The Misery Machine - The Case of Danielle + Kennedy Hoyle

Starting point is 00:00:00 On February 1st, 2022, Brandon Isabel should have been celebrating his 25th birthday. He and 27-year-old Danielle Hoyle welcomed their daughter, Kennedy, into the world just two days prior. The little girl was tiny, weighing just six pounds, but she was perfect. In her final Facebook post, Danielle wrote of her new baby, quote, I've been waiting on them to bring her to me all morning, end quote. The parents lived in Memphis, Tennessee, although not together. Memphis is known for its culture, blues music, next-level barbecue, Graceland, and the world-famous Beale Street, but it's also known for being what some publications call the most dangerous city in America.

Starting point is 00:00:42 With a population of over 628,000 people, Memphis has a crime rate that is 237% higher than the national average. Memphis has 7,913 crimes per 100,000 people, within an exceptionally, high violent crime rate. In 2002, there were 15,318 incidents of violent crime, including 289 counts of homicide, 2,134 counts of robbery, and 12,484 incidents of assault. Danielle was born on April 16, 1994. She was a beautiful young woman who was well-loved by her friends and family. For the past few years, she worked as a material handler at FedEx and was described as an extremely hard worker. According to coworkers, Danielle was often the first one unloading trucks and the last one to leave for the day. Brandon had been married and had a child before

Starting point is 00:01:37 getting involved with Danielle, but separated from his son's mother in 2019. Danielle too had a daughter, Gariah from a previous relationship who was around nine years old at the time. But details of the couple's relationship are a bit hazy, especially if you delve deep into the rabbit hole that is social media. According to Danielle's Facebook account, she had been in a relationship with a man calling himself Cartel Nino since June 8th of 2021. This is not Brandon, so folks should stay off his Facebook page and withhold any accusations. Cartel Nino isn't his name at all, though. It is a moniker for 25-year-old Nernus Nesby, a member of the conservative vice lord's concrete cartel street gang, who was doing time for federal racketeering, business and pharmacy robberies,

Starting point is 00:02:23 as well as firearms and drug trafficking charges. Brandon, too, was involved in a love triangle. Although he was seeing Danielle and had a child with her, he had another girlfriend. Allegedly, she was unhappy that Danielle was pregnant with Brandon's child. At around 1115 on the evening of February 1st, patrol officer Sutton with the Memphis Police Department was patrolling the secluded area of Sedgwick Street

Starting point is 00:02:49 in East Levi Road looking for possible stolen vehicles. During his patrol, he came across a tan Chevy cruise with Tennessee tags parked on the side of the road with the driver's side window shot out. When the officer ran the tags in his database, they came back as belonging to one Danielle Hoyle. Officers were dispatched to her address on Wincrest Road, where loved ones advised the authorities they hadn't seen Danielle since she left the house earlier in the day with her two-day old daughter Kennedy. While the officers were with the family, Officer Sutton discovered a dead woman with an apparent gunshot wound to the head just outside of the car. Although the woman matched the family's description of Danielle, there were a few questions left unanswered. Who would do this to a beautiful young mother? And where was Kennedy?

Starting point is 00:03:40 Police zeroed in on Brandon Isabel as a possible suspect and their suspicions were quickly confirmed. The man waived his rights and agreed to speak with the police, and he confessed everything. During questioning, he admitted to luring Danielle to Sedgwick Street in East Levi Road and shooting her in the head. Now, mind you, little Kennedy was in the backseat during this entire ordeal. If killing the mother of your child in cold blood wasn't monstrous enough, what Brandon did next was. The 22-year-old took Kennedy out of the backseat of Daniel's car while she'd. was still in her car seat and placed her inside his. He then drove with his two-day-old daughter to Island Park and the upper Mud Island boat ramp

Starting point is 00:04:26 and tossed her into the muddy waters of the Mississippi River. As the little girl clearly could not swim, she likely drowned within moments. Afterwards, he threw the gun used to shoot her mother into the river and discarded Kennedy's car seat next to a dumpster behind the Walmart on Elvis Presley Boulevard. Brandon Isabel was promptly arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree homicide, first-degree homicide in the perpetration of kidnapping, and tampering with evidence. He was not granted bond. Despite confessing what he had done, he later pled not guilty, claiming that police coerced him

Starting point is 00:05:03 into providing a confession. The man charged with murdering two people last week, one of them, a two-day-old infant, went before a Shelby County judge this morning, 25-year-old Brandon. Isabel says he's not guilty. Action News 5's Parker King joins us live now outside 201 Poplar with the latest on this case. Parker? And Joe, to remind folks, Isabel was the boyfriend of 27-year-old Danielle Hoyle and the father of newborn Kennedy Hoyle. But for many of the family members of the two in the courtroom this morning, this was their first time seeing Isabel in person.

Starting point is 00:05:40 A first meeting that Daniel's mother, Kennedy's grandmother, will never forget. I just had to see the monster who did these to them. These were among the first words April Campbell said to Action News 5 outside Memphis criminal court this morning, after the man charged with killing her daughter Danielle Hoyle and granddaughter Kennedy Hoyle stood before a judge. Campbell said she locked eyes with 25-year-old Prandon Isabel. He just called a blank stare. Why are you staring at me? Why are you not telling me what my babies are?

