The case was the subject of journalist Mara Leveritt's award-winning book The Boys on the Tracks. AtConspiracy theoriesyou can read about real experiences or perhaps read about mind boggling instances that may or may not have taken places living up to the name of it being aconspiracy. He placed the train into an emergency stop position and laid down on the horn. Police never found a tarp.[3]. Jay Campbell and Kirk Lane vs. Citizens for an Honest Government, Inc. Extra Notes: Results: Unresolved. Three hours later, Stephen Shroyers locomotive came speeding down Bryant Hill. [4] The parents did not accept this finding and conducted their own investigation. 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of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Lying parallel to both of them was Dons .22 rifle. Furthermore, he found evidence that Dr. Malak did not follow proper procedures when conducting the autopsies. Police have been unable to locate him. When police officer Danny Allen stopped to question him, the man opened fire. One week before the boys died, a man wearing military fatigues was spotted not far from the train tracks. In Hogden, Oklahoma, just 200 miles west of Little Rock, two young men,Billy Hainline and Dennis Decker, lying together on the railroad tracks had been run over by a locomotive in 1984. Curtis recalls that Don came into his bedroom at around 12:15am. The parents of the boys insisted on a second autopsy, and after exhumation it was ruled that homicide was likely. The expert pathologist, Joe Burton, found an apparent stab wound in Don's back and a wound to Kevin's cheek. 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. The state medical examiner, Dr. Fahmy Malak, said they had been under the influence of marijuana and ruled the deaths accidental. They talked for about fifteen minutes before he left.Kevin and Don set off to go spotlighting, a form of night hunting which is illegal in Arkansas. On October 23, 2018, Garrett passed away at the age of seventy-two. The grand jury did urge authorities to continue investigating the deaths and the drug problem in the county. Their bodies were placed on rail road tracks, later to be run over by a train. In the early hours of August 23rd, 1987, they also died together. The two left around midnight to go back to Dons house. They have spent many hours at the spot where they were killed, wondering how it could have happened. An ex-girlfriend of his reportedly told an investigator that he and two other men were responsible for the murders. Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. As recently as the winter of 2019, Linda Ives posted a video on YouTube about her ongoing efforts to find out who murdered her son, asking for donations to help cover some of the costs of her never ending odyssey for the truth. Four hours later, they were discovered spread out over the railroad tracks near their home with a green tarp covering them. In August 2016, Linda sued the United States over Freedom of Information Act requests. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette file photo). Reportedly, no tarp was found by the police, but they did take in a shattered .22 caliber rifle as evidence. As his train drew closer, he made the horrifying discovery that two boys were lying motionless across the railroad tracks.They placed the train into an emergency stop position and laid down on the horn. By all accounts, Kevin and Don were both typical teenage boys. That was her immediate reaction to the ruling. Later, another pathologist ruled that Don Henry's shirt showed evidence of a stab wound. The man is a sleazy pol and perv but I'd want to see solid evidence of his being brought into the fold of something like Black Eagle or related CIA Reagan-era malevolence. Major support provided through a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism. The train was over a mile long and was traveling at a speed of fifty-two miles per hour. To him, it looked like they had been laid out by someone. According to Leveritt, Malak was accused by his own staff of keeping outdated crime lab stationery on which he allegedly falsified findings in autopsy reports just before certain cases went to court. What had caused Kevin and Don to lie side-by-side on the railroad tracks? However, the families refused to accept that what happened with By then, it was almost 1 AM. By 4:40 a.m., police arrived on the scene. The second autopsy was exhumed by Richard Garret. Linda wondered, if they were that stoned, how were they able to lie down in identical positions? By all accounts, Kevin and Don were both typical teenage boys. "She never gave up her fight. Example video title will go here for this video. That was her immediate reaction to the ruling. Little Rock, AR. Garrett then focused on the green tarp. Per Leveritt, Steed sent the clothes to the Arkansas State Crime Lab, not to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as he was supposed to do. Was The Old Mill really used as a movie set in this classic film? It seemed especially unlikely that it would happen to two people at the same time. Every time they would try to find out something new, they met great resistance from different authorities. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. One theory given a . Stephen noted that although three seconds does not seem like a long amount of time, it felt like an eternity for them. The Happening [14]. "She had the chance to meet her son in the last 48 hours, Kevin Ives, and he has told her the truth whatever it is.". Don Henry, age 16, and Kevin Ives, age 17, were the best of friends and frequently spent time together. were killed by the dealers who found them. Three hours later, Stephen Shroyers locomotive came speeding down Bryant Hill. Kevin and Don had avoided being caught. It was alleged that they were the officers seen beating the two boys in a store parking lot. On November 15, 2017, a federal judge ordered three defendants in the suitthe Executive Office of U.S. 