It’s been called one of the most disturbing cases in Marshall County.
Holly Debord will now spend the rest of her life in prison after a judge sentenced her Tuesday to 99 years for sodomy, sexual torture, and bestiality.
“I’ve seen and heard some of the most disturbing crimes that are out there, but this is one case that is physically repulsive,” Marshall County Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Bray said.
It was extremely difficult to sit in the courtroom as prosecutors showed very graphic videos of the crimes that took place.
“It made your stomach churn just watching these videos,” Bray said.
The videos showed the victim being forced to commit sexual acts on another person and a dog.
“It was so violent and so aggressive. What they’re doing to this victim is just so awful; words can’t describe it,” Bray said.
You couldn’t see Debord in the videos, but you could hear her screaming orders while the victim plead for them to stop.
“I’m not leaving until you do this, or you’re going to be dead,” she said in the video. “Don’t let him go! He needs to suffer.”
Bray called the videos “repugnant” and one of the most “reprehensible things that any of us has had to watch in our careers.”
“The videos speak for themselves,” Bray said.
Tears ran down Debord’s face after the videos were shown. The judge granted her a two-minute recess to collect herself.
The investigation began when officials got reports of the videos being shared on social media. Bray said Debord shared a few of them after an argument with another suspect in this case Van Davis. However, investigators were able to identify Debord as the voice in the videos. They also found several more videos of the incident on her phone.
The lead investigator took the stand Tuesday. He says the acts were committed as a form of revenge after the victim reported Debord and Havis for drug-related activities.
“Because they perceived him to be a police snitch or otherwise as you heard in the video, ‘This is what we do to snitches!’ Their entire intent was to punish him or threaten him for what they believed he was doing,” Bray explained.
Prosecutors called for the maximum penalty for Debord, but the defense asked the judge for a second chance.
Debord’s attorney argued she had no past criminal history, and the maximum penalty should be saved for the worst of the worst.
“This is not a case that says throw her away and not give her another chance,” her attorney said in court. “She deserves a chance to rehabilitate and come home to the family.”
Debord also asked the judge for mercy saying she understood the seriousness of her crimes and takes full responsibility for her actions and decisions.
The judge also read around nine letters from people defending Debord’s character. He said it painted the picture of the most kind, compassionate woman with a heart of gold.
However, he said after seeing those videos he saw enough and said Debord was a clear active participant despite not getting physically involved.
“I’ve seen a lot of things in my life and ten years as a prosecutor before I came on the bench. I’ve dealt with a lot of these cases, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this,” Judge Chris Abel said. “I hope this is not the person that you are.”
He sentenced her to 99 years on one count of sodomy and a second 99-year term for sexual torture. She also received an additional year for the bestiality charge. All sentences will run concurrently.
Havis, who is seen committing the crimes in the video, is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday morning. He’s already agreed to serve a life sentence.
A third suspect was also charged in this case, but he was declared mentally incompetent.
