Justice For Hailey part. 27- Cobb County DA Meeting Update

Summary

Real Life Real Crime Podcast Summary
Episode: Justice For Hailey Part 27 - Cobb County DA Meeting Update
Release Date: May 22, 2025

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of Real Life Real Crime, host Woody Overton provides an in-depth update on the ongoing quest for justice in the Hailey case. This episode, titled "Justice For Hailey Part 27 - Cobb County DA Meeting Update," delves into the recent developments following a pivotal meeting with the Cobb County District Attorney (DA). Through a candid conversation with Ms. Barbara, a key advocate in Hailey's case, listeners gain exclusive insights into the hurdles, breakthroughs, and emotional toll involved in seeking justice for Hailey.

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The DA Meeting: A Turning Point

[01:00]
Woody Overton initiates the discussion by greeting Ms. Barbara, setting the stage for an update on the actions taken since their last call to action.

[01:13]
Ms. Barbara recounts the journey leading up to the meeting:
"I finally got a meeting with her through her assistant. It was set up for... a Friday afternoon." [01:51]

[01:56]
She describes the initial frustration:
"It felt like it was just going to be the same old, same old. And I was really kind of lost hope there for a minute." [01:56]
However, persistence paid off as Woody encouraged adherence to their strategic approach, leading to the DA beginning to listen.

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Unveiling the Hidden Truths

[02:21] - [08:34]
Woody and Ms. Barbara delve into the specifics of the DA meeting. Notably, it was the head DA herself, a rarity for such a large jurisdiction, accompanied by Jared Horowitz, an ADA previously involved with the case.

Key Points Discussed:

• Double Jeopardy Misconception:
  Ms. Barbara highlights the DA's initial reliance on the double jeopardy principle, mistakenly believing that because the defendant wasn’t tried for murder, proceeding further was legally barred. Woody clarifies:
  "He was never tried for her murder. He was tried for concealing the body and moving it." [05:28]

• Lack of Evidence Presentation:
  The DA admitted that the case was never presented to a grand jury as a homicide, leading to confusion and frustration:
  "He was never tried for her murder... It was never presented as a homicide." [06:28]

• Pathologist's Role:
  Ms. Barbara points out the pathologist initially ruled the death as a suicide without proper investigative input, which the experienced DA found implausible:
  "The pathologist can only go off of the information that he has... he didn't have it." [09:35]

• Emotional and Factual Overload:
  The detailed recounting of events by Barbara, Stella, and Tyler overwhelmed the DA, leading her to reassess the case from a fresh perspective.

Notable Quote: "I want to catch a cold. Basically. I want to be unbiased." - DA [03:03]

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Post-Meeting Developments: A New Hope

[10:05] - [27:45]
Following the meeting, Ms. Barbara sends a comprehensive email to the DA, outlining key misunderstandings and providing evidence to support the claim that the case warrants homicide charges. Highlights include:

• Definition Clarification:
  Emphasizing that double jeopardy doesn't apply as the charges are distinct:
  "He cannot be tried twice for the same offense, but he can be tried for a different offense." [27:44]

• Evidence Submission:
  Offering access to body cam footage, interviews, and crime scene photos to aid the DA's understanding and re-evaluation of the case.

[30:20] - [35:00]
Ms. Barbara shares a concerning incident where she received a call from an inmate supposedly connected to the case. This led to further communication with the prison authorities and raised red flags about contraband usage and possible tampering with evidence.

Key Developments:

• Inmate's Unauthorized Call:
  "He is trying to get me to send money for hygiene products and toiletries." [33:49]

• DA's Immediate Response:
  Demonstrating her commitment, the DA personally contacted Ms. Barbara on a Sunday to clarify the inmate's status, ensuring transparency and reassessing the situation:
  "I don't think he's in Cobb County. If he is, we don't know why and what's going on, but I will find out." [36:45]

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Key Takeaways and Insights

1. DA's Commitment to Justice:
   The Cobb County DA's personal involvement and dedication mark a significant shift in the case's progression. Her willingness to re-examine evidence and the transparent handling of communications demonstrate a newfound commitment to uncovering the truth.

2. Importance of Advocacy and Persistence:
   Ms. Barbara's relentless advocacy, supported by the podcast's call to action, underscores the critical role of community support and unwavering determination in pushing for justice.

3. Systemic Challenges:
   The episode highlights systemic issues within the legal process, such as miscommunication, improper case handling, and the misapplication of legal principles like double jeopardy, which can impede justice.

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Updates Post-Meeting

[41:12] - [54:56]
Ms. Barbara provides updates on recent communications and actions taken:

• Inmate's Appeal and Transfer:
  The DA verified that the inmate, Brooks, remained in Cobb County, undoing previous misinformation and confirming his presence in the local detention system.

• Enhanced Notifications:
  The DA ensured that Ms. Barbara and her team are now properly notified of any changes in Brooks' status, addressing previous oversight issues.

• Ongoing Investigations:
  The DA promised a thorough investigation, including reviewing all evidence and possibly revisiting witnesses, to ensure that Hailey's case is handled with the requisite diligence.

