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Moyers was living on Fennell Road near the small village of Belle Mina. He lived alone and had been the victim of several crimes, apparently ranging from trespassing to vandalism to theft. Moyers wasn't the only householder who had been targeted and he decided to be ready for the next time.
September 28, 2012, was a Friday night, and Ryan and Brandon Hydrick were partying with friends. By the time the brothers left the rural camp belonging to the parents of Brandon's girlfriend, it was early Saturday morning. At best they were tired; at worst they were less than their normal selves; and most assuredly they were lost. After turning down Fennell Road, Ryan Hydrick turned onto Fennell Lane, a dead end.
The brothers were unaware they were observed by Moyers, who could think of no good reason for the strange truck to be turning down a short road with no outlet. He picked up his gun and walked outside. Moyers waited until the truck returned to Fennell Road and shined a spotlight on the vehicle to get a good look at the tag number.
For whatever reason, Ryan Hydrick panicked and stepped on the accelerator. As the truck passed Moyers, he lifted the 60 year-old Korean War era gun and shot one time. Moyers states he shot into the air in an attempt to stop the pair. No matter where Joel Moyers says he fired or thought he fired, the bullet passed through the tail gate of the truck, striking 26 year-old Brandon Hydrick in the back.
Ryan Hydrick continued to speed down Fennell Road before losing control of the truck in a heavily wooded area. Moyers followed in his truck, but later returned to his home to wait for officers he knew were coming. When the officers arrived they discovered Brandon Hydrick was dead.
Last week a Limestone County jury indicted Joel Moyers for Capital Murder. When he learned of the indictment, Moyers took an overdose of pills and is currently in a Cullman County hospital on life support. It's not certain Moyers will pull through--it is certain he will be taken to jail and tried for Capital Murder if he does.
This was Ryan Hydrick's reaction to the news of the indictment: So i've been working third shift this week, because of that i slept till 10 tonight. Woke up to some rather insanely good news. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! Hope that f*cker lives a long life of getting c*cks in the ass!!!!! Don't drop the soap b*tch!!! HAHAHAHA!!!
Now, we ask our readers, should Joel Moyers be tried for Capital Murder* when Ronald Weems will face charges of only Felony Murder? Where is the logic? More importantly, where is the justice?
* Due to the shot entering Ryan Hydrick's truck.
Shoalanda
I don't think that's a capital murder case from what I read..
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely not. Those boys shouldn't have been out on the road at that hour after partying all night to start with. A man was only trying to protect himself and his neighbors. Obviously, Ryan isn't a well mannered, respectable man otherwise he wouldn't have replied that way. Let this be another lesson as to what partying can bring.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely not! He was only trying to defend himself and his neighbors. I am curious what the mens blood alcohol levels were but I don't doubt one bit that they.shouldn't have been on the road. Nothing good hapens at 2am is what my step dad always tells me. I wouldn't be in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night without knowing where I am going. As for Ryan's statement I definately get a vibe that these boys were.no angels at all & seriously wouldn't doubt their role in the recent crimes in the area. Come on, really, such language? I understand his anger but sounds to me like he is feeling some guilt & focusing it on Moyers! I don't doubt we'll be seeing him in the news soon enough! Bet he will blame his issues on his brother's death. After all, we live in a society with no accountability.
ReplyDeleteI pray this is another lesson to people about partying. Stay where you are at. Driving tired is just as bad as driving drunk. You still risk making bad decisions. If you can party somewhere til 3am you can stay the rest of the night.
The toxicology results haven't been released, but you can bet if Brandon did have alcohol in his system, Moyers' defense attorney will use that fact, also any previous record the young man had.
DeleteFirst of all Moyers was not acting on his neighbor's behalf. It is documented that his neighbors thought he was a loose cannon and knew to be on the look out for him. Your logic is completely flawed, basically stating that if someone either parties or stays up late that being murdered is somehow a justified consequence of that. You only have the right to kill another human being if your life is in danger. I have yet to find any information that these two men were doing anything to warrant being chased and shot at. Regardless, we were not there that night and it is in the court's hands now. There are no winners here.
