This is when Linda Ives realized that Harmon and Garrett had been lying to her and using her for nearly four years. The train driver attempted to stop and blew the horn, but the momentum of the train carried it over the bodies. The case to this very day is still unsolved and no arrest. I realize now why everyone needs to know what happened to them. 1988 Unsolved Mysteries (TV Series documentary) Self - Kevin's Father (segment "Unexplained Death: Don Henry and Kevin Ives) - Episode #1.2 (1988) . Newly appointed prosecutor Richard Garrett had Kevin and Dons bodies exhumed for a second autopsy to be performed by a noted expert. Hide Archive footage (1 credit) 1988 Unsolved Mysteries (TV Series documentary) Self (segment "Unexplained Death: Don Henry and Kevin Ives) - Episode #1.2 (1988) . Gary Parks, who appeared in a segment of the film discussing the suspicious circumstances of the death of his father while investigating Clinton's womanizing, admitted he embellished some details in the film, but still believes his father was killed for political reasons. The Railroad Tracks (Documentary) m.youtube comment sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment If so, who and for what reasons?\"Linda - \"Both Republicans and Democrats have exposure in the Mena /Iran /contra operation which is why they have been highly successful in the coverup. On August 23, 1987, sixteen-year-old Don Henry and seventeen-year-old Kevin Ives were brutally murdered in Saline County Arkansas. They were partially covered by a light green tarp. It was featured in a two-part episode of "The Trail Went Cold" podcast. According to IMDB, Cruise plays Barry Seal, a notorious drug runner of the eighties. Am so glad that the author took the time to research and write this bookeven though we know there was a reason why the incident disappeared, it still makes the pointdont give up!! Kevin Ives and Don Henry seventeen-year-old boys who apparently saw something related to drugs in Mena by accident late at night. The 1987 case was originally ruled a double suicide, then an accidentAthe boys supposedly smoked too much marijuana and passed out. On June 3, 2021, Linda passed away at the age of seventy-one. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); DONNA Ginter | Jan 7, 2023 at 9:14 am. She has won several awards, including the White Award for Investigative Reporting. [1], The movie helped perpetuate the Clinton body count conspiracy theory about a list of associates Clinton was purported to have had killed. Up until last year when I did a research project about the incident, I never thought twice about what happened to those boys. Folks simply did not know the level of lawlessness in Saline and other counties nor did they know how high up or how low down it went. Mystery: Kevin Reeder/Lost loves: Bruce and Rosa. My home town, Bryant, has secrets of its own. 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. Arkansas governor and wife will appear on TV", "The People President Clinton Didn't Have to PardonBecause They're All Dead", "Report: Starr Rules Out Foul Play In Foster Death", "New Witness? Kevin Ives and Don Henry. Links: Unsolved Mysteries Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. 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 were laying on the tracks. Unsolved Mysteries is an American mystery documentary television show that began with a series of television . [2] Over 300,000 copies of the film were put into circulation[3] with perhaps half that being sales.[1]. Due to the wide spread occurrence of suicide and fatal accidents among those who knew the story best, As a result the whole truth of the matter will never be known. Whereas strong suspicions continue to linger as to who was involved in the affair, Leveritt does not hint, suggest, insinuate, or accuse as to who it might be. The story expanded to encompass the lies of the US Government concerning the Iran-Contra Affair. Families don't accept explanation, Marijuana coