Thornton seemed to have grabbed anything and everything he could before falling to his death. http://www.smartfellowspress.com/_random1/0000000f.htm, Your email address will not be published. Were these guys getting security clearances or security background checkups? They recruited . However, Bobby started to grow weary of the whole situation. His family was connected through business to Leonard Lawson who just stood trial for a bid-rigging scandal in the . Required fields are marked *. Joel Pett: What about critical gender theory. Inside-Drugs-Murder/dp/0595196667, An addendum to my review -- Ralph Ross dies, October 5, 2002 "mcordier" (Frankfort, KY USA), FYI -- Ralph Ross, the tenacious KSP officer who is a central figure in this book, died of cancer on August 24th, 2002. Where is She Now? | brookejackie The Bluegrass Conspiracy has dropped 1) How you doing on THE CHRISTINA MOORE MURDER in Round Rock, Texas, by contract surveillance (retired cops) who came after me in Austin, Texas, backin in 1997-2001. +44 (0)7540 787812 frances@constructionandbuildingphotography.com. I rest my case. My family and I are en route from Alberta to Nashville before we head to Morganton, NC. The tapestry of crime outlined in The Bluegrass Conspiracy has its roots in the socially significant world of Kentucky. One narc cop went on to bigger and better things by joining the Callie (sp) Cartelle and was killed in 1985 when his parachute failed (deliberately) when he parachuted with cocaine, secret CIA phone numbers, secret FBI and DEA secure numbers on his person. Incidentally, this title was so controversial following its initial publication in 1990 that it was pulled from publication and has only recently been given a new printing. Want to Read. Some people on the show claim it ruined their lives, while others changed for the better. A narc cop is believed to have been the one to kill Melanie Flynn (baseball player Doug Flynn's sister). I just think the Heidi deal and other connections (whew! Cornishville, KY is said to be the drug capitol of the world.. Another police officer customer of the Earley Bird Cleaners was Larry Walsh. There are no urban legends in my world, and we all know that the web site Snopes.com, which purports to tell us which internet rumors are true or false, is nothing more than a front for a secret organization funded by the Koch Brothers, George Soros and the Queen of England (who all live together, by the way, in a condo in Belize). Gather 'Round for the Ballad of Cocaine Bear - Atlas Obscura (How many cops trained this way since 66?). Also believe that Melanie was abducted, murdered, and her body was disposed of, that location to this day is still unknown. ALL books on RFK mention the close ties of LAPD, FBI, and CIA and how some officers flow back and forth from LAPD to govern't agencies and back again. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided byRefinitiv Lipper. (Denton's book: "The Bluegrass Conspiracy: An Inside Story of Power, Greed, Drugs and Murder," was first published in 1989. From being caught, Ross thought that the Lexington Police Department had cut Thornton a deal. "John Bizzack one of the highest ranking officers in the [police] department," reports the document below, at the time of the Bluegrass murders in Kentucky, was instrumental in COVERING THEM UP. Lexington, though a diverse and alluring city in many ways, has not always had a sparkling reputation. On Thursday, crews focused on digging in one particular area and brought in an excavator to dig two holes. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided byRefinitiv Lipper. After going many months, those months turning into years, investigators got a surprise. Yet ultimately press coverage exposed the conspiracy. When Kentucky Blueblood Drew Thornton parachuted to his death in September 1985carrying thousands in cash and 150 pounds of cocainethe gruesome end of his startling life blew open a scandal that reached to the most secret circles of the U.S. government. It seemed as if Thorntons parachute didnt open when he was trying to land (Consequences and Effect). When Thornton was found with a broken . Case in point: Alison Krauss recently won another Grammy, which made her the Grammy-winningest artist of all time tied with producer Quincy Jones. If you have this book and have read it, think back or look up Anita Madden--rich horsefarm matron who probably dealt in drugs as a sideline. Thornton freefell to the ground after being unable to open his parachute. But, there's also a dark side to the region. post-template-default single single-post postid-13829 single-format-standard, COMAIR CRASH: The BLUEGRASS MURDERS Connection. . That was absolutely unheard of, she said, and we were only scratching the tip of the iceberg then.. Melanie had a doctors appointment scheduled later that day at 5:30. Living in Kentucky near all the event mentioned in The Bluegrass Conspiracy I found this book to be really historical and cool. The Bluegrass Conspiracy. It wasnt until Drew Thornton parachuted, Denton said, that people were like, Maybe Sally Denton did know what she was talking about., People did not want to believe the Cocaine Cowboys existed within the Lexington Police Department, Kurtz said. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. He later transferred to Sewanee Military Academy, [1] graduating in 1962. If I were they, I would make sure all of us were drugged up on sports and social media too. It also includes the disappearance of Melanie Flynn. Mark OConnor releases two books and a CD from his early years, Billy Strings at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press at Bluegrass Wednesday Nights, Open Bluegrass Jam // Cinderlands Warehouse (Pittsburgh), Wernick Method Bluegrass Jam Class with Joel Denman Durango, CO, Open Bluegrass Jam // Cork Harbour Pub (Pittsburgh), Bluegrass Beyond Borders: Dave Wright & the Midnight Ramblers from Down Under, Bluegrass Beyond Borders: Bononia Grass plays with an Italian flavor, Russ Hooper: 74 years in bluegrass music and still gigging, Jason Fraley returns to Deeper Shade of Blue for one last show. If the mobs after a person, going to another country wont help. Dont kid yourself pal, after this election is stolenITS ALL OVER PAL. When introducing Canan to the people associated with the drug ring, Melanie would introduce him as her boyfriend. Consequences and Effects. I was off at my annual professional convention, he said. http://www.smartfellowspress.com/_random1/0000000f.htm. After calls to his elder sisters, both of whom dismissed . Im personally fond of the belief that the moon isnt real. Wow, I haven't had this much fun reading since Bill Bryson's 'A Walk in the Woods'. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In the latest episode of Uniquely Kentucky, Amber Philpott dives into "The Bluegrass Conspiracy" with Sally Denton. Along with Bill Canan being her boyfriend, Melanie had gone on a few dates with the attractive Andrew Thornton. To make everything more suspicious about Melanie's disappearance, Bill Canan was the police officer that Bobby Flynn reported Melanie's disappearance to. Unfortunately, Im not that careful. The Bluegrass Conspiracy: An Inside Story of Power, Greed, Drugs and Brown; his top political aides; former . I think that little "picnic" that you mentioned--The Good Ole Boy Roundup--in Chattanooga, Tenn. is a prime example. The taxidermied bear on display at the Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington, Kentucky known as the "Cocaine Bear" is NOT the actual bear that died in the drug smuggling saga known commonly as "The Bluegrass Conspiracy.". Who has power? The true story behind Elizabeth Banks' new film 'Cocaine Bear' Suffice it to say, a decision was made back in 1950 to let Monroe live, give himsomerecognition, and let him have a successful career. They were sure anxious for WHO was on it not to be known. All rights reserved. Cana was never charged with any connection to Melanies disappearance, but he was arrested on federal drug charges in 1993. Many of Lexington Kentucky's policemen, lawyers, and high society members are considered to have been a part of this group of criminals. Although Thornton denied any allegations that him and Melanie had no other relationship the just being close friends. This woman was indicted (but managed to have charges dropped), she supplied money, was involved in game fixing in the NFL and college games, was interviewed in the disappearance/death of Melanie Flynn (a party girl) who was last seen in her presence and more. Brown; his top political aides; former policeman and blueblood Andrew Thornton, the leader of an organization known as the "Company"; and other bluebloods, rich from money originally earned in horse-breeding and racing. Uniquely Kentucky dives into 'The Bluegrass Conspiracy' with - WKYT Or, the other reason that Thornton resigned was because he knew what was about to happen with Melanie Flynn. WRD 110 Final Project- The Bluegrass Conspiracy | yourmochila "Cocaine Bear" begins production - On3.com 'Cocaine Bear,' a drug smuggler and the very real story behind it all "We want people to know that we are still - it doesn't matter how old the cases are - that we are still actively investigating all of our cases and any tip that comes in we really appreciate it because we need the community's help," said Sgt. The strange true story behind Cocaine Bear and Andrew Thornton - The Bardstown Murders: Are Crystal Rogers, Officer Jason Ellis And Tommy Walsh had never been involved in undercover work or narcotics investigations. Alison Krauss has missed more than half of her tour dates this year due to acute asthma, brought on by a recently developed allergy to banjo strings. 1894 The Dreyfus affair. Many LOCAL law enforcement personel were at that picnic/campout that weekend. A unique variety of people make up the population, from tobacco farmers to entrepreneurs and lawyers. During the last smuggling from Columbia, Thornton dropped packages of cocaine over Georgia and then jumped from his plane flying over Knoxville, Tennessee. Be careful what you joke about, as the originator of the birds arent real conspiracy will now tell you. of Fed money coming in with strings attached) are trained in another facility in East Georgia run by the CIA. At the time they were looking for cocaine that they believed was missing. The training of the Cuban troops for the Bay of Pigs is another which was done in Florida and in Lousianna. Those tips sent a team of investigators to Murphy's Landing multiple times. After Walsh took office, many officers either retired or took jobs elsewhere, including David Shade and John Bizzack. He moved on to Little Rock and became close friends with Gov. On Monday, Brad told LEX 18 that he is glad his sister has not been forgotten. When they arrived, the police found the occupant of the room gone. It's on the Kentucky River on U.S. 68 in Mercer County. 