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- [00:03]
Vanessa Richardson
Hi, Crime House community. It's Vanessa Richardson. Exciting news. Conspiracy theories, cults and crimes is leveling up. Starting the week of January 12th, you'll be getting two episodes every week. Wednesdays we unravel the conspiracy or the cult, and on Fridays we look at a corresponding crime. Every week has a theme. Tech, bioterror, power, paranoia, you name it. Follow conspiracy theories, cults and crimes now on your podcast app because you're about to dive deeper, get weirder and go darker than ever before.
- [00:47]
Katie Ring
This is Crime House. A routine drive ended in tragedy and within weeks, a college football star was facing serious charges until evidence surfaced that complicated everything. For Herman hall and his wife Peggy, December 17, 2024 was like any other day. They had just finished running some errands and were driving home on Highway 20, a major roadway that cuts through a mix of rural land, industrial area and small residential communities in Louisiana. It also happens to be the kind of road where where a single risky move can force everyone else into split second decisions. And unfortunately, this is exactly what happened when shortly before noon, the couple's ordinary trip turned into a fatal collision and permanently altered the lives of those left behind. In tonight's episode, I'll walk you through what investigators say happened on that highway, how a rising football star became the focus of a fatal crash investigation, and why evidence released months later reshape the story entirely.
- [01:57]
Welcome to crime house 24 7. I'm your host, Katie Ring. We're following the cases making headlines now, where justice is still unfolding. Follow us wherever you are listening and if you want ad free episodes, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. This episode discusses active criminal cases and breaking news. The information we share is based on what's publicly available at the time of recording and may change as new evidence comes to light. We aim to inform, not to decide, guilt or innocence. So everyone mentioned is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
- [02:36]
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- [03:08]
Katie Ring
Hi, I'm your host, Katie Ring and welcome back to Night Watch. Before we get into tonight's episode, I just want to remind you that if.
- [03:15]
You want to support the and stay.
- [03:16]
Up to date on all the new true crime stories, make sure to subscribe and follow at 78 years old, Herman hall had already lived several lives. He served two tours in Vietnam and later worked 36 years in Customs before retiring with his wife in Thibodeau, Louisiana. Friends and family described him as a steady, present and devoted father and grandfather who was happiest spending time with family, tending to his garden, riding his bike, and having conversations that turned neighbors into friends. Everything changed for Herman and his wife, Peggy, while they were making a routine drive home on a December morning in 2024. That drive was interrupted by a catastrophic crash. According to initial police reports, the crash unfolded when a green Dodge Charger entered the oncoming lane during a passing attempt, setting off a chain reaction among drivers on the road and ending when a Kia Cadenza crossed over the center line and collided head on with the Hall's Kia Sorrento. Hall's daughter, Olivia Dickerson, just so happened to call and check in on her parents moments after the crash. Olivia said that while on the phone, her mother told her that they had been in an accident, that the car was badly damaged, and that she was in pain and still trying to understand what happened. When Olivia asked about her father, she initially told her he was awake and also complaining of pain. But unfortunately that situation turned dire. Quickly. Her mother ended the call and called back with new information. First responders were preparing to airlift her dad to the hospital. Olivia described her mother as being in shock, initially speaking as if everything was under control and then realizing in real time that it wasn't. Once hall made it to the hospital, doctors told his family the heartbreaking news that no one wants to hear. He did not survive the injuries. Louisiana State Police immediately began treating the scene as a fatal traffic investigation. Troopers documented the final positions of the vehicles, photographed damage patterns and began reconstructing the collision. Investigators then interviewed witnesses and began narrowing down the timeline and looking at what happened on Highway 20 in the moments leading up to the crash. In interviews at the scene of the crash, witnesses said that there was a green Dodge Charger that was driving aggressively, speeding and passing them and multiple other cars in a no passing zone in the Chak Bay area, according to investigators. Theory, they believe that the Charger's alleged maneuver forced other drivers into evasive moves, setting off a chain of events that ended in a fatal crash. Investigators ultimately identified the person behind the wheel as 24 year old Kyron Lacy, but before Kyron Lacy's name was ever linked to this case. He already was well known in Louisiana. An LSU wide receiver and a top NFL draft prospect, Lacy was a Louisiana native from Thibodeau, and he began his college career at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he played two seasons and started building a name for himself as a receiver. In 2022, he transferred to LSU and stepped into a bigger stage in the sec. Over time, he worked his way into a consistent role in LSU's offense, and by the end of the 2024 season, he announced he was declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft on December 19, which happened to be two days after the crash. Despite the fact that it was the driver of the Kia Cadenza who crossed over the center line and collided with the Hall's vehicle in the fatal crash and the