Every Inmate on ALABAMA's DEATH ROW Waiting to be EXECUTED | Ep. 16

Añadido: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]Nine death row inmates, 18 victims combined. This is episode 16 of Alabama's death row. Michael David Belchure. Belchure is on death row for the horrific 2015 torture, kidnapping, and capital murder of 29year-old Samantha Payne. On November 1st, 2015, Belchure and four other individuals, all under the influence of Crystal Metamean, ambushed and kidnapped Samantha Payne at a shop in Bib County. Belchure, who acted as the ring leader of the group, subjected Payne to a brutal hourslong physical assault. Payne was forced into the trunk of a vehicle and driven to a remote area of the Taladiga National Forest in Tuscaloosa County. There, Belchure stripped her naked and bound her wrists and hands to the base of a tree using a leather belt and coaxial cable. A medical examiner later concluded that Pain was severely beaten, suffering four fractured ribs from crushing trauma, and she was still alive when she was tied to the tree. Belchure then murdered her by repeatedly stabbing and cutting her throat. Her nude, decapitated, and severely decomposed remains were discovered on November 9 that same year by a group of squirrel hunters. Her head had been severed and was located 14 ft away from her torso.

[00:01:20]While five people were implicated in the torture and slaying, Belchure was the only defendant to plead not guilty and proceed to trial. Two of his codefendants accepted plea agreements and testified directly against him, naming him as the primary executioner.

[00:01:36]The defense presented testimony from a psychologist showing that Belchure suffered from a mild neurocognitive disorder and impaired thinking capabilities. The Tuscaloosa County jury rejected the defense's arguments, deliberating for less than two hours before finding Belchure guilty of capital murder during the course of a kidnapping. In the penalty phase, the jury voted unanimously 12 to zero to recommend the death penalty, explicitly finding that the murder was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel compared to other capital offenses. On April 3, 2019, Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge Brad Almond finalized the death sentence. Donnie Abernathi. Abernati is on death row for a violent 2015 domestic rampage in Cherokee County that resulted in the shooting deaths of three women and the kidnapping of his ex-girlfriend.

[00:02:28]The tragedy occurred on the morning of November 16, 2015 at a residence in the Round Mountain community near Center, Alabama. Driven by an ongoing domestic dispute, Abernati broke into the home to forcefully abduct his ex-girlfriend, Jerica Hamilton. Armed with a gun, he opened fire on the occupants inside the home. Sylvia Su Duke, 71, was shot and killed. Claral Lee Edwards, 68, was also shot and killed. Pamela Colet Oelle, 49, was shot and killed. And the male occupant was shot in the back, but he managed to survive the attack. Following the shootings, Abernati forced Hamilton into his vehicle and fled. During the escape, he forced her to call emergency services to tell dispatchers everything was okay, threatening to kill her if she refused. Law enforcement spotted his Ford Mustang, triggering a high-speed police chase. The pursuit ended when Abernati rammed the deputy's vehicle and crashed in the Sand Rock area, allowing officers to rescue Hamilton safely and arrest him. A grand jury indicted Abernati on two counts of capital murder. One count for murder during a first-degree kidnapping and one count for the murder of two or more persons pursuant to a single course of conduct.

[00:03:43]He was additionally charged with attempted murder, first-degree criminal mischief, and attempting to elude law enforcement. The man initially entered a plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. At his trial, the prosecution presented overwhelming evidence, establishing that the crime was entirely premeditated. The jury rejected the insanity defense and found Abernati guilty on all five criminal charges. With the agreement of the prosecution and the court, Abernati waved his rights to have the jury participate in the penalty phase, choosing instead to let the judge determine his punishment. On November 29, 2021, he was formally sentenced to death by lethal injection for both capital murder counts. He additionally received a life sentence for the attempted murder and 10 years for criminal mischief and again one year for fleeing police. Christopher Henderson.

[00:04:36]Henderson is on death row for the horrific 2015 mass murder of his pregnant estranged wife, her unborn child, her mother, and two young children before burning down their home.

