September 29, 2012: The Good & the Bad

As we have said of many previous incidents, only three entities have any first-hand information as to the events on Fennell Road on the morning of September 29th--Joel P. Moyers, Ryan Hydrick, and God. There are others who have commented on various facts relating to these events, and we're going to present our research here, without comment. The only purpose of this particular blog is to clear up several misconceptions that have been reported in social media.

Where did the shooting take place? The press has alternately referred to the Fennell Road/Fennell Lane location as being in either Belle Mina or Tanner.

The area in question is on a Tanner post office route, but is closer to Mooresville, Greenbriar, and Belle Mina (a community not even large enough to merit a listing in the above map).

Above is an enlarged map of the area showing actual placement of Moyer's trailer and approximate placement of the Murray property (not to scale). Long segment is Fennell Road; short segment is Fennell Lane.

What kind of event took place on Friday, September 29th?: There was an early Halloween party given on the Fennell Lane property belonging to Bronwen Murray's parents. At the party were Bronwen, Brandon and Ryan Hydrick, and an unknown number of friends. The party involved a campfire near Piney Creek and concluded a little before midnight.

What did the three do after the party ended? Brandon Hydrick, 26, took his girlfriend Bronwen, 33, the short distance to her parents' home where she was spending the night. Brandon was driving his own small truck and was alone after leaving the Murray residence. At 3:00 on Saturday morning, Ryan, 25, was driving his brother's truck, and Brandon was a passenger.

Where did Brandon and Ryan spend the three hours?: Bronwen has stated she doesn't know, and no one has come forward with any explanation.

How well did the two brothers know the area?: Brandon was very familiar with the area, having visited the Murray home many times. Ryan was only slightly familiar with the area.

Was the area crime-ridden?: Limestone Sheriff Mike Blakely has stated he didn't consider the area  prone to crime. In the 15 months before the shooting, there had been two felony thefts, one assault, and one drug trafficking arrest on Fennell Road/Lane. This does not take into account misdemeanor crimes involving vandalism and petty theft. None of those arrested lived in the immediate area.

Where did Joel P. Moyers live?: Moyers, 52, lived alone in a trailer at the corner of Fennell Road and Fennell Lane. He was reportedly raised there and has been documented as living there the past 40 years.

How many neighbors lived in the area?: A writer for the Decatur Daily, Ben Montgomery, has described the area as having only "a handful" of houses scattered on the two roads.

Did the neighbors know each other?: Montgomery has stated all the neighbors knew each other, but not necessarily well.

What did the neighbors think of Joel P. Moyers?: Neighbor Jeannette Troupe has stated, "he never gave us no kind of trouble." Neighbor Ida Milon called Moyers "a real nice guy," and stated she never felt threatened by him. Bronwen Murray has stated, "I have heard throughout the years that he is a dangerous person and that he is unstable." Murray didn't offer any names for the report.

What kind of gun did Moyers have?: The last update from the Limestone District Attorney's office lists the gun that killed Brandon Hydrick as an SKS-45, an assault rifle originally produced in the Soviet Union in 1945. Older models with a chrome bore are known for inaccuracy in hitting the intended target.

Did Ryan Hydrick see Moyers when he tried to stop them?: Yes. Both Moyers and Hydrick have stated Moyers used only a flashlight to get the brothers' attention. When Ryan Hydrick saw Moyers' gun, he stepped on the accelerator and didn't stop until he wrecked a short distance away on Fennell Road.

Is Joel Moyers' mother wealthy?: Until recently, Moyers' mother lived with him in the trailer on Fennell Road. She had also reportedly lived in the small dwelling for over 40 years. Individuals using social media and comments on Shoalanda have asserted the value of her home in Cullman on County Road 226 is between 400K and one million dollars. The home is not on Smith Lake, but near Simpson Creek, a tributary of Smith Lake. A Bing map shows the home as being located away from the creek and having no frontage to any body of water.

Who tipped off Joel Moyers that he had been indicted?: It's now believed a local Huntsville station obtained news of the indictment from Alacourt.com. This incident has spurred calls for a change in site security.

When will Moyers be tried?: Moyers is scheduled to be arraigned later this week. At that time a court date will be set. The trial can then be postponed by either the prosecution or the defense.

Shoalanda

Who Alerted Joel Moyers of Indictment?

When Joel Moyers learned he had been indicted in the death of Brandon Hydrick (pictured right), he immediately took an overdose of pills. Now the Limestone District Attorney is looking into who informed Moyers of the secret indictment.

In a statement Jones related: The indictment on four charges - including capital murder, reckless murder, intentionally shooting into an occupied vehicle and recklessly shooting into an occupied vehicle - was handed down by a reconvened grand jury at 4:30 p.m. Friday and not released to the public. Typically, indictments are kept secret until the arrest is made because of the potential flight risk for defendants.

Other sources have indicated District Attorney Jones has not been amused by perceived pressure from residents of Madison County to speed up Moyers' indictment. Both Hydrick brothers and Brandon's girlfriend reside or resided in the Huntsville/Harvest area. An indictment coming nine weeks after a crime is hardly unusual, but online websites and petitions have portrayed it as being. It's our understanding that an indictment is always protocol for a charge of Capital Murder; therefore Moyers didn't receive any special favors when at his initial arrest he was charged with only Felony Murder.

The trial, if no plea deal is offered or accepted, will pit Jones against a team of attorneys paid for by Joel Moyers' mother, reportedly a woman of some financial means (in fact, with each comment we receive, her home on Smith Lake just gets more valuable). Bronwen Murray, Brandon's girlfriend has made it clear she doesn't support a plea.

Murray was vacationing in Europe when news of the indictment reached her, but sent a message to Limestone County reporters in which she stated: "I hope that Joel Moyers doesn't have the last laugh by playing judge, jury, and executioner. The justice system exists for a reason, and the Hydrick family deserves to see Moyers convicted by a jury of his peers and sentenced by a judge qualified to make the call on punishment."

However, it may be Brandon's parents who decide if a plea should be accepted or not. They would avoid the anguish of a trial that's sure to make more national headlines--CNN has already done several stories on the shooting. The NRA has recently made rumblings on the gun issue, and there are rumors that NAMI may become involved. We relish publicity for Northwest Alabama--just not this kind.

*****

On the subject of eccentric Alabama laws and redundancy, we can see how recklessly shooting into a vehicle could possibly not be intentional, but don't fathom how intentionally shooting into a vehicle could not be reckless. No one ever mentions how long the Alabama Code is, but it must put our constitution to shame.

Shoalanda