Life Means Life
Bloody Angola: A Podcast by Jim Chapman9 Nov 2023

Life Means Life

In today's podcast episode of Bloody Angola we tell you 3 short stories of Life at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola including the story of Warden John Whitley who started his professional life and ended it at Angola, the story of Billy Blake Johnson who lost his life attempting to escape Angola, and the Prison View Golf Course which makes "Life" better for the Correctional Officers at Angola.#bloodyangolapodcast #LifemeansLife #JohnWhitley #Podcast #LouisianastatepenitentiaryGET FREE BREAKFAST FOR LIFE AT HELLOFRESH!HelloFresh delivers step-by-step recipes and fresh, pre-portioned ingredients right to your door. First, you set your meal plan preferences with options for carnivores, vegetarians, calorie-counters, and more. You'll choose from 30+ delicious weekly recipes carefully put together by the amazing chefs!Click Here to get FREE breakfast FOR LIFE!www.Hellofresh.com/BloodyAngolafreeTRANSCRIPTBLOODY ANGOLA PODCAST: LIFE MEANS LIFE
Jim: Hey, everyone. Welcome back to Bloody Angola, a podcast, 142 years in the making the complete story of America's bloodiest prison. And I'm Jim Chapman. Woody Overton could not join us today. We're working on some big, big stuff. And Woody's on assignment, that's all I can say. But there's going to be some really big stuff coming around the bend for everybody, so look forward to that. And I thought today, it would be fun to tell you some of the stories of Angola that you may not be familiar with, that aren't necessarily stories that can fill up, like, a whole hour of content, but at the same time, need to be told and are really good stories. So I wanted to share those with you, and we're going to jump right into it.
The first story I'm going to tell you about is actually about a former warden of Angola by the name of John Whitley. And John Whitley was actually the warden of Angola from 1990 until 1995. Look, John Whitley, the prison warden, was probably as prototypical as you can get to a prison warden when you would think of one. Kind of like the opposite of Burl Cain. Burl Cain was someone that, when you saw him, you wouldn't think he was the warden for the largest maximum-security prison in America. Same thing with John Whitley, but on the total opposite end, he is exactly what you would picture. He was a cowboy character. Actually, wore a cowboy hat and dressed with button up shirt. The picture I'm actually looking at now, he has a vest. It's almost like a leather vest over that button up shirt, and wears glasses, mustache, just looks like someone you would picture as a warden. And had a short but storied history at Angola relative to being a warden. Although he started off at the very bottom, and we're going to tell you all about that.
John Whitley attended Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana, which is actually probably about an hour and 20 minutes from Angola. From where we record, right outside of Baton Rouge, it's actually about a half hour from us. It is I guess the second largest college in Louisiana outside of Louisiana State University. Good college. Whitley attended that college. He was actually born in Hammond, Louisiana as well. So he went to school same place he was born in. Now, after he left college, he ended up graduating in 1968. He enlisted in the United States Army. That's important. That was an important step in his life, because that was kind of in the heyday of Vietnam. People weren't necessarily just enlisting into the army. They were getting drafted. So it shows you John Whitley's courage and his commitment to his country that he would enlist in the United States Army. He actually served during the Vietnam War and was discharged in 1970.
Now, shortly after that, he started his career in corrections. So Whitley started that career at Angola in 1970, and he rose pretty much through those ranks quickly. He eventually became a deputy warden, and then he was promoted to warden of another Louisiana prison. So he was deputy warden at Angola. I know you've heard about us talk about Hunt Correctional Center, which is a prison, it's kind of like the baby brother to Angola, just a smaller, not so violent a prison as Angola. They needed a warden, and he actually got promoted to the warden of Hunt Correctional. From there, he left the state, and he ran a private prison in Texas. I know you've heard us talk about that with the private prisons are actually-- they're not ran by state employees. They're ran privately, and the state pays them for that service, and Texas has several of those, and he ran one of those private prisons in Texas.
Now, in 1990, Louisiana was like, “Man, what's going on here? This guy is in Texas, and he's got all this experience. He's a Louisiana guy, and we need him at Angola.” This was 1990, and Angola was in just a mess at that point, and they needed someone to restore order there, basically. At the time that they were seeking out John Whitley, they were having frequent, very frequent stabbings, suicides. They were dealing with a lot of escapes. And a US federal judge had actually declared, what's known as, a state of emergency at the prison in response to an ACLU lawsuit against the state specifically for the horrendous conditions at Angola. So it was a situation where they needed someone, not only with some Louisiana ties that really cared, but they also needed someone that had the experience to handle such a prison. John Whitley started there, rose all the way up to deputy warden. That was back since 1970. He was the perfect candidate for that. And so he took that job.
Within two years, Whitley had pretty much stemmed all of that violence. He established incentives for good behavior, which is something they did not have in Angola prior to his arrival there as warden. Some of those incentives for good behavior, he'd allow the inmates to have extra visits. He would increase the educational opportunities for the inmates. If you were good, maybe you had the opportunity to learn a trade that you had to have good behavior in order to get to learn, like maybe welding or something. I mean, you don't want someone that's causing a bunch of trouble in Angola getting a halt to a welding machine. So those things, he figured out-- He figured out the important thing-- When you're running a prison, and that is you've got to have incentives for the inmates. If there's no incentive for good behavior, they're not going to be good. That's just the bottom line.
So that was something he really stemmed, education wise for them. Also, literacy tutoring, computer and paralegal courses. He started bringing those into the prison not quite at the level that Warden Cain did later on, but the infancy of that is a credit to John Whitley and the things that he did. So he also enabled some trustworthy and deserving inmates to travel outside of the prison as part of some athletic teams and inmate bands that provided entertainment for-- They would entertain churches, they would entertain nursing homes and other charitable organizations throughout the area. John Whitley was kind of the guy who came up with the idea to start offering these things as a deterrent, if you will, against violence. He knew that these programs were the way to start.
So he also launched an outreach program to all the criminal justice programs in the state of Louisiana. So he would basically send prison officials and inmates, and they would go into these college classrooms, and they would help, both the students and the faculty better understand the realities of not only managing a prison, but life in prison as an inmate. Those things weren't done, at least with Angola inmates, before John Whitley became warden.
Now, one thing that's very important in prison, but is not commonly practiced, I guess you could say, is having an open-door policy with the media. Take it from me, y'all know that I love to research. It's not easy at all to find information about Angola, or probably most of your state prisons, and that is, they keep things that go on inside that prison, and you got to really dig to find information on stuff like that. But he was committed to, what I would call, an open-door policy with the media, and even The Angolite, which-- We've done several episodes about The Angolite and read many, many articles on that.
Well, The Angolite, the biggest concern with that magazine as time went on, and I noticed this as I was reading it was, it got a little farther and farther away from what was actually happening. What they were printing was the truth. But where in the 40s and 50s, when The Angolite was produced, they were talking about all these escapes and stabbings and all the things that happened inside that prison. When it got around to the 80s and 90s, it was a lot softer. There were things going on, but they weren't allowing The Angolite publishers or editors, rather, to print that [chuckles] or talk about it. And so didn't necessarily mean it wasn't going on. It's just the editors weren't putting it in there. But he wanted to have a welcoming nature with the media and try to cooperate with them rather.
And so one of the things that he allowed The Angolite to do was to produce material for radio and television journalism inside the prison, which-- Believe it or not, they have their own radio station there. They have a lot of film equipment there. They can actually film documentaries and stuff. The prisoners actually learn how to do this, and are as good as-- They got some producers in Angola that are as good or better than I am at doing that. Some of them probably better, and just amazing people out inside that prison that produced these things. But he didn't want them censored. The claim is that John Whitley did not censor the radio shows and stuff that were coming out of Angola, which is very interestin

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Joyce Mitchell | Hybristophilia #3

Joyce Mitchell | Hybristophilia #3

This episode delves into Joyce Mitchell's role in the 2015 escape of inmates Richard Matt and David Sweat from Clinton Correctional Facility, examining her personal struggles, the escape plan, the manhunt, and the intrigue surrounding her case.Timestamps01:39 Meet Joyce Mitchell14:21 The Affair and the Escape Plan16:29 The Great Escape Unfolds19:58 The Manhunt Begins25:02 Joyce Mitchell's Arrest25:55 Confessions and Consequences34:09 Sentencing and Aftermath

10 Apr 38min

Lynette Barnett and Tina Gonzales | Hybristophilia #2

Lynette Barnett and Tina Gonzales | Hybristophilia #2

In this episode of Bloody Angola, Jim brings you inside the relationship between  prison guard Lynette Barnett and convicted murderer Terry Banks, which culminated in their escape from Crossroads Correctional Center in 1999.  Jim also brings you the shocking story of correctional Officer Tina Gonzales who was caught in the midst of a sexual relationship with an inmate witnessed by 11 other inmates. “Hybristophilia” is defined as a condition that involves “a sexual attraction to individuals who commit crimes.Timestamps 04:14 Lynette's Troubled Marriage05:20 Meeting Terry Banks10:12 The Escape Plan15:13 The Escape17:27 On the Run19:54 The Search Intensifies23:01 The Arrest 24:07 Aftermath and Sentencing25:33 A New Story: Tina GonzalezSources:Stearns, Matt.  “Killer escapes prison.”  The Kansas City Star.  30 Oct 1999.Kennedy, Nicole; and Scherer, Ray.  “Guard linked to break.”  St. Joseph News-Press.  31 Oct 1999.Riley, Claudette.  “Escapee, guard are sought.”  The Springfield News-Leader.  31 Oct 1999.Associated Press.  “Officials seeking escaped…”  Lake Sun Leader.  01 Nov 1999.Associated Press.  “Search continues.”  The Kansas City Star.  02 Nov 1999.Faubion, Scott.  “Escaped inmate, guard…”  The Cameron Citizen Observer.  04 Nov 1999.Stearns, Matt.  “After weeks, questions…”  The Kansas City Star.  10 Dec 1999.Stearns, Matt.  “Police locate truck.”  The Kansas City Star.  11 Dec 1999.Stearns, Matt.  “Authorities fear prison…”  The Kansas City Star.  12 Dec 1999.Faubion, Scott.  “America’s Most Wanted…”  The Cameron Citizen Observer.  16 Dec 1999.Staff Writer.  “Runaway Con, Guard…”  CBS News.  18 Dec 1999.Associated Press.  “Murderer, guard captured.”  St. Joseph News-Press.  19 Dec 1999.Faubion, Scott; and Stark, Jerry.  “Escaped inmate, prison…”  The Cameron Citizen Observer.  23 Dec 1999.Associated Press.  “Court appearance set…”  St. Joseph News-Press.  05 Jan 2000.Gaines, Joe.  “Guard arraigned in…”  St. Joseph News-Press.  06 Jan 2000.Faubion, Scott.  “Crossroads guard arraigned…”  The Cameron Citizen Observer.  13 Jan 2000.Faubion, Scott.  “Penalty may rise…”  The Cameron Citizen Observer.  20 Jan 2000.Gaines, Joe.  “Accused guard asks…”  St. Joseph News-Press.  27 Jan 2000.Zeilstra, Stephanie.  “Reduced bond focus…”  The Cameron Citizen Observer.  03 Feb 2000.Gaines, Joe.  “Banks has hearing…”  St. Joseph News-Press.  23 Feb 2000.Zeilstra, Stephanie.  “Former inmate, guard…”  The Cameron Citizen Observer.  02 Mar 2000.Zeilstra, Stephanie.  “Bond reduction denied…”  The Cameron Citizen Observer.  09 Mar 2000.Associated Press.  “Inmate pleads innocent…”  St. Joseph News-Press.  11 Apr 2000.Associated Press.  “Ex-fugitive’s plea…”  St. Joseph News-Press.  10 May 2000.Staff Writer.  “Bond reduction denied…”  St. Joseph News-Press.  12 May 2000.Gaines, Joe.  “Ex-guard pleads…”  St. Joseph News-Press.  03 Oct 2000.Faubion, Scott.  “Former guard pleads…”  The Cameron Citizen Observer.  05 Oct 2000.Grossman, Wendy.  “Love on the run.”  The Pitch.  16 Mar 2000.

3 Apr 34min

The Execution of Jessie Hoffman

The Execution of Jessie Hoffman

In this episode of Bloody Angola Podcast, Jim Chapman gives you the recent details regarding the Execution of Jessie Hoffman via Nitrogen Hypoxia  Timestamps 01:39 On Again Off Again On Again28:44 Justice Served for Molly Elliott32:02 Execution Protocol 37:17 AG Liz Murrill and Governor Jeff Landry Statements

27 Mars 40min

Part Three | The Executions Commence: Larry Roy

Part Three | The Executions Commence: Larry Roy

This episode examines Larry Roy, the Cheneyville Slasher, and the 1993 attack on the Richard family. Timestamps04:00 The Horrific Crime Unfolds08:25 The Investigation Begins13:15 The Manhunt for Larry Roy16:44 Trial and Defense Tactics18:34 The Death Sentence19:30 The Death Warrant Issued23:55 Delays and Controversies25:20 Nitrogen Hypoxia

20 Mars 39min

Part Two | The Executions Commence: Christopher Sepulvado

Part Two | The Executions Commence: Christopher Sepulvado

The “Executions Commence” series continues! Death warrants have been signed for several inmates in the State of Louisiana and in this episode of Bloody Angola Podcast, Jim Chapman breaks down the crimes and conviction of Christopher Sepulvado.Timestamps03:37 The Troubling Past of Sepulvado06:19 The Abuse Escalates09:25 The Tragic Death of Alan Mercer12:46 Aftermath of the Tragedy17:28 Trials and Tribulations18:36 Yvonne's Sentencing and Reflections20:09 Appeals and Delays30:18 Changes in Execution Methods33:38 The Unexpected End of Sepulvado

13 Mars 36min

Part One | The Executions Commence: Jessie Hoffman

Part One | The Executions Commence: Jessie Hoffman

Death warrants have been signed for several inmates in the State of Louisiana and in this episode of Bloody Angola Podcast, Jim Chapman breaks down the crimes and conviction of Jessie Hoffman who has a scheduled execution date of March 18th, 2025.Timestamps01:39 The Executions Commence03:28 The Tragic Discovery of Molly Elliott10:47 Jessie Hoffman's Arrest16:59 The Trial Begins17:30 Appeals and Legal Maneuvering20:43 New Execution Methods in Louisiana23:20 Hoffman's Last Attempt to Evade Execution27:44 The Controversy of Nitrogen Hypoxia30:44 Justice

6 Mars 33min

Part 3 | Bobbi Parker and Randolph Dial | Hybristophilia #1

Part 3 | Bobbi Parker and Randolph Dial | Hybristophilia #1

In this episode of Bloody Angola, Jim picks up with the trial of Bobbi Parker, who faces felony charges for allegedly aiding Randolph Dial's escape following his death in prison. The trial unfolds with compelling testimonies from both sides, highlighting psychological elements like Stockholm Syndrome or was it...Hybristophilia?Timestamps03:37 Bobby Parker's Court Appearance06:19 Testimony from the Investigation08:53 Randy Parker's Testimony11:14 Uncovering Dial's Relationship with Parker13:45 Delays and Pleas in Court14:22 The Start of the Trial16:39 The Prosecution's Case18:26 Dial's Interviews and Confessions21:02 Life on the Run25:37 The Heart Attack and Consequences30:52 Verdict and Sentencing32:43 Bobby Parker's Release

27 Feb 36min

Part 2 | Bobbi Parker and Randolph Dial | Hybristophilia #1

Part 2 | Bobbi Parker and Randolph Dial | Hybristophilia #1

In this episode, kicking off the “Hybristophilia” series, which involves “a sexual attraction to individuals who commit crimes,” Jim recounts the case of Bobbi Parker, a wardens wife, who was convicted of aiding in the escape and going on the run for 10 years with convicted murderer Randolph Dial.#randolphdial #bobbiparker #hybristophilia #bloodyangola #podcast #crime Timestamps06:11 A Father's Struggle09:30 A New Life in Hiding10:28 The Capture12:55 The Psychological Battle22:12 The Name Game23:40 Dial's Health Crisis24:44 Insights from Neighbors31:02 Investigating the Truth33:38 A Conflicted Legacy35:18 The End of the Line Sources:- https://murderpedia.org/male.D/d/dial-randolph.htm.  Murderpedia.  Accessed 13 Jan 2025.- Staff Writer.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/891244790/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan Tulsa World.  17 Sep 1981.- Associated Press. https://www.newspapers.com/image/454026071/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan The Daily Oklahoman.  18 Sep 1981.- Henry, Larry.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/891253510/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan Tulsa World.  19 Sep 1981.- Staff Writer. https://www.newspapers.com/image/891282320/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan Tulsa World.  29 Sep 1981.- Staff Writer.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/662230700/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan Sapulpa Daily Herald.  01 Oct 1981.- Staff Writer.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/891204653/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan Tulsa World.  13 Jul 1982.- Francis, Zoe, and Braun, Bill.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/891304732/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan  Tulsa World.  16 May 1986.- Braun, Bill.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/891305340/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan  Tulsa World.  17 May 1986.- Braun, Bill.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/891220527/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan  Tulsa World.  17 Jun 1986.- Braun, Bill.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/891227130/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan  Tulsa World.  04 Jul 1986.- Ford, Brian.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/891261161/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan Tulsa World.  12 Aug 1986.- Staff Writer. https://www.newspapers.com/image/891241618/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan  Tulsa World.  24 Dec 1986.- Staff Writer. https://www.newspapers.com/image/891152293/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan  Tulsa World.  28 Jan 1987.- Braun, Bill.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/891801189/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan  Tulsa World.  27 Apr 1987.- Fink, Jerry. https://www.newspapers.com/image/892240382/?match=1&terms=randolph%20franklin%20artist  Tulsa World.  31 Mar 1991.- Lackmeyer, Steve.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/453893225/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  The Daily Oklahoman.  31 Aug 1994.- Associated Press.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/662188656/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan  Sapulpa Daily Herald.  31 Aug 1994.- Thornton, Anthony.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/453898603/?terms=bobbi%20parker  The Daily Oklahoman.  01 Sep 1994.- Associated Press.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/662149618/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker Sapulpa Daily Herald.  02 Sep 1994.- Fink, Jerry.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/893412429/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan  Tulsa World.  02 Sep 1994.- Fink, Jerry.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/893413178/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  Tulsa World.  03 Sep 1994.- Matava, Mary Ellen.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/893418197/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker Tulsa World.  06 Sep 1994.- Thornton, Anthony.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/453950247/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  The Daily Oklahoman.  07 Sep 1994.- Fink, Jerry.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/893418511/?match=1&terms=kelly%20hogan  Tulsa World.  07 Sep 1994.- Hoberock, Barbara.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/893419861/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker Tulsa World.  09 Sep 1994.- Hoberock, Barbara.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/893421348/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker Tulsa World.  10 Sep 1994.- Fink, Jerry.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/893426398/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  Tulsa World.  13 Sep 1994.- Greiner, John.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/454021072/?terms=bobbi%20parker The Daily Oklahoman.  15 Sep 1994.- Hoberock, Barbara.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/893392845/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  Tulsa World.  16 Sep 1994.- Fink, Jerry.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/893449026/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  Tulsa World.  02 Oct 1994.- Johnson, Stacy D. https://www.newspapers.com/image/454411463/?terms=bobbi%20parker  The Daily Oklahoman.  04 Nov 1994.- Staff Writer.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/454467037/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker The Daily Oklahoman.  18 Nov 1994.- Fink, Jerry.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/894015721/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  Tulsa World.  23 Nov 1994.- Staff Writer.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/893767057/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  Tulsa World.  13 Dec 1994.- Johnson, Stacy D. https://www.newspapers.com/image/454584550/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parkerThe Daily Oklahoman.  16 Dec 1994.- Sanger, Lillie-Beth.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/453639697/?terms=bobbi%20parker  The Daily Oklahoman.  26 Jan 1995.- Staff Writer.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/453639697/?terms=bobbi%20parker Tulsa World.  02 Feb 1995.- Fink, Jerry.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/893888009/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  Tulsa World.  04 Feb 1995.- Fink, Jerry.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/893910024/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker Tulsa World.  12 Feb 1995.- Hoberock, Barbara.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/893987511/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker Tulsa World.  16 Aug 1995.- Staff Writer.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/453845470/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  The Daily Oklahoman.  27 Aug 1995.- Gamallo, Manny.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/893936820/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  Tulsa World.  24 Oct 1995.- Staff Writer.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/894419425/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker Tulsa World.  01 Sep 1996.- Marler, Ralph W.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/894765676/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  Tulsa World.  03 Jun 1998.- McNutt, Michael.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/454798290/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  The Daily Oklahoman.  12 Sep 1999.- Associated Press.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/895218487/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  Tulsa World.  21 Nov 2000.- Marks, Dawn. https://www.newspapers.com/image/454575520/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker  The Daily Oklahoman.  28 Apr 2001.- Morgan, Rhett.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/909657683/?terms=bobbi%20parker  Tulsa World.  02 May 2003.- Olivarez, Jesse, Thornton, Tony, and Lackmeyer, Steve.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/452666965/?terms=bobbi%20parker  The Daily Oklahoman.  05 Apr 2005.- Red Corn, Louise.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/910048054/?terms=bobbi%20parker Tulsa World.  07 Apr 2005.- Red Corn, Louise.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/910048891/?terms=bobbi%20parker  Tulsa World.  08 Apr 2005.- Droege, Tom.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/910049038/?terms=bobbi%20parker Tulsa World.  08 Apr 2005.- Marks, Dawn.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/452675141/?match=1&terms=bobbi%20parker The Daily Oklahoman.  10 Apr 2005.

20 Feb 42min

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