[00:04:48]The massacre occurred on August 4, 2015 at a family home in New Market, Alabama.

[00:04:53]Henderson was a biggamist who was legally married to his first wife, Ronda Carlson, when he married his second wife, Kristen Smallwood, 35. Upon discovering the bigamy, Smallwood obtained a protection order and demanded a divorce. Out of anger, Henderson and Carlson spent weeks plotting to slaughter the family and use a gasoline container to torch the residents to eliminate evidence. While Carson waited outside, Henderson forced entry into the home and systematically executed five people using a combination of shooting and stabbing. Kristen Smallwood Henderson, 35, who was 9 months pregnant, was shot in the neck and stabbed multiple times. Lauren Brook Smallwood, Kristen's full-term unborn daughter, was killed when Henderson cut the fetus directly out of the mother's womb and stabbed it multiple times.

[00:05:42]Carol Jean Smallwood was 67 and Kristen's mother. She was shot and stabbed in the eyes. Clayton Daniel Chambers was 8 years old. She was Kristen's son from a previous relationship and he was stabbed and died from the subsequent house fire. Eli Sakolovski was just one year old. He was Kristen's nephew and he was stabbed multiple times and died of carbon monoxide poisoning from the fire. After the killings, Henderson poured gasoline and lit the house ablaze, entirely engulfing the crime scene in flames.

[00:06:13]Henderson's first wife, Ronda Carlson, was arrested alongside him and charged with capital murder. To escape the death penalty, she accepted a plea deal to testify against Henderson, detailing how they premeditated the attack. Carlson was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Henderson's trial lasted several weeks in Madison County Circuit Court.

[00:06:37]Because multiple victim categories applied, a jury deliberated for 14 hours over 2 days before convicting Henderson on 15 separate counts of capital murder.

[00:06:47]These counts included murder during a first-degree burglary, murder during first-degree arson, the murder of two or more persons, the murder of children under the age of 14, and the murder in violation of a protection order. The jury voted 11 to1 to recommend the death penalty. On October 14, 2021, Madison County Circuit Judge Chris Comr finalized the sentence, formally condemning Henderson to death. Michael Yervolino. Yervolino is on death row for a November 2019 capital murder. The victim was Nicholas Sloan Harmon, a 20-year-old crew chief with the Alabama Air National Guard's 117 Air Refueling Wing and a student at Jefferson State Community College. Significantly, Harmon was also the son of St. Clair County's Veteran District Attorney, Lyall Harmon.

[00:07:37]On the night of November 5, 2019, around 11 p.m., Harmon was driving his black Mazda just off the Brmpton exit of Interstate 20. Yvolino pulled up alongside the car and fired into the moving vehicle, fatally shooting Harmon.

