The man accused of poisoning the beloved Toomer’s Corner oak trees in Auburn will be tried in Wetumpka after Circuit Judge Jacob Walker III granted a change of venue motion on Wednesday.
Harvey Updyke Jr., will be tried in front of an Elmore County jury, which the Auburn judge and district attorney’s office and Updyke’s defense team will begin selecting on April 8.
kAm&A5J<6 7246D EH@ 4@F?ED @7 7:CDE\568C66 4C:>:?2= >:D49:67 2?5 G2C:@FD @E96C 492C86D C6=2E65 E@ 9:D 2==6865 C@=6 :? A@FC:?8 A@H6C7F= A@:D@? @?E@ E96 :4@?:4 EC66D @? E96 42>AFD @7 pF3FC? &?:G6CD:EJ D@>6E:>6 27E6C E96 a_`_ xC@? q@H=]k^Am
kAm&A5J<6[ 2 s256G:==6 C6D:56?E[ 92D A=62565 ?@E 8F:=EJ 3J C62D@? @7 >6?E2= 5:D62D6 @C 56764E]k^Am
kAmr:C4F:E yF586 y@9? qFD9[ E96 AC6D:5:?8 ;F586 @7 E96 `hE9 yF5:4:2= r:C4F:E[ D2:5 96’5 DA@<6? H:E9 yF586 (2=<6C 2?5 E96J 28C665 t=>@C6 r@F?EJ H@F=5 36 “E96 ?62C6DE 4@F?EJ 7C66 7C@> AC6;F5:46[” 244@C5:?8 E@ (2=<6C’D @C56C]k^Am
kAm“x <?@H E96 A6@A=6 @7 t=>@C6 r@F?EJ H:== 36 23=6 E@ 32D6 2?J 564:D:@? D@=6=J @? E96 6G:56?46 2?5 E96 =2H[ 2D E96J 92G6 E9C@F89 E96 J62CD :? E96 >2?J 42D6D H6’G6 EC:65 E@86E96C[” qFD9 D2:5]k^Am
kAmt=>@C6 r@F?EJ :D DFAA=J:?8 @?=J E96 4@FCEC@@> :? (6EF>A<2 2?5 E96 ;FCJ A@@=[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“WyF586 (2=<6C 2?5 xX 76=E =:<6 t=>@C6 r@F?EJ H@F=5 36 2? 6I46==6?E A=246 E@ 86E E9:D 42D6 EC:65[” qFD9 D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? 9:D @C56C[ (2=<6C ?@E65 :E :D “4@:?4:56?E2==J F?7@CEF?2E6 E92E E96 24E:G:E:6D DFCC@F?5:?8 ‘p\s2J’ WpAC:= a_X 4@F=5 7FCE96C 6I246C32E6 E96 ;FCJ D6=64E:@? AC@46DD]”k^Am
kAmp7E6C E96 p\s2J :?EC2DBF25 D4C:>>286 pAC:= a_[ pF3FC? &?:G6CD:EJ 72?D H:== C@== E96 ?@H 32CC6? EC66D @?6 =2DE E:>6 367@C6 E96J 2C6 4FE 5@H?]k^Am
kAmp 42==6C E@ !2F= u:?632F>’D DJ?5:42E65 C25:@ D9@H[ H9@ 82G6 E96 ?2>6 @7 “p= 7C@> s256G:==6[” 4@?76DD65 E@ A@:D@?:?8 E96 EC66D D@>6E:>6 27E6C E96 a_`_ xC@? q@H=] pF3FC? @77:4:2=D 7@F?5 E92E D@>6 925 2AA=:65 $A:<6 g_su[ 2? 96C3:4:56 4@>>@?=J FD65 E@ <:== EC66D[ :? =6E92= 2>@F?ED]k^Am
kAm%96 42D6 H2D :?:E:2==J D6E 7@C EC:2= =2DE DF>>6C[ 3FE &A5J<6 C6A@CE65=J 4@?76DD65 E@ 2 DEF56?E C6A@CE6C 5FC:?8 2 3C62< :? ;FCJ D6=64E:@? 2?5 “:E 3642>6 6G:56?E E92E D6G6C2= @7 E96 ;FC@CD E92E 925 366? BF2=:7:65 7@C A@DD:3=6 D6=64E:@? 925 366? E2:?E65 3J E96 ?6HD DE@CJ H96? @E96C :?5:G:5F2=D 925 5:D4FDD65 E96 42D6 H:E9 E96>[” 244@C5:?8 E@ (2=<6C’D (65?6D52J @C56C]k^Am
kAmpF3FC? AC@D64FE@CD H:E95C6H E96:C @3;64E:@? E@ E96 492?86 @7 G6?F6 D@@? E96C627E6C]k^Am
kAm$E2E6 #6A] q2CCJ |2D< W#\(6EF>A<2X 2EE6?565 pF3FC? &?:G6CD:EJ :? E96 =2E6 `hf_D 2?5 :D 36DE <?@H? 2D E96 7:CDE A6CD@? E@ E2<6 @? E96 2=E6C\68@ @7 pF3:6[ E96 p& %:86CD’ A@AF=2C DEC:A65 >2D4@E]k^Am
kAm“x 5@?’E <?@H :7 96’D 8@:?8 E@ 4@>6 @FE 2?J 36EE6C 96C6[” |2D< D2:5[ C642==:?8 E92E pF3FC?’D 2=F>?: 2DD@4:2E:@? @?46 7@F?5 t=>@C6 r@F?EJ 925 E96 7:7E9\=2C86DE A@AF=2E:@? @7 pF3FC? 8C25F2E6D :? E96 DE2E6] “t=>@C6 r@F?EJ A6@A=6 2C6 AC6EEJ E@F89[ 3FE E96J’C6 72:C]”k^Am
kAm%96 pF3FC? p=F>?: pDD@4:2E:@? D2:5 t=>@C6 r@F?EJ 3@2DED 4=@D6 E@ b[___ C6D:56?ED H9@ 8@E E96:C 9:896C 65F42E:@? :? %96 {@G6=:6DE ':==286 @? %96 !=2:?D[ E9@F89 E96J 4@F=5?’E 7F==J 4@?7:C> E96 C2?<:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 =:<6=J CFD9 @7 DE2E6[ C68:@?2= 2?5 ?2E:@?2= >65:2 E@ E96 42D6 92D ?@E 366? @G6C=@@<65 3J =@42= 4@FCE @77:4:2=D] y6??J w2>:=E@?[ 2 DA@<6DA6CD@? 7@C `hE9 r:C4F:E s:DEC:4E pEE@C?6J #2?52== w@FDE@?[ D2:5 D96’D 2H2:E:?8 H@C5 7C@> AC@D64FE@CD :? E96 @77:46 @7 {66 r@F?EJ sp #@36CE %] %C66D6 xxx]k^Am
kAmw2>:=E@? D2:5 D96’D 2=C625J C646:G65 “=@ED @7 42==D 7C@> >65:2 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D[” 7C@> ?2E:@?2= @FE=6ED =:<6 t$!} E@ =@42= %' DE2E:@?D 2?5 ?6HDA2A6CD]k^Am
kAm|2D<[ H9@D6 =68:D=2E:G6 5:DEC:4E 6?4@>A2DD6D >@DE @7 E96 4@F?EJ[ D2:5 96 D66D “D@>6 9@?@C :? :E” 7@C E96 4@F?EJ]”k^Am
kAm“x 766= =:<6 E96J D2:5[ ‘H6’== 8@ E@ t=>@C6 r@F?EJ[’ 2?5 E9@F89E E96 A6@A=6 H6C6 72:C @G6C 96C6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$E2?5:?8 FA 7@C 9:D rC:>D@? %:56\=@G:?8 4@?DE:EF6?ED[ |2D< ?@E65 E92E &A5J<6’D 2==6865 4@?5F4E :D “?@E C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 @7 p=232>2 A6@A=6]”k^Am
kAm“w6’D ;FDE @?6 ?FE E92E 5:5 D@>6E9:?8 C62==J D25[” 96 D2:5]k^Am