Speaker 1: H a wall street line, shackle change, Oh someome girdy,
it's calling my name. There is nu mercy and it's
been a tentery juice as the huge stream game wrangle
the three.
Speaker 2: I'm here, be.
Speaker 1: By me to die inside these walls, inside the wild.
Speaker 3: Han't went more girls.
Speaker 2: I Hey everyone, and welcome back to Bloody Angola, A
podcast one and forty two years and the making the
complete story of America's Bloody is Prison. I'm Jim Chapman,
and today I'm going to bring you what is probably
one of the most requested stories that have ever gotten
on this show. And it's taken a little while to
put this one together because there's just not a whole
lot of information out there surprisingly on this individual. But
I find I finally got enough to tell you the
story of Lloyd Bone's Bone, who is really globally known
as the hearst driver of Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Now,
way back in nineteen seventy one, Bone was convicted and
sentenced to life in prison when no parole after getting
in a knife fight with a man in Algier's Louisiana,
which is near New Orleans, and he killed that man.
Speaker 4: Sadly.
Speaker 2: In an interview, he was actually quoted as saying his family,
which at the time he was married with three children,
but went looking for this guy despite his family they
told him to please, don't leave. And he was quoted
as saying, I went after the guy and never made.
Speaker 4: It back home.
Speaker 2: And you hear me a lot saying, your one decision
away from ruining your life, all of us at any
given time, one decision away. And he zigged instead of zagged,
and he ended up with life inside of bloody Angola
because of it, and Bone is a little bit of
a mystery. He was known for his solemn role as
the driver of Angola's horse drawn funeral hearse. Now this
hearse is a black carriage built by inmates in nineteen
ninety eight, and it was made to resemble nineteenth century designs.
It's pulled by two per charrin horses named Diamond and Laddie,
who are actually descendants of Warden Burrocane's Legit championship horses.
And what Bone did with driving that hearse, it's a
vital part of those funeral processions at Angola. It's really
known as a somber tradition. That those inmates that die
in prison, they make their way to what's known as
Point Lookout Cemetery. Point Lookout Cemetery I via that horse
drawn carriage with Bone driving it. Now, as I've told
you in the past, ninety percent of the inmates of
Louisiana State Penitentiary, they're gonna die inside the wire. If
your sentenced, there's a good chance you're going to be
buried there if you don't have family on the outside
that have a funeral plot for you. Now, Bone was
originally put in that role by Burl Cain himself, and
it wasn't coincidental. Cain was looking for someone who really
fit that role. They needed to be respected in the prison,
they needed to be dedicated to what they were doing,
and most importantly, they needed to know and recognize the
importance of that role.
Speaker 4: And Bone fit the bill.
Speaker 2: Not only that, but quite honestly, he looked the part, skinny, tall,
and when he put on that tuxedo and top hat,
he looked just like what you would picture in your
mind as the driver of a hearse that was pulled
by horses. And he took the role seriously. He was
once quoted as saying, I never forget what I am carrying.
And the whole goal of this was to give even
those who have spent their life in prison a dignified farewell,
a way of saying, you now have served your sentence
and you're free. And it can be emotional. Even correctional
officers who attend these funerals and passed wardens who attend
these funerals, they've gotten tearyot at these funerals. And Bone
stayed busy. Over forty inmates on average die annually at
Bloody Angola, and that figure's really held steady for the
past twenty years. Now, let's talk about the process for
a minute. And Bone he would go through this kind
of checklist before these funerals. First, he would make sure
that the hearse is in working order, that the wooden
wheels are oiled, that it's totally clean, that the glass
on the sides of this hearse are clean. Everything had
to be perfect. He had to make sure that the
horses were well taken care of, and that the procession
itself was conducted with the utmost respect. And all of
the inmates that are buried at Lookout Point are buried
in wooden coffins crafted by fellow inmates and some of
the most beautiful coffins anywhere in the world. Now, Boone
Diddot start out his life and Angola driving the inmates
to their final resting spots. As a matter of fact,
in nineteen seventy one, when he got sentenced to life
inside the wire, there was no system like this, and
he moved through Angola like everybody else, started out in
the fields and the intensive heat for years before warden
Burrollcane took note of him and offered him that job. Now,
prior to driving the hearse, Bone was a carpenter and
very skilled at his job. He would produce a wide
variety of items, including cabinets, dressers, potato bens, etc. But
it was this craftsmanship, along with two assistants who built coffins,
that really set him apart. As a matter of fact,
it was Bone who had the honor of building a
coffin for the Reverend Billy Graham, and Bone took pride
in his work. He was once quoted as saying, if
you've seen what they were buried in before, you would understand.
