Why ‘Evil Lives Here’ Fame Joshua Hudnall Preferred Iraq War to His Own Mother

When Joshua Hudnall appeared on an episode of Evil Lives Here, he described a childhood that, in his telling, was harder to survive than a war zone.

Hudnall, a military veteran who served in Iraq, said living with his mother, who would go on to orchestrate the murder of his father, was more difficult than active combat.

Hudnall died August 14, 2018, shortly after taping the episode. His death at the mere age of 27 was attributed to liver failure. Years later, his account remains one of the show’s most-discussed segments.

Stephanie Hudnall was primarily responsible for raising Joshua and his two sisters, Guenevere and Ruby Grace. Their father, William Hudnall, worked frequently and was often away from home to support the family.

By the time Joshua, the Alachua County resident, joined the military and began active service, Stephanie was estranged from her husband. She demanded money from Joshua while he was deployed in Iraq. Of his time in service, Joshua said, “Iraq was the easiest time of my life. You've got bombs going off everywhere. There's always someone trying to kill you, and even with all that craziness. Still, a thousand times better than what I grew up with.”

Joshua described his mother as a “master manipulator” who was highly concerned with her public image. He said she kept her children close and controlled, and that he joined the Army in part to get away from her.

He also said she wanted her husband dead so she could collect his financial benefits, and that she once tried to poison him and, on another occasion, set his bed on fire while he slept.

Joshua said she turned violent toward him when he refused to help exploit his father financially. When Stephanie tried stabbing Joshua once, the incident made him enlist in the military.

Stephanie's manipulation extended to Guenevere.

According to court reporting, Guenevere, then 19, drove to her father's home in 2011 and killed him shortly after arriving on June 9, 2011. The scene was staged to look like a robbery, but investigators quickly identified Guenevere as a suspect.

During the investigation, Guenevere reportedly said that she had struck William’s head with a pickaxe until he stopped making noise.

Stephanie and Guenevere were each sentenced to 40 years in prison for their roles in William Hudnall's death.