The trial of Harvey Updyke, the alleged Toomer’s Oaks tree poisoner and Alabama fan, is underway. You might recall that this whole matter began two years ago when someone identifying themselves as “Al from Dadeville” confessed on the Paul Finebaum Show to poisoning the oaks.

Well, yesterday, a reporter from the student newspaper The Auburn Plainsman, Andrew Yawn, approached Updyke outside the courtroom after a round of jury selection, and claims that the defendant spoke freely about the incident. “Did I do it? Yes.” Yawn also quotes Updyke as saying, ““They’re going to find me guilty… it’s a done deal. I don’t think I’m going to get a fair trial.”

Updyke’s attorney immediately came out and denied that his client made those statements, but the paper is standing behind them. Predictably, that student reporter has been served with a subpoena as a witness, has been instructed that he can no longer cover the case, and a gag order has been placed on all public statements by everyone except the attorneys.

[photo via Opelika-Auburn News]