Notable Quote: "I am going to personally oversee it myself." - DA [43:59]

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Call to Action: Supporting the DA's Efforts

In a heartfelt plea, Woody Overton urges listeners to acknowledge and support the DA's commitment. He emphasizes the rarity and significance of having a DA personally invested in the case, encouraging listeners to:

• Commend the DA:
  "If you're so moved, go to her Facebook and give her some props because they don't often take this level of personal responsibility." [48:00]

• Engage with Media:
  Promote the DA's efforts by reaching out to news channels and social media to highlight her proactive stance, thereby reinforcing her determination and fostering a supportive community around Hailey's case.

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Conclusion: A Step Forward in the Pursuit of Justice

This episode marks a hopeful milestone in the Hailey case, showcasing the pivotal role of dedicated advocates and responsive legal officials. While the journey towards justice remains challenging, the commitment displayed by the Cobb County DA and the unwavering support from the community signal a promising direction. Real Life Real Crime continues to illuminate the path towards resolution, keeping listeners informed and engaged in the pursuit of truth and justice for Hailey.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "I want to catch a cold. Basically. I want to be unbiased." - DA [03:03]
• "He cannot be tried twice for the same offense, but he can be tried for a different offense." - Ms. Barbara [27:44]
• "I am going to personally oversee it myself." - DA [43:59]
• "If you're so moved, go to her Facebook and give her some props because they don't often take this level of personal responsibility." - Woody Overton [48:00]

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Final Thoughts:

This episode underscores the complexities and emotional depths inherent in real-life crime cases. Through meticulous storytelling and genuine engagement with key individuals involved, Real Life Real Crime offers listeners not just a narrative, but a call to action to support justice where it is long overdue.

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Thank you for tuning into Real Life Real Crime. Stay informed, stay engaged, and continue supporting the pursuit of justice.

Transcript

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[Woody Overton]

Hey, Ms. Barbara. Woody Overton. How are you?

[Ms. Barbara]

I'm okay. How are you doing?

[Woody Overton]

Well then. Well, I think it's been enough time where we can give the lifers an update, if you don't mind.

[Ms. Barbara]

Oh, no, yeah, definitely.

[Woody Overton]

All right. So when we did the call to action, then you got some responses from them. Let's talk about that first and how we led up to, you know, you meet with the DA and everything.

[Ms. Barbara]

Okay. So, you know, I, I guess there had been a lot of Facebook activity on her page and, you know, emails and that sort of thing. And so I finally got a meeting with her through her assistant. It was set up for. Gosh, I don't even remember now.

[Woody Overton]

Last couple weeks ago on a Friday. It was a Friday afternoon. Yep.

[Ms. Barbara]

Correct. So we met with her. Was frustrating in the beginning. It felt like it was just going to be the same old, same old. And I was really kind of lost hope there for a minute. But we kept on doing the things that you had told us to do and saying the things we were, you know, supposed to say. And eventually she started listening.

[Woody Overton]

Hey, so let's talk about that in detail for a second. So it was her. The. And this is the head da, not the ada, Right? It was her on the actual da. The actual da which is kind of unusual, especially for an area as big as the area that she controls. And then she had a guy in the room who I think had worked on the case previously as an ada.

[Ms. Barbara]

Yeah, he was. He's one of the assistant district attorneys that he came in on her case not at the very beginning, but kind of like midway through, I guess. His name is Jared Horowitz.

[Woody Overton]

Right. And so what she said. She said. She said, I don't. I didn't want to know anything about this case. I want to. I want to catch a cold. Basically. I'm kind of paraphrasing. I want to. Want to catch a cold. So I would be unbiased. And. And. And of course, it was you and. And Stella and Tyler. And really, she didn't know anything other than it's. It's. You know, he's in jail. She. She didn't really understand at that point, even when he was in jail for. I don't. I don't believe.

[Ms. Barbara]

But I don't think so.

[Woody Overton]

But she. All she knew was it was being. It was not being prosecuted as a homicide and what have you. Right, right. And that was. I understand that was a little frustrating. And then she was like, well, y' all tell me what happened. And then it was kind of getting a little convoluted because, you know, everybody's excited and emotions are. Right. And then we were like, bring it back home. Just tell her the facts. Tell her the story. And. And when y' all did that, everything from, you know, him running downstairs and about Mazda and getting kicked out of the bar that day and all the stuff, and the more information y' all gave her, the more she was like, what? Wait, what? And then she stated. She said, I want you to know, I was a cop for 30 years, not a district attorney. And. And so I believe she started looking at it from the cop standpoint. And then she was like, really? Like, what the. You know, and she didn't know about his behavior on the scene. She didn't know about him calling Haley a bitch by accident during the 911 phone call when he's doing all the fake crying. Um, she didn't know about the shotgun being hidden. She didn't. I mean, she didn't know anything. The body being moved. And you talked. I think maybe Tyler said. You know, they said it was the most whole intact brain, and her body was moved across the room. And the. She. She didn't know that they had given you all the evidence.

[Ms. Barbara]

Right.

[Woody Overton]

And she was kind of freaking out on it at some point. Is she. In the beginning, she had turned back to that guy, whatever it was. Oh, no. She started out with the double jeopardy thing. Let's talk about that. She. She said, oh, this is double jeopardy. And. And, you know, there's Nothing we can do. And you were like, he was never tried for her murder. He was tried for concealing the body and moving it. And then she, she said, well, you know, back to the double jeopardy thing. And we're like, nope. And then she finally turned. That guy was like, did you present to the grand jury as a homicide? And he was like, oh, the. You know, someone as far as. Well, fuck, no, they didn't. They didn't do it. So it's not double jeopardy. He's never been. It was never presented as a homicide, even if it had gone to the grand jury. And they said, bring me more evidence. That. That doesn't make it double jeopardy.