And he would say one time that people did not
realize how demanding the role of building coffins were. He
said he often worked long hours to meet the state
requirement that in who died of natural causes be very
quickly buried because they didn't embond them. On one occasion,
he actually worked thirty six hours straight to complete a
coffin for an oversized inmate. He said his most challenging task, however,
was building a tiny two foot casket for a still
born child of a prison employee. He would reflect on
that later in life, and he would discuss the emotional
toll that particular project took on him, saying the child
didn't have a chance to live, and while doing all
of these things kept Bone's mind busy, maybe even helped
him to forget where he was at for a little while.
He did say the monotony of prison takes a psychological
toll on him, and he expressed regret for his crime
at one point, saying, quote, it's something that weighs on
your mind constantly, and I have a lot of regrets now.
Over time, Bone lost touch with most of his family.
The only relative he could locate was his son, who
was serving a twenty year sentence in Texas, which, of course,
he didn't want to see. His son in prison, but
to complicate it, they couldn't visit each other because they
were both in separate prisons two states apart. Now, before
I move on, I want to say that I can't
find anywhere whether Lloyd.
Speaker 4: Bone is still alive.
Speaker 2: I did see some inaccurate information online that said he
passed away in twenty thirteen, which I know is not
true because their interviews with him as early as twenty seventeen.
So if anybody can find out whether he is still alive,
let me know, shoot me a message. I don't see
anything on his death, but I don't see anything on
him being alive either. After twenty seventeen. He just kind
of disappeared years as far as articles, and if he's
still alive, he would be very old in his eighties now,
So let me know if you know anything about that.
And speaking of him surfacing in twenty seventeen, here's a
short clup. It's a rare interview with Boom where he
discusses what herst driving means to him.
Speaker 4: Listen to this.
Speaker 5: I read it on my mother and shout shot thing
out there. She passed for me, Johnny, cain't that up
and doing? I'll go to church I don't fear no scoop,
and I come out of you. I've been driving the
horse for sixteen years. We were sitting in the kitchen
right here, and I come in to add the trash hank,
and it was drawing strolls. And I asked two fifty,
I said, what that is y'all are doing? Said, now,
I ain't driving no horse. I said, let me see
him trouble, give me the troullers. I told them in
the garbage can, I say, I take dinner and and
I've been driving every since.
Speaker 3: Hm.
Speaker 5: And I'm you know, if I'm really dedicated to it,
cause UH never know. If I die, nobody come get me.
Somebody got to drive me. I respect to day, I
respect the dead.
Speaker 4: Just back to living.
Speaker 5: And when we have a funerals m I talk while
an army around. I smoked cigarettes when I climb up
and got down, talk to more with some focus, hiding
on the Bible, focus on my house, and some drives.
And I done told uh the ministers some of the
press to ask me, uh what I feel when I
be driving? I say, when I get on the horse,
my I'm focus all my jobs, tryna get the lot
of children Wh'm come for the rest of guys. God
been fired fired around me. H. I told my sister, MM,
we got a family plot. But if all y'all gone
and I'm not out and I have to pass away
and nobody can't take him, you know, find the papers
or nothing on it, That's where I view it. So
if they passed it on to my grandchildren and ain't
you know, but if I die, you got a family plan.
