, I got patted down. Everyone, but oh hair, they checked me for like drugs and weapons, yeah, each of my hands.
I did. I was terrified. And she just walked through like nobody's business and I'm like, I'm with her. I- I don't need- I know.
She's my cobblest. You know, like it was weird. It's very strange and you know. My brother got, I think he got swapped.
He definitely got like pretty hardcore search. You can not fly if you fly with gold bond, like the powder. Yeah. Um, they think it's, you know, drugs.
Oh, that makes sense. So I had to take it out and like actually test the gold bond powder to make sure it was drugs. Well, it makes sense because people export and import drugs in so many different ways. Yeah, but he did not have drugs.
He was clear. There was a show I used to watch all the time called Locked Up Abroad. And it was about people usually drug tracking. Yeah.
And they were caught in foreign countries and some of these prisons were insane. Anyway, I digress, but Hayley did get here. I did. My son danced, showed her the monster trunk.
They get all the things. They get all the things. All the things. Oh yeah, that was a journey that we all went on together.
It was not magical. No, I was just trying very hard to be like not involved because I didn't want him to like- Look at you. Look at me. Like, and I was like, I can't be- In a kinetic sand.
Yeah, kinetic sand innocent. Yeah, it's time out now for until a day. Yeah. Yeah.
I gave him the tree and told him what the consequence would be. Right. He wouldn't- Well, I knew it was going downhill when he took the handful of it and just dropped it on the coffee table. Because- That was a mic drop moment.
That was a mic drop. That's when I picked my phone up and I was like, And I'm going away now. We're gonna let mom handle this. I'm gonna let mom be mom and it is gonna just sit here.
Mom said, okay, clearly you've made a choice and now so have I. Yeah. Kinetic sand has gone. It was right.
He lost his mind. It was a tough time for all of us. It was a tough time. Yes.
So- But we survived. Barely. You know, we made it. We're thriving.
We're thriving. We're thriving. You have no story? No.
Nothing's better than- Even more fun. Even more fun. Okay. Sorry about that.
Today we are going to the home and correctional facility in Artmore, Alabama for dreams born. Wow. Yeah. It's the year 2018.
Dang. I know. So yes, it's all executed people. No, it's Alabama.
Well, yeah. That's a week. Every year. Yeah.
So often. So yes. We're starting our story off at the Penitentiary. The Penitentiary?
The Penitentiary. On death row. To be exact. I would assume- When you think execution- I think death row.
Death row. Death row. This is where we meet convicted murder, Doyle Ham, H-A-M-M-M. Not like that last name.
I'm okay with Doyle, but not him. Yeah, I don't like that either. Not only like Doyle either. Okay.
Yeah. It's better than like the last name, Pig. P-I-G-G. A new girl.
Her last name was Butts. P-U-T-S. That's awful. Yep.
Bless it. Yeah. Now Doyle has been sitting on death row for the last 31 years. Dang.
That's a real long time. In January of 1987, 29-year-old Doyle went on a crime spree that included robbery. Mm-hmm. On the 24th of January 1987, Doyle was in Mississippi where he stole a 38 caliber pistol and headed east toward Alabama.
So it's important to know here that Doyle was a habitual felon and had committed a series of burglaries, assaults, and grand larsunny. No, he's just... Just... Just doing the things.
Yeah. He had not been bonded. You know, we haven't heard anybody. We're just breaking and entering.
Right. Doing steel and some things. Illegal stuff. Illegal.
Not too crazy. He had been in and out of jail multiple times by his early 20s. Mm. Stuff.
Yeah. Doyle actually came from a family where his father and six of his brothers... Yeah. Had been in jail.
Oh. The family motto was... And I quote, If you don't go out and steal, you're not a ham. End quote.
Yeah. What a legacy. My motto is let's try and get through another day. Yeah.
Let's, you know... We're gonna have some families do like their whole career of military. Like everybody in the family goes to military. Everybody in the family is like a doctor or a nurse.
Yeah. Um, so these guys are just felons. Yeah. That was their thing.
Yeah. But stealing. I mean, not great. No.
But stealing. And then I mean... When I grow up, I want to be incarcerated. Sounds great.