Starting point is 00:06:13 Why are you not telling me I'm sorry? admitting to the two murders to Memphis police, Isabel has issued a plea of not guilty. The affidavit for Memphis police this past Wednesday stated, Isabel waived his rights and admitted to shooting Danielle in Whitehaven and throwing Baby Kennedy into the Mississippi River. Isabel's attorney, Lauren Fuchs, says they will be conducting their own investigation in between court dates. The police are trained to get statements. So anytime that we have a situation like that, we need to see what led up.

Starting point is 00:06:47 up to a statement being made and any admissions that may have come out of that statement. Meanwhile, the scene at North Mud Island is still actively looking for Kennedy's remains. As of last check, she has not been found. He should have just stayed gone. This would have never happened ahead. He not came back. Now, we're told Isabelle's next court appearance is next week, though a firm date is still being set. As for Campbell and the Hoyle's family, there will be a candlelight vigil this Saturday at a time in place to be determined to keep Danielle and Kennedy's memory alive while Isabel stands trial.

Starting point is 00:07:24 Live in Memphis, Parker King, Action, News 5. Although Kennedy is presumed dead, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in the Memphis Police Department issued an amber alert for the newborn. She was described as weighing six pounds and measuring 17 inches in length with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black and white polka dot onez with pink pants. Police search for the little girl around Mud Island, but they unfortunately came up empty-handed. Danielle's mother, April Campbell, told reporters, quote,

Starting point is 00:07:57 You can cry so much that tears don't even come down your eyes anymore. I haven't slept. Danielle, she's missed by everybody. Young folks make mistakes, but that wasn't a mistake. There wasn't a reason to kill my daughter. That's my great baby. I only have my baby 10 minutes, and I haven't seen her since. Why would somebody want to hurt a baby?

Starting point is 00:08:20 She's precious. She didn't do anything to you. The grandmother said that she had wished that she could just hold Kennedy and tell both her daughter and her granddaughter that she loved them and miss them. When asked about Brandon Isabel, April didn't hold back, quote, I want him to suffer like he made my baby suffer. I want him to hurt. I don't want it to be easy for him.

Starting point is 00:08:41 I want him to suffer. He needs to suffer. Why would you hurt a baby? End quote. I'm going to have to agree with April here. We try very hard to stay unbiased in the cases that we cover. Still, after researching this case, as well as the case of Nitisha and Nilo-Ladamore previously, I can't help but become enraged with the entire situation.

Starting point is 00:09:03 Not only are you killing the mother of your child who, in this case, had another older daughter that she was supposed to be supporting, but you tossed your new baby into a watery grave to die a horrible death. What's even more upsetting is much like Nilo and even James Robert Hutchinson, whose case will probably revisit in the future, there is zero closure for the family. When you toss a small child into a moving body of water like that of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, there's an excellent chance that their body will never be found. This means no more last goodbyes and no way for the family to lay their loved one's body to rest. Instead, their graves are within what is essentially the toilet of the Midwest. So where does this case stand now?

Starting point is 00:09:49 A GoFundMe was started by April Campbell to pay for funeral arrangements for Danielle and to benefit her surviving daughter Jariah, who is now staying with her. The fundraiser is still open, and as of the date of this recording, it has raised almost $35,000 of its $15,000 goal. Danielle was laid to rest in a shiny red casket underneath a heart-shaped, granite headstone. Both mother and daughter's names were inscribed, along with her picture and the phrase, forever in our hearts. Instead of a hearse, Danielle arrived at her funeral in a white horse-drawn carriage. Her service was held at Brown Missionary Baptist Church in South Haven,

Starting point is 00:10:28 Mississippi. It's not up until God gets through. It is a short walk to the front of Brown Missionary Baptist, but certainly a difficult journey for Danielle and Kennedy Hoyle's loved ones. they were preparing to say their final goodbyes. At just 27, Danielle lived a vibrant life, her family describes, so it is only fitting they donned her favorite vibrant color, red. It was also the color of her casket, adorned with, of course, red roses, more reminders of her undeniable love, especially for her youngest daughter Kennedy, who Danielle only got the chance to love on for two days before both lives were cut short. But on this day, it was all about celebrating the life this young mother lived.

Starting point is 00:11:30 Sadly, Danielle leads behind a nine-year-old daughter who sat embracing her grandmother a few feet from where her mother was lying peacefully with a calm presence of white doves nearby. It's a sense of calm Pastor Brian Bartlett also asked for while delivering the eulogy. Stop losing your life over nonsense. This is, Nonsense. However, words to describe the hurt were hard to come by when Daniel's best friend, DeShina Hill, tried to explain the heartache she continues wrestling with. I had just talked to her.

Starting point is 00:12:07 She got out of the hospital. Hugs and prayers are reminding Danielle and Kennedy's grief-stricken loved ones. Hope is not lost. Ride of tears also here in honor of baby Kennedy. The entire funeral absolutely powerful. Even as they get ready to head to the burial ground, it is their moment to say their final goodbyes to both a mother and daughter. Whose family, although struggling to heal from the hurt,

Starting point is 00:12:49 is sharing a message with hopes it will save a life. But the young people need to know that we love them and they need to stop all the killing. As they are on a mission to spread the love Danielle stood for. Reporting in South Haven, Jureta Patterson, WREG, News Channel 3. As of the date of this recording, Brandon Isabel's case has not gone to trial. For April Campbell's Facebook group, court has been reset to July 10th of 2023. As his court date has changed a few times, we will watch for updates as they become available. The Memphis Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are still seeking information

Starting point is 00:13:28 concerning Kennedy's whereabouts, as the little girl has still yet to be recovered. Let's hope they do find her body, so that mother and daughter can finally be reunited.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Danielle + Kennedy Hoyle

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