TK Harty

[crystaldawn]

I have the NBC airing of this segment and was suprised to see that Lifetime edited out an entire scene that I must say was the creepiest of the whole segment. I'm assuming they did it to make room for the eventual update. It showed how the killer entered the house, walked around inside and even waited for a sign from Mooney to let him know that Hardy was on his way home. RS also said at the end (which I couldn't remember if was in the Lifetime version or not) that the hitman only received something like $175 for committing the murder.

Speaking of the case someone from the IMDb board gave me a link to the website of the prison where John Mooney is at. He has aged a lot and I thought you guys might like to see it:

http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/InmateInfo/index.html

I couldn't get a direct link to his profile so click on Inmate Info, then GDC Inmate Query and then enter his number which is 0000395804 if you're interested.

[Chris Billings]

$175 for the murder....the hitman must have been really desperate for cash. Thats a ridiculously low amount for something as serious as murder.

The Cber

[DarkDante]

Poor John Mooney - somebody needs a pizza

ROTFLOL

In all seriousness though there was actually a documentary done on this case by "City Confidential" on "The Biography Channel" which is a sister channel of A&E - It was called "Athens: Showdown At The Station" - Here is a brief summary:

Athens' club area, known as The Station, caters to college students, and has produced a string of successful college bands, including R.E.M. and The B-52s. In the late 1970s, T.K. Harty's Saloon was packed nightly with University of Georgia students and aspiring rock stars. Through a series of deals, Harty gained control of The Station complex and the lease of rival John Mooney's Somebody's Pizza. But when T.K. served Mooney eviction papers, it was a move he would soon regret.

Money will drive men to extremes, even to murder. A&E investigates the madness of one small town entrepreneur in City Confidential: Athens -- Showdown at the Station. Athens, GA, is by most accounts a pleasant college town. Full of decent, hardworking young people, the local state university provides a brisk business for restaurants and bars. T.K. Harty took advantage of the ready clientèle and opened a handful of popular hangouts including T.K. Harty's Saloon. But his growing portfolio also swallowed up smaller venues like John Mooney's Somebody's Pizza. The sudden loss of his lifelong dream enraged Mooney and eventually led to Harty's demise. A&E documents Mooney's slow burn in this one-hour program.

----

In addition you can find one of Mooney's failed attempts at gaining a rehearing of the case here:

http://www.lawskills.com/case/ga/id/8931/

[greatgarrett2]

Yes, I've seen this case on UM when I was a kid and in the not so distant past on City Confidential. I would like to get my hands on a UM copy of TK Hardy/John Mooney.

[crystaldawn]

Originally Posted by greatgarrett2

I would like to get my hands on a UM copy of TK Hardy/John Mooney.

I plan on putting the unedited NBC version on volume 3.

[kadrmas15]

Yes, money will drive people to extreme's. I have never actually seen this case but I was aware that Lifetime does edit scenes out. I actually wouldnt mind seeing some of the old original NBC segments. John Moody and Elmo Florence serving their life sentences both still in prison ages 58 and 75 currently. Florence apperantly was bragging to a bartender after he had a few drinks and actually offered his services if this bartender ever needed someone killed. Florence then said John Moody had solicited him to commit a murder and that Florence did it because he felt bad that a young man like Moody was being driven out of business. I wonder if anyone on here would ever consider writing to these two guys? Moody is currently in a prison in Unadilla, Georgia. Florence is in a prison in Hardwick, Georgia.

[crystaldawn]

Yes I'll give kadrmas15 credit as the person who found the prison picture of Mooney for me.

Elmer Florence is apparently not a very bright guy. He wasn't even a suspect in Hardy's murder and then he goes "bragging" to the bartender that he's willing to kill for money and gives a lot of details of how he entered Hardy's house and shot him. I'm definitely glad him and Mooney have been caught but if he hadn't been bragging to that guy who knows if either of them would have ever been arrested.

[DarkDante]

^ John Mooney is none too bright either first for falling into the trap of providing way too much information to the detective on the night TK was murdered. Second the fact that he was writing down notes detailing his involvement in the murder seems to be just plain stupid - I understand he was planning on giving those notes to Elmo Florence but seriously for a guy who had just ordered a hit which went down without a hitch - John Mooney was a total moron in his actions after the murder.

These two guys have nobody to blame but themselves for getting caught.

[kadrmas15]

Yes, Moody then skipped town and actually went to Europe for a couple of weeks in late September and early October of 1977. When Moody came back to Georgia in October of 1977 he stopped at his college roommates apartment and he was arrested there. Yes, Moody is a college graduate. Elmo Florence I believe was nothing but a career criminal. Florence actually had served 7 years of a 15 year sentence from 1964 to 1971 for a robbery in Fulton County. Crystaldawn, thanks for the acknowledgment but I enjoy looking up this information and posting for others to see and I dont mind if you take the info I post on the other board and repost it on here.

[crystaldawn]

Originally Posted by DarkDante

^ John Mooney is none too bright either first for falling into the trap of providing way too much information to the detective on the night TK was murdered. Second the fact that he was writing down notes detailing his involvement in the murder seems to be just plain stupid - I understand he was planning on giving those notes to Elmo Florence but seriously for a guy who had just ordered a hit which went down without a hitch - John Mooney was a total moron in his actions after the murder.

These two guys have nobody to blame but themselves for getting caught.

All of John Mooney's actions in regard to TK Hardy were driven by his huge ego. He tried to steal Hardy's customers and in retaliation Hardy kicked him out when he bought the building. Mooney probably thought he was untouchable and hired a lowlife career criminal to take care of "the problem" for him. He no doubt thought of himself as an upstanding citizen and probably didn't figure anyone would dare think he would be in cahoots with a low class like Florence. What he didn't bank on was what a big mouth Florence had and like you said his comments that night were incriminating as well.

[DarkDante]

A few further things on Mooney and Hardy that I either discovered from web searches or just talking to some people I know who know a lot about the local music scene in Athens, Georgia (where both men were from)

- Both Mooney and Hardy were big local supporters of the local music scene and I believe both hosted live bands at their establishments from time to time. The most famous band to come of Athens of course is REM who performed at TK Hardy's Saloon several times after Hardy's passing.

- TK Hardy's saloon remained active even after his death. The scenes from UM were actually filmed at "The Station" where the Saloon was located.

- The entire complex (including the locations which housed "T.K. Hardy's Saloon" and "Somebody's Pizza") however burned down in 1996 and nothing has been put in its place apparently as of yet according to "Online Athens".

- Two interesting things I found out while researching this case:

1) Mooney alleged that Hardy was involved with drugs and this was one of his explanations as to why Hardy was murdered. Of course this scenerio is false but I wonder if Mooney's allegations had any merit?

2) I also learned that Mooney owed TK Hardy a great deal of money and was unable to make payments. This might have had something to due with back rent which Mooney never paid (per his eviction from "The Station") but this could have possibly provided another motive for Mooney wanting Hardy dead.

[marlins3]

Not to bump an old thread but that's what I'm doing

Not sure if this has been posted

http://onlineathens.com/stories/0902...70902061.shtml

[kadrmas15]

Oh yeah Marlins, that is old news. Elmo Florence who is now 78 years old was paroled from prison in December of 2007 and remains out. John Mooney was denied parole back in March but he will be up for parole again in 2011.

[sdb4884]

Very interesting case.

Somebody's Pizza

[sdb4884]

Originally Posted by Chris Billings

$175 for the murder....the hitman must have been really desperate for cash. Thats a ridiculously low amount for something as serious as murder.

The Cber

It was only $125 !