I want the state to kill me. I want to be in the pit of injury. I want ready to be my CEO. You know sometimes...
Oh, Jim. Sounds okay. No. Never say.
Are we not in a thought? Free cable? No. It's not anybody?
No. I can do it for like a week. I think go to a mental institution. I could also do that for a week.
But they're gonna make me talk. Yeah. But Jenna. I'll hold.
Maybe you have selective um, youtism. Ooh, fun. That's a fun diagnosis. That's wild.
Usually trauma-induced. But yeah. So. I met um, I only worked with one person with that.
Uh, I had someone not too long ago who had that um, against trauma. Yeah. It's pretty crazy. Yeah.
Yeah. Comes from a space of lack of trust um, for this individual like sexual assault and that kind of thing. Yeah. Um, I'm an uncle who had a terrible blindness.
Really? Wine for your? Wow. Just no, just that's what it's called, hysterical blindness.
Huh. I feel like there's got to be a tweak on that name. Like that's not, I'm sure it's not what it's actually called now. Yeah.
But like what he had at that stage. Well that idea of hysteria, hysteria sounds very Freudian. Yeah. And I like to move away from Freud.
Yeah. Some of his theories. Yeah. Yeah.
But it was um, uh, I think the screen father. Uh, or grandma. There's something he was really, really close to. Died.
And like he was out of school for a year. Um, little thing. And then just one day, so that came back. It is so fascinating.
How your mind attempts to compensate in other ways to sort of protect you. And yeah, very strange. Anyway, wow. So, Doyle was encouraged at a very young age to commit crimes.
Yeah. He had a learning disability. And by fifth grade, he could only read it at first grade level. So we already need an IP.
Correct. We can get that. Um, so I would assume here that academics and like easy support wasn't really advocated by his being. Yeah.
I mean, if you're like, son, I want you to be in the country. Like if that's your goal, um, you're probably not going to be like, I'm going to attend that IP meeting. And I really want to talk about his goals. Yeah.
Yeah. So, yeah. Do with all the testing. Exactly.
Like, you know, we don't want to hear about the standard deviation. We want to make sure that we go a hold up a liquor store. Yay. As a family.
We can call that a, um, that can be a, that would be more like a transition goal. That would be set. Future career endeavors. Um, we probably wouldn't do that until they're like, going into their, you know, 16th year.
Um, usually when we start doing transition goals. Thanks. Yeah. I appreciate that.
You're welcome. So you're in sight to EC services. Oh, bless you so much. Thank you.
Doyle describes his childhood as, quote, constant hell all the time. End quote. By ninth grade, Doyle was so tired of the endless struggles in school he decided to drop out. And he continued his to botry aside.
So he actually began drinking, using illicit drugs, all the things often used as coping mechanisms. And, you know, I sound like you just never had a chance, you know. Yeah. Like his kid just didn't have a chance.
Did not have a chance from birth. I mean, grew up in a family of... It's hard. So, um, break.
Yep. And we've established oils, briefly, but let's go back to the 24th of January, 1987. When Doyle drives from Mississippi, where he stolen a gun, to Coleman, Alabama. Okay.
Doyle arrived at the Anderson motel that was managed by the Knight Clerk, Patrick Cunningham. Okay. Doyle held Patrick up and demanded money from the cash register. Doyle put the gun to Patrick's temple and fired a gunshot.
Oh my God. Instantly killing him. Doyle took $350 from the cash register and stole another $60 from Patrick's wallet. Doyle was picked up a few days later and admitted.
Yeah. I killed him. I did that. I did that.
Yeah. He was booked and charged with capital murder. That's such an escalation, though. Like from robbery to...
Like he's not had this in the past. No, he hasn't. And I wonder if he freaked out a little... Like I wonder if like maybe there was like a sudden movement or in like...
Was he on drugs? Like he was using, you know, was he under the influence? Yeah. I mean, no excuse, but it just kind of seems like a...
Like we've done... We've had all this time where we're... Like I feel like you would have seen an escalation before now. Right.
You know? Right. It's interesting. It is really, really strange.
Yeah. For sure. And I don't know like what came first. Like did Patrick...
Say no, I'm not giving you the money. Or did he say I want more than this? And he said that's all we have. Right.