[Ms. Barbara]

Right, exactly. That's what I don't understand where they're coming up with double jeopardy anyway because, you know, he was convicted on concealing the death of another, but there's been many people that are convicted of that, plus murder. So it's not the same charge. It's not even in the same category.

[Woody Overton]

Right. And the main, the thing is that she wasn't aware. So what I believe happened is that guy told her ahead of time that this is a double jeopardy case. Right. And then finally when she turns to him, it's like, did you take it to the grand jury as a homicide? He was like, well, well, no, you didn't. Right. And then it was such a telling phone call. The more information y' all gave, everything from him wiping his hands on table and everything until the GSR test to the. The having to have changed clothes and, and you know, the Bucky, the neighbor not saying that he was wearing the same shirt. She didn't even know the time frame that he had been. He was kicked out sitting outside at 8:30. And then it was approximately 10 something when the neighborhood. The gunshot. And it was 10 to 15 minutes later that he's running. She was like, what? And you know, she didn't know they had hired a psychologist. The top guy in the world that said, this dude's just lying. This is not trauma, grief, it's not whatever. And again, to the point where, you know why you asked the question, hey, if it was a suicide, why didn't he just say it was a suicide?

[Ms. Barbara]

Exactly.

[Woody Overton]

And, and exactly what kind of person.

[Ms. Barbara]

I mean, why would you. And why wouldn't you get help immediately?

[Woody Overton]

Right?

[Ms. Barbara]

I don't know what happened. It. Sometimes it just drops. Crawls out here. So I don't know.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah.

[Ms. Barbara]

I don't know what happens. We're in the woods.

[Woody Overton]

Devil just wants fight. So we're. We're going to start again. You ready?

[Ms. Barbara]

Yes.

[Woody Overton]

Not all over, but. All right. Okay. So. And it was a. It was a long phone call, but she didn't know about any of it. And the. The more details you gave, the more. I mean, involved she became. What else was there? I mean, she didn't finally. I mean, I think she even asked that guy the. Yeah, what did you try more or. Oh. And when. When y' all said that he got convicted for the concealing the death and the destruction of the property, she's like, that's it. That's all he's got. And, and. And he told him how. Everybody said, including the ADAs and the cops, and everybody said, we played the recordings for everybody. Everybody said it was a homicide and.

[Cindy]

She didn't know about the pathologist.

[Woody Overton]

That was a huge part. And said, tell her about the pathologist. And he said, the pathologist originally ruled it as a suicide, but he didn't have any information. There was no detective with him when he did it. It was just like she said, I don't understand that. She said, My 30 years of doing it, you always had to have the detective there with the information, with the body to tell it, she said, because the pathologist can only go off of the information that he has. Well, he didn't have it.

[Ms. Barbara]

And then I think she almost didn't even believe that he didn't have it because it was just so.

[Woody Overton]

And she asked that guy and he was like, oh.

[Ms. Barbara]

Because he said, yeah, I was really disappointed in him.

[Woody Overton]

I tell you what, his ass was in a crack. I think he was. He thought he was going to waltz in there on the double jeopardy and sweep you under the rug. And that's the truth. This is my personal feeling. I think he thought he's going to get away with that. But he didn't expect her to spend an hour and a half on the phone with y' all and. And listen to everything. And it was a lot. And there was a lot of. A lot of high emotions. And yeah, she's like, okay, y' all gotta quit talking over each other. And she listened that. She listened to you, she listened to Stella, and she listened to Tyler. And you continue to make valid point after valid point. And when the second autopsy part, you know, talked about not having the damage to the tongue and, you know she's a 0.25 and she would have been passed out. Right, right. And then the. The. For the pathologist to come back once he received all the information and change it from. From suicide to undetermined. I mean, I got. I. I felt like it clicked in her brain. Well, you know, that is a victory. Even that. Then the guy was like, well, you know, it's just. It's just hard. The defense attorney's gonna say this, and the defense attorney's gonna say that.

[Cindy]

Well, yeah, that's what they do.

[Ms. Barbara]

Yeah. Every defense attorney in history has said that their guy's innocent.

[Cindy]

Absolutely.

[Woody Overton]

And you can't be scared of a fight. Right. And somebody punches you in the mouth. Either you lay down and you're a little bitch, or you punch back. And in the. When she heard that, I think it just totally blew her mind. And she was like, I'm gonna. I'm gonna read this myself, and I'm going, you know, to do this myself, and I want to get to the bottom of this. And she said, I can't promise you, you know, one way or another, but she said, I can promise you this. My chief investigator, my chief top guy is going to be digging into it. She said, I'm going to listen to everything and read everything. And you were like, would you please just start at the beginning? Because there was a lot of skipping around. Just start at the beginning. It's all on video. You don't have to read. Oh, you actually, you told her about the podcast. We're like, the podcast is covering. She said, oh, I know, basically, because all the lifers that have been calling and doing whatever, but, you know, the. The She's. You said, please start at the beginning. It's all on video. It's all on audio. It's the cop stuff. It's nothing. We made up and just watch it. And, you know, you told about him. Him joking with the cops and him saying, well, when. When the cops got there, she was standing up like, what the fuck? And she was like, what the fuck? And she didn't say fuck, but she was like, what the. And then the more went on, that guy just had to sit there and suck high and hit. Right. That ADA that handled it before, and he was. She is actually my. In my opinion, she got kind of like where she was pissed off at him. I can't believe you set me up for this. Even though I said I didn't want to know anything about it. I can't believe I don't know all these facts. Yeah, right.

