Source: The Murders of Kevin Ives and Don Henry | by Lori Johnston Mile Higher. The cause of death was changed from accidental to probable homicide. Major support provided through a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism. They were lying motionless on the tracks, in a position nearly identical to Kevin and Dons. On August 23rd, 1987, two teenage boys- Don Henry (16) and Kevin Ives (17) were run over by a cargo train in Bryant, Arkansas. Though a gun was found near the bodies, investigators initially ruled the incident as a suicide or related to drug use; later reviews of autopsies revealed Kevin Ives and Henry had been murdered, their bodies placed on the track near or shortly after their deaths. I'm curious what the connection to Clinton is. The day after the conference, the investigation was officially reopened. Lying parallel to both of them was Dons .22 rifle. The boys were two Bryant High School students Kevin Ives and Don Henry. The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. Links: Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Kevin and Don had avoided being caught. I come with no hidden voice. In 1996, Linda and film producer Patrick Matrisciana released the film, "Obstruction of Justice," which detailed the botched investigation into the murders. The death of Henry and Ives, as well as the other suspicious sightings and deaths listed above, join a list of other deaths believed to be associated with the drug running of Barry Seal and the cover up of the drug trafficking activity during the late eighties in Arkansas, that continued after Seal's murder the year prior to this incident. One week before the boys died, a man wearing military fatigues was spotted not far from the train tracks. A rifle was found nearby and a state medical examiner at the time ruled their deaths as a suicide. ", The crew member continued: "I noticed they never moved. He took Curtis spotlight and took his own .22 rifle. View original page. conclusion; a family waiting for answers. He took Curtiss spotlight and took his own .22 rifle. To cover their tracks, they laid them on the railroad tracks and covered them up with a tarp. Arkansas parents dispute ruling on sons' deaths, Parents Doubt Report Blaming Marijuana: Youths' Deaths on Train Tracks Probed, Forensic photos indicate teens were injured prior to being struck by train, Garrett says, Second Autopsy Report Concludes Teens Murdered, Saline County Sheriff criticizes Malak for his handling of deaths, Prosecutor says teens hit by train may have seen drug dealers before death, Prosecutor: Teens killer will be brought to justice, Teens deaths ruled homicides after parents push for facts. Between the two of them. It was later discovered that the boys had smoked 1-3 marijuana About 4:00 a.m. on August 23, 1987, the crew onboard a 75-car, 6,000-ton Union Pacific freight train, more than a mile long and traveling at a rate more than 50 miles per hour, en route to Little Rock, Arkansas, spotted two boys lying motionless across the tracks, about 300 feet ahead. Cody Lynn Berry They went to high school and did everything together. Rounsavall said he does not think the murders will ever be solved. However, since he started working on it, he has carried one. A month after that, the grand jury ruled their deaths a probable homicide. Before leaving Arkansas, Burton told Garrett that, per his calculations, the two boys had smoked only one or two joints of marijuana before their deaths.. For decades, people have tossed around theories, shared ideas, and spread rumors about who was responsible for the deaths of the teens on August 23, 1987. The second Prime Minister of India - Lal Bahadur Shastri, was also a senior Natural flavors have a certain kind of image attached to them - that they You look back, and you feel chills down your spine when you see all Seth Rich, 27, was an employee of the Democratic National Committee. After 5 months, the parents of the boys launched a press conference to plead for the case to be reopened. Franklin Delano Floyd: Sick Child Molester, Who Married and Killed His Victim, Then Kidnapped TheirChild, The Mystery Disappearance of BeaumontChildren, Iron Lung and a Woman Who Had to Spend Most of Her Life inIt, Russian Grave-Robber Who Dug Up Girls and Dressed Them for BirthdayParties. Just as the train was approaching Bryant, Arkansas, the train driver saw something on the tracks. The case was profiled on the television program Unsolved Mysteries. No one smokes 20 joints with their mate, covers up with a tarp and lays down on railroad tracks. They hoped to force the authorities to reopen the investigation. Friends who were with them that night confirmed this amount. It also looked into an alleged drug ring in Saline County which ran out of Mena Airport and was covered up by police. On September 10, 1991, four years after the deaths of Kevin Ives and Don Henry, the announcement of Malaks resignation appeared in the Arkansas Gazette. Malak said that these were two accidental deaths due to THC intoxication; THC is a component of marijuana. He ruled their deaths an