He killed it. I don't know. So I don't have all those details. Because really the story is going to be focused more on his trial and execution versus the crime.
Which is not our typical. Right. So stick with me. Okay.
So Doyle's trial took place in the latter months of 1987 and was divided into two parts, which some states have. So the first was to determine the verdict of innocent or guilty. Even though he had, you know, said, Oh yeah, yeah, I did this. They also took it to the jury and you know, there wasn't like a plea deal or something.
So it went to the jury. And based on what the jury declared, then a second session would happen to determine the penalty if he was found guilty. So if he would receive a life sentence or be given the death penalty, depending on which way we went. Sorry.
The defense attorney had some evidence that Doyle had an IQ of 66. So definitely easy. Yes. It is important to know here that an IQ below 70 is considered intellectually disabled.
And back in the 1980s would have been considered MR or mentally retarded. And by today's standards in Alabama, based on their standard deviation. So that's a number that you would subtract from your basic 100 IQ scores. Sorry.
We're starting to get into this detail. Some fire points here. Yeah. He would have an IQ of 55 or below to get an MR diagnosis nowadays.
So nowadays, and we don't even really use that to remember anymore. But nowadays he would just be considered intellectually delayed or intellectually disabled based on his IQ. But I digress. I mean, I work with students who have an IQ both similar who are in our occupational course of study, which is, you know, I mean, they still have every opportunity to, you know, they get a different kind of diploma, but they can still go college if they want.
Like it's not anything different, but it is more like they are self-contained for their core classes that like they're much more modified for core classes like English, math, that kind of thing. And then they do all of the regular electives and stuff. That's right. And then they do it has a certain number of work hours attached to it to kind of get them prepared for either workforce or technical trades, or if they want to pursue, you know, for your college they can still do that.
They're, you know, open opportunity, but it's, that program's amazing. I love it. The kids in their thrive. When you see like, especially kids who struggle so much their first year that haven't been correctly placed and then we can get them placed in that program and they just like thrive.
Yeah. It's just such a cool thing to see. But yeah, 60 feels like, I'm trying to think kids that work with, 66 kids that I work with that have that IQ. I mean, they still know the difference between right and wrong.
Exactly. Like you have to remember he's also in drugs. Right. So like my kids that have that wouldn't, yeah, that's, that's not an excuse is what I'm trying to get at.
Like, that's not a right, like just because you are delayed or have this IQ of 66. That's not all that different. There's an added piece to this. It is believed that oil was the product of fetal alcohol syndrome, which caused physical abnormalities and intellectual abnormality.
So this is probably where the acute pregnancy, his mother was actively drinking and consuming alcohol, which causes appearance, some issues with appearance where you can tell there's something different about the child and also can cause intellectual abnormalities, physical delays. Typically stunted growth. There's like a certain like face. Facial features.
Right. Ridicative. You kind of tell. And times eyes that are further apart, wider set.
Larger forehead. Yeah. Smaller ears. Yeah.
Ears that are set back a little bit or ears that are a little more forward. Yeah. You kind of tell. But again, work with kids with this.
Not an excuse for murdering. So I will say all of this collectively on top of the fact of the family he grew up in and the lifestyle he lived as a child, none of this was presented as trial. In fact, his lawyer spoke for 19 minutes in medication and never brought up his cognitive function or familial history. Oh, no, this.
Yeah. He'll be into service. He'll be into service because this only shows really a small portion of this guy's past, which again, we're not saying like, oh, yes. But it explains a lot.
It explains a little bit. Like, you know, it's very different for somebody who has this intellectual delay, has this family history, has the alcohol syndrome. And then does something like this versus somebody who's lived in a fluent lifestyle, you know, had all the opportunities, that kind of thing to go and commit this terrible crime. Doesn't excuse it on any way.
No. But at that point, I might be looking at, okay, you know, maybe we can do some rehabilitation here. Exactly. With this person who has had all this stacked against them has done this thing.
Maybe we can do some rehabilitation, get them clean, get them, you know, what they need. Good to go. Yep. You know, and maybe it is, you know, life in prison with possibility of parole and, you know, right.
With your total service. Right. With that or, you know, yeah, that's, it does change things a little bit. Yeah.
