The film alleged that Kevin and Don were killed after they accidentally witnessed a clandestine drug deal that involved top state officials. Six months after the incident, a three-day-long hearing was held in the Saline County Courthouse in Benton, with the Ives and Henry families hoping to get a new ruling. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. deborah ross congressional district; midwest fastener email; when was the peak of the last glaciation? Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Manage Settings The boys did not move, despite the sound and vibration of the approaching train, its emergency brakes, and its air horn. They loved to work on their cars and hunt. So far, the run had been clear sailing, as engineer Stephen Shroyer approached the small town of Bryant, Arkansas. The area was searched, but he was never found. On February 26, 1988, five days after the hearing, the cause of the boys deaths was changed from accidental to undetermined. Following the discovery of new information after a second autopsy of the two boys bodies by Georgia medical examiner Dr. Joseph Burton, the case was put before a grand jury in April 1988. I'm curious what the connection to Clinton is. 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. Major funding provided by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. In light of this new evidence, the grand jury changed its ruling from probable homicide to definite homicide. True Crime. . Support Our Sponsors! 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. It is not known if the boys were Kevin and Don. The families didnt buy that scenario either and kept pressing for answers. The plan worked. Is Angela Merkel A Reptiloid! Kevin waited on the porch while Don went inside to talk to his father, Curtis. His behavior had aroused suspicion. "[6] 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. On August 23 rd 1987, a cargo train was on its way on a regular run to Little Rock, Arkansas. Linda wondered, if they were that stoned, how were they able to lie down in identical positions? Letter to the Jewish Communal Fund: Stop Funding Islamophobia, Lifewater International New Vacancies, August 2022. 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. Authorities arrest Arkansas teen wanted for capital murder. 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. In August of 1987, I was contacted by an Three hours later, Stephen Shroyers locomotive came speeding down Bryant Hill. "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.". 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. Today Kendall and Josh discuss the case of Don Henry & Kevin Ives. The ensuing investigation unearthed an intriguing lead. 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. Join the newsletter to get updates monthly straight to your email, and win one of 10 free books. Farrar, Lara. Reportedly, no tarp was found by the police, but they did take in a shattered .22 caliber rifle as evidence. Over 30 years after the murder of Kevin Ives and Don Henry, a former professional wrestler has come forward and claimed he witnessed their deaths. A federal judge later dismissed many of the agencies listed, but ordered three of them to turn over the pertinent documents to him. With the help of lawyers Dan Henry and Richard Garrett, Malaks ruling of accidental death was overturned, but the result was hardly definitive. The teenagers had stayed out late hunting the night before. According to Stephen, they questioned the existence of the tarp. Nearby were a .22 caliber rifle and a flashlight. Curtis was not worried about them going into the woods because he did not think they would get in trouble. Police who searched the scene later denied that Stephen had even told them about the tarp. What looked like a horrible tragedy turned out to be a haunting mystery. Spotlighting was a fairly widespread activity among the local boys. So far, Kevin and Don had avoided being caught. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. "I come to you straight face-to-face because this is reality, man.". 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." Don was a natural comedian and Kevin was his best audience. television, and movies. Killing of Don Henry and Kevin Ives 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. The two boys were identified as sixteen-year-old Don Henry and seventeen-year-old Kevin Ives. One week before the boys died, a man wearing military fatigues was spotted not far from the train tracks. Hours later, the two boys are seen lying on some railroad tracks before they are run over by a cargo train and the . According to Stephen, they questioned the existence of the tarp. They made no attempt to rise.". 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 first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. "That is one amazingly strong woman," Spears said. It has been debated on why they were on the train tracks and whether it was a tragic accident, or something more sinister. In March 1988, the parents announced that Dr. James Garriot of San Antonio, Texas, had given a second opinion on Malaks findings. On the night Kevin and Don died, witnesses again reported seeing a man in military fatigues. Psychokinesis: A hoax Or A Mind-Bending Ability! Five months after the deaths, Kevin and Dons parents held a press conference. Linda Ives filed several lawsuits to try to obtain documents and any other evidence that might reveal who killed her son. The suit was dismissed in 2019. Encyclopedia of Arkansas 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. Four hours later, they were discovered spread out over the railroad tracks near their home with a green tarp covering them. 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. 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. No matter the medium, the end is always the same: no 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. He worked with Linda Ives in 2017 and 2018 on the case, helping to locate a potential witness to the murders. In a video posted on January 23, Billy Jack Haynes, a well-known wrestler in the 1980s, said he witnessed the murders of Ives and Henry on August 23, 1987 in Alexander. However, the families refused to accept that what happened with On Monday, local officials contacted the Ives and Henry families after the two boys had been identified conclusively through dental records. The boys' bodies were terribly mangled. To date no one has ever been arrested. The train's crew reported the incident to railroad and law enforcement authorities. A new autopsy revealed that they only smoked 1 to 3 joints. Their deaths was initially ruled accidental until people started to push for true answers. From the boys witnessing a drug deal, a mysterious army clothed man inhabiting the area, to law enforcement and political corruption police covering up the whole investigation. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Community Foundation. She also worked with private investigators in her quest for answers. . She was a precious mother, wife, daughter, sister, family member, friend and a great inspiration to many. 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. Day, Chris. Killing of Don Henry and Kevin Ives 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. They loved to work on their cars and hunt. Kevin and Don had avoided being caught. The two boys were identified as sixteen-year-old Don Henry and seventeen-year-old Kevin Ives. When Stephen laid down on the diesel horn, he got no reaction from them. On Dons t-shirt, stab marks were detected. The two left around midnight to go back to Don's house. The officers later returned to the scene without the boys. Neither of them was moving. Other medical experts and researchers stated that it was highly unlikely, if not impossible, for a person to pass out from smoking marijuana. But the boys' parents have questioned the suicide ruling and the narrative surrounding the case. 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. Haynes then alleges that this unnamed politician asked him to kill David Kennedy, the son of Robert F. Kennedy, in 1984. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Is Fluoridation Dumbing Down The Population? Steed had also lied about where he had sent the boys clothes for examination. They hoped to force the authorities to reopen the investigation. The parents of the boys insisted on a second autopsy, and after exhumation it was ruled that homicide was likely. Curtis recalls that Don came into his bedroom at around 12:15am. To cover their tracks, they laid them on the railroad tracks and covered them up with a tarp. I come to you straight face-to-face because this is a reality, man, remarked Haynes in the video. The boys had reportedly left home about midnight to go hunting. This time, he was leaving town, heading down a road less than 200 yards from the spot where the bodies were run over. Nicknames: Kevin (Larry); Don (Donald) So far, the run had been clear sailing, as engineer Stephen Shroyer approached the small town of 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. Connection to Clinton is to force the authorities to reopen the investigation, daughter sister. The newsletter to get updates monthly straight to your email, and after exhumation it was a precious,... The hearing, the two boys were identified as sixteen-year-old Don Henry seventeen-year-old... 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