Harvey Updyke featured on latest 'Mobituaries' podcast, explains why he poisoned Toomer's Oaks
Infamous Toomer’s Oak poisoner Harvey Updyke recently was the focus of Mo Rocca’s latest “Mobituaries” podcast, “Death of a tree: Roots of a Rivalry.” Rocca ultimately seeks to find out whether Updyke is a dangerous person or did he merely do something dangerous.
Updyke was ultimately charged with a Class C felony, spent six months in a Lee County (where Auburn is located) jail and was ordered to pay more than $800,000 in restitution to Auburn.
Rocca starts off the podcast discussing with Paul Finebaum and a state historian about the roots of the Alabama-Auburn rivalry, and he eventually gets into what Updyke did about 20 minutes in.
For a refresher, Updyke first proudly admitted to Paul Finebaum on his show what he had done.
“The weekend after the Iron Bowl, I went to Auburn, Alabama, and I poisoned the two Toomer’s Trees,” Updyke told Finebaum in 2011. “They’re not dead yet, but they will definitely die.”
When Updyke finally arrives on the podcast, he explains what set him off and why he poisoned the oaks.
“I was saying I didn’t mean it,” Updyke told Rocca. “Then, I was going to tell you the truth. I did mean it. I wanted Auburn people to hate me as much as I hate them because they bought Cam Newton. You know who Scam Newton is? They hung the Scam Newton jersey on the Bear Bryant statue. That’s when I went crazy.”
Updyke then explained how he carried how his crime.
“It took me a month,” Updyke explained. “Every night I stayed up all night long. They used to have cameras on the trees. I figured out when the slowest time was, what day of the week, what hour of the night was the slowest around those oak trees, so I could go in there at that time and not get caught.
“4:00 a.m. on Sunday night,” Updyke said of the time.
“I mixed it (Spike 80df) with water and put it in milk jugs,” Updyke said. “I had two milk jugs for each tree. I walked around the outside of the tree where the foliage came out.”
Does Updyke think what he did was wrong?
“Yes, I think it was wrong,” Updyke said. “Them trees weren’t hurting me. That was the only way I felt like I could get back at them. I wasn’t going to hurt anybody. At the time, we had just found out my ex-wife had cancer. I guess I was depressed.
“You know, I think everybody has done things they regret, probably not at the magnitude I did.”
Updyke added that he should have gone to jail for what he did.
You can listen to the full podcast below:
Now on a brand new episode of #MOBITUARIES:
The history of the Auburn-Alabama rivalry is a long and fascinating one, with surprising roots. And it turned ugly with the 2011 poisoning of two beloved oak trees. https://t.co/aEwH8iJ6qd
— Mo Rocca (@MoRocca) March 8, 2019
The majority of Alabama fans are just like Harvey Updike and fully support his actions.
Spot on!!
Not true. Most of them were like that, but ISIS has since collapsed. I still get an occasional death threat because I drew a picture of “The Barr”.
The three stooges talking about another fanbase? LMAO… Didn’t some LSU fans kill someone in the Bar this past season as well?…. Three idiots…
Every fanbase has fans like that, and I disagree that the majority of Alabama’s fans are like that. That guy is insane.
We have had Ga Tech players/fans destroy some our hedges before but nothing to the degree that Harvey did, though.
Thank you. Every fan base has their fair share of jag nuts. Anyone who can stomach listening can only come to conclusion that he is insane. Even his granddaughter said he was crazy. So to Geaux Long & StevenT I say, “He without sin should cast the first stone”. Both of y’all can put your stones down. I’ve seen fans of your teams do some crazy things. Just not that crazy, he hee.
Bamatime, you look good in your Sunday best.
That what you wife told me as well…
Well I do not like Harvey updike period. He should of spent alot of time in jail like maybe 2-3 years. He’s just pissed that auburn had cam and did not buy him if auburn did the NCAA would of put auburn on probation for years. Hell look at all the players bama buys year in and out. The truth will come out sooner or later saban won’t be there forever.
No penalties doesn’t mean Cam wasn’t bought (nor does it mean the opposite), just means there’s no evidence the NCAA could find. Pretty ironic you’re bashing the Tide for the same accusation after all the smoke around Cam.
Yes-Harvey got off way too easy. He’s a terrible person who has never shown any amount of contrition.
money well spent for Cam.
Actually the NCAA said there was no penalties on Auburn. Miss St was the one offering the money up. There was a loophole in the system and it has been closed since..
Pretty scary this guy was a state trooper. The state should look into his record. If you’re crazy enough to do what he did and dumb enough to admit it, there’s likely past episodes of improprieties. You don’t just suddenly turn nuts at his age.
Texas State Trooper just to make that clear he is not from Alabama
I’m sure there are some decent Bama fans out there – just haven’t run into any yet.
Kinda hard to find an intelligent Auburn fan as well…
Did Updike ever have a sanity test? I know collegiate football is all Alabama has but, dang!!