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. Curtis was not worried about them going into the woods because he did not think they would get in trouble. He was known for his anti-apartheid and philanthropic works. 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. More than 1,000 feet of the decelerating train crossed the point where the bodies lay before it came to a stop. Misen Knives http://bit.ly/3sNux6V | Quip https://bit.ly/3pkPc0i | Upstart https://bit.ly/35qcF8j | Hello Fresh http://bit.ly/39mRSmP M. They were partially covered by a light green tarp. Creating an account gives you access to all these features. 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. 16-year old Don Henry and 17-year old Kevin Ives head into the woods to do some late-night hunting, but never return. Police never found a tarp. Their families have conducted their own investigations and are still hoping that the case can be solved. "In August of 1987, I was contacted by the Arkansas criminal politician and was asked if I would provide muscle at an Arkansas drug stop," said Haynes while reading from a paper. Don Henry and Kevin Ives. The two boys were identified as sixteen-year-old Don Henry and seventeen-year-old Kevin Ives. He does not believe Don would do that because he would not want the wood getting scratched. the unsolved 1987 slaying of teenagers kevin ives and his friend, don henry, is one of the most high-profile homicide cases in arkansas history, with an investigation tinged with. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. A week after Ives and Henry were buried, their parents were summoned to the office of state medical examiner. Stephen noted that although three seconds does not seem like a long amount of time, it felt like an eternity for him. 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. The train was over a mile long and was traveling at a speed of fifty-two miles per hour. Life will never be the same, but the memories she left behind will forever be treasured.". He was Ashoka, also widely known as Ashoka The Great was the third ruler of the Mauryan Empire. In a video posted on January 23, Billy. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. By 4:40 a.m., local and state police had arrived at the scene and begun investigating. By the time Allen got up from his seat, the man was gone. View original page. Neither of them were moving. With the help of lawyers Dan Henry and Richard Garrett, Malaks ruling of accidental death was overturned, but the result was hardly definitive. In 1993, the Ives family urged to reopen Don and Kevin's murder case, and the new man assigned to it was an out-of-state detective named John Brown. 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. In 1995, the investigation into Kevin and Don's murders was officially closed without their killer(s) captured or identified. The deaths were ruled homicides in March 1990 after yet another investigation, but, per the Arkansas Gazette, there were no reported arrests. 00:23:25 - Join us as we unfold the unsolved mystery of the Kevin Ives and Don Henry case. By March 1989, another recipient of a subpoena to appear before the grand jury, Daniel Boonie Bearden, had disappeared. Dan Harmon, a prosecutor of the case, who was later arrested for dealing drugs,[10] is one person implicated in the murder. 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. One of them would shine a light in the animals eyes, transfixing the prey while the other fired. Read our Privacy Policy. On the night Kevin and Don died, witnesses again reported seeing a man in military fatigues. Garrett was later interviewed by Robert Stack; he claimed that there was drug trafficking throughout Bryant and Saline County that also was connected to several other counties and states. Ivan Pavlovs Classical Conditioning Theory. The Bisley Boy Conspiracy. Speculation persisted throughout the years that the teenagers were murdered because they witnessed activity related to drugs that were being smuggled into the U.S. from Central America, possibly via an airport in Mena. It has been debated on why they were on the train tracks and whether it was a tragic accident, or something more sinister. He also found evidence to indicate that one of them was already dead and one unconscious when the train hit them. Malaks theory was that the two boys had smoked enough marijuana that they simply fell asleep on the tracks that night before being run over. This time, he was leaving town, heading down a road less than 200 yards from the spot where the bodies were run over. Newly appointed prosecutor Richard Garrett had Kevin and Dons bodies exhumed for a second autopsy to be performed by a noted expert. ", The crew member continued: "I noticed they never moved. Day, Chris. Nearby were a .22 caliber rifle and a flashlight. The Murder Of Seth Rich: A Robbery Gone Awry Or A Conspiracy? It ranks as one of the most remembered one in the series. The CALS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. He then said he met Linda Ives in 2016 and gave names of everyone involved to her private investigator. They grew up in Bryant, Arkansas , and enjoyed hanging out in the wooded areas that . However, since he started working on it, he has carried one. 