But if not, I'm embarrassed you. It could be changed
me a lot. I made a commitment m Rider as
long as I'm ind you know, I was saying them,
but it change I made. Look like this is my
destiny all the out being my head that I'm waiting
talking long, I'm doing what you want to do.
Speaker 2: And since we're on the topic of Lloyd's family, let's
talk about his grandson, Eric Bone, who sadly also ended
up in Angola.
Speaker 4: This was in two.
Speaker 2: Thousand and eleven, and I'm going to tell you first
about the crime. I have the details on that and
what led him into Angola, as well as some details
on the first time he had ever met his grandfather
Lloyd Bone. So I'm gonna read directly from his appeal,
which list the facts of the crime. All right, so
it reads. The victim, Demetrius Jackson, was shot and killed
outside of Caesar's Nightclub in the early morning hours of
July twenty fifth, two thousand and nine. Kyron Jackson, the
victim's brother and member of the Calliope Gang, arrived at
Caesar's Nightclub with a group of friends between twelve thirty
and one on July twenty fifth of two thousand and nine.
Members of the Girt Town Gang, included defendant also known
as Heavy, and co defendant Sean Floot, subsequently arrived at
the club and confronted the Calliope Gang. Kiren testified that
the members of the Calliope Gang had been fussing and
throwing money up at the Girt Town Gang members. He
further stated that one of the members of the Calliope
Gang spit in Seawan's face, leading to a quote big
old confrontation. Kyen testified the actions of the Calliope Gang
prompted Sean to tell Kyron quote, I'm going to kill
you when we get out of the club. At some
point during this verbal confrontation and unrelated physical altercation took
place among some other patrons of the club and the
Girt Town and Calliope members left the club. Kiren testified
that while he, the victim, and another Calliope gang member
known as Stink, began walking to the car, a vehicle
driven by the defendant and occupied by other Girt Town
members pulled up on the roadway and stopped. Kyen testified
that co defendant Shawn Flott exited the vehicle and began shooting.
Kyron ran toward the back of the club, but noticed
the defendant's car circled the block to apparently see if
anyone was shot before fleeing the scene. Kiren followed the
ambulance to the hospital to see his brother, but did
not provide any information to investigating authorities that night. Officer
Jacob Tapley testified he was working a detail at Caesar's
Nightclub on July twenty fifth of two thousand and nine
when that shooting occurred. Officer Tapley was outside the club
approximately three hundred feet away when he heard gunshots. Tapley
testified that he did not witness the shooting, but did
notice a silver four door vehicle driven away from the
scene at a high rate of speed. He radioed the
description of the vehicle into headquarters and ran to the
victim to render as On cross examination, Tappily testified that
he never saw anyone getting out of the vehicle and
never saw any doors open or closed. Further, he testified
that he never observed the vehicle circled the block or
returned near the scene. Officer Alton Savage testified that he
was working in detail a few blocks away from the shooting.
Savage testified he received the description of an Infinity vehicle
involved in a shooting over his radio, and within seconds
noticed a vehicle matching the given description traveling at a
high rate of speed. Savage activated his emergency lights and
attempted to stop the Infinity. He further noted the vehicle's
license plate number and testified that the vehicle appeared to
contain four occupants. Savage testified the vehicle's driver refused to
stop at a high rate of speed and continued to
the interstate, where Savage lost sight of the vehicle near
the it in slide l exit. A vehicle that matched
the license plate and description given after the shooting was recovered,
burned and abandoned.
Speaker 4: That same day.
Speaker 2: In New Orleans, Detective Ashing Gibbs testified that he reported
to the shooting scene at approximately three o'clock am to
investigate the homicide, but that the bar patrons were either
uncooperative or stated they did not witness the shooting. The
only lead provided to Detective Gibbs was the vehicle's license
plate number, which he learned was registered to an Erica Bone.
