Shivangi Sinha
In the early hours of a February morning in 1997, a Brown County, Ohio, sheriff’s deputy was on patrol when he noticed a pickup truck parked suspiciously outside a bar. Just minutes later, the deputy received a call about a shooting at the exact location. Upon arriving at the scene, he discovered the bar owner, Donald Hoop, had been fatally shot. The Investigation Discovery show ‘Evil Lives Here,’ in the episode titled ‘My Wicked Stepmother,’ details the events leading up to the crime and the investigative efforts that ultimately led to identifying the perpetrator.
Donald Hoop Was Shot to Death Outside the Bar He Owned
Donald Ray “Whitey” Hoop was born on May 22, 1960, in West Union, Ohio, to Arthur Robert Hoop and Lucy Owens Hoop. He was one of seven children, growing up alongside three brothers and three sisters in a lively, bustling household. Despite the activity around him, Donald stood out for his deep empathy and willingness to help others. As he grew older, he remained close to his parents and family, eventually settling in Mount Orab, Ohio.
By 1997, Donald had built a life he was proud of and found fulfillment in. He had a daughter, Desiree Hoop, from a previous relationship and was happily married to Joy Major Hoop. Together, they co-owned Slammers Bar in Mount Orab, Ohio, a venture that brought him great joy. Donald also had a passion for playing pool and became a member of the American Poolplayers Association. With his family nearby, regular visits from his daughter, and a loving wife he saw as his lifelong partner, Donald felt his life was complete and settled in every way.
Everything came to a grinding halt on February 10, 1997, when police received a call around 1:30 am reporting a shooting in the parking lot of Slammers Bar. Upon arriving at the scene, they found Joy cradling Donald, weeping as he lay lifeless. He had been shot twice in the head, and the arriving medical team confirmed he had no pulse. With no known enemies, it was baffling why Donald had been murdered so brutally. However, the police quickly followed a lead in hopes of uncovering the identity of the killer.
The Police Followed Donald Hoop’s Killer to a Trailer Park
Just before the police received the call about the shooting, Deputy Buddy Moore of the Brown County Sheriff’s Office had been patrolling near Slammers Bar. He noticed a pickup truck parked in the lot and found it suspicious, as someone was sitting inside with only the parking lights on. Sensing that something wasn’t right, the deputy kept an eye on the truck from a distance and followed it as it drove to a nearby trailer park. However, just as he was monitoring the situation, he received the call about the attack on Donald and had to rush to the scene.
When Deputy Moore saw that Donald had been shot in the same parking lot where he had spotted the pickup truck, he sent another officer to track the vehicle. The car was located outside a trailer, and when the police knocked, Kathy Kerr, the owner of the trailer, answered the door. She confirmed that the driver of the truck was inside and using the bathroom. Leading the officers to the bathroom, they found a man named Carl G. Lindsey washing himself, with his blood-soaked clothes lying in the bathtub.
The police also discovered a pocketknife and a box of ammunition on the sink vanity. When they checked the trash can, they found Donald’s empty wallet, and behind the bathroom door, they uncovered a blood-stained gun. Tests later confirmed that the blood on the gun belonged to Donald. While Carl G. Lindsey was taken into custody, investigators suspected there was more to the story, as the evidence didn’t fully align with the theory of a robbery gone wrong. They began speaking with Donald’s friends and family, and soon, suspicion started pointing in another direction.
Many People Heard Donald Troop’s Killer Planning His Murder
Many people close to Donald, including his daughter Desiree Hoop, alleged that Joy was a controlling wife. Desiree even expressed that she believed her father was in an unhappy marriage with a woman who had a bad temper and treated him cruelly. When the police questioned Joy, she admitted that she had been discussing killing her husband with Lindsey, Kathy Kerr, and another man named Kenneth Swinford while they were at the bar but claimed it was only a joke. Joy insisted she never intended for anyone to take her words seriously and that they acted on their own. However, the others had a different version of events to share.
Lindsey claimed that Joy had hired him to carry out the murder, and Kerr further supported this by stating she had witnessed Joy handing Lindsey the gun just before the crime. As the evidence mounted against her, Joy was indicted on the counts of conspiracy and complicity in the aggravated murder of her husband.
Joy Major Hoop is Serving Her Sentence Today
Joy Major Hoop’s trial began in 1998, and many patrons of the bar testified against her, stating they had heard her talking about killing her husband. With Kathy Kerr’s testimony and the mounting evidence, Joy was found guilty of conspiracy and complicity in the aggravated murder of her husband. She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Joy immediately filed a petition for a new trial, but her sentence was upheld.
Joy filed a second motion for a new trial, claiming she had discovered new evidence, specifically that the gun used to kill Donald was not hers. However, the court ruled that the other evidence clearly proved she had planned her husband’s murder, and the ownership of the gun would not alter her conviction. In 2013, her second appeal was also denied. Now 61 years old, Joy is serving her sentence at the Dayton Correctional Institution in Ohio, with her parole date set for 2028.
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