Michael Dale St. Clair

Case record: Michael Dale St. Clair

Background

Michael Dale St. Clair was born on 1-15-57.

St. Clair called himself the “$5 million man,” referring to how much taxpayer money had been spent on his trials. He said, “Since May 11, 1995 I've been housed in Kentucky at the taxpayers' expense, hee ha. Now, here it is 2010, April 12, and I AM NOT DEAD.” St. Clair said he was innocent.

A relative of Frank Brady’s family described the impact of St. Clair’s cases on the family. Melanie Brady Drury said:

“We always lived by his words, 'do the right thing' and 'don't give up,'”

Melanie Brady Drury also said:

“It's kind of the name of the game at this point. It's always change it's always upset, it's always something else has been thrown into it - a technicality,”

Merle (Melanie Brady Drury’s mother) said:

“I am ready and willing to go through another trial in Hardin County and another sentencing phase in Bullitt County,”

Melanie Brady Drury said:

“How many chances has he gotten? How many chances did my dad get to escape him?”

Merle said:

“I have not lost faith. If I hadn't had faith in God I probably wouldn't be sitting here today,”

Melanie Brady Drury said:

“I can hear those words. All 6 feet 4 of him and in that voice. Don't give up and don't be a quitter. I'm bound by that. That's his legacy.”

Melanie Brady Drury described searching for her sister Melisa in Orlando, Florida. Melanie said:

“We know what happened to Melisa, we just can't find her,”

The offence

On October 6, 1991, Kentucky State Police were dispatched to a shooting incident on I-65 between Senora and Glendale. The officers found an abandoned truck, which belonged to the victim.

On October 8, officers responded to a scene of a body being discovered in Bullitt County off of Old Boston Road.

Michael St. Clair was convicted of the 1991 killing of Frank Brady, a Hardin County distillery worker. St. Clair killed Brady after escaping from an Oklahoma prison with another inmate and going on a cross-country crime rampage. St. Clair kidnapped Brady at an Interstate 65 rest area, drove him into a wooded area of Bullitt County, and shot him twice. St. Clair was captured about 3 months later at a relative’s home in Texas.

The timeline events also described the following:

• A paramedic, Timothy Keeling, was found shot to death in New Mexico one day after he disappeared from Denver.
• Keeling’s truck was found burning near Sonora.
• Shots were fired at KSP Trooper Herbert Bennett after he stopped a Ford Ranger on Interstate 65 near Glendale.
• The truck later was found and determined to be owned by Bardstown resident Frank Brady.
• Brady was kidnapped from a Sonora truck stop and killed later that day along rural Old Boston Road in Bullitt County.

St. Clair also received a second death sentence for capital kidnapping from the Hardin Circuit Court on February 20, 2001. He was convicted of kidnapping Brady in Hardin County.

St. Clair had escaped from an Oklahoma jail where he was awaiting trial for two murders, and during the subsequent crime spree he carjacked a man in Colorado for his truck and then shot the man. He traveled to a Bullitt County rest-stop on October 6, 1991, where he carjacked Frank Brady. St. Clair handcuffed Brady in an isolated area and then shot him twice, killing him. St. Clair returned to the rest stop where he burned Brady’s car and shot at a state policeman while being apprehended.

The timeline also described that St. Clair and Dennis Gene Reese suspected in Timothy Keeling’s death were believed to have split up after Brady’s death.

Investigation

Kentucky State Police were dispatched to the I-65 shooting incident on October 6, 1991, and found an abandoned truck belonging to the victim.

Officers responded on October 8 to a scene where a body was discovered in Bullitt County off Old Boston Road.

Arrest

Michael St. Clair was arrested on December 19, 1991 for the murder of Frances C. Bradey who was shot with a pistol. St. Clair was captured in Oklahoma on December 19, 1991 and charged with Brady’s murder.

Reese was captured in Nevada.

Trial

Murder trial in Bullitt County

A Bullitt County jury convicted St. Clair of Brady’s murder on Sept. 10, 1998.

St. Clair was sentenced to death in Bullitt County on Sept. 11, 1998.

A later event stated that St. Clair was sentenced to death September 14, 1998 for murder in Bullitt County.

Kidnapping trial in Hardin County

Kidnapping trial began in Hardin County in December 2000.

On Feb. 1, 2001, St. Clair was convicted in Hardin County of kidnapping Brady.

On Feb. 7, 2001, the jury recommended a death sentence for the kidnapping conviction.

A second death sentence was imposed for capital kidnapping from the Hardin Circuit Court on February 20, 2001.

Retrial in Hardin County on the kidnapping charge was postponed as St. Clair was given a new attorney. Vince Yustas later was appointed as St. Clair’s counsel.

Jan. 9, 2008: retrial for the 1991 kidnapping of Frank Brady was scheduled to begin in Hardin Circuit Court.

Between Jan. 2008 and June 1, 2009, the trial was delayed.

June 8, 2009: opening statements were followed by mistrial in Hardin County.

June 29, 2009: Judge Steven Ryan removed St. Clair trial from Aug. 4 docket.

Sentencing

St.

The Kentucky Supreme Court overturned St. Clair’s death sentence and also overturned the Hardin County conviction in 2004, and ordered resentencing in Bullitt for murder conviction and a retrial in Hardin County. The Supreme Court’s opinion was referenced as Supreme Court of Kentucky opinion 99-SC-0043-OA ST. CLAIR, MICHAEL DALE.