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. [3] The movie connected these deaths to smuggling activities at the Mena Airport, suggesting the boys had become accidental witnesses to a drug drop. In the book's acknowledgements, Leveritt thanked Linda Ives "most of all" for her help, writing that it was Linda Ives "who gave me her time, her records and her trust and who keeps this story alive. He does not believe that anyone could sleep through that kind of noise. accidental. While there, he allegedly witnessed the murders. They searched the area but were unable to find the man. Families don't accept explanation, Marijuana coma? The gun and flashlight near the bodies suggested they were using a hunting technique known as spotlighting, which involves using a bright light to scan for animals whose eyes brightly reflect the light after dark. They hoped to force the authorities to reopen the investigation. Haynes said he was compelled to come forward after the shooting death of Seth Rich, who was an employee of the Democratic National Committee. They searched the area but were unable to find the man. This list of suspicious deaths include the friend of Henry and Ives, Keith Coney, who died in an accident a few months later, having seen Henry and Ives the night they died, and reported concerns to the police. When they were about six poles away from Kevin and Don, his conductor yelled out big-o and he immediately realized that there were bodies on the tracks. The boys were two Bryant High School students Kevin Ives and Don Henry. However, he was unable to stop it in time. Their parents would not accept Dr. Malaks conclusion. They denied any involvement in the case and successfully sued Matrisciana for libel. They were partially covered by a light green tarp. ", "I come with no mask, I come with no hidden voice," said Haynes in the video. The locomotive engineer engaged the brakes while blowing the horn, but the train could not stop in time and rolled over the bodies. All four of the people on the train who were able to observe the scene prior to the accident stated that the bodies were partially covered by the green tarp. On August 23 rd 1987, a cargo train was on its way on a regular run to Little Rock, Arkansas. 100 Rock Street Curtis recalls that Don came into his bedroom at around 12:15am. One week before the boys were killed, a man wearing military fatigues was spotted near the train tracks. Police officer Danny Allen stopped to question him. 72201. Anonymous tips to the telecenter suggested that Kevin and Don were murdered by drug traffickers, and that they may have stumbled onto them in the middle of a "drug drop". He determined that tears in Don's t-shirt fabric indicated that he had been stabbed in the back with a large knife and that Kevin had apparently been struck in the head with a rifle butt, possibly Don's (the wound to his cheek matched the shape of the rifle butt). 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. Farrar, Lara. Don was a natural comedian and Kevin was his best audience. Eventually, they managed to make police reopen the investigation five months later. They were lying next to each other in straight lines across the tracks, and failed to move when the driver honked at them. Additional support provided by the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation Inc. conclusion; a family waiting for answers. [11] Keith McCaskle, also implicated in the murder,[11] was stabbed to death by an unknown attacker[12] on November 10, 1988.[13]. He believes the assailant(s) incapacitated one of them, and then, felt like they had to do something to the other one. Police have been unable to locate or identify him.Police speculated that Kevin and Dons may have been related to drug trafficking. Harmon, who had represented the Ives and Henry parents, was convicted of racketeering, conspiracy, extortion, and drug possession with intent to distribute in 1997. The state medical examiner, Dr. Malak, concluded they had smoked the equivalent of twenty marijuana cigarettes. They were best friends and popular seniors at the Bryant, Arkansas high school. This case first aired on the October 12, 1988 episode. The driver of a 6000-ton cargo train noticed two bodies lying side by side, in straight lines, on the tracks. Who had covered them with it and why? 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. Major funding provided by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. After 5 months, the parents of the boys launched a press conference to plead for the case to be reopened. Update now. The day after, the case was officially reopened. Men are more mindful of wrongs than of benefits. collected upon, added Haynes. 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. That night, they chose their usual hunting ground, along the railroad tracks that ran behind Dons house. "I would just like to thank everyone out there who has been supportive," Linda Ives said in the video. Satter, Linda. As a result, the grand jury changed its ruling from "probable homicide" to "definite homicide". By the time Allen got up from his seat, the man was gone. The second Prime Minister of India - Lal Bahadur Shastri, was also a senior leader of the Indian National Congress party. Linda Ives, the mother of one of two teenagers whose bodies were found more than three decades ago on railroad tracks just outside of Little Rock, died Thursday morning at a Benton hospital without any closure in the highly publicized case surrounding her son's death. Manage Settings A grand jury ruled the deaths a "probable homicide. The gun and flashlight near the bodies suggested they were using a hunting technique known as spotlighting, which involves using a bright light to scan for animals whose eyes brightly reflect the light after dark. 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