[00:07:52]The gunshot caused Harmon to lose consciousness and his vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a utility pole, and crashed at a Valero gas station on Kelly Creek Road in Moody, Alabama. A police officer responding to a resulting power outage discovered Harmon unresponsive inside the vehicle with a shattered window. Later that same evening, Vervolino was apprehended in possession of a stolen white truck connected to the incident. Because the victim was the son of the local district attorney, the entire St. Clair County District Attorney's Office and all local county judges had to recuse themselves. A special prosecutor from the Alabama Attorney General's Office tried the case and an outside circuit judge from Taladiga County was brought in to preside. Yvolino's defense team repeatedly requested a change of venue, arguing that fair jury selection was impossible in a tight-knit community due to the intense media coverage. The trial court denied the request. Yervolino pleaded guilty to theft and breaking and entering charges regarding the stolen truck, but he maintained a not-uilty plea for the homicide. On November 8th, 2021, following an hour of deliberation, a jury found him guilty of two counts of capital murder, specifically murder committed by firing a deadly weapon into an occupied vehicle. During the penalty phase, the prosecution pointed to Yervolino's prior violent felony conviction for secondderee assault as an aggravating factor. The defense presented evidence of severe drug exposure, childhood neglect, and subsequent PTSD. The jury voted 10 to2 to recommend the death penalty. On November 30, 2021, he was formally sentenced to death. Warren Terrell Hardy Hardy was placed on death row for a violent 2016 domestic crime spree and carjacking in Huntsville that culminated in the capital murder of 72year-old NASA retiree Kathleen Lundy. However, following a successful appeal in February 2026, his capital murder conviction and death sentence were officially overturned, and he is currently awaiting a new trial. However, let's still go over the details of his case. The case stems from a violent multi-phase crime spree that occurred in Madison County, Alabama. On August 26, 2016, Hardy brought a handgun and a stun gun, practicing at a firing range before breaking into the apartment of his ex-girlfriend, Jessica Holt Camp. He hid in a closet and ambushed Hold Camp's stepfather, Warren Bradford, and her young daughter, Kayn Holamp. He held them hostage and kidnapped them. He also shot into an occupied vehicle and committed aggravated stalking against Jessica. While fleeing from law enforcement during the ongoing spree, Hardy attempted a carjacking in Huntsville. He approached Kathleen Lundy and her husband Rusty demanding the keys to their vehicle. During the confrontation, Hardy fatally shot Kathleen Lundy before fleeing. Hardy was tried in the Medicine County Circuit Court. A jury found him guilty of capital murder during the course of a robbery, two counts of first-degree kidnapping, one count of first-degree domestic violence, and one count of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle. The jury voted 11 to1 to recommend the death penalty for the murder of Kathleen. The trial court judge accepted this recommendation and sentenced Hardy to death for his non- capital offenses. The judge also handed down three consecutive 99-year prison sentences and one 20-year sentence.

[00:11:22]Represented by the Equal Justice Initiative, Hardy filed a direct appeal challenging the fairness of his trial.

[00:11:28]On February 6 this year, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals issued an opinion completely overturning Hardy's capital murder conviction and death sentence. The appellet court ruled that the trial judge gave flawed, unconstitutional jury instructions.

[00:11:43]Specifically, the instructions erroneously allowed the jury to consider a robbery against Kathleen's husband, Rusty Lundy, an offense Hardy was never formally charged with in the indictment.

[00:11:53]The court found this structural error unfairly confused the jury and denied Hardy his constitutional right to proper notice of the charges against him. While his capital murder conviction and death sentence were entirely thrown out, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals upheld his conviction for the underlying domestic violence, vehicle shooting, and kidnappings. He remains incarcerated under those multi-deade sentences while the state prepares to retry him on the capital murder charge in the Medicine County Circuit Court. Nicholas Nolani Smith. Smith is on death row for an April 2011 kidnapping, robbery, and brutal capital murder. The victim was Kevin Thompson, a popular 24year-old teacher at Wilbourne Elementary School who resided in Jacksonville, Alabama. On April 20, 2011, Nicholas Smith, alongside codefendants Tyrone Thompson and Javon Gaston, targeted and ambushed Thompson at his home. The man kidnapped Kevin Thompson, forced him into the backseat of his own Silver Honda Civic, and drove him around the Aniston and Jacksonville areas to various bank ATMs.

[00:12:59]Bank surveillance footage captured Smith driving the victim's car and making multiple forced transactions using Thompson's debit card, ultimately stealing $400. After draining his bank account, the man drove Thompson to a remote wooded area in Cherokee County near the Georgia border. There, Smith brutally attacked Thompson, cutting his throat and stabbing him to death with a stake knife before dumping his body.

[00:13:23]Smith then fled to Georgia where he was eventually arrested and extradited back to Alabama to face trial. In July 2013, a Calhoun County jury found Smith guilty on two counts of capital murder. Murder during a kidnapping and murder during a robbery. The jury initially recommended death by an 11 to1 vote and the circuit judge finalized the death sentence in September 2013. However, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals later overturned the death sentence. The appellet court ruled that the trial court committed a reversible constitutional error by allowing Thompson's family to directly testify to the jury that they believed Smith deserved the death penalty, a type of prejuditial victim impact statement strictly prohibited during capital sentencing phases. In March 2022, there was a second sentencing trial. While Smith's underlying guilt remained intact, a completely new jury was seated in Calhoun County Circuit Court solely to redetermine his sentence. The defense presented details of Smith's deeply troubled childhood marked by severe drug exposure and early trauma. The prosecution countered with the overwhelming violent facts of the murder and Smith's own recorded admissions.

