Bio

Harold Roy Hester, also known in court records as H.R. Hester, was born on December 25, 1961. Dora Mae Hester and Harold Roy Hester married in 1992. Their marriage ended by mutual agreement after about six months, following a violent domestic abuse incident. Although the marriage ended, they remained in contact and continued an on-and-off relationship.

Dora Mae later became close to Charles Mitchell Haney, an elderly widower. She first met Haney in 1996 and began helping him with household work. By 1997, she was helping him more regularly, and by 1998, they changed their living arrangement so she could serve as his full-time caregiver. Haney had limited mobility and used a walker. Dora Mae cooked for him, washed his clothes, helped him bathe, drove him to errands and medical appointments, and assisted him around the home.

Haney bought a two-bedroom mobile home and placed it on land owned by Dora Mae Hester. He lived in one bedroom, while Dora Mae lived in the other. Their relationship was described by the Tennessee Supreme Court as more like a father-daughter relationship than a romantic one. However, because Haney was aging and becoming frail, he had discussed marriage with Dora Mae so she could continue receiving his pension and benefits after his death. Hester did not like that idea.

In 1999, Hester moved into the mobile home with Haney and Dora Mae after he could no longer afford his apartment and was facing homelessness. He slept in Dora Mae’s bedroom and sometimes had sexual relations with her. Haney and Dora Mae paid for his food and cigarettes, and Dora Mae washed his clothes. Hester earned some money through odd jobs, but court records state that he used much of his income to buy alcohol.

The record describes Hester as drinking heavily, with the amount depending on his mood. Alcohol became an important issue at trial because Hester had been drinking throughout the day of the crime. His defense later argued that intoxication affected his mental state, while the State argued that his conduct showed planning and awareness despite his drinking.

Murder Story

On December 14, 1999, Hester began drinking beer at around 11:00 a.m. He briefly left to clear a fence row for a neighbor and later returned to the mobile home. That afternoon, Dora Mae asked him to watch Haney while she took one of her daughters shopping. After she returned, Hester said he wanted more beer, but Dora Mae tried to convince him to sleep instead.

Later that afternoon, Hester spoke with Tim Lynn, Dora Mae’s son-in-law, and Johnny Curtis near the mobile home. Hester had a 32-ounce beer and tried to borrow $10. Both men refused. On the way back to the mobile home, Hester made a statement about killing wives so men would not have to listen to them anymore. Lynn later testified that he did not believe Hester was serious.

When Dora Mae returned, she prepared hot dogs for dinner, but Hester said he wanted beer instead. He left the mobile home and later knocked to get back inside. He asked Dora Mae for $10 to buy more beer. She refused because she believed he had already drunk enough that day. After Hester left again, Dora Mae went to Haney’s bedroom and told him that Hester was angry because she would not give him money.

Hester then re-entered the mobile home carrying a small knife. He ordered Haney and Dora Mae into the front room. Haney, who needed a walker, was told to sit in his recliner, while Dora Mae was told to sit on the love seat. Hester threatened Haney with the knife and said he was tired of how he was being treated. He also threatened Dora Mae when she tried to escape.

Hester then took duct tape from a cabinet. He ordered Haney to lie face down on the floor with his hands behind his back. Haney complied. Hester taped Haney’s hands, ankles, and mouth. He then bound Dora Mae in the same way. While the victims were restrained, Hester repeatedly said they were all going to die that night and that he would tell law enforcement what he had done.

Hester left the mobile home and returned with a large jug of kerosene. He poured kerosene in and around Haney’s bedroom and throughout the mobile home. He then poured kerosene over Haney’s face and body and also poured it over Dora Mae. The Tennessee Supreme Court noted that he also disconnected the smoke alarms and moved a small dog outside, saying the dog had done nothing.

After preparing the fire, Hester sat at the dining table and smoked a cigarette while continuing to tell the victims he was going to kill them. He first tried to ignite the kerosene with matches and then with his cigarette, but those attempts failed. He finally rolled up newspaper, lit it, and placed it near the counter. The kerosene ignited, and Hester left Haney and Dora Mae bound inside the burning mobile home.

Dora Mae managed to escape despite being bound and gagged. Neighbors and family members found her outside the burning mobile home with her clothes on fire. After the duct tape was removed from her mouth, she identified Hester as the person responsible. She suffered severe burns and was hospitalized from December 14, 1999, until March 28, 2000. Her injuries led to the amputation of both feet and lower legs, along with skin grafts, scarring, and nerve damage.

Haney did not escape. Firefighters and responders could not safely enter the mobile home while the fire was active. The Tennessee Supreme Court later stated that Haney died from smoke inhalation and thermal burns. The court also found that he was still alive when the fire reached him, and that his arms remained tied behind his back.

After leaving the victims in the burning mobile home, Hester went to a neighbor’s house and asked the neighbor to contact police. He surrendered to authorities at about 8:00 p.m. Officers noticed burns and fluid-filled blisters on his left arm, and both Hester and his clothing smelled strongly of kerosene.

A McMinn County grand jury indicted Hester on February 22, 2000. The State filed notice of intent to seek the death penalty on November 13, 2001. The case involved mental health and intelligence testing before trial, which delayed the State’s final decision on whether to seek death.

On March 11, 2005, Hester was convicted of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and aggravated arson. On March 12, 2005, after a capital sentencing hearing, he was sentenced to death for Haney’s murder. He also received separate sentences for the attempted murder of Dora Mae Hester and aggravated arson.

The jury found aggravating factors supporting the death sentence, including that Haney was over 70 years old and that the murder was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel because it involved torture or serious physical abuse beyond what was necessary to cause death. The Tennessee Supreme Court later held that the evidence supported those findings.

On October 5, 2010, the Tennessee Supreme Court upheld Hester’s convictions and death sentence. The court also set an execution date for October 25, 2011, unless stayed or otherwise ordered. Later death-penalty status records, however, list Hester as having received sentence relief, meaning his death sentence was no longer active in that later status listing.