Gregory Hale

Case record: Gregory Hale

Background

Gregory Hale was known among his neighbors and acquaintances as a “devil worshiper.” He was described as having an open social media presence that included references to cannibalism and Scandinavian mythology and sexually explicit and grisly images.

Hale was described as having been fired from a meat processing plant after the owner caught him performing a satanic ritual and taking home animal bones and eyeballs. Hale also posted content referencing serial killer Richard Ramirez and posted about being a cannibal and eating a vegetarian.

Hale had a girlfriend and a teenage son named after a Norse god. Some of Hale’s selfies depicted him brandishing weapons, including a large steel machete, or cradling snakes. He shared an image with the line of text: “I hug the people I hate to I know how big to dig their hole in my backyard.” He also shared posts and pictures about the metal band Slayer.

The offence

Gregory Scott Hale admitted to police that he picked up Marie Hyder and murdered her, dismembered her, and ate parts of her body to emulate Richard “Night Stalker” Ramirez.

Hale admitted that he took Marie Hyder to his parents’ Tennessee home where he lived and said he did these things as part of a satanic ritual. Investigators believed Hale followed Ramirez’s “manifesto” closely. Hale offered investigators no motive for the slaying and subsequent cannibalism.

Hale’s arrest affidavit and police statements described the killing and disposal in detailed terms. During his confession to police, Hale said he beheaded the victim and cut off her hands, placing her head and hands in a plastic bucket. He said he cut off her feet and other body parts, placing them in another bucket, and buried the victim’s torso in a burn pile at the residence. Police also said Hale consumed a part of the corpse.

Investigation

Coffee County authorities received information that a murder had occurred on June 6 and went to Hale’s home on Pete Sain Road in Summitville, Tennessee. When officers arrived at Hale’s rural home on Pete Sain Road in the Summitville area, they found human remains on the grounds.

A neighbor told police about a conversation with Hale and had reason to believe a homicide had been committed. The assistant district attorney said the investigation was at an early stage and that officers were gathering information.

An arrest affidavit stated Hale admitted to killing Lisa Marie Hyder and disposing of her body by beheading the victim and chopping off her hands and feet. The affidavit said officers responding to Hale’s residence after receiving a tip found at least two plastic buckets filled with human remains. The affidavit said Hale buried the victim’s torso in a burn pile on his property and consumed part of the corpse.

Arrest

Gregory Scott Hale was apprehended at his home late Sunday and taken into custody. He was arrested in connection with the death at his residence on Pete Sain Road in the Summitville area.

Hale asked a neighbor in Summitville for help disposing of a body, and police learned of the secret after Hale sought that help. After officers arrived, Hale was questioned and taken into custody.

Trial

No trial outcome was stated.

Sentencing

No sentence was stated.

Appeals

No appeal information was stated.

Outcome

Hale was held in jail on $1.5 million bond.

Aftermath

Family members planned to push for a death penalty for Lisa Hyder’s alleged killer.

Hyder’s family said funeral arrangements were being handled by Stanford Reed Funeral Home. Family members said the body would be cremated once it was released.

Detectives believed the murder took place inside Hale’s rural home on Pete Sain Road in Manchester on Friday.

Timeline

• June 6 — Coffee County authorities received information that a murder had occurred.
• June 9, 2014 — Sheriff Steve Graves said deputies learned about the murder on Sunday night and said Hale was allegedly attempting to get help disposing of the body.
• June 10, 2014 — A WAAY report described family members’ reactions and stated Hale had admitted killing Hyder, chopping up her body, and consuming parts of her corpse; it also stated Hale was being held on $1.5 million bond and due in court on June 23.
• June 11, 2014 — A DailyMail report described Hyder’s background and stated Hale was being held on $1.5 million bond, due in court on June 23.
• June 17, 2014 — A RadarOnline entry described Hale as “Charged with murder and abusing a corpse” and stated he was held in lieu of $1.5 million bond on June 8, 2014.

Other details

Victim information and relationships

Lisa Marie Hyder (also named as Marie Hyder in parts of the material) was described as a mother of six and 36 years old. She was described as having struggled with alcoholism and being recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She spent many teenage years in Athens, AL.

Hyder met Hale at a Tennessee liquor store Friday night. Hyder’s ex-husband, Charles Hyder, said Hyder called asking to pick her up shortly after meeting a stranger at a liquor store just hours before she was murdered. Charles Hyder said he was in another town. He said he returned home about two hours later and called Lisa back, but her phone was not answering.

Charles Hyder said he spent the weekend trying to reach his ex-wife so their children could talk to her each day, but he could not get a hold of her. The couple were married for six years before splitting last year.

One of Hyder’s ex-husbands living in Georgia told family members that Hyder called him Saturday morning and left a voice mail begging him to come get her. He said when he tried to return the call, there was no answer.

Hyder’s cousin Samantha Paas said: “The way she had to leave this world is not right,” and said the family learned of their cousin’s death Monday.

Hyder’s father, Billy Poore, said: “My daughter was mangled, butchered and chopped up like a liver. There's nothing left,” to the station WAAY.

Hyder’s cousin Amanda Paas said: “She had suffered from an addiction to alcohol probably her whole life,” and said her addiction was likely part of why she drifted away from family members the past few years. Amanda said: “She had some troubles, she had a really rocky life and we say that she was a lost soul.”

Amanda Paas also said: “It's so gruesome and devastating to see someone, to see a family member or anybody, to lose their life in such a horrible way.”

Samantha Paas read words from an aunt written after learning of Hyder’s fate: “So many people in your life tried to help but it was not enough. God finally said enough is enough. He loves you and will now give you the love you have always been wanting so desperately,”.

Detectives, prosecution, and expert comments

Coffee County District Attorney Mickey Layne said Hale was apprehended at his home late Sunday after a neighbor told police about a conversation and reason to believe a homicide had been committed.

Layne said officers found human remains on the grounds when they arrived at the home.

Assistant District Attorney Marla Holloway said: “We will certainly be looking into everything that we're hearing. As you can image the things that you're hearing are the same things that we're hearing,” and also said: “We are very early in the investigation. The officers were out late last night into the early hours of the morning gathering information,”.

Sheriff Steve Graves said Hale was charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse.

Psychiatrist and serial killer expert Dr. Park Dietz, who interviewed Ramirez in prison, said: “Hale thought he, too, was the Night Stalker. He identified with Ramirez, looked up to him and idolized him.”

Dr. Dietz was quoted as saying Hale likely staged “rehearsals” where he would stalk women “imagining how it would be to rape, kill or capture them.”

Associate professor of criminology Dr. Steven Egger said: “Killers are motivated by power, dominance and having control over somebody else,” and “They like to play God. Hale was not a skilled, practiced killer. I think he was just getting started.”

Verbatim quotations from Hale’s posts and statements

Hale posted on social media: “I hug the people I hate to I know how big to dig the hole in my backyard.”

Hale posted a question: “Would tha vegetarian taste like that fake soy meat like they got in sum fast food places???”

Hale posted: “R.I.P. Night Stalker….Wish I could have met U…”

Verbatim police report quotation

Police reported Hale said: “Subject beheaded her and cut off her hands, placing her head and hands in a plastic bucket,” and “He cut off her feet and other body parts, placing them in another bucket, and buried the victim’s torso in a burn pile at the residence.”