accident. Attorneys, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Department of Homeland Securityto turn over for private review documents that had formerly been redacted; the judge dismissed several other agencies from the suit, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the U.S. State Department, the FBI, the Arkansas State Police, the Saline County Sheriffs Office, and the Bryant Police Department. Prior to working on this case, Garrett never carried a gun. However, it was never found. Cerne Abbas GiantThe Mysterious Hill Giants of England, Death Of Nelson Mandela And The Existence Of The Multiverse. So far, the run had been clear sailing, as engineer Stephen Shroyer approached the small town of Bryant, Arkansas. However, many do not consider him to be a credible source. He also found evidence to indicate that one of them was already dead and one unconscious when the train hit them. On the night Kevin and Don died, witnesses again reported seeing a man in military fatigues. Their parents would not accept Dr. Malaks conclusion. Later, another pathologist ruled that Don Henry's shirt showed evidence of a stab wound. Over the years, theories have been spread that the boys walked up on a drug drop and were killed. It seemed difficult to believe that they would lay on the tracks without moving a muscle, while a huge freight train was hurtling towards them blaring its horn. The government was certainly running drugs in '87. By then, it was almost 1 AM. Conspiracy theories persisted surrounding the boys' homicides after a number of murders and untimely deaths of people connected to the case. Additional support provided by the Arkansas General Assembly. double homicide. So far, Kevin and Don had avoided being caught. Information for this article was contributed by Ashton Eley of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "I really hated to hear about her demise.". On the night Kevin and Don died, witnesses again reported seeing a man in military fatigues. She has encountered corrupt law enforcement . "As far as I am concerned, Linda Ives is an angel, figuratively and literally now," Rounsavall said. On Dons t-shirt, stab marks were detected. The expert pathologist, Joe Burton, found an apparent stab wound in Don's back and a wound to Kevin's cheek. However, he was never charged in the case or officially labeled a suspect. Dont hide anything!, In the confession that was tapped, he claims that while What looked like a horrible tragedy turned out to be a haunting mystery. They denied any involvement in the case and successfully sued Matrisciana for libel. 00:11:41 - 13 Year old Daniel Morcombe went missing on December 7th 2003 on August 21,2011 body parts and items belonging to Daniel were located --- This ep He feels that his life could be in danger. The area was searched, but he was never found. He was heading down the road less than 200 yards from where the boys were found. In 1995, the investigation into Kevin and Don's murders was officially closed without their killer(s) captured or identified. Manage Settings Satter, Linda. Furthermore, he found evidence that Dr. Malak did not follow proper procedures when conducting the autopsies. Woman sought answers in the deaths of 2 teens for decades, In this file photo Linda Ives is shown standing near the Cabot District Court entrance waiting for former Lonoke Police Chief Jay Campbell, who she believes killed her son, Kevin Ives in 1987. The grand jury did urge authorities to continue investigating the deaths and the drug problem in the county. That night, they chose their usual hunting ground, along the railroad tracks that ran behind Dons house. On August 23, 1987, the bodies of 16-year-old Don Henry and 17-year-old Kevin Ives were hit by a freight train in Alexander, Arkansas, United States, as they lay on the tracks. A second autopsy revealed that Don Henry had been stabbed in the back and Kevin Ives skull had been crushed prior to being run over. In the early hours of August 23 rd, 1987, they also died together. Police have been unable to locate or identify him.Police speculated that Kevin and Dons may have been related to drug trafficking. By the time Allen got up from his seat, the man was gone. He felt that was like questioning the existence of the bodies on the tracks. On October 23, 2018, Garrett passed away at the age of seventy-two. He determined that they had been in a deep sleep induced by the "psychedelic" effects of the drug and had never heard the oncoming train. However, on the night of Saturday, August 22, 1987, Kevin and Don met a group of friends on the outskirts of Little Rock at a favorite gathering place for the local teenagers. The train was over a mile long and was traveling at a speed of fifty-two miles per hour. Kevin Ives' and Henry's deaths were ruled homicides in March 1990. The state medical examiner, Dr. Fahmy Malak, ruled the deaths an accident as a result of marijuana intoxication, saying the boys had smoked the equivalent of 20 marijuana cigarettes and fell asleep on the tracks. Man Claims to Have Seen "Boys on the Tracks" Murders", "Murder on the Tracks - The Massive Cover-up of Kevin Ives and Don Henry", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Killing_of_Don_Henry_and_Kevin_Ives&oldid=1128422169, This page was last edited on 20 December 2022, at 01:41. They loved cars and hunting. At first, local officials treated the incident like an apparent suicide despite the objections of the train crew. Little Rock, AR. Real or Fake: Can Zero-Gravity Positively Make You Weightless? Thats the last time he saw his son and his best friend alive. A second autopsy by Georgia medical examiner Dr. Joseph Burton found the equivalent of one or two marijuana cigarettes, not 20. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. It is not known if the boys were Kevin and Don. [3] The movie connected these deaths to smuggling activities at the Mena Airport, suggesting the boys had become accidental witnesses to a drug drop. The boys were typical teenagers. In August 2016, a new lawsuit was filed by Linda Ives citing a violation of the Freedom of Information Act by local and federal officials, or stonewalling, in relation to the boys deaths. Curtis had the trains sound checked and found that it was ninety-eight decibels, which is equivalent to the sound of a jackhammer or an air compressor running. Last edited on 20 December 2022, at 01:41, "Vigils held at Capitol, courthouse 25 years after Ives, Henry deaths - The Saline Courier", "Arkansas mom's motion in bid to unseal files says DEA hiding crimes", "Judge orders agencies to review more information in 'Boys on the Tracks' FOIA lawsuit", "The Mysterious Deaths of Don Henry & Kevin Ives", "New Witness? The officers later returned to the scene without the boys. They were lying motionless on the tracks, in a position nearly identical to Kevin and Dons. The two bodies were identified as 16-year-old Don Henry and 17-year-old Kevin Ives - best friends, notorious goofballs, and popular seniors from Bryant High School. Kevin and Dons families hired a private investigator to try and figure out what happened to them. Support Our Sponsors! It seemed difficult to believe that they would lay on the tracks without moving a muscle, while a huge freight train was hurtling towards them blaring its horn. Garrett also believes that the tarp existed. Friends who were with them that night confirmed this amount. Members of the locomotive crew also stated that the bodies were partly covered by a green tarpaulin, though police disputed the existence of any such tarp and none was ever recovered from the scene. A grand jury ruled the deaths a "probable homicide. The train then went over them. Linda wondered, if they were that stoned, how were they able to lie down in identical positions? The state medical examiner, Dr. Malak, concluded they had smoked the equivalent of twenty marijuana cigarettes. Today Kendall and Josh discuss the case of Don Henry & Kevin Ives. The ensuing investigation unearthed an intriguing lead. Suddenly, he opened fire on Allen. However, Saline County sheriff James H. Steed Jr. repeatedly told the Benton Courier that there was nothing at the tracks that night to suggest that it was nothing more than a strange accident. Linda Ives, mother of Kevin Ives, criticized Steeds administration in a letter she had published in the Benton Courier. Don Henry's father also noted that he did not believe his son would have risked his gun getting scratched by laying it on gravel. The case was the subject of journalist Mara Leveritt's award-winning book The Boys on the Tracks. More than 1,000 feet of the decelerating train crossed the point where the bodies lay before it came to a stop. The weight of the heavy cargo train carried it for a full half mile. Leveritt says in her book that his conviction and the resulting eleven-year prison sentence handed down in 1998 proved, to the boys parents at least, that their sons deaths had occurred in an environment of local corruption. Despite the exhaustive collection of details that Leveritt provides in the book, she offers no answers to the questions it raises. More than 1,000 feet of the decelerating train crossed the point where the bodies lay before it came to a stop. Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. One week before the boys died, a man wearing military fatigues was spotted not far from the train tracks. Nelson Mandela, born on 18 July 1918, was the President of South Africa. They talked for about fifteen minutes before he left. Many celebrities faces are stolen since many years now. He is not sure why someone would do that, however. That was her immediate reaction to the ruling. His behavior had aroused suspicion. In August of 1987, the bodies of 16-year old Don Henry and 17-year old Kevin Ives were hit by a train in Alexander, Arkansas. 