I think so. With that information. It doesn't excuse it, but. Subsequently, because of the lack of, you know, I would say well-roundedness that was presented in this case, the jury found Doyle guilty a first-degree murder.
Yeah. And a second session was held where Doyle was given a sentence of death. Right. That's where I think the other things should have come into play.
I agree. During the sentencing part. Yes, absolutely. He's guilty a first-degree murder.
Sure. 100%. Maybe these, that's the time I feel like to bring in all those things that have kind of happened to him. Right.
So like how did we get here apart and figure out what do we do now? Right. I mean, there have been individuals who went on, you know, mass killing sprees or serial killers who weren't given the death penalty. Right.
And I'm not saying like apples were oranges here, but, you know, I mean, this was sort of this first time this happened. And I'm not saying like, I mean, the first time is the last because he took away a human life. Yeah. And it's a sticky situation here.
Yeah, it's like I could never serve on a. It would be so. That would be so. That would be so.
That would be. That would be. That would be. No, we wouldn't make past the first.
We wouldn't get drears. We wouldn't get past the winding. No, because I turn around. You're gone.
Bye. See ya. So by 1999, Doyle's case was reviewed on appeal. So this was somewhat, you know, 12 years after he was convicted.
He, the appeal was based on, you know, having ineffective counsel. Well, yeah. They said that he wasn't provided with adequate counsel who could provide the jury with his familial history, his developmental history, his delays, all these things that were happening. It went to the Court of Appeals, but no new trial was granted and the verdict remained.
I don't like that. Oh, either. By February of 2014, Doyle had been on death row for 27 years waiting execution. Yeah.
He became ill and was diagnosed with B cell lymphoma for cancer. Yeah. That was spreading throughout his body. Doyle had radiation, but by 2017, the cancer continued to worsen an allusion.
Uh, Legion? Legion? Legion? Legion?
Legion? I can't say that. Legion. Uh, was eating through his cheek.
Oh, right. Yeah. Medical providers weren't allowed to bring all of their equipment into the prison. So like they weren't allowed to bring a tourniquet into the prison.
Yeah. So Doyle's attorney handed over his necktie to use his tourniquet. Oh my God. Yeah.
So it's like even, even at this, the guy's that cancer, it's like rapping his body. There's a denial of basic human rights. Absolutely. Absolutely.
So Doyle had Hep C. Oh wow. After years of intravenous drug use and they had a very hard time finding a vein on him, this is going to be important later in our story. Towards the end of 2017, a date for execution was set for February 22nd, 2018.
Just guys say this kind of makes no sense. The man's been sitting on death row at this point for 30 years. 30 years. And is actively dying of cancer.
Right. Why are we going to execute him? Like, what's the point? Right.
Just let him just let him die. Yeah, it passed naturally and. But I guess it was time to make an example of him and you know, say, Oh, no, no, we're going to kill you before you die on your own. What?
I mean, but there's part of me that's like maybe, maybe he does like maybe this is a blessing, you know? Maybe. Yeah. You know, I've met people who have worked on hospice.
And like people who are, you know, absolutely suffering, who I can imagine if that was an option. Yeah. They would take it. Yeah.
Definitely. So. Well, it doesn't seem like that's what Doyle really wanted because. Oh, never mind.
Never mind. In January of 2018, he appealed his execution, but a judge stated after a medical examination stated that Doyle's arms were unusable for IV insertion, but his lower extremities were usable. Like his legs, feet, all those things. So, I mean, we're just going to keep this execution on because we're trying to say like you know, my veins are blown.
You know, like, how are we going to do this? Exactly. Like this wouldn't even be possible. Right.
There were multiple calls for clemency to no avail. And Doyle and his lawyer were appealing asking for a stay of execution hours prior to the time set forth for his death sentence. At 6 p.m. on February 22nd, the day of the execution, the Supreme Court issued a temporary stay while they reviewed Doyle's claims, which included the fact that he was dying of cancer.
It was also brought up that a case like Doyle's with an individual facing an execution who had limited vein access had never been tried in Alabama. Oh, wow. Yeah. So this was a whole new issue for them to look over, think about like, I mean, you're weighing your options here, like the nice sign anyway, we have a hard time getting vein access.