In February 2022, Danielle Hoyle had just given birth to a daughter, Kennedy. The father of the child, Brandon Isabelle, had been opposed to Danielle giving birth. He tried to talk her out of it, encouraging her to get an abortion. Danielle persisted and gave birth to Kennedy. Two days later, Brandon Isabelle shot and killed Danielle. Then he took Kennedy to the Mississippi River and threw the two-day-old baby in the water. Her body was never found.
How to Protect Women from Pregnancy-Related Crimes?
As Marlo Greer comments in her video on this tragic and horrific crime, these situations raise questions about the current state of the law in Tennessee. In particular, how do we as a society protect women from these kinds of horrible crimes?
Women should be free to make choices when it comes to bearing children. Ideally, society would support those choices – if the woman chooses to have the child, there should be some assurances that the child will be cared for and the mother supported. She shouldn’t have to worry about the father of the child attacking her or the baby, and should never have to face the kind of terrible crimes that Danielle and Kennedy Hoyle faced.
On the other side of the coin, if the woman chooses not to have the child, there should be safe and effective ways of allowing her to make that difficult choice. Tennessee, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, has enacted a so-called “fetal heartbeat law.” This law prohibits abortion from the point at which the fetus’s heartbeat is detectable. It offers no exceptions except (1) in situations where the abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother or to prevent “substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function” and (2) if the fetus has a fatal condition that could pose a risk to the mother’s health.
The Consequences for Brandon Isabelle
Brandon Isabelle was convicted of murdering Danielle Hoyle and Kennedy Hoyle. He was sentenced to 51 years in prison for each murder. The judge ordered these sentences to be served consecutively – meaning that only after the first sentence has been served will he begin to serve the second.
In addition, the judge sentenced him to an additional 45 years in prison – 22-1/2 years each for Aggravated Child Neglect and for Especially Aggravated Kidnapping. This 45-year sentence held some “symbolic significance” according to the Shelby County District Attorney – it represented one year for each hour that Kennedy Hoyle lived before she was thrown in the Mississippi by Brandon Isabelle.
These two additional sentences must also be served consecutively. This means that Brandon Isabelle faces 147 years in prison.
Contact the Greer Law Group if You are a Woman Concerned for Your Well-Being
At the Greer Law Group, our focus is on helping our clients recover compensation when they have been injured because of somebody else’s negligent or intentional actions. That includes situations where our clients are facing physical or sexual abuse. In those difficult situations, our first priority is our client’s safety. We can help you get the help you need so that you are protected from the person or the situation that is putting you at risk. Once that’s done, we can talk about how you may be able to be compensated for the abuse you’ve suffered.
Contact the Greer Law Group today if you have questions. We can be reached at 303-331-6460 or by filling out our online contact form. We are here to listen and to help.