Detective Gibbs and another officer went to Erica Bone's home.
She told the officers that her mother and defendant her
brother were the primary drivers of the vehicle. Erica Bone
provided her mother's address, where the defendant also lived. Detective
Gibbs subsequently went to the defendant's mother's home. Sandra Bone
told detective Gibbs she did not know where her son was.
Detective Gibbs testified that Sandra Bone later contacted him and
told him that she wanted the defendant to meet with him,
disclosing that he was at Caesar's Nightclub on July twenty
fifth of two thousand nine, but declined to provide any
further details without an attorney. Approximately one week after the shooting,
detective Gibbs met with Kyraon Jackson, who identified the defendant
in a photographic lineup as the driver of the vehicle
involved in the shooting. Detective Gibbs testified that Kyraen went
back and forth as to the identity of the shooter,
but ultimately identified co defendant Sean Flott as the shooter
based upon the information developed during the investigations, officers arrested
the defendant and co defendant Shawn Flott, and executed search
warrants of their home. From defendant's bedroom, detective seas photographs
depicting defendant Shawn Flott and a Darren Jones together, as
well as a T shirt depicting members of the girt
Town Gang. They also were covered an Infinity ignition key
documentation related to the vehicle, a Samsung cell phone with
a contact number four quote Sean A Holster in two magazines.
Detectives additionally seized handwritten lyrics to a rap song containing
the phrase quote I stumped my ass off black Block
with my forty unquote, which Detective Gibbs testified made reference
to the Girktown Gang and the idea of killing as
a hobby. From Shawn Flood's residence, Detective Gibbs recovered a
forty caliber block handgun in a nine millimeter handgun detectives
also recovered a second handgun from a vehicle belonging to
Sean Floyd's father. The weapons seized were tested and none
of the weapons were consistent with the shellcasings found at
the scene. Detective Gibbs also testified that Erica Bone provided
him with the defendant cell phone number. Detective Gibbs gave
that cell phone number to a supervisor to obtain a
subpoena for the defendant cell phone records. After the detectives
received record from Sprint Nextel, they learned the number was
registered to the defendant's mother, Miss Sandra Bone, and that
many of the text messages received through the subpoena made
reference to the shooting at Caesar's on July twenty fifth,
two thousand and nine. Detective Gibbs testified that the text
messages made reference to a victim known as Little d
and also referred to the vehicle being quote long gone.
Through the defendant cell phone records, Detective Gibbs identified individuals
who communicated with the defendant following the murder as Sandra Bone,
Erica Bone, Shai Kivia Bone, and Jasmine Dixon, who all
testified at the trial. Joseph Trowiki, a records custodium for
Sprint Nextel, testified the company received a subpoena for records
related to the phone number and provided documentation reflecting the
subscriber information a called detail log in a printout of
text messages sent and received from the data requi t
WestEd July twenty fifth, two thousand and nine. The records
demonstrate that the subscriber or owner of the phone is
defendant's mother, Sandraw Bone. The call detail log reflects incoming
and out going calls, many of them in the hours
following the murder. Trowiki testified that Sprint next Tells subpoena
compliance department produced records of subscriber information and called detailed
record logs related to additional phone numbers subscribed to various individuals,
including Shaikiva Bone, Lucilia mclab, Erica Bone, Sandra Bone, and
Jasmine Dixon. Subsequently, Sprint Nextel Compliance department also produced printouts
of text messages sent and received on those numbers. The
defendant's friend, will Kena mcleb testified that she was with
the defendant on the night of the shooting and the
defendant dropped her off in his Infinity at approximately one am.