[Ms. Barbara]

And one thing that really made me mad is because I asked him in there. Like, I said, why did y' all lie to me about finding the shirt he was wearing? And he acted like, well, we. Like, I Misunderstood. It is flat out recorded in the meeting where they said, we did not find a bloody shirt.

[Woody Overton]

Right. Right. And that's the. And. And that's was another little nugget for her to be like, holy shit, I can't trust what this guy's telling me. He's trying to sweep it, you know, and of course, it wasn't her time. It wasn't her fault, she wasn't inland. And again, I'll say it again, her being a 30 year cop gives me goosebumps. Because you become a cop because you want to help people, you know?

[Ms. Barbara]

Right.

[Woody Overton]

And I understand you become jaded over time. You become a cop because you want to help people and your heart's good and pure. And I understand over time you get jaded. Right. You get hardened because of things happen and the. But you're still a cop and you still want justice. Now, if you're aspiring to be the district attorney and where you get to really hammer people and go for justice, then I believe she has that in her heart. You know, I think so, too. But let's talk about this real quick. Cindy, hand me this note. She started out the call talking about the new court thing and asking y' all, did y' all know he had a new court date?

[Ms. Barbara]

Right. And we did not.

[Woody Overton]

Right. And. And that. And then it went from there. That's when she started with the whole double jeopardy thing.

[Ms. Barbara]

Yeah. And I guess he doesn't have a new court date, but he has filed for a new appeal.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah.

[Ms. Barbara]

Two days. Two days before the meeting.

[Woody Overton]

Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

And we weren't notified. Well, of course, we're never notified of anything.

[Woody Overton]

Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

You know, from our victims advocate, Cindy.

[Woody Overton]

So, yeah, so the. In the end, y' all. Ms. Barbara and Told. I mean, of course you can't tell that Haley story an hour and a half or whatever, but for the district attorney of Cobb county, which is huge to. Yes, she. She probably has 20 ADAs underneath for I don't know how many investigators. And she. She was 100%. Well, first of all, you said, all I want is Haley's case to be investigated as it should have been. And again, that's not on her. That they. They did what they did or didn't do what they did. And it. I truly believe if she goes back and listens to how we put together in the podcast, especially with all the top people saying, yeah, we're going to get this murder. I don't know how long it's going to take. We're going to get this. It's a murder data and the, you know, I think she's going to do what she said she's going to do. But, and we're kind of paraphrasing all this, y' all, but she definitely said that she's putting her top guy. Now this is going to be if I, if I get elected as district attorney. You already got district attorney investigators in there and you may keep some of them, but you're going to have somebody that helps you get elected that is a top cop, a top detective. That, that's going to be your go to guy.

[Cindy]

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[Woody Overton]

Because these kinds of capes, these apes, acute political emergencies, which we made it because all the lifers melted their shit. And you know she is going to put, she now knows she can't trust what they were telling her, you know, oh, it's double bullshit. It's not double jeopardy, right. And, and now you're telling me you didn't even present to the grand jury as a homicide and he wasn't, wouldn't even give a straight answer on that. And then she was outraged about the, the, you know, the charges that he got, the time that he got and everything else. And it was just a, it was a lot of information. Y' all imagine all the different episodes trying to squeeze that in. Ms. Barbara. And then we're trying to squeeze that in in an hour, hour and a half, however long it was. And, but at the end the I, she, she said I am going to read this personally, personally myself, I'm going to get the file and go through it page by page by myself. And that's when you're like, it's on the podcast. It's all in chronological order. Basically, it's already done for you. Right. It was just facts. We didn't speculate. We didn't make shit up. We played everything that he did. And she's got to go back and watch or. And have her investigator watch the phone calls from the jail, the body cams from. From the cops, everything that we did over all those weeks and on real life, real crime. So.

[Ms. Barbara]

Right. It was, you know, I don't think. Well, it's hard for me to do it in order like you did it, so.

[Woody Overton]

Right, right. Well, you know, you have a lot of emotions on that phone call. This is a shot. This is what you've been waiting on for a couple of years and when nobody would touch it. Right. And it all came about because you put the trust in me to do the podcast. And the life was. Fell in love with Haley and with y' all and from around the world, they blew her up and so on. On that phone call, she acknowledged the podcast and she wasn't mad about it. She was like, oh, I know. I mean, they're on my page just all the time. And she said, I promise you I'm going to personally read this. Right? I'm going to personally take this under my wing. She said, I can't promise you that. That you know, any specific outcome, but I promise you it will be done correctly. Now let's talk about that for a minute. That's a lie. That's a lot of stuff that wasn't done. And I believe going back and talking to Mazda is absolutely key at this point, because time has gone by, they're no longer communicating or whatever going. If they can find witnesses from the Anchor Bar, they can talk to the neighbors. They can just. There was so much. And you better believe somebody in that evidence room is going to get their ass chewed out that the. And they'll be writing new policy procedures about them giving.

[Ms. Barbara]

She did ask. She asked who gave me that evidence.

