On a Tuesday night in November 2019, the life of 20-year-old Nicholas Sloan 'Boo' Harmon of Pell City was tragically cut short. A recent graduate of Pell City High School, Harmon was a promising young man, serving as an Airman 1st Class with the 117th Air Refueling Wing of the Alabama Air National Guard and attending Jefferson State Community College with plans to transfer to Auburn University's aviation program. He had just celebrated his birthday a few days prior. That evening, Harmon was driving home after spending time with his girlfriend in Moody.
Around 10:55 p.m., a Moody Police Officer responded to what was initially believed to be a traffic accident near the Valero truck stop at Exit 147. Harmon's car had crashed into a utility pole's guidewire. Upon investigation, the officer discovered that Harmon, who was alone in the vehicle, had sustained a single gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy later confirmed that he died from a gunshot wound to the left side of his neck that exited through his mouth.
The investigation, a joint effort by multiple law enforcement agencies, quickly led to two individuals being taken into custody. One of the men, Michael Dale Iervolino, was arrested in connection with the murder. The events leading up to the fatal encounter revealed a crime spree by Iervolino earlier that night, which included stealing a truck. It was while driving this stolen truck that Iervolino encountered Harmon. In what appeared to be a senseless act of rage, Iervolino shot Harmon, reportedly because he believed Harmon was driving too slowly.
Iervolino was indicted on two counts of capital murder: one for shooting and killing Harmon while Harmon was in a vehicle, and another for shooting and killing Harmon while Iervolino himself was in a vehicle. Due to the victim being the son of St. Clair County District Attorney Lyle Harmon, the local district attorney's office and all St. Clair County judges recused themselves from the case. A judge and prosecution team from Talladega County were appointed to handle the trial. In 2021, a jury found Michael Dale Iervolino guilty of capital murder and, by a 10-2 vote, recommended the death penalty, a sentence the judge later imposed. Iervolino's subsequent appeals, which argued for a change of venue due to pre-trial publicity, were denied by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals and ultimately by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2024.
