Alabama fan who poisoned Auburn trees a no-show for court hearing
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An Alabama Crimson Tide fan convicted of poisoning famed oak trees at in-state rival Auburn University nearly a decade ago failed to attend a court hearing Wednesday on why he hasn't paid court-ordered restitution.
Lee County Judge Jacob Walker will decide at a later date whether to grant prosecutors' request to order the arrest of Harvey Updyke, 71, a retired Texas state trooper who lives in Louisiana.
Walker gave prosecutors a month to review a letter from Updyke's doctor saying he isn't well enough to travel to court.
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COURT DOCUMENTS: AUBURN TREE POISONER HARVEY UPDYKE HAS PAID $99 TOWARD SIX-FIGURE RESTITUTION
The letter said Updyke suffered from several ailments, including coronary disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes, strokes and depression.
DA: 'BAMA FAN WHO POISONED AUBURN TREES NOT MAKING REPAYMENT
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Updyke pleaded guilty in 2013 to poisoning trees at Auburn's Toomer's Corner following the 2010 Iron Bowl between the schools, which Auburn won 28-27. He was busted after calling into a local sports radio show under a false name to confess to the crime.
“I wanted Auburn people to hate me as much as I hate them,” he told a CBS News podcast earlier this year. “You know, there are several things in this world that I really and truly don’t like, and Auburn is one of them."
Updyke spent 76 days in jail and remained on probation for several years.
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He's paid only $6,900 of the $800,000 in restitution he was ordered to pay in penalties. In a Facebook post earlier this week, Updyke wrote that he planned to take a bus to Alabama and expected to be jailed.
He ended the post with “ROLL DAMN TIDE!!”