[Woody Overton]

That's right. You know why? Because they're probably unemployed. But they have to take that into consideration and moving forward too. But the. And she promised. She promised and I believe her. She promised she was going to do this herself. She was going to read herself. That's why she wants to be unbiased. She was going to read it herself. Then she's going to get as. And give it to her. To her top guy, not their top guy from before, her top guy in perceived now y' all. Any true homicide investigation, especially when you're. You're coming in after the fact, you don't have. They don't. We'd love to all see resolved today. It's not going to be resolved today. And that's why we didn't do the drop that day is, is because we need to give them time to prove themselves. Right. And it takes time to work a case correctly.

[Ms. Barbara]

Yes. And I mean, that's, that's. I just feel like if they, if, if she's true to her word and they really look into it, there's no way that they can't see what happened.

[Woody Overton]

I absolutely agree. And that's what you even talked to one point about it being a circumstantial case. And people get convicted on circumstantial cases every day. And she's going to know that. I think it's, it's great that she's new. I think it's great that she's a cop or was a cop first and that you could tell when she started flipping the script on that, on that ada, she was like, this shit doesn't work for me. She didn't say that, but she was like, you told me basically this is a double jeopardy case. I'm thinking this is what she's thinking. You told me basically this is a double jeopardy case, and I'm basically trying to get on here and explain that to this family and try to get all these people off my Facebook and quit calling my office and sending emails and, and all that. And then in the end, she was like, you know, I am so sorry for your loss. I am so sorry you're going through this. And I can promise you. I can't promise you the outcome, but I can promise you it's going to be done correctly and I'm going to personally oversee it myself. Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

So that's what I mean. And that's.

[Woody Overton]

That's right. And then she, then she ended it with. She said about all the social media and phone calls and emails. She was like, you know, can you please have your people not blow me up in the negative and clog my feeds and everything else until I have a chance to. Until I have a chance to do what I said I'm going to do. So what I want to do now, before we discuss what happened after that, another reason we didn't do an episode right away is. Hold on one second. She was, you know, she had the. Another reason we didn't. Haven't done an episode since then is because it's now been approximately two weeks and I want to see what else was going to happen or she was going to Call back or what? You know, what was it wasn't going to happen. So we'd have more to talk about. So let's talk about as time advance the immediately though, you got off the phone and you collected your thoughts and we talked and you sent an email. Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

Right.

[Woody Overton]

And do you have that email by chance in front of you?

[Ms. Barbara]

I sent. Just sent it to Cindy and to you.

[Woody Overton]

Okay, let me see if I can pull it up. I want to read it to him. Do you mind if I read it?

[Ms. Barbara]

Oh, no, that's fine.

[Woody Overton]

In the end, I want everybody to hear it. One second. Okay, y' all, this is what it says. And her name is Ms. Allen. Hi, Ms. Allen. I want to say thank you for taking the time to meet with us today. There's so much to her case that it makes it hard to say everything or get everything in. So there were just a couple things I want to say. One is that I looked up the definition of double jeopardy and every definition is the same. He cannot be tried twice for the all capital same offense, but he can be tried for a all capital different offense. There are many cases in Georgia where someone was convicted of concealing the death of another and murder. So they are definitely not the same offense. Second, I would ask that you please look at all the footage from the interrogation and body cam, not just transcripts, because it's very telling. I know I keep dwelling on the podcast, but he has all the body cam, the interviews, crime scene photos, etc. And he tells it and shows it in a chronological manner that makes it easier to understand. He solved several cold cases recently on Dateline and on Cold Case Files. Third, I'm going to send you the things that I have. I have a meeting I have recorded with the ADA detective on her case and other investigators from Cobb County, I believe. And I have the call from Stephanie Green and Detective Needy informing me that they were going to charge him with concealing death and not murder. I wasn't happy, but it's the truth of the call. I'll send these things later because I have to transfer them. I have to transfer them to a file. I will send the sheet with a lot of the points of concern for us. I also hired a private detective who did interviews with the leasing manager and a few of the residents. I'll send the screenshots of my next door messages with the apartment resident to contact. You contacted me. Thank you for again for taking time for her. Barbara Johnson. So all right, y' all, that happened, right? And then this weekend, Barbara texted me. Ms. Barbara texted me and tell me what happened this weekend.

[Ms. Barbara]

Okay. So I think it was Friday. I was driving, and I got a call, and it said. He said, I'm an inmate, and I'm calling for. With a message from Brandon.

[Woody Overton]

Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

And so I just wasn't, like, my mind wasn't there. I was like, well, I don't know what Brandon. And I hung up on him.

[Woody Overton]

But. But it said what place he was at.

[Ms. Barbara]

Yeah. So later I looked, and it said, Sylvania, Georgia, which is right where Brooks is.

[Woody Overton]

Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

So I called the next day. It was Saturday by the time I realized all this. And so I called the prison to tell them, you know, I got a call, and it's weird because it's from where Brooks is in your prison. And I. You know, I don't know why he would be calling me or what's going on.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah, I told you. Actually, I told you to call the security at the prison and let them know you were. So when you called the prison, what'd they say?

[Ms. Barbara]

And so at first, they just said, he's not here, which freaked me out because I couldn't figure out what. Why the world he wouldn't be in prison where he says he is. So I called back several times, and eventually, I guess, drove the girl crazy, because that's my M.O. but, you know, finally she said, well, he's got a. He's at a court date.

[Woody Overton]

Hey, real quick. Before that, in the beginning, they were like, no, no. None of our inmates have cell phones they could have called you from. Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

Oh, that's later.

[Woody Overton]

Okay. I'm sorry.

[Ms. Barbara]

Yeah, the warden said that. So anyway, so I. You know, finally she said, you know, I. I doubt if he's out, but, you know, well, I'll pass this along or something. So, anyway, then not too long after that, the warden himself called me and said that he is. He is out on court and that he called Cobb county and checked, and, yes, he is in Cobb County. So at least we knew he was still locked up.

[Woody Overton]

Once again, though, per your victim's advocate, they're supposed to notify you anytime the dude gets transferred or anything else. But that didn't happen. Right?

[Ms. Barbara]

Right.

[Woody Overton]

So he's in Cobb County.

[Ms. Barbara]

Right. And so then the warden said, but nobody in my prison has a contraband phone.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah.

[Ms. Barbara]

So. Because I asked, well, like, how would he get my. How would they get my number? So, anyway, so then I. I called the number back because I was thinking, well, if it's not in prison, then where is it and why Is he calling me?

[Woody Overton]

Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

I called the number back, and it was in prison. And he. He gets hygiene supplies for the inmates.

[Woody Overton]

And that's what he told you?

[Ms. Barbara]

Exactly.

[Woody Overton]

He said, I'm in charge of getting hygienes and supplies basically shipped from the canteen for other inmates, which is a crock of shit. Which.

[Ms. Barbara]

One thing that they did tell me when I called, because at first they didn't know who Brooks Cleary was or she wasn't. And she said, we have a Michael Cleary. I said, well, that's his middle name. And I guess that's what he goes by in prison. So. But anyways, so the guy. When I'm on the phone with the guy from prison, but, you know, he's basically trying to get money from. Get me to send money.

[Woody Overton]

We're talking about. We're talking about an inmate. We're talking about the same guy that called you from the cell phone originally.

[Ms. Barbara]

Yes.

[Woody Overton]

Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

So he's trying to get me to send money for. And he doesn't. I guess he stole the phone or whatever after Brooks, you know, I guess. I don't know. He stole it. But anyway. But he obviously doesn't know who I am or hasn't really talked to Brooks about it because he would know that I wouldn't be sending Brooks money for.

[Woody Overton]

Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

Or supplies.

[Woody Overton]

And, I mean, y' all just goes to show you the. I've said this in the past, convicts have 24 hours a day, seven. Seven days a week, 365 a year, to figure out how to scam people and try to get over on Mondays money. So the. You know, whether Brooks had the phone with your phone number in it, I don't know that that fact, it's in itself is disturbing.

[Ms. Barbara]

That's what bothers me is why would he have my phone number in a contraband phone that he has in prison?

[Woody Overton]

But. And then when you. You asked him about Brooks, he was like, oh, wait, he lost his phone privileges right? Now he can't make the call, right.

[Ms. Barbara]

At first. Well, when I said Brooks, he said. He said, I don't know. And he hung up on me. But I called back and then he said. He said. I said. Because they had told me he goes by Michael. I said, well, what about Michael? He goes, oh, Michael, yeah. And then he goes, well, he lost his phone privileges. Can you. You know, he needs money for some. Some hygiene products and toiletries and things because he just got here. Which means he doesn't know who Brooks is anyway.

[Woody Overton]

Right? Right. Another thing is, y' all, when you Send money into an inmate account. You can say it's for toothpaste or whatever, but they're gonna spend it on chips and Cokes and tuna fish and whatever else.

[Ms. Barbara]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

So then what happened?

[Ms. Barbara]

So I just told the guy, look, you know, I can't send any money. So I talked to him and I didn't tell him, you know, who I was or what was going on or anything. So then I called or I sent an email and called the DA and left messages. And I was really, really angry because, you know, if he's got a new court date and we don't even know about it and we weren't, you know, we weren't even there or whatever. I was really mad, right? But I didn't, you know, expect anything until Monday. And what happened Sunday? I got a call from the DA herself.

[Woody Overton]

On a Sunday morning, the head lady again, y' all, this is not an underling. This is not one her assistance. She. On a Sunday morning, this lady who, who graciously took that long, long on the phone call and I feel she turned the page. The one that was a cop for 30 years. On a Sunday morning, she calls Ms. Barbara.

[Ms. Barbara]

Yes. And she said, I don't think he's in Cobb County. If he is, we don't know why and what's going on, but I will find out. So. And just give me a few, give me a little bit and I'll figure out what's going on.

[Woody Overton]

Can you imagine the. The da? I mean, I have a lot of friends that are district attorneys.

[Cindy]

Hey, lifers, Woody Overton here and I want to talk to y' all about something that's come up around our house more than once lately.

[Woody Overton]

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[Cindy]

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[Woody Overton]

We couldn't figure out why.

[Cindy]

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[Woody Overton]

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[Cindy]

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[Woody Overton]

And they don't call me on Sunday morning about anything. Right, right.

[Ms. Barbara]

I was shocked. I was really shocked. And so anyway, so she said, let me find out. And then she called me back probably maybe 10, 15 minutes later. And what had happened from his appeal, which was months ago, he never got transferred back to the prison.

[Woody Overton]

So he's been sitting.

[Ms. Barbara]

So he's been there.

[Woody Overton]

Yep. Sitting in Cobb county and you didn't even know.

[Ms. Barbara]

And so the.

[Woody Overton]

Already real quick, didn't she send an email that you sent or something? You sent me a screenshot of it where she was like she sent it to her people. Did you. Do you have that?

[Ms. Barbara]

And yeah, let me see. I think I have that.

[Woody Overton]

Let's see if I have it in front of me or I.

[Ms. Barbara]

No, she didn't send it. She just told me. But she. I think.

[Woody Overton]

No, I saw it. I read it.

[Ms. Barbara]

Maybe she didn't.

[Woody Overton]

The. Let me check my emails real quick. See Armor.

[Ms. Barbara]

But she did. She did have it in all caps that, you know.

[Cindy]

It'S important.

[Woody Overton]

It's important because she also gave a directive in it. Hold on. Let's see. All right, that's not that one. Barbara Johnson. Barbara Johnson.

[Ms. Barbara]

I'm sure you get a bunch of Barbara Johnson.

[Woody Overton]

Oh, I do. The green. But anyway, y' all. Basically what it said was the, the. What I saw was she sent out and it may have been the text, I don't remember. But she sent it out to all the people and says, we don't know where. Paraphrasing. We don't know where he is, and I want to know now. And she said something to her head guy. She's. Oh, the. The. She sent it to her head. A victim's advocacy night. Now, they might have 20 people that are handling the case or 50 that are handling the victims. Advocates for Cobb County. Each one assigns a case. She sent it to her head guy and said, I want you to take this case personally. Do not give it to anyone else. You are to notify Ms. Barbara of everything that happens from this point on. Not one of your underlings. Right, right. Anyway, back to it. She found out he was in Cobb county. Never been transferred. Nobody knew it. And.

[Ms. Barbara]

But I mean, yeah, the judge was angry that he was Even brought there for the day for the, the appeal hearing because he said, you know, it cost taxpayers money to transfer him here. I already told, you know, he was, he got on to the attorney, like really reprimanded her for bringing him there after he told her not to.

[Woody Overton]

Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

So he was already mad that he was even brought there. And she said, well, he'll be really mad that he's been here this long.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah. And that's, that's just attorney saying that. She's like, she wait till the judge finds it out. He's been sitting here this whole time and the taxpayers are paying for it. So the. Anyway, they, it. I just think it was pretty amazing that she calls you several times on a Sunday. She sends that thing to her head victims advocate guy and said, you handle this personally from now on.

[Ms. Barbara]

I was so impressed. Yes. That was incredibly kind not to leave us hanging all weekend and trying to figure out, you know, if he had had a court date or what was going on because, you know, everything's going through my mind. How did he get an appeal? Is there something wrong with the pain? What's going on? You know, so I was very concerned.

[Woody Overton]

Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

So it was really good that she called and put our mind.

[Woody Overton]

Pretty amazing and kind of mind blowing in a way for me because I've never heard of it and in all the years I've been doing. So do you have anything you want to add or take away? Because I want to do a call to action now, but it's, it's going to be totally different than any call to action I've ever done.

[Ms. Barbara]

Okay. Now, I mean just, I just again was really, you know, thankful. We've already gotten updates. He has been transferred back to the prison. But we, she set us up on the system that we should have been set up on the beginning.

[Woody Overton]

Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

But you know, we've, I feel like they, you know, at least we, we know now what's going on and you.

[Woody Overton]

And I haven't talked about it. So they did ship them back this week and you've been notified yesterday or day before. Yes, they did that. Now, now not only is Haley's case being investigated properly now, you're being notified properly and you know, just. Attorney called you at least two separate times on a Sunday morning for, I mean, I'm sure she's got family too and to get going on over the weekend, etc. And the, you know, she's, she, I wholeheartedly believe she's taking full interest in this case and we can't again we can't promise that they're going to turn around and do whatever, but I can promise you they're working it. Which is what you wanted in the beginning.

[Ms. Barbara]

Exactly. And, you know, she's. She was just really, really kind to do that. And we, you know, now we at least have. Are set up on the system so we know what happens if he's moved or, you know, whatever. So I feel like that's. That's a step in the right direction, too. But. But I. I'm praying she'd never. She never said anything about the case, and it was a Sunday, and I didn't ask her about the case.

[Woody Overton]

Right. Well, she was. The, The. The issue at that time was exactly where the hell is Brooks and. And this inmates calling me from prison. Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

He did say that. She did say that. She also found it concerning that he had my number in the burner phone, so.

[Woody Overton]

Absolutely. And I agree with that. So, that being said, we are way, way, way far ahead where we were when we started this case.

[Ms. Barbara]

Yes.

[Woody Overton]

Right. And. And you want to say anything to the lifers before I did the call.

[Ms. Barbara]

To action, I cannot. I just can't. Again, I, I know I say the same thing over and over, but I can't thank you enough. I can't thank you enough for, for helping us in the fight and just being an army for Haley, but even more so just for. For, you know, coming to know Haley and the. Think about her like, you know, we get sunset pictures and people constantly, no matter where they're at and what they're doing, they post, you know, justice for Haley. That. That in itself touches us like you cannot imagine. We are so grateful. So grateful.

[Woody Overton]

And. And y' all, I know she means that from the bottom of her heart and as Stella and Tyler also. Right.

[Ms. Barbara]

And yes, we are forever grateful to you always. Thank you so much.