DeleteSo your logic is that if someone exercises their right as an American to party or stay up late then being murdered is somehow a justified consequence of that? It is documented that Mr. Moyers was an unstable individual. He was not acting on behalf of his neighbors. Moyers neighbors felt he was a loose cannon and knew to stay away from him. Regardless, we were not there that night and it is in the courts hands now. Unless Mr. Moyer's life was in danger (which I doubt) then he deserves to spend whatever days he has left behind bars. You cannot chase people down and shoot at them because you ASSUME they are up to no good. That is why we have a police force.
DeleteAre you crazy? I mean really, they were out late, at a bonfire ( they ARE young fyi ), and got lost, took a wrong turn, whatever. They were doing nothing wrong and did not have to answer to ANYONE including Joel Moyers. Seriously, would you stop and talk to someone coming at you with an AK? Uh, doubt that. How exactly was he protecting his neighbors anyway? By shooting at young men DRIVING AWAY on a PUBLIC STREET? Get real..He has lived his life yet he ended a great young man's life and destroyed many others. He should absolutely be charged with capital murder considering THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF CAPITAL MURDER according to Alabama ( (17) Murder committed by or through the use of a deadly weapon while the victim is in a vehicle ). Oh, and very classy move....taking someone's statement about the man who MURDERED his brother in front of him and making HIM seem like the bad person.. Looks like your 'step dad' hasn't taught you much after all.
DeleteI think most of us know that, no matter what Joel Moyers' life has been worth or not, he has not lived his life at 52. We'll assume you're under 30. Certainly, Brandon Hydrick had many years to live under normal circumstances.
DeleteBTW, it was not an AK-47, but a 60 year-old TR-56, according to the latest news reports. It still killed Hydrick.
Yes, it is a capital crime, but our system is essentially flawed in that. Mr. Moyers will probably be convicted of manslaughter (an appropriate sentence) and do 20 to 60 months.
We'll add that Ryan Hydrick has to share partial blame since he fled when spotlighted. We doubt he could have seen Moyers' gun under those circumstances. How did he know he wasn't being confronted by a game warden?
DeleteAssume what you want. Your whole blog is basically a joke, even under 30 I can recognize that...
DeleteYou can "what if" all day. What's the point? We know the facts. The fact is that it WASN'T a game warden, cop, whatever. It was a psycho with a gun.
There is no denying that Joel Moyers alone made the decision to fire into a vehicle that was of no threat to him, that was actually driving away. It was HIS decision that ended someone else's life and he should be held accountable to Capital Murder considering that is exactly what he committed according to the law.
I have full faith that justice WILL be served and he will be charged with Capital Murder. Although obviously, you'd rather see him get off scot-free further proving this entire blog is pretty much a JOKE.
First, Mr. Moyers has ALREADY been charged with Capital Murder. Second, no where have we stated we would like to see Moyers go free. We can't even imagine why you've inferred that. What we have said is that Joel Moyers is also a victim of the events of Sept. 29th. Obviously you were a friend of Brandon and you have our sympathy.
DeleteI disagree with your opinion that Ryan should share part of the blame for this situation. According to reports, he was driving on a public road and the Hydricks were doing nothing wrong. Joel had no authority to stop them or question them. You are right it could have been a person of authority trying to stop them, but if that was the case the person would have had on a uniform, a badge, flashing blue lights, etc. Not a spotlight and an assault rifle. Maybe they would both be dead if he had stopped, maybe they would both be alive, we will never know. But Ryan did what 99% of anyone else would have done in that situation. It would be hard for me to believe that you would stop and talk to a stranger, especially one holding a gun, at 2 in the morning.
