Man receives life after pleading guilty to kidnapping, stabbing victim 19 times
A man accused of nearly stabbing someone to death while on a fake date in rural Geneva County has been ordered to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
On Wednesday, June 12, Robert Lane Hall pled guilty to one count of attempted murder in the kidnapping and stabbing of Matthew Angelino.
After pleading guilty, Judge William Filmore sentenced Hall to life in the Alabama Department of Corrections. He must also pay a fine of $1,000 to the courts.
Hall was arrested and charged alongside alleged co-conspirator Shalyn Diaz in January 2024.
According to the Geneva County Sheriff’s Office, Diaz lured Angelino onto a fake date in January and rode together on rural Geneva County roads with Hall hiding in the trunk of Diaz’s car.
Investigator Cory Dean says after pulling over, Diaz convinced Angelino to wear handcuffs and a blindfold while Hall exited the trunk, snuck into the backseat, and began choking Angelino with a cord and stabbing him with a knife.
Diaz opened the door, and Hall drug Angelino out of the car by the cord around his neck and stabbed him several times on the side of the road before driving away, leaving him to die, Investigator Dean told WDHN. Angelino was stabbed a total of 19 times.
Geneva County Sheriff Tony Helms said he believes Hall’s hefty sentence was due to his lengthy criminal history across at least two counties.
Court records show Hall has ongoing cases of breaking and entering a vehicle and obstructing government operations.
As of Friday morning, Diaz’s case has been set for trial at the end of June.