[00:14:36]Following less than an hour of deliberation, the new jury voted 10 to2 to recommend a death penalty. Circuit Judge Bud Turner subsequently accepted the verdict and re-sentenced Smith to death. Following his re-sentencing, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals officially affirmed Smith's death sentence in June 2024. The Alabama Supreme Court denied his subsequent state level petition for review in February 2025.

[00:15:01]Smith's legal team has since escalated his case to the federal level, filing active petitions for Arit of Cersari with the Supreme Court of the US to review his constitutional challenges. He remains incarcerated on Alabama's death row at the Holman Correctional Facility.

[00:15:17]Jimmy Spencer Spencer is on death row for the brutal July 2018 triple murder and robbery of two elderly women and a 7-year-old child in Guntherville. His case triggered massive public outrage, structural political reforms, and a near halt to parole grants across the state because Spencer was a violent career criminal who committed the massacre shortly after being mistakenly parrolled. The murders occurred on July 13, 2018 in the Mill Village neighborhood of Guntherville, Alabama.

[00:15:48]Spencer, who was homeless, unemployed, and hunting for money to buy drugs, targeted local residents in their homes.

[00:15:55]Marta Del Rifford, 65, was Spencer's first target. He entered her home, robbed her of roughly $600, and slaughtered her to prevent her from reporting the burglary to the police.

[00:16:06]Marie Kitchens Martin, 74, lived across the street. Spencer broke into her residence to steal more money, ultimately robbing her of a meager $13.

[00:16:17]He brutally strangled Martin to debt with a dog leash. Colton Ryan Lee, 7 years old, was the woman's greatgrandson, and he was present inside the home at the time. To eliminate any potential eyewitnesses, Spencer attacked the child, striking him in the head with a hammer 16 or 17 times. Spencer's history transformed his case into a landmark political scandal in Alabama.

[00:16:40]He was a violent habitual offender who had previously received two separate life in prison sentences. One in 1989 for burglary and another one in 1993 after escaping from custody. Despite his extensive criminal history, the Alabama Department of Corrections mistakenly classified him as a nonviolent offender, allowing the Alabama Board of Pardons and paroles to release him on parole in early 2018. A month before the triple murder, he was arrested for drug paraphernelia and fleeing police, but his parole was never revoked. Following the murders, the state of Alabama paid a maximum statutory settlement of $1 million to the victim's families, and the Alabama legislature heavily overhauled the parole board, causing parole approval rates in the state to plummet drastically. Spencer was tried in the Marshall County Circuit Court.

[00:17:32]The defense raised questions regarding his mental competency, presenting an expert evaluation stating his IQ was 56.

[00:17:39]However, the court ruled him fit for trial. The prosecution presented an audio recorded confession where Spencer explicitly detailed how and why he slaughtered the two women and the young boy. The jury deliberated for just 25 minutes before finding him guilty on seven distinct counts of capital murder.