She further testified that her friend t who was also
with them at that club that night, used her phone
to exchange text messages with the defendant after the shooting. Specifically,
the text messages state all right, love, but don't kick
that to nobody what I told you not even dared,
to which Tiya responded what and the defendant stated the
shit at caesar The defendant's cousin, shaikivah Bone, also testified
and confirmed that defendant is part of the Girt Town
Hounds and that defendant was at Caesar's on the night
of the shooting. Shaikiva called the defendant after the shooting
because a friend from high school at the club, whose
name she could not recall, told her that someone had
shot the defendant. She confirmed that she spoke with the
defendant at approximately four point forty three a m. And
that he told her that he had quote a shootout
and to watch the news and see if his car
was on it unquote. Shaikiva further admitted that she texted
a friend after the shooting quote that was heavy and
dim shooting, to which one of her friends replied who
said that, to which Shaikivia responded heavy just called me.
Shaikivya also testified after speaking with the defendant, she texted
Erickabone and instructed her that he meaning the defendant said,
if they come back to you say you don't know
where my car is. My auntie didn't know he had
the car. Erica Bone, defendant's sister, also testified that the
Infinity is registered to her name, but that her mother,
Sandra Bone, and defendant are the primary vehicle drivers. Erica
testified she learned of the murder at approximately three am,
when police arrived at her own looking for the Infinity
and threatened her to provide information about.
Speaker 4: Her brother's whereabouts.
Speaker 2: She testified that she did not speak to the defendant
following the shooting, but admitted that phone records reflect that
she spoke to the defendant at full four twenty seven
am for a duration of four hundred and forty one seconds.
She further testified that she did not recall speaking with
or texting Shaikivia about the Infinity, but then admitted to
text messages from Shaikivia's phone and that they reflect that
she did exchange text messages with Shaikivia concerning the whereabouts
of the Infinity following the shitting. Sandra Bone, the defendant's mother,
also testified at trial. Miss Bone testified that she drove
the Infinity to work at six am and returned after
eight pm on July twenty fourth of two.
Speaker 4: Thousand and nine.
Speaker 2: She stated she did not know whether the defendant drove
the Infinity the night after she got home. Miss Bone
first learned of the murders between three point thirty and
four am from her daughter, Erica Bone. Miss Bone stated
she attempted to call her son quote two hundred times
following the shooting, but did not speak to the defendant
until two days later. During her conversation with the defendant,
he told her, quote, Mama, don't worry about it. I
just need a lawyer because they're saying certain things about
me and I'm on the news. Miss Bone further confirmed
that the defendant had been shot on two separate occasions
in April and June of two thousand and nine, but
that the Infinity was never struck by any bullets. Nina Jackson,
the victim's mother, also testified. She stated that she and
her sons relocated to Kentucky following Hurricane Katrina and had
just moved back to New Orleans, two weeks before her
son's murder. Miss Jackson testified that her son Kyron called
her immediately after the shooting and told her that quote
the man had just shot d. Miss Jackson testified that Sadiki,
her son's cousin, called her on the other line, crying
that they had just shot d. Miss Jackson further confirmed
that approximately two weeks after Kiren spoke with the detectives
concerning the murder, he was gunned down by the Daker
shop and was in the hospital for we Forensic pathologists
performed the autopsy on the victim and testified that the
victims sustained several gunshot wounds, two of which were fatal
and located in the victim's right back. On cross examination,
doctor Mackenzie testified that the victim also sustained a gunshot
wound to the temple area, which contained a quote burn
like or stippling area around it, which would indicate the
gun was fired in close proximity to the victim. However,
on redirect examination, doctor mackenzie testified that due to the
depth of the bullet's penetration, it's more likely the stippling
effect was caused by the bullet's ricochet off of another
object and not fired from a gun fired close.
Speaker 4: To the victim's head.
Speaker 2: Doctor Mackenzie further opined that the lack of burned or
unburned gunpowder in the stipple abrasion indicated the shooter had
to be greater than two feet away from the victim.