fact that Laci's vehicle did not collide with the victim's car or any other cars on the road, the investigators were firm in their belief that the earlier driving incident warranted examination. Louisiana State Police continued gathering evidence. Troopers reviewed available video and physical evidence and interviewed witnesses who had been driving along Highway 20 that night. Fatal crash investigations can take longer than most people expect, especially when investigators and prosecutors are still reconstructing what happened and deciding whether the evidence supports criminal charges. But in this case, the timeline moved quickly, and on January 10, 2025, about three weeks after the crash, Louisiana State Police announced they had obtained an arrest warrant. On January 10, Kyron Lacy, the driver of the green Dodge Charger, had an arrest warrant out for him on charges that included negligent homicide, along with felony hit and run and reckless operation of a vehicle. He turned himself in on January 12, 2025, and was booked and released the same evening on $151,000 bond. As news of the crash spread, Lacy's name appeared alongside reporting about the fatal collision. Sometimes with the nuance between under investigation and directly involved getting blurred in the public conversation. The arrest announcement marked the first formal criminal action in the case, according to state police. Physical evidence from the crash scene supported the conclusion that Kyron Lacey directly caused the fatal collision, even though he wasn't involved in the accident himself. Under Louisiana law, negligent homicide does not require proof of intent. Prosecutors must show that the person's negligence resulted in another person's death, and in fatal traffic cases, this often centers on whether a driver's actions created a substantial risk, according to Louisiana State Police. They felt the evidence met the threshold in Kyron Lacey's case. But behind the scenes, Lacey's lawyer, Matthew Orrey, was working Hard to build a defense. And some of the evidence wasn't quite adding up. Despite the DA's office finding inconsistencies and even writing, quote, the evidence submitted in the crash report does not support that. Kyron Lacey should have known that his actions were the cause of the crash that happened approximately 72 yards in front of him. Despite this finding, the case was still moving on to a grand jury hearing. A grand jury's role is to decide whether the evidence provided rises to the level of probable cause for formal charges, not whether someone is guilty. Jurors would be asked to review the state's theory, hear from investigators, and determine whether an indictment was appropriate. If an indictment was issued, the case would have then gone to trial. But unfortunately, that never happened. With the media and social media frenzy, Laci was under fire. But more than anything, he knew that this could be the end of his career before it even started. His entire life was dedicated to making it to this moment, and it might now all be lost if he is found guilty. But regardless of how bad the situation looked, his family continued to defend him publicly. They stated that Laci had not caused the crash and that linking him to the fatality was deeply distressing. Herman Hall's name, meanwhile, remained largely out of public focus, which is unfortunately a common outcome when a recognizable figure becomes associated with a tragedy. But for the Halls family, their sole focus remained on the loss itself and whether the legal system would hold someone accountable for his death. Although the DA's office hadn't formally charged Laci yet, the case was expected to move forward, and they were planning on sending the case to a grand jury for an indictment on April 14. But to everyone's shock, the grand jury presentation and any potential indictment never happened. On April 12, 2025, just two days before prosecutors were expected to take the case to a grand jury, Kyron Laci wasn't actually in Louisiana. He was about 300 miles away in Houston, Texas. According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded late that night to a weapons disturbance call after a family member reported that Kyron Lacey had gotten into an argument and fired a gun into the ground. By the time deputies arrived, Laci had already left in a vehicle. A short time later, authorities spotted the car and attempted a traffic stop. But officials say he fled, leading deputies on a pursuit. The chase ended when the vehicle crashed, and when deputies approached, they found that Laci was inside the car with an apparent self inflicted gunshot wound, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators also recovered a handgun from inside the vehicle. Harris county officials later say preliminary findings indicated he shot himself during the pursuit before the crash and that the body camera footage showed no shots were fired by police at the scene. News of Kyron Lacey's death prompted an immediate response from his family from LSU and from across the football world. Lacey's father, Kenny Laci, shared a public message urging parents to check on their children and to take mental health seriously, describing his son's death as a devastating loss and a reminder of how easily struggle can go unseen. In statements following his death, Laci's family also said he had been feeling overwhelmed amid the circumstances surrounding the case. LSU released its own statement mourning Laci and offering condolences to his family, teammates and coaches across the football community, former teammates, fans and commentators reacted with shock and grief. At the same time, public conversation reflected the complexity of the situation, with some focusing on mental health and others returning to the unresolved questions surrounding the crash that killed Herman hall, questions that by that point would no longer be answered in a courtroom. But months after Kyron Lacey's death, his lawyer did an interview and presented new evidence that changed everything.