DeleteOne of our gun experts has informed us that Brandon Hydrick was killed with a Chinese Type 57 assault rifle. This is similar to an AK-47 and may have led to confusion in the press, district attorney's office, and the Hydrick family. According to our source, this can be a formidable weapon, but is in no way comparable to a modern day AK-47.
ReplyDeleteI think that may be Type 56, anyway, if the indictment lists the wrong type gun, can it be thrown out? It's also odd the driver knew how to tell police where the shooter was if he was really lost. What do you think?
DeleteYou're right. It should be Type 56. We have no idea about the indictment not being valid, but you have a good point about the driver knowing where he was after his brother was shot.
DeleteThe capital charge stems from h shooting into an occupied vehicle and I'm sure it will likely be reduced with a plea. I would have to say that these brothers seem very close ( not personal knowledge but from the Facebook accounts). Other articles including the justice for Brandon page suggest the boys or should I say men knew their approximate whereabouts (they had been with the deceased girlfriend at a bonfire). I think there are other items of information that also suggest neighbors thought the shooter was unstable and should not own weapons.
ReplyDeleteMy personal opinion is that there may be a good case for mental instability. His mother is reportedly very rich, yet he lived a meager existence in what amounted to a hunting camp. It's sad he had been targeted before, especially if because he was somewhat different.
DeleteThis is all a good advertisement for a GPS system.
I also agree that the man seems mentally unstable and this will factor in during trial. The justice Facebook page at one point insinuates that the boys knew where they were at and frequented Fennell Rd.
ReplyDeleteI know it seems that the two were up to no good but it's been relayed that they had been out to the victim's girlfriend's property for a bonfire. Was drinking involved? It is likely these two had been drinking but one investigator went as far as to say the boys did nothing wrong in the situation. Ryan made heated comments about the shooter's indictment but it was likely due to depression, anxiety, and feelings of loss. Ryan used poor wording but this man is also grieving the loss of his brother. I found his Facebook to show an individual struggling to get through this time, as he even discusses anxiety and depression in detail.
Wow. Where do I even start with this article? How about the title… “The Sad Case of Joel Moyers.” Seriously? A title such as “The Nut Case Joel Moyers” or “The Sad Case of Brandon Hydrick” seems a lot more appropriate. Anyone who feels sympathy for the killer Joel Moyers instead of the Hydrick family needs to either do some research on what happened or have their head checked.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Joel’s neighborhood has been the target of recent crimes does not give him the right to fire a gun at an occupied vehicle simply passing by. If he was truly concerned he should have called the police to come investigate this “suspicious” vehicle. They were doing absolutely nothing wrong. And say hypothetically they had been doing something wrong, what gives Joel the right to murder one of them? There is no excuse whatsoever for Joel Moyers’ actions. This article states that: “For whatever reason, Ryan Hydrick panicked and stepped on the accelerator.” What do you mean, “For whatever reason”? Maybe because there was a man outside holding an assault rifle! What would you have done if a strange person was chasing after you with an assault rifle? Stop and say hello? If Ryan had stopped, he and Brandon quite possibly could both be dead today.
Nice job on wrongfully trying to portray Joel as the victim in this situation. God only knows what Ryan has been through these past few months. Ryan and Brandon were brothers and best friends, and Ryan had to watch his brother’s life slip away due to this paranoid lunatic’s careless actions. I personally cannot even begin to grasp what toll that must take on a person.
Whatever Ryan wants to post on his Facebook wall is his business. I believe many people would agree that he has a right to be angry and express his feelings about this situation. That doesn’t make him a bad person. Anything Ryan posts on Facebook will never compare to what Joel did on Fennel Lane the morning of September 29th.
Where is the logic for Capital Murder you ask? It is in the law; Alabama law clearly states that “Murder committed by or through the use of a deadly weapon while the victim is in a vehicle” is basis for a Capital Murder charge. There is your logic.
Now I ask; where is the logic in letting this admitted murderer roam free for over 2 months before finally locking him up again? I suppose it is better late than never for justice to be served.