1894 Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. This description may be from another edition of this product. For more information, please see our It was a wonderful reading experience and I highly recommend it. In addition to featuring in Denton's The Bluegrass Conspiracy, he was the subject of an episode of Dominick Dunne's crime TV series Power, Privilege, and Justice. Mar 18, 2020. I suppose we will never know. In the latest episode of Uniquely Kentucky, Amber Philpott dives into "The Bluegrass Conspiracy" with Sally Denton. Miss George has spent several nights in the LIncoln bedroom in the current administration. The story of Thornton and "The Company" he served, and . Flynn was last seen turning off Cooper Drive onto South Limestone. It is perhaps the largest unanswered question stemming from the Bluegrass Conspiracy - a fact now punctuated by the . He was younger, a hunter (familiar with and admits to camping out and survival training), very bright, etc. Former WKYT news director adds perspective to Flynn case, Lexington Herald-Leader looks back at 40-year-old case, New tips send investigators to Murphy's Landing, Investigators asking public for photos of the area from the 1950s -1970s, Email photos to:policepio@lexingtonpolice.ky.gov, Latest on search: Crews focus on one particular area at Murphy's Landing, Uniquely Kentucky dives into 'The Bluegrass Conspiracy' with Sally Denton, One dead after tree falls onto car in Lexington, Chris Baileys Forecast | Potential for tornadoes to spin up across the area, One arrested, one injured in Nicholasville shooting, Big Sandy RECC crews continue working to restore power outages, Family of Letcher County woman offering reward for information on her death, EKY churches partner to help those impacted by historic flood, Denton is an award-winning investigative reporter, author, and historian. The LA Secret Police as Mike Rothmiller calls them. And he has to "go along" with what those backers do whether he may agree with it or not. (This is purely for your education, but remember that access to information is the greatest weapon we have, and one that you can be sure they dont want you to have. In a world of Vegas odds, it would have been impossible to predict that Henry Vance and Bill Canan would shuffle off the mortal coil just days apart. The Bluegrass Conspiracy: An Inside Story of Power, Greed, Drugs & Murder by Sally Denton. Melanie, being the good looking girl as everyone described her, she didnt just date one guy. That's the big conspiracy theory in bluegrass music, but we also have numerous other ones, which I feel compelled to share with you now. December 2019 A cluster of cases of a mysterious respiratory disease were reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the first traces of a virus that would kill millions of people worldwide . This training has the potential (and the history as per Bluegrass Conspiracy and others) of being USED by government against the ordinary citizen. The training courses, held at the CIA's compound near Washingon, D.C., included declassification of materials, foreign weapons, COUNTERAUDIO MEASURES, explosive devices and detection techniques, BASIC THEORIES OF INTELLIGENCE AND CLANDESTINE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION, COVERT PHOTOGRAPHY, AND PHOTOANALYSIS, and Ralph found that he was a quick study. Many books have been written regarding these happenings, one of which, Sally Denton's The Bluegrass Conspiracy, I have used as research for the writing of this piece, and all information regarding Andrew C. Thornton II, his associates, and their actions during the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, is from this source, unless otherwise indicated. See more. The Bluegrass Conspiracy is a book by Sally Denton which examines the life and death of Kentuckian narcotics officer turned drug smuggler, Andrew C. Thornton II.The story of Thornton's untimely death is almost too unfathomable to believe, but it's 100% true. It's no secret that many things were faked or over-exaggerated on the show for more exciting television, especially in reality TV. Sally Denton is the author of The Bluegrass Conspiracy and numerous other books. CONFIRMED: 'Cocaine Bear' at KY for KY & Origin Story Fictionalized There is a big difference. The CIA's Office of Security in 1966 began training certain police officers throughout the United States, and had made overtures to him. Of all the people involved in the illegal drug ring also known as the Bluegrass Conspiracy, very few were ever punished. "When Kentucky Blueblood Drew Thornton parachuted to his death in September 1985 carrying thousands in cash and 150 pounds of cocaine, the gruesome end of his startling life blew open a scandal that reached to the most secret circles of the U.S. government. After being released his new residence was not known. But afte that the case went cold for years. To make it seem as there was nothing fishy was going on, Melanie would take Canan to lavish parties thrown by Anita and Preston Madden; mostly Anita would host the parties while Preston followed her around like a lost puppy. He penned the season 4 premiere, "Hole in