- [13:21]
Vanessa Richardson
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- [13:27]
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- [14:29]
Katie Ring
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- [14:33]
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- [14:34]
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- [14:45]
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- [14:47]
Vanessa Richardson
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- [14:51]
Katie Ring
Free shipping and returns. No subscription required. Get started today@stitch fix.com in the fall of 2025, Kyron Lacy's former attorney did an interview where he presented new video footage from the day of the car crash. It shows the exact moment the fatal collision happens. But what stands out most is what isn't there. It turns out Laci's car wasn't even visible in frame when the impact occurred. In fact, he's eventually seen in frame on footage slowly approaching the accident and carefully driving around it. At the time of the actual collision, his vehicle was 72.6 yards behind the crash. Laci's lawyer admitted that he did pass multiple cars in a no passing zone, but that he was back in his proper lane 100 yards before the crash. But the video release that caused the most uproar was the body cam footage of an officer getting a written witness statement from the car that was in front of the car that swerved across lanes, colliding with the halls. The witness did say that he saw the charger move into his lane to pass other cars, so he decided to brake and pull to the side of the road. But he also said that he thought the woman driving behind him wasn't paying attention and was responsible for the crash. However, the final statement written by the officer never mentions this, and the witness refused to sign the statement. According to black Box car data, the woman behind him who collided into the halls had been tailgating him, was eating while driving, and didn't break until the very last half second. Laci's lawyer claimed that the driver was tailgating and distracted and didn't swerve to avoid Laci's maneuvers, but rather swerved to avoid hitting the truck in front of her. This matters because the state's theory had leaned on the idea of this chain reaction, that Laci's alleged driving maneuver set off a sequence that ended in Herman Hall's death. The footage doesn't answer every question about the driving behavior or decision making in the lead up, but it does clarify something the public argued about for months. At the moment of the fatal crash, Laci's vehicle is not shown near the collision, and there is no contact captured between his car and the vehicles that collided. And the timing of that clarity is hard to ignore. Lacey never saw it enter the public record. He never saw the conversation shift. And the case was never going to be tested in a court after his death. For Herman Hall's family, the loss was the same before the footage and after it, before the wider story, the one that had followed Lacey's name for months. The Release of that video became a late breaking piece of context that changed what could be said with certainty. With the release of the video footage, the focus of the story began to shift, not because the case was suddenly resolved, but because the questions had changed. For months, Kyron Lacy's name had dominated the narrative and shouldered all of the blame. But the video showing the moment of the collision without his vehicle anywhere in the frame complicated the idea that his driving was the main cause. If Laci's car was no longer part of the immediate sequence at the moment of impact, then attention naturally turned back to the vehicles that were specifically the Kia Cadenza that crossed the center line and collided head on with the car hall was riding in. Louisiana State Police have described the driver's maneuver as the direct cause of the fatal impact. But as of this recording, that driver has not been publicly identified and no separate criminal charges against them have been announced. The legal focus of this case never moved beyond the arrest of Laci. After his death, the criminal case against him could not move forward. Under Louisiana law, when a defendant dies before trial, any pending charges are dismissed automatically. That means that there was no trial, no jury, and no verdict. The case never reached the stage where evidence could be tested in court or where a judge or jury could weigh competing versions of what happened. It's also important to understand that while prosecutors were preparing to take the case to a grand jury, an indictment was never returned. So legally, this never reached the stage where a defense could challenge the state's theory through the full court process. Personally, I don't know how this would have played out in court. Lacy was absolutely in the wrong by speeding and passing cars in a no pass zone. But with the distance given, would they have found that he was completely at fault? Or would the driver behind the truck have been found responsible? I think it might have been a mix of both, but we will never know. What that leaves us with is something that can feel uncomfortable, a case without a legal conclusion. Kyron Lacey was never convicted, but he was also never cleared by a court anti never got to see the later footage become part of the public record or have it tested in court. And in the end, two families are left with very different kinds of grief. Herman Hall's family still mourning a life taken on an ordinary day. And Kyron Lacey's family mourning a young man whose life ended before the legal process could play out. Lastly, please drive safely. Getting to your destination seconds or even a few minutes earlier is not worth your life or going to jail for being the chain reaction in a crash or that takes someone else's life. And please, always pay attention while driving, even if you have driven that road a million times before. As always, we'll keep you updated on our socials Rimehouse24.7 if there are any more developments in this case, What did you think of tonight's case? Drop your thoughts and theories in the comments. And if you liked this episode, there's more where that came from. Stay tuned for another deep dive into the world of college scandals tomorrow night. If you haven't already.
- [20:46]
Follow us wherever you're listening rimehouse247 and make sure to follow us on social media rimehouse247 for real time updates, because the pursuit of justice never stops.
- [21:09]
Vanessa Richardson
Looking for your next listen. Hi, it's Vanessa Richardson and I have exciting news. Conspiracy Theories, Cults and crimes is leveling up starting the week of January 12th. You'll be getting two episodes every week. Wednesdays we unravel the conspiracy or the cult, and on Fridays we look at a corresponding crime. Follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen.