Harvey Updyke Pleads Guilty to Poisoning Toomer's Corner Trees, Will Serve Jail Time

Updyke pleaded guilty to desecrating a venerated object and damaging an animal or crop facility. That doesn’t sound like a badass crime at all. He’ll have to think of something more intimidating to tell other inmates.

Predictably, he’s barred from stepping foot on Auburn soil and can’t attend any sporting events.

"The plea deal ends a case that has gone on for more than two years since news of the poisoning of the oaks at the corner of the Auburn University campus broke in early 2011. The university plans to cut down the trees on April 23. Updyke’s attorney Andrew Stanley said his client apologized to the court, his family and the state of Alabama for the poisoning of the trees. “He was very remorseful about what he had done,” Stanley said. Stanley said Updyke met with his attorneys earlier this week and agreed to the plea deal. “Harvey was ready to get it behind him,” Stanley said."

Updyke famously called into Paul Finebaum’s show in January 2011 and, using the name Al from Dadeville, spoke of poisoning the trees after the previous season’s Iron Bowl. This probably isn’t how he saw the whole thing playing out.