the . I pulled together many seemingly disparate Kentucky characters and exposed their good-ole-boy network of criminality. While in the hospital, Melanie lost her sense of smell and taste. Fuhrman's so-called real partner? Melanie may go by the names of Melanie may go by the names of Melanie Dee or Melanie OHara. In August of the 1977, Melanies purse was found floating in the Kentucky River around Camp Nelson, which is located about 20 miles outside of Lexington. In order to save his own life, he agreed to carry a drummer in his band. He's been quite successful, even though implicated in much of the cover up documented in Ms. Denton's book. Market data provided byFactset. Wife Swap: Where Are They Now? - ScreenRant Rotten Roots of the Bluegrass. All rights reserved. I have often wondered (because of the threats and harassment to the people who video-taped that little gathering and the timing of it) if Mark Fuhrman himself wouldn't have shown up on the video if the whole thing could have been played. He had been a state senator. Don't think I've told you this before but I have told Sherman. Chris Jones wears many hats in his bluegrass career. Both men would serve the majority of their sentences and then return to Lexington upon their release. Sally Denton is an investigative reporter, author, and historian who writes about the subjects others ignore--from a drug conspiracy in Kentucky to organized crime in Las Vegas; from corruption within the Mormon Church to the hidden history of Manifest Destiny; from one of America's bitterest political campaigns to the powerful forces arrayed against Franklin D. Roosevelt. _oJ:www.kcadp.org/pdf%2520files/Bowling%252 Secret Scandals in Lexington, Kentucky. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Bear in mind that this was written before the IBMA had named a replacement for former executive director Dan Hays (Im well aware that Nancy Cardwell is not a puppet, or even a marionette!). 'Cocaine Bear': Real-Life Agent Recalls Surreal 1985 Case, and One Even October 19, 2004. A couple of months earlier, Lexington narcotics cop Andrew Thornton's body was found in a front yard in Knoxville, Tennessee, along with bags containing 70 pounds of Colombian cocaine, some $4,000 in cash, night vision goggles, two . post-template-default single single-post postid-13172 single-format-standard, Summary of Sally Dentons Bluegrass Conspiracy & Los Angeles Connections. Thornton died on September 11, 1985 and on that day . Three days after of not hearing from their daughter, Bobby Flynn called Lexington Police. The 24-year-old was last seen leaving work . Wow, I haven't had this much fun reading since Bill Bryson's 'A Walk in the Woods'. Sources said that the information involved someone who wanted to get this off their chest. "Carole Bizzack, 64, of Lexington, Ky., wife of an Eastern Kentucky University Regent.". I think that little "picnic" that you mentioned--The Good Ole Boy Roundup--in Chattanooga, Tenn. is a prime example. Her purse was discovered floating in the Kentucky River months later. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. I suppose Sam Bushs presence as keynote speaker for the IBMA World of Bluegrass right after the Coca-Cola takeover is also just a coincidence.. LGBTQ Kentuckians are the target. The fact is that it all goes back to Bill Monroe knowing too much about one of the biggest figures in the Nashville music scene. PDF CONTRIBUTING WRITER - University of Kentucky A Lexington resident during this time, Donna Brandenburg, said I remember when rumors of this started to spread. And the obituaries mention that Carole "was very involved in her husband's work.". The bluegrass conspiracy : an inside story of power, greed, drugs By Rachel Nix Building Kentucky. Lexington, KY 40509 In 1996 his brother Joe, having served six years in a federal prison for conspiracy in the Judge Wood murder, dies in an automobile accident near El Paso, Texas. Musings from the Bald Prophet: A New Bluegrass Conspiracy? Another witness had seen Flynn later that night in Nellie Kellys, a Lexington Restaurant at the time. In January of 1980, a hotel maid called the police when she smelled pot smoke. Uncovering the conspiracy: Former WKYT journalists reflect on crime, corruption behind Cocaine Bear drug run, In the early- to mid-1980s, WKYT reported extensively on what would become known as the Bluegrass Conspiracy., One dead after tree falls onto car in Lexington, Chris Baileys Forecast | Potential for tornadoes to spin up across the area, One arrested, one injured in Nicholasville shooting, Big Sandy RECC crews continue working to restore power outages, Family of Letcher County woman offering reward for information on her death, EKY churches partner to help those impacted by historic flood, The Bluegrass Conspiracy: An Inside Story of Power, Greed, Drugs and Murder,, 2019 podcast interview with WKYTs Amber Philpott, Uniquely Kentucky with Amber Philpott | Sally Denton, The Bluegrass Conspiracy, the circumstances surrounding Thorntons death. However, he'd left behind a ledger, a telephone scrambling device, $25,000 in cash, weapons, and a lease to a warehouse in Lexington. Carole Bizzack died in the August 27, 2006 Comair crash: Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was sentenced Friday to life in prison after being convicted of murdering his wife and their youngest son.