In her fight for justice, Linda Ives became the central figure of an award winning book by investigative journalist Mara Leveritt titled Boys on the Tracks: Death, Denial, and a Mother's Crusade to Bring Her Son's Killers to Justice, published in 1999. Newly appointed prosecutor Richard Garrett had Kevin and Dons bodies exhumed for a second autopsy to be performed by a noted expert. 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. 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. "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.". Well never give up. The area was searched, but he was never found. However, they were unable to stop it in time. In a video posted on January 23, Billy. That was her immediate reaction to the ruling. They searched the area but were unable to find the man. 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 as they lay on the tracks. On Dons t-shirt, stab marks were detected. One theory given a . accidental. Harmon, who had represented the Ives and Henry parents, was convicted of racketeering, conspiracy, extortion, and drug possession with intent to distribute in 1997. conclusion; a family waiting for answers. However, no suspects were identified.In June 1988, a local man came forward, claiming that on the night of the murders, he saw two police officers beating two boys senseless in a store parking lot before tossing them into a police car and driving away. An ex-girlfriend of his reportedly told an investigator that he and two other men were responsible for the murders. [14]. Encyclopedia of Arkansas So far, the run had been clear sailing, as engineer Stephen Shroyer approached the small town of Bryant, Arkansas. Over the years, theories have been spread that the boys walked up on a drug drop and were killed. The weight of the heavy cargo train carried it for a full half mile. He feels that his life could be in danger. University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Honor or memorial gifts are an everlasting way to pay tribute to someone who has touched your life. 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. However, it was never found. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. [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. "As far as I am concerned, Linda Ives is an angel, figuratively and literally now," Rounsavall said. 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. Garrett believes that Kevin and Don were murdered. Rate and review titles you borrow and share your opinions on them. The two left around midnight to go back to Dons house. Ticker Tape by TradingView. Stephen noted that although three seconds does not seem like a long amount of time, it felt like an eternity for him. To cover their tracks, they laid them on the railroad tracks and covered them up with a tarp. Furthermore, he found evidence that Dr. Malak did not follow proper procedures when conducting the autopsies. In late December 1988, the grand jury investigating the case released their final report, stating that the deaths were the result of foul play; however, no indictments were issued regarding the deaths. With the help of lawyers Dan Henry and Richard Garrett, Malaks ruling of accidental death was overturned, but the result was hardly definitive. That night, they chose their usual hunting ground, along the railroad tracks that ran behind Dons house. Support Our Sponsors! Unraveling Mysteries in Saline County Murders. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, December 26, 1999, p. 6J. The same man was also spotted on the night that Don and Kevin died. Garrett had another autopsy conducted on Kevin and Don. He said that he and Kevin were going to go out hunting. Suddenly, while going through the town of Alexander, he saw something in his path; he could not tell what it was. Kevin waited on the porch while Don went inside to talk to his father, Curtis. 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. They hoped to force the authorities to reopen the investigation. Leveritt, Mara. 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. Neither of them was moving. It seemed especially unlikely that it would happen to two people at the same time. By 4:40 a.m., police arrived on the scene. Nearby were a .22 caliber rifle and a flashlight. The Crime Logs mission is bring awareness to crimes which are both solved and unsolved. 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 former wrestler explained that he used to be a drug trafficker and a hired enforcer during the 80s and was introduced to a "politician drug dealer from Arkansas.". It was featured in a two-part episode of "The Trail Went Cold" podcast. It seemed especially unlikely that it would happen to two people at the same time. The two left around midnight to go back to Don's house. 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. The train was over a mile long and was traveling at a speed of fifty-two miles per hour. Date: August 23, 1987. The officers later returned to the scene without the boys. Suspects: A week before Kevin and Don were killed, an unidentified man wearing military fatigues was spotted in the vicinity of the tracks. Garrett then focused on the green tarp. His behavior had aroused suspicion. Real Names:Larry Kevin Ives and Donald George Henry The boys also had a gun on them that night and a flashlight, He is not sure why someone would do that, however. 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. He does not believe Don would do that because he would not want the wood getting scratched. On the same night the boys died, a similar-looking man dressed in military fatigues was spotted nearby. All Rights Reserved. Police have been unable to locate or identify him.Police speculated that Kevin and Dons may have been related to drug trafficking. 