5 chilling details about Ashley Nicole Haydt's crime ahead of Snapped

Season 35, episode 17 of Snapped will cover the truck bombing that took place in Dothan, Alabama, in 2017, with one victim suffering serious injuries that resulted in the federal conviction of Ashley Nicole Haydt. Prosecutors alleged Haydt was distressed over a custody dispute with her former boyfriend and the father of her child. She then developed a plan, with the assistance of co-worker Sylvio Joseph King, to kill the victim.

According to U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) statements, Haydt instructed King to construct and detonate a pipe bomb in the victim's work truck. This plan was carried out during the early morning hours of October 23, 2017. The victim survived the attack.

Haydt was convicted in October 2021 for conspiracy, malicious use of an explosive, and concealment of a felony. On April 12, 2022, she was sentenced to 220 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release (according to the DOJ), and King got 108 months.

Season 35, episode 17 of Snapped premieres on August 10, 2025.

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5 chilling details about Ashley Nicole Haydt's crime ahead of Snapped

1) A custody dispute escalated into a murder plot

The DOJ claims that Haydt’s relationship with her long-time boyfriend ended before the birth of their child in June 2017. Shortly after that, he filed for custody. Trial testimony indicated that she sent King several communications where she depicted her ex as an impediment in her life and expressed how she would be better if he were “out of the picture.”

A custody dispute escalated into a murder plot (Image via Pexels)

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2) She masterminded the plan and directed her co-conspirator

King testified that Haydt was the enabler of the conspiracy and encouraged him every step of the way, from obtaining the components to make the bomb to determining the time and location of the attack. She gave him the home address of her ex-boyfriend’s home, ensuring King could place the device in the exact vehicle he drove for work.

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3) The weapon was a remote-controlled pipe bomb

According to Federal court records, King purchased gunpowder, a pipe, and other components to build the explosive. In the early hours of October 23, 2017, King placed the bomb in the victim’s truck outside of his home.

The DOJ states that the device detonated with a remote trigger while the victim was driving to work, sending shrapnel into his back and hip. He did not die solely because of the quick response of a passing motorist and first responders.

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4) The co-conspirator celebrated immediately after the blast

In the moments after the explosion, King sent Haydt a message that "boom, I felt that from 120 feet away" (according to the DOJ). The government used this message at trial to show both knowledge of and involvement in the attack.

The co-conspirator celebrated immediately after the blast (Image via Unsplash)

Prosecutors contended that the prompt communication established her active participation and awareness of the plan’s implementation. It also provided important evidence that the bombing was not an impulsive act by King but rather part of a conspiracy they formulated together.

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5) She attempted to destroy evidence but was undone by recovered messages

When investigators searched Haydt's phone, they found that she had deleted text messages with King that would have been incriminating and deleted the Snapchat app used to discuss the conspiracy.

However, according to the DOJ, several messages were recovered from King's phone, including messages containing details of the planning and the message after the explosion, which directly associated her with the bombing.

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Season 35, episode 17 of Snapped can be streamed on Oxygen.