100 Rock Street Just a few months later, on August 24, Kevin's sister, Alicia, passed away at the age of fifty-three. The parents of the boys insisted on a second autopsy, and after exhumation it was ruled that homicide was likely. The spot where their bodies were found was about a mile from the home of Henrys family in Alexander. Don Henry, age 16, and Kevin Ives, age 17, were the best of friends and frequently spent time together. Rate and review titles you borrow and share your opinions on them. In January 2018, former wrestler Billy Jack Haynes came forward, claiming that he had witnessed Kevin and Don's murders and knew who was responsible. Kevin and Dons families hired a private investigator to try and figure out what happened to them. Kevins father, Larry, could not believe that Kevin was knocked out on marijuana or into any kind of heavy drugs because he was usually home when Kevin would come home from school and his mother, Linda, was home at nights; they had never seen him spaced out or seen any signs that he was into drugs. "I would just like to thank everyone out there who has been supportive," Linda Ives said in the video. On January 22, 1989, twenty-six-year-old Greg Collins, who had been called to testify before the grand jury, died from three shotgun blasts to the face. 1A, 5A. The usual theory given about the boys' deaths, believed by Linda Ives, involves drug trafficking. A new autopsy revealed that they only smoked 1 to 3 joints. Police have been unable to locate him. homicide. They loved to work on their cars and hunt. His behavior was suspicious. They went to high school and did everything together. It ranks as one of the most remembered one in the series. Mother of boy found dead on tracks in 1987 suing United States of America, Judge to look at files in 1987 deaths of 2 boys found on central Arkansas railroad tracks, Former wrestler claims he witnessed murders of Don Henry and Kevin Ives, Mom of cold case victim dies; Linda Ives sought answers in the deaths of 2 teens for decades, Linda Ives, mother who sought answers in 'Boys on the Tracks' case, dies at 71, SitcomsOnline Discussion of Don Henry and Kevin Ives. One week before the boys . Unraveling Mysteries in Saline County Murders. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, December 26, 1999, p. 6J. The trains crew immediately reported the incident to railroad officials and to local law enforcement at Benton (Saline County), where the train had come to a full stop. However, he was unable to stop it in time. He felt that was like questioning the existence of the bodies on the tracks. Curtis recalls that Don came into his bedroom at around 12:15am. They hoped to force the authorities to reopen the investigation. The case was the subject of journalist Mara Leveritt's award-winning book The Boys on the Tracks. The train's crew reported the incident to railroad and law enforcement authorities. Families don't accept explanation, Marijuana coma? The case remains unsolved. Ashokas 9 Unknown Men Indias Illuminati? We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The boys bodies were terribly damaged but were later identified as 16-year-old Don Henry and 17-year-old Kevin Ives.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'conspiracytheories_in-medrectangle-4','ezslot_6',620,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-conspiracytheories_in-medrectangle-4-0'); The reports revealed that the boys were under the influence A federal judge later dismissed many of the agencies listed, but ordered three of them to turn over the pertinent documents to him. Kevin Ives and Don Henry on Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Friends, Train Crew Subpoenaed In Investigation Of Deaths Of Teens, Malak Ruling In Train Deaths Of Teens Challenged By Pathologist, Jury asks FBI to probe train deaths in Newton County, Jury 'not completely pleased' with progress in investigation of two Bryant teens' deaths, Drugs cause of deaths? He does not believe that anyone could sleep through that kind of noise. The state medical examiner, Dr. Fahmy Malak, said they had been under the influence of marijuana and ruled the deaths accidental. He also suspects that there was some sort of police cover-up involved in the case; however, he was not sure if it was inadvertent or deliberate. Nearby were a .22 caliber rifle and a flashlight. The officers later returned to the scene without the boys. Kevin and Don set off to go spotlighting, a form of night hunting which is illegal in Arkansas. The same man was also spotted on the night that Don and Kevin died. Don was a natural comedian and Kevin was his best audience. The boys' bodies were terribly mangled. [1] Members of the locomotive crew also stated that the bodies were partly covered by a green tarpaulin,[2] though police disputed the existence of any such tarp and none was ever recovered from the scene. When Stephen laid down on the diesel horn, he got no reaction from them. Steed had also lied about where he had sent the boys clothes for examination. Newly appointed prosecutor Richard Garrett had Kevin and Dons bodies exhumed for a second autopsy to be performed by a noted expert. Five minutes later, Celine County officers showed up. Listen to their story now told by Holly! cigarettes, not 20 as the first report stated. Details: In the pre-dawn hours of August 23, 1987, a seventy-five car, 6,000 ton cargo train made its regular night run to Little Rock, Arkansas. He then said he met Linda Ives in 2016 and gave names of everyone involved to her private investigator. The darkest aspects of humanlifeandnature. Best