[Woody Overton]

And right now it's been a win just because of. We got traction and we're moving forward. Of course, ultimately, the goal is to get the murder indictment, and at least we know it's being worked. And we will continue to give you all updates when we have enough information to put an episode together. So it's not over. It's not over. So what we would like. I would like to ask you all to do now is something I've never done before. The. What's her name, Ms. Allen.

[Ms. Barbara]

Sonia Allen.

[Woody Overton]

Sonia Allen. And Cindy posted in the notes, will post on social media. I think as. As hard as she was smoked and being new in the office, especially on Facebook, the I think we ought to give her a shout out. I think y' all lifers, if you're so moved, do get on her Facebook and say, hey, they just did an episode on Real Life, Real Crime, about all the great things that you're doing, even though, you know, you couldn't promise anything and. But how you took the time and listened to them, how you said you're going to look into it yourself, how you even took the time to call Ms. Barber twice on a Sunday when. When the other stuff. When we know where Brooks was. Whatever y' all want to say, give her some props because, you know, they don't go.

[Ms. Barbara]

I feel almost bad because she stopped posting on Facebook things because I think a lot of it, it wasn't just this case, but there was another case, and she just was getting so much negativity, she's kind of stopped posting. So.

[Woody Overton]

So you know what? And I don't want. I don't. We don't. We certainly want Haley's case to be worked and work correctly. And I think that the. We don't want somebody else's family to miss out because they're gunshot. Because we smoked them. And that's the truth. We smoked them. Or lifers. Lifers smoked them. Y' all answered the call to action, so let's give her some. Atta boys, is what we call them. Atta boy. Way to go. Ms. Sonya Allen. You're awesome. Thank you. We understand you're looking into it personally and you've been personally responsible. Whatever y' all want to say. You just heard everything we said. You've been called her. You've been responsible, you know, to her. We can't believe a district attorney would take the time themselves to do this. Pump it up, y' all. And you know what? You probably get another news story out of that, to be honest with you, because it's just unheard of.

[Cindy]

And she deserves credit.

[Woody Overton]

To her credit, she deserves credit. And wherever it goes, it's going to go anyway, but only because she's doing it. But she deserves credit to this point, I think.

[Ms. Barbara]

Yes, yes. I thank her, too, and, you know, you know, feel very, very thankful for. For her, what she's already done. Of course, you know.

[Woody Overton]

Yep. The. The. I mean, the rest is gonna mean she's gonna. I. I believe her when she says she's. She's looking into it personally and they're going to go back and. And dig all the stuff. The thing is that takes a minute. I mean, this case, Hayden's case, has been going on this long for a reason. Right? So if y' all would. We'll post it in social media, post links. We'll do whatever. Give them atta boys. And you know what? Send it back to the news channels that I think that we should just as you send. Send one to. To Ms. Allen on Facebook or the DA's office or whatever, send it back to news channels because this is newsworthy. You actually got a politician that. That gives a damn and isn't trying to sweep it under the rug now and is being responsive. You know what? She deserves that kind of accolades.

[Cindy]

You know why?

[Woody Overton]

Because that's going to make her work even harder for justice.

[Ms. Barbara]

Yeah. Yeah. And it is, you know, it is refreshing to see so. Because I'm telling you, the other. The other guy was the same old same.

[Woody Overton]

He tried. He was trying to crawl, fish out of that room, man. It was. It was embarrassing for him. And I bet when he went in there, he didn't have any idea it was gonna go like that. He thought it was gonna be a, you know, dumb family that they could just wish away with a double jeopardy clause and all that. But y' all stood your ground, and I was so proud of you.

[Ms. Barbara]

Thank you. Well, it was all.

[Woody Overton]

Well, we love y' all and we're gonna. Now this call to action goes out, and y' all, please, please, please, do the news media, do the. Specifically do the DA's website, and. And it'll pump her up even more. Right? Because then she realizes, hey, you know what? She. She's not doing it for your accolades, but she's a human being and it'll motivate them even more. Wouldn't it be great for the news to go to them and ask her about the good stuff she did for once instead of the stuff that's not been done?

[Ms. Barbara]

Exactly. And it's got to be hard for her to constantly have, you know, negativity. So it would be nice when she does something good that she gets positive.

[Woody Overton]

Absolutely. And I agree. Barbara. Ms. Barbara, we love you. And tell the girls we love them.

[Ms. Barbara]

And we love you and Cindy and all the lifers, and thank you million times again.

[Woody Overton]

Thank you. Yes. And, hey, lifers, take screenshots of your post and put them on social media. That. That'll motivate other people to, if you so inclined, that'll mother other life, motivate other lifers to step up and do the same. And that's it. You have anything else, Ms. Barbara?

[Ms. Barbara]

No. Thank you so much.

[Woody Overton]

All right, well, love you very much and. And hang in there. This is a war in. It's not going to be over in a day. We know that. But I have faith. Okay.

[Ms. Barbara]

Okay. Thank you so much.

[Woody Overton]

All right, lifers. Love and appreciate each and every one of y' all. Thank you for liking and listening and sharing. And please continue to do so. Please, if you're so inclined, send emails and texts and call the news and in the DA's office and get tell the positive story on Haley's case. Now what's been done? And that's it. And I'm Woody Overton, the host. Real Life will crown the podcast until next time or ever. Don't let me catch you down. Murder by you. Peace.

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