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Thread: Berry Hall Sentenced in 2008 KY Slayings of Alan and Lisa Tackett

  1. #1
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    Berry Hall Sentenced in 2008 KY Slayings of Alan and Lisa Tackett

    Trial is under way for an eastern Kentucky man charged with killing his niece and her husband.

    According to WYMT-TV in Hazard, attorneys said there had been an escalating disagreement over property that ended with the March 2008 shooting that killed 47-year-old Alan Keith Tackett and his 30-year-old wife, Lisa Lynn Tackett outside their home in Floyd County.

    The defense claims Berry Hall was mentally ill at the time of the shootings, being depressed because he had been unable to find work. His attorney said Hall's intelligent quotient is in the borderline intellectual functioning range.

    Among government witnesses against Hall on Monday were his sons.

    The commonwealth is seeking the death penalty if a jury convicts Hall.

    http://www.wlky.com/news/local-news/...u/-/index.html
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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    Prosecution rests in double murder trial

    The prosecution rests in the trial of a man accused of gunning down two people.

    Berry Hall's attorneys are now preparing to defend their client, but they will have to wait until next week to begin.

    The Commonwealth wrapped up its case with more testimony and forensic evidence.

    On Tuesday Prosecutors played dramatic 911 tapes from the day Berry Hall allegedly shot and killed his niece Lisa Tackett and her husband Alan in front of their four small children.

    "They're both still breathing," Berry Hall's son Tony said in a call to 911.
    "Ok, where's he actually shot them at?" the 911 dispatcher asked.
    "You need to hurry up!" Tony yelled.

    But on Wednesday, their focus was on forensics.

    The Commonwealth's Attorney says the forensic evidence shows that Hall was shooting to kill.

    Experts testified there was gunshot residue on Hall's hands the day of the shooting.

    "This means the subject handled the firearm, discharged the firearm, and/or was in close proximity to a discharging firearm," said forensic specialist Tracy Kaeff.

    Medical examiners testified that the Tacketts both died as a direct result of their gunshot wounds.

    "The cause of death in Mr. Tackett was gunshot wounds," said medical examiner Cristin Rolf.

    "Is this in fact the bullet that killed Lisa Tackett?" asks Floyd County Commonwealth's Attorney Brent Turner. The medical examiner, Jennifer Schott, agreed.

    But defense attorneys argue that Hall was not mentally stable at the time, which they say is clear in a recorded interview at the scene.

    In the tape, Hall yelled "I can't handle it" several times. Then he began to sob. A detective told him to be careful and not hurt himself while Hall continued to cry.

    Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

    http://www.wkyt.com/wymt/home/headli...148003365.html
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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    UPDATE 4/30/12 @ 10:50 a.m.
    FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) -- A jury is now deliberating the sentence for a man convicted of murdering his niece and her husband.

    Deliberations got underway about 10:30 Monday morning in Floyd County.

    The same jury found Berry Hall guilty last week of murder with mental illness in the shooting deaths of his niece Lisa Tackett and her husband Alan. Both were gunned down outside of their home in 2008 after a long-running family feud.

    Hall faces anywhere from 20 years in prison to the death penalty.

    Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest.


    UPDATE 4/27/12
    FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) -- Mental illness isn't enough to keep on Prestonsburg, Kentucky man from possibly facing the death penalty.

    Berry Hall was convicted of killing his niece Lisa Tackett and her husband Alan. They were both shot to death at the home in 2008, after a long running feud between the family.

    A jury found him guilty of murder with mental illness.

    Hall is facing anywhere from 20 years in prison to the death penalty for the crime.

    The penalty phase is now underway.

    Several family members and friends from both sides took the witness stand Friday.

    The prosecution was tight lipped on it's recommendation.

    Lawyers say the jury should let this mentally ill man die in prison. "The defense will ask you to impose a sentence that is severe enough to put berry in prison for a lengthy period of time, perhaps for the rest of his natural life - but we will ask you. we will beg you not to kill him," Jim Gibson said.

    The jury should begin it's life or death deliberations Monday.

    Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest on this story.


    UPDATE 4/26/12 @ 4 p.m.
    FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) -- A jury has reached a verdict in the case of a Floyd County man charged with the shooting deaths of his niece and her husband

    Thursday afternoon, a jury convicted 47-year-old Berry Hall of murder with mental illness.

    Hall will be sentenced Friday morning.

    The Floyd County Circuit Court Jury deliberated several hours before reaching their verdicts.

    Police and prosecutors said Hall had a running feud with his next-door neighbors along Sunflower Lane. Those neighbors were his niece, Lisa Tackett, and her husband Alan.

    They said the often heated exchange came to a head in March 2008, when prosecutors say Hall used a rifle to shoot and kill the Tackett's -- from his upstairs window. We have crew in the courtroom.

    Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.


    UPDATE 4/26/12 @ 1:35 p.m.
    FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) -- A jury is now deliberating the fate of a man charged with murdering his niece and her husband

    47-year-old Berry Hall is on trial in Floyd County Circuit Court.

    The jury got the case following closing arguments Thursday morning.

    Police and prosecutors say Hall had a running feud with his next-door neighbors along Sunflower Lane. Those neighbors were his niece, Lisa Tackett, and her husband Alan.

    They said the often heated exchange came to a head in March 2008, when prosecutors say Hall used a rifle to shoot and kill the Tackett's -- from his upstairs window.

    Prosecutors want Hall found guilty of murder with intent.

    The defense is asking for first degree manslaughter. They say Hall has a mental illness and had changed medications a few months before the shootings. They say he has "extreme emotional disturbance" brought on by the years of feuding.

    Hall, who could face the death penalty, took the stand in his own defense Monday.

    We have crew in the courtroom.

    Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.


    UPDATE 4/25/12 @ 11 a.m.
    FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) -- The man at the center of a death penalty case took the stand in his own defense Monday.

    47-year-old Berry Hall is on trial -- accused of murdering his niece and her husband in March 2008.

    Monday, Hall's defense attorneys began calling witnesses. Four of Hall’s 10 living siblings took the stand as the defense tried to show a history of mental illness in the family.

    One of Hall's sisters, and three of his brothers, claimed to have serious bouts with depression and anxiety. They all talked about mental issues their father and other siblings had -- saying that several of them had been hospitalized at one time or another.

    The defense attorney then called the man at the center of the trial to the stand – Berry Hall. On the stand, Hall blamed his 2008 shooting rampage on prescription medication.

    In his testimony, Hall says he remembers hearing people arguing outside, but then he says he blacked out and only remembers bit and pieces of the evening. He says he remembers having some sort of hallucinations as he entered the upstairs bedroom.

    "I was seeing shadows and stuff, and when I was in the bedroom I'm pretty sure I saw demons," Hall said.

    During cross examination, prosecutors ask Hall, if blacked out -- why did he tell police at the scene that he did it?

    "The man got shot right there because the gun went out the window, and I discharged the gun, son, but that don't mean I aimed the gun at him, because I didn't," Hall said.

    Hall blames his medication for making him so mad.

    "Doctor Hieronymus? It's his fault?" asked Floyd County Commonwealth's Attorney Brent Turner.

    "Well he's the one who prescribed the medication that caused anger," replied Hall.

    Hall said that his plan was to shoot at the ground to scare Lisa Tackett -- and that he has no memory of shooting at Alan Tackett.

    Defense attorneys continued their presentation on Tuesday.

    Hall’s attorneys say he was not mentally stable during the 2008 shooting, but prosecutors argue that he acted in cold blood following a property dispute with he niece Lisa and her husband Alan Tackett.

    "Don't sound like you were trying to kill them?" asked Floyd County Commonwealth's Attorney Brent Turner. "Don't sound like I was," replied Hall.

    "Well to me it sounds like you were," said Turner.

    "No actually I weren't," Hall replied defensively.

    Tuesday, the defense called on two doctors to describe Hall's mental health. The first said he had given Hall an IQ test which resulted in a score of 71.

    "If you get very far below an 85, then it means you struggle with your thinking and reasoning ability. You're not as sharp as other people are," said Dr. James Walker.

    Both doctors testified that Hall has very serious depression. They agree that Hall has what is called Major Depressive Disorder. But prosecutors ask, if that is their diagnosis -- why didn't they put it in their reports?

    Dr. Walker says that at the time the report was made, in 2010, he had not made an official diagnosis and needed more time with Hall to make the determination. But, both doctors agree that Major Depressive Disorder, coupled with a low IQ, could drastically impact Hall's ability to think clearly -- especially with stressors like his family's argument.

    The trial continued first thing Wednesday morning.

    Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information on this trial.


    http://www.wsaz.com/news/huntingtonn.../16866736.html
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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    UPDATE 4/30/12 @ 5:20 p.m.
    FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) -- A jury has spared a convicted murderer the death penalty.

    After six hours of deliberations, a Floyd County jury recommended Berry Hall be sentenced to two life terms without the chance of parole.

    Hall was convicted last week of murder with mental illness in the shooting deaths of his niece Lisa Tackett and her husband Alan in 2008.

    http://www.wsaz.com/breaking/home/16866736.html
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  5. #5
    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
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    A Floyd County man convicted of killing his niece and her husband was back in court Thursday.

    Berry Hall, who pleaded guilty to murdering his niece and her husband in 2008, was sentenced to two life sentences back on June 14.

    The two were gunned down outside of their Floyd County home in 2008 after a long-running family feud.

    Hall faced the death penalty in this case -- but the jury spared him of that.

    Thursday, his lawyers filed several new motions concerning his time in court.

    Hall wants a new trial, and the motions filed would like to exclude the death penalty if they get that new trial. Motions were also filed to exclude an open-line 911 call that was used in the frist trial.

    Hall was also charged with four counts of wanton endangerment, adding 20 years to his previous sentences.

    Hall was found guilty after jurors deliberated for about six hours back on May 1.

    http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/16866736.html

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