Anyone that had the pleasure of knowing Brandon knows he was a stand up guy and everyone loved him. The same goes for Ryan. They are both smart, funny, good hearted gentleman and they did not deserve this tragedy to happen to them. It is ignorant for anyone to put these two innocent men at fault for this situation for simply being young, and at the wrong place at the wrong time.
No wonder everyone in this area thinks the blog “Shoalanda Speaks” is a joke.
The logic in letting the man out on bail is that he was arrested for Felony Murder...and he wasn't roaming free, he was required to live with him mother. Since you're quoting law here, you must know it's necessary to be indicted for Capital Murder. Two to three months is hardly a long time in our legal world.
DeleteAs for "whatever reason" Ryan panicked, we mean just that. He could not have reasonably seen who was holding the spotlight. It could have been a sheriff's deputy or game warden. Ryan did not kill his brother, but you cannot say absolutely that if Ryan had stopped and communicated in a civil manner with Moyers, that Brandon wouldn't be alive today.
What does it matter what the brother says? Plenty, when the defense attorney gets through with him. Don't you think the defense team is monitoring Ryan's page and documenting every word, especially when he mentions his drinking? And Brandon being deceased makes him beyond libel. The attorneys can and will bring up every untoward act in his past.
Yes, it's a sad situation and all three men are victims.
Yes, he had to live with his mother, at a million dollar home on Smith Lake. That must have been brutal for him.
DeleteWe can play the guessing game all day long on what could have happened and what should have happened. But one thing is for sure, if Joel had not fired his gun Brandon would still be alive. Ultimately it was his decision that caused this tragedy.
I stand by what I said before. Ryan is a good person. They were doing nothing wrong. I don't see how a facebook post can possibly get a man off the hook for murder in court, but we shall see.
Indeed it is a sad situation, but I refuse to think of Joel as a "victim". Brandon's family and friends, those are the true victims.
I find it amazing that you can bring Jerry and Shannon Brewer into this story. "Yes, people can make
ReplyDeletemistakes in a micro-second and ruin the rest of
their lives. We're not talking about the Brewer
brothers," how can you sit there and blame the victim and his brother in this case, but never once showed any support for the Brewers? How can killing someone be wrong one week and right the next?? Maybe it is because Joel's family has money and the Brewer's are hard working boys... whatever the reason... you need to decide what you stand for because right now it looks like you just like controversy.
We've not blamed the victim in the Hydrick case; we do lay some blame on the decisions made by his brother.
DeleteIn the Brewer case, Shannon was invited into the victim's home and killed someone he knew, whether in self-defense or not, intentionally. There's no way we can know at this time if Moyers killed intentionally or not. We're not saying he's an angel, but he is also a victim. That doesn't mean he shouldn't have to face the consequences; it just means the consequences should fit the action.
In my humble opinion, if Ryan had stopped to try to talk to Moyers, both brothers might have died that night. If someone is off balance enough to shoot at a vehicle that is obviously speeding away, they may not have the sense to not shoot at all. We'll never know.
ReplyDeleteIn my younger days, my friends and I rode the back roads, had a little fun, had bonfire parties in the woods... Had I been in that situation, especially in my youth, I believe I would have stepped on the gas in panic, as well. My first thought wouldn't be, "Oh, a game warden is trying to get my attention." I don't know what the brothers saw, but it is possible that they did see a gun or something else that made them feel the need to make a hasty getaway, regardless of the spotlight.
As far as justice goes, we'll have to see how it plays out in court, but most likely, Weems will spend the rest of his life in prison. Moyers may do so, as well.
We would doubt Moyers would, but it's possible. As for Weems, it's possible he could make parole in 10 years. Yes, we doubt it, but he will be entitled to a hearing in 10 years if he's convicted of Felony Murder. Our system is terribly flawed. (I'm sure I shouldn't say this, but I have thought it...Weems could easily have an accident in prison if his fellow inmates know of his crime.)
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