Officer Amy Spirawn responded to the crime scene as a
technician and testified she collected eight forty caliber casings within
approximately two feet of the pull of blood around the
victim and a number of projectiles from vehicles part near
the scenes. Borando also reported to the scene of the
burned vehicle in New Orleans and testified she found nothing
evidentiary as far as value inside the vehicle. Gene Roach,
qualified as an expert in the field of forensic firearms examination,
testified she examined cartridge casings, projectiles, and three firearms were
covered in connection with the shooting. Roach testified that her
examination revealed that all eight forty caliber cartridge casings were
covered from the scene were fired from the same weapon. However,
she stated that she was unable to determine whether the
projectiles which officers were covered in fragments from the victim's
body and from the scene were fired from the same weapon.
Roach also to testified that the markeage on the cartridge
casings were consistent with pistols manufactured by Glock, but opined
that the cartridge casings were covered from the scene were
not fired from any firearms seized pursuant to the search
warrants in this case. Upon conclusion of the state's case,
the defendant, Eric Bone testified. The defendant recalled the events
surrounding the event on the evening of the shooting and
testified he was at Caesar's Nightclub on July twenty fifth
of two thousand and nine. He stated that the Girt
Town Gang and the Calliope Gang began fussing at each
other when three members of the Calliope Gang, including Kirn,
reached for their waistbands and flash guns at the defendant.
He further testified that he and Sean decided to leave
the club to avoid any further confrontation when someone spit
on Shawn's face. The defendant testified that his car was
parked across the street from the club. He stated that
as he drove away, he noticed three individuals, two of
whom he knew from the Calliope gang. Walking on the street.
He testified that Kyron first noticed Defendant's vehicle and began
shooting at it. The defendant testified that no one exited
the vehicle at any time. He did state as he
drove away that he heard gunshots coming from the back
seat of his car. The defendant testified that Sean was
sitting in the front passenger seat and that one of
Seawan's friends, named Brandon, was sitting in the back seat.
When asked why he did not stop after the shooting
or when being followed by the police, he testified that
Brandon was in the back seat, pointing a gun to
his head, instructing him to continue driving, and saying, quote,
you better not stop. Upon returning to his neighborhood after
the police chase, Brandon asked the defendant to drive to
his girlfriend's house. Defendant testified that he gave Brandon the
keys and walked to his neighbor's house to get a
ride to a hotel. Defendant explained his theory that Kyraen Jackson,
the victim's brother filed, called the fatal shot. De Vindant
explained that Cameron was standing behind the victim and that
there was no way that the person in my car
could have shot him in the back.
Speaker 4: And that's how that read.
Speaker 2: And that is the grandson of Lloyd Bone that eventually
gets convicted sentenced to Bloody Angola to life without parole.
So he goes to Angola and he has a pretty
famous grandfather there. And I actually watched a documentary where
they met for the first time, the very first time,
because obviously Lloyd Bone had been locked up since before
this kid was born. So they meet for that first
time as kind of emotional thing, and Lloyd Bone was
quoted as saying that's the last thing he wanted to
see was his grandson inside a prison, but that he
felt like he was going to be okay, and he
was quoted just saying he's.
Speaker 4: Got good blood in him.
Speaker 2: So there you have it, very sought after episode. And
that is the story of Lloyd Bone's Bone, the hearse
driver of Angola. I have no idea if he's still alive.
Somebody tell me that and I'd appreciate it. And check
out the Patreon commercial, free early releases and more, Patreon
dot com, slash Bloody in Gola podcast and until next time,
I'm Jim Chapman for Bloody Angola, a podcast one and
forty two years in the making, the complete story of
America's bloodiest prison Peace.
Speaker 3: A wall Street.
Speaker 1: Line, shackle change, Oh, gesome girdie, it's calling my name.
Speaker 3: There is no mercy and it's been a tentery juice.
As the Hillstream Game rangold three, I'm.
Speaker 2: In bed.
Speaker 5: By mad or die.
Speaker 1: Inside these walls, inside the wise. And when no girl
as I know it, soul, bloody anglebody, I a