The sentencing hearing began during the resentencing process. The resentencing phase for the Bullitt County murder conviction began Aug. 16, 2005.

St. Clair was again sentenced to death for Brady’s murder on Sept. 30, 2005.

In April 2010, the Supreme Court overturned the death sentence again.

Appeals

Kentucky Supreme Court overturned the Bullitt County death sentence and Hardin County conviction in 2004, ordering resentencing in Bullitt for murder conviction and a retrial in Hardin County.

A later appeal outcome stated that the death sentence was overturned in April 2010.

Other details

Bullitt Circuit Judge Thomas Waller denied St. Clair’s request that Waller remove himself from the resentencing case. Steve Mirkin, St. Clair’s attorney, argued that Waller might not preside impartially over the August resentencing because Waller had sentenced St. Clair to death in 1998. Waller said that he would have no difficulty in being fair to St. Clair.

Waller said he had no animosity toward St. Clair, who in a January hearing accused the judge of being an alcoholic. Waller thanked St. Clair for his concern but said he did not drink alcohol.

In the same context, Assistant Attorney General David Smith argued that Waller should not recuse himself just because he presided over St. Clair’s trial and first sentencing.

The sentencing hearing for the August resentencing required seating a new jury, which could recommend the death penalty.

The sentencing hearing drew heightened security at the Bullitt County Judicial Center. Extra sheriff's deputies, state troopers and officials from the state Administrative Office of the Courts were on hand any time St. Clair made a courthouse appearance. Chief Deputy Sheriff Jim McAuliffe said:

“In my mind, a gentleman on death row has absolutely nothing to lose,” “And it's our job to protect the judges, the court workers and the citizens.”

Officers from the Administrative Office of the Courts screened everyone entering the building with a metal detector, which was not normally used at the courthouse. Three officers escorted St. Clair into the courtroom with his hands and feet shackled. Other officers were positioned throughout the building and in the parking lot.

At the time of the April 12, 2005 event, a new jury was to be seated for the August resentencing. Waller scheduled several weeks for the hearing because defense attorneys and prosecutors had to present much of their evidence again.

St. Clair had been convicted of 4 murders in Oklahoma and was accused of one in New Mexico. Prosecutors in New Mexico had not brought St. Clair to trial, deeming it irrelevant because he was already on death row in Kentucky.

Timeline

• July 1991 — St. Clair was convicted of murdering his uncle and a man he hired to kill his uncle.
• Sept. 19, 1991 — St. Clair and Dennis Gene Reese overpowered a guard in a Bryant County, Okla., jail, stole the jailer’s truck, and traveled to Achille, Okla., where they allegedly stole a truck and a gun; police found the truck in Dallas and believed the men traveled from there to Denver.
• Sept. 27, 1991 — Police found the body of paramedic Timothy Keeling in New Mexico, shot to death one day after he disappeared from Denver; Reese and St. Clair were suspected in the crime.
• Oct. 6, 1991 — Keeling’s truck was found burning near Sonora; a witness reported seeing a Ford Ranger leave the scene of the fire; shots were fired at KSP Trooper Herbert Bennett after he stopped a Ford Ranger on Interstate 65 near Glendale; the truck later was found and determined to be owned by Bardstown resident Frank Brady; Brady was kidnapped from a Sonora truck stop and killed later that day along rural Old Boston Road in Bullitt County; the pair were believed to have split up after Brady’s death.
• Oct. 8, 1991 — Officers responded to a scene of a body being discovered in Bullitt County off of Old Boston Road.
• Dec. 19, 1991 — St. Clair was captured in Oklahoma and charged with Brady’s murder; St. Clair was also arrested for the murder of Frances C. Bradey, who was shot with a pistol; Reese was captured in Nevada.
• 1994 — Reese pleaded guilty to killing Brady and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
• Sept. 10, 1998 — A Bullitt County jury convicted St. Clair of Brady’s murder.
• Sept. 11, 1998 — St. Clair was sentenced to death in Bullitt County.
• Dec. 2000 — Kidnapping trial began in Hardin County.
• Feb. 1, 2001 — St.
• Feb. 7, 2001 — The jury recommended a death sentence for the kidnapping conviction.
• Feb. 20, 2001 — St. Clair received a second death sentence for capital kidnapping from the Hardin Circuit Court.
• 2004 — Kentucky Supreme Court overturned St. Clair’s death sentence and also overturned the Hardin County conviction, ordering resentencing in Bullitt for the murder conviction and a retrial in Hardin County.
• Oct. 11, 2004 — The first of 16 hearings leading up to St. Clair’s re-sentencing in Bullitt County took place.
• Aug. 16, 2005 — The resentencing phase for the Bullitt County murder conviction began.
• Sept. 30, 2005 — St. Clair was again sentenced to death for Brady’s murder.
• Jan. 2007 - Feb. 2007 — Retrial in Hardin County on the kidnapping charge was postponed as St.
• Jan. 9, 2008 — Retrial for the 1991 kidnapping of Frank Brady was scheduled to begin in Hardin Circuit Court.
• June 8, 2009 — Opening statements were followed by mistrial in Hardin County.
• June 29, 2009 — Judge Steven Ryan removed St. Clair’s trial from the Aug. 4 docket.
• April 22, 2010 — The Supreme Court overturned St. Clair’s death sentence.
• April 2010 — The death sentence was overturned again.