An Oklahoma woman will spend life in prison after shooting her children execution-style while they slept.
District Judge Ronald A. White ordered Amy Leann Hall to serve two life sentences in federal prison for the November 2018 murders of her son, Kayson Toliver, 18, and her daughter, Kloee Toliver, 16. She also received an extra 20 years behind bars for shooting her 14-year-old daughter in the head, who managed to survive the incident.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, after shooting Kayson, Hall opened fire on her youngest daughter, grazing her in the head and neck area. The wounded teen managed to flee to the bathroom and convince her mother to put the gun down.
The incident happened at the family’s home off of South 130 Street in Muskogee County.
A friend sleeping in Kayson’s room called police at 6:30 a.m. Hall then fled the scene and led police on a high-speed chase for four miles that ended with her arrest.
Hall told investigators that she shot her children to protect them from her estranged husband, who she claimed was abusive. She planned to kill all her children but the youngest “interrupted her plans.”
Court records indicate that Hall and her ex were in a bitter custody battle a few years before the murders. In a petition filed in June 2016, Hall’s former spouse pushed for custody of the children, asserting that Hall not only subjected the children to psychological abuse but also filed baseless restraining orders against him.
“This crime was gut-wrenching and there is no question the sentencing is just. It is absolutely heartbreaking to think a mother could be capable of shooting her own children while they slept,” FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray said, according to The Kansas City Star.
In November 2022, Hall pleaded guilty to two charges of murder and one charge of assault with intent to commit murder. According to prosecutors, if she had not accepted the plea agreement and agreed to the life sentence, state prosecutors would have assumed jurisdiction and pursued the death penalty.
“The horrific violence visited upon this family was unimaginable, and nothing will ever make things right,” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma Christopher J. Wilson said.
“Nevertheless, justice requires a careful consideration of all facts, including the interests of the surviving victim. Based on these considerations, the United States recommended a life sentence be imposed in this case.”
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Feature Photo: Kloee and Kayson Toliver/Facebook]