72201. When Stephen laid down on the diesel horn, he got no reaction from them. Life will never be the same, but the memories she left behind will forever be treasured.". Families don't accept explanation, Marijuana coma? They tend to be a bit more rough and tumble than their female counterparts. Additional support provided by the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation Inc. The boys' bodies were terribly mangled. While "conducting security" during the alleged drug purchase, Haynes claimed he witnessed the murders of Henry and Ives. The boys were typical teenagers. Suddenly, while going through the town of Alexander, he saw something in his path; he could not tell what it was. What had caused Kevin and Don to lie side-by-side on the railroad tracks? When a tribute gift is given the honoree will receive a letter acknowledging your generosity and a bookplate will be placed in a book. By the time Allen got up from his seat, the man was gone. Train Deaths Are Officially Homicides. Arkansas Gazette, March 6, 1988, p. 3B. Train Deaths Are Officially Homicides. Arkansas Gazette, March 6, 1988, p. 3B. One of them would shine a light in the animals eyes, transfixing the prey while the other fired. The ensuing investigation unearthed an intriguing lead. It was reported in February 2018 that former World Wrestling Federation wrestler Billy Jack Haynes had recorded a video testimony in which he claimed to have witnessed the murders of Ives and Henry while providing security for a drug trafficking drop in 1987. Former Saline County prosecuting attorney Dan Harmon investigated the case and presented evidence to the grand jury. It is not known if the boys were Kevin and Don. One week before the boys died, a man wearing military fatigues was spotted not far from the train tracks. Kevin and Dons families hired a private investigator to try and figure out what happened to them. On November 15, 2017, a federal judge ordered three defendants in the suitthe Executive Office of U.S. He was Ashoka, also widely known as Ashoka The Great was the third ruler of the Mauryan Empire. of the criminal element to ensure that their illegal business dealings were Additional support provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council. Read our Privacy Policy. By the time Allen got up from his seat, the man was gone. "She never gave up her fight. "Now she rests peacefully in the arms of Jesus. He felt that was like questioning the existence of the bodies on the tracks. It also looked into an alleged drug ring in Saline County which ran out of Mena Airport and was covered up by police. 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. Major support provided through a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism. In August 2016, Linda sued the United States over Freedom of Information Act requests. The second autopsy was exhumed by Richard Garret. Later, another pathologist ruled that Don Henry's shirt showed evidence of a stab wound. The boys' bodies were terribly mangled. Five months after the deaths, Kevin and Dons parents held a press conference. When Stephen laid down on the diesel horn, he got no reaction from them. And also said that their bodies were placed on the railroad tracks to be mutilated by a passing train. Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. I come to you straight face-to-face because this is a reality, man, remarked Haynes in the video. On August 23rd, 1987, two teenage boys- Don Henry (16) and Kevin Ives (17) were run over by a cargo train in Bryant, Arkansas. The Train Deaths, they're called in Arkansas, and our first stop on our 'conspiracy' shoot in Arkansas had been right outside Little Rock, to visit the site of the murders of Kevin Ives and Don Henry, two high school students who were murdered in 1987. . The theory is that the boys came upon a drug drop from an airplane similar to Barry Seal's operations near Mena and were murdered. Satter, Linda. The state medical examiner, Dr. Malak, concluded they had smoked the equivalent of twenty marijuana cigarettes. The driver tried to make an emergency stop, but the train kept going on for half a mile before coming to a complete standstill. He also points out that Dons gun was laying on the gravel. . It has been debated on why they were on the train tracks and whether it was a tragic accident, or something more sinister. The locomotive engineer engaged the brakes while blowing the horn, but the train could not stop in time and rolled over the bodies. They believe that he found out about their investigation and named them as suspects in order to taint their credibility and hinder their investigation into him. He is not sure why someone would do that, however. Six weeks after the investigation was reopened, Garrett came up with a strangely similar case. One week before the boys were killed, a man wearing military fatigues was spotted near the train tracks. The government was certainly running drugs in '87. The train's crew reported the incident to railroad and law enforcement authorities. performing in the 80s for the World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE), He also found evidence to indicate that one of them was already dead and one unconscious when the train hit them. job eventually brought him to Arkansas.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[120,600],'conspiracytheories_in-leader-4','ezslot_10',625,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-conspiracytheories_in-leader-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[120,600],'conspiracytheories_in-leader-4','ezslot_11',625,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-conspiracytheories_in-leader-4-0_1');.leader-4-multi-625{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:600px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}, I was also an enforcer who provided muscle to other parts Was the third ruler of the heavy cargo train carried it for a second autopsy be. 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