Harvey Updyke, who poisoned landmark oak trees at Auburn University, dies at 71

[Demovictory9]

(CNN)Harvey Updyke, the Alabama man who pleaded guilty in 2013 to poisoning Auburn University's landmark oak trees, has died.

His son, Bear Updyke, told AL.com that he died of natural causes in Louisiana on Thursday.
He was 71.

Updyke pleaded guilty to poisoning oak trees that drew generations of Auburn University football fans to Toomer's Corner after big victories. The incident, which happened in 2010, outraged Auburn fans.
He was sentenced to serve at least six months of a three-year sentence for criminal damage to an agricultural facility, the Lee County District Attorney said at the time.
As part of the sentence, he was put under five years of supervised probation, including a ban on attending any collegiate event or stepping on Auburn University property.

Auburn police arrested him for dousing the landmark trees on the edge of the Auburn campus with herbicide so potent that agronomists said they had little to no chance of survival.

Authorities first learned of the herbicide after a caller who identified himself as "Al from Dadeville" phoned into a Birmingham, Alabama, radio talk show, saying he had poisoned the renowned oaks after Auburn won a contentious November 2010 football game against the University of Alabama.
"Al" ended the call with "Roll Damn Tide," a battle cry for the University of Alabama.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/31/us/harvey-updyke-alabama-auburn-dead/index.html

[a kennedy]

1. This just mad me sick..........that tree killing.......

[stonecutter357]

2. tots and pears ! RTR!

[Paladin]

3. I hope he's reincarnated as an acorn.

Pass that on to "Bear" if you like.

[BeyondGeography]

4. That was a uniquely disgraceful act

Natural causes at 71? More like a prolonged drowning in his own bile.

[smirkymonkey]

5. Why would somebody do something like that?

What the hell did he have against trees? I'm glad he's dead.

[Iggo]

8. It ain't the trees that he hates. It's Alabama Football.

This country has a sickness.

[smirkymonkey]

9. So he takes it out on the trees. Makes sense.

Fuck him! I'm still glad he's dead. Anyone who sees fit to take their anger out on nature because of stupid fucking football game doesn't deserve to live in it.

[Iggo]

14. He would have taken it out on whatever was there that his "enemy" liked.

In this case, it was trees.

But his sickness was not that he hated trees.

[Elwood P Dowd]

10. He hated that Auburn came from down 24-0 to beat his Alabama team 28-27 in Tuscaloosa.

Led by led by Heisman Trophy winner, Cam Newton, Auburn went on to beat Oregon for the National Championship. Alabama football is like some sick cult-like religion with people like Harvey. Killing those 100-year-old oak tress made him a hero with many Bama fans.

[Iggo]

6. YOU.CAN'T.LIKE.SPORTSBALL.TEAMS.THAT.MUCH.

I forbid it.

[ret5hd]

7. Another fine example of genetic and mental superiority:

[Jeebo]

11. He was a Chad.

I just spent about a half hour watching "Karens Gone Wild" videos on YouTube. My definition of Karens and Chads would be people who are supposed to be adults whose priorities are all askew. I am an Alabama Crimson Tide fan, but Harvey Updyke made me ashamed to be a Crimson Tide fan. I always wanted to tell him that football isn't really important. It's just a game, dude. It's just a bunch of beefy 20-year-old boys pushing each other around for 60 minutes. Grow up, man. Same thing with all these Karens who go berserk over wearing a face covering. To all of them I say, Forget your rationalizations and excuses for not doing this simple thing that yields such big benefits for all of us, and just wear a mask when you're close to other people! Sheesh.

-- Ron

[GigiLeigh]

12. Toomer corner

These trees were a huge part of the Auburn fandom. They would roll these trees with toilet paper after a win. Which looked really cool. They tried to save the trees after the poisoning but weren't able to. In 2016 the newly planted trees were set on fire and had to replaced again. Such is football in Alabama.

[Ferrets are Cool]

13. Good Riddance

shit for brains