friends Kevin Ives and Don Henry had been out hunting late on Saturday night, August 22, but when they could not be found the next morning, their parents began searching for them. The apparent murder in Saline County in 1987 of seventeen-year-old Kevin Ives and sixteen-year-old Don Henry has spurred ongoing controversy, including conspiracy theories tying their deaths to a drug-smuggling scandal. Police who searched the scene later denied that Stephen had even told them about the tarp. Their families have conducted their own investigations and are still hoping that the case can be solved. He believes the assailant(s) incapacitated one of them, and then, felt like they had to do something to the other one. "[5] When it was found that Don Henry's shirt contained evidence of a stab wound to the back, and Kevin Ives' skull may have been crushed by his own rifle, the ruling was changed to "definite homicide. The authorities were never able to locate the man. . He also found evidence stating In the tragic evening, Kevin and Don met a group of friends at the commuter parking lot a popular gathering place for the local teenagers in Bryant, Arkansas. He worked with Linda Ives in 2017 and 2018 on the case, helping to locate a potential witness to the murders. According to Stephen, they questioned the existence of the tarp. Garrett also believes that the tarp existed. It has been debated on why they were on the train tracks and whether it was a tragic accident, or something more sinister. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The CALS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. On Monday, local officials contacted the Ives and Henry families after the two boys had been identified conclusively through dental records. By the time Allen got up from his seat, the man was gone. Police have been unable to locate or identify him. With the help of lawyers Dan Henry and Richard Garrett, Malaks ruling of accidental death was overturned, but the result was hardly definitive. An investigator found that a similar case occurred in 1984, Hodgen, Oklahoma again, two young men were found lying on railroad tracks, positioned almost identically to the boys and ran over. indicating that they were planning on using an illegal hunting technique that Additional support provided by the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation Inc. One week before Kevin and Don were killed, a man wearing military fatigues had been spotted in the vicinity. their sons was an accident. Unravelling The Reptilian Ruler. The two victims were identified as 16-year-old Don Henry and 17-year-old Kevin Ives, best friends and popular seniors at Bryant High School. The deaths were initially ruled an accident, the result of the boys in a deep sleep on the tracks while incapacitated due to high amounts of THC allegedly present in their blood. esau sold his birthright to his brother, jacob for; why do dogs rub against bushes. By 4:40 a.m., local and state police had arrived at the scene and begun investigating. Unsolved Mysteries Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Cuts in the fabric indicated that Don was stabbed before the train ran over him. When asked about his thoughts on the case by host Robert Stack, Garrett alleged that the boys saw something they shouldnt have seen and it had to do with drugs. Despite the grand jurys announcement that the boys deaths may have been related to drug trafficking, Sheriff Steed refused to allow any funds to aid in the investigation. New York: St. Martins Press, 1999. Police have been unable to locate him.Six weeks after the investigation was reopened, Garrett came up with a strangely similar case. Karen Spears, a friend of Linda Ives who met her couple of years after Kevin Ives' death, spoke of her determination for justice. This doctor concluded that together, they had smoked not twenty, but between one and three marijuana cigarettes. The second Prime Minister of India - Lal Bahadur Shastri, was also a senior leader of the Indian National Congress party. His behavior had aroused suspicion. The State medical examiner concluded they had smoked the equivalent of 20 marijuana joints and were in deep sleep when the oncoming train closed them. . Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. The teenagers had stayed out late hunting the night before. He feels that his life could be in danger. However, he repeatedly received resistance from authorities, who seemed unwilling to cooperate or change their opinions about the case. Early on the morning of Aug. 23, 1987, a Union Pacific crew spotted the bodies of Kevin Ives and Henry wrapped in a tarp on tracks in Alexander, near the border of Saline and Pulaski counties. He was Ashoka, also widely known as Ashoka The Great was the third ruler of the Mauryan Empire. Suddenly, he opened fire on Allen. We aim to bring a resolution to cases which remain open. By 4:40 a.m., police arrived on the scene. "She never gave up her fight. The state medical examiner said the boys had been under the influence of marijuana and he ruled the deaths accidental.
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