[00:17:58]They also deliberated for an additional 30 minutes before returning a unanimous 12 to zero recommendation for the death penalty. On November 14, 2022, Marshall County Circuit Judge Tim Riley finalized the death sentence. Addressing Spencer directly, Judge Riley stated, "If there ever was a reason for the death penalty to exist, you are it." Spencer filed a direct appeal challenging his mental capacity and the admissibility of his confessions. On December 20, 2024, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals rejected his appeal and affirmed the death sentence. The Alabama Supreme Court officially denied his subsequent petition for review on September 19, 2025. In January of this year, Spencer's legal representation elevated his constitutional challenges to the Supreme Court of the US. Concurrently, a state level rule 32 postconviction petition remains pending in local courts. The Perro Carleon Johnson is on death row for the June 2020 ambush and capital murder of a 50-year-old Moody Police Lieutenant. The victim was Lieutenant Steven Williams, postumously promoted from sergeant, a 23-year veteran of law enforcement and the 2019 Moody Police Officer of the Year. On the night of June 2nd, 2020, Lieutenant Williams responded to a call regarding a domestic disturbance at a Super Eight motel on Moody Parkway. When Williams arrived at the designated room and knocked on the door, Johnson immediately ambushed him from inside the room. He unleashed a massive barrage of gunfire, firing 43 rounds through the wall and door using four different weapons. Lieutenant Williams was struck in the face and body. He was rushed to UAB hospital where he was pronounced dead. Johnson and his female accomplice then engaged in a lengthy standoff with arriving backup officers before being taken into custody. Johnson's codefendant, Marisha Tyson, was also initially charged with capital murder. However, in February 2024, she agreed to a plea deal, pleading guilty to a reduced charge of intentional murder and receiving a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole in exchange for acknowledging her role in helping Johnson plan the murder. Johnson was tried in the St. Clair County Circuit Court. During the two-week trial, Johnson claimed self-defense, but the jury rejected this assertion. On October 27, 2023, the jury found him guilty of capital murder. Under Alabama law, the intentional killing of a police officer who is actively on duty automatically constitutes a capital offense. During the penalty phase, the jury voted 10 to2 to recommend a death penalty, explicitly noting that Johnson's actions knowingly created a massive risk of death to many people in the motel. On November 15, 2023, a judge finalized the sentence, formally condemned Johnson to death.

[00:20:52]Johnson did file a direct appeal challenging his conviction and sentence.

[00:20:56]On December 19, 2025, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals issued an opinion unanimously affirming his capital conviction and death sentence, establishing that all legal protocols during the trial were strictly and properly followed. Steven Richard Mali Mali is on death row for the brutal September 2018 hammer beatings and murders of two elderly motel owners. The victims were Ching Cao, 77, and his wife, Sume Cao, 76, the longtime owners and operators of the Siesta Motel on Crestwood Boulevard in Irondale, Alabama. Muli had been hired by the elderly couple to work as a maintenance man and handyman at the motel. On September 16, 2018, Muli attacked the couple inside the motel's front office.

[00:21:44]Motel closed circuit television cameras captured footage of Mali entering the office where he relentlessly beat both victims with a hammer. He also slit the throat of one of the victims during the assault. Following the murders, Mali stole the motel safe and one of the cows vehicles, a base Chevrolet Impala to flee the state. He drove to a remote wooded area off Rex Lake Road where he dumped their bodies and covered them with debris. After a multi-state manhunt, the US Marshall Service apprehended Mali at a hotel in Stuntton, Virginia. Pausing this for a second just to let you know that in case you are hearing any strange noises, those are coming from some birds outside my window and my kitten who is constantly talking to the birds. I apologize. And let's go back to the case. During his week-long trial in the Jefferson County Circuit Court, Muli did not deny executing the physical assaults. Instead, his defense team relied on a plea of temporary insanity, arguing that severe mental illness and the drug induced psychosis caused him to lose control. Malti testified on his own behalf, claiming that his body just took over during the incident. The jury rejected the insanity defense, deliberating for only 35 minutes before finding Mali guilty of capital murder of two or more persons under a single course of conduct.

[00:23:03]Because the prosecution could not conclusively prove specific elements of technical theft timelines, he was acquitted of separate capital counts of murder during a robbery or burgy. On April 26, 2023, the jury voted unanimously 12 to zero to recommend the death penalty. Jefferson County Circuit Judge Allaric May accepted the unanimous recommendation and formally sentenced Mali to death by lethal injection. The man remains incarcerated on Alabama's death row at the Hullman Correctional Facility while pursuing his constitutional federal habius corpus reviews. Please hit that subscribe button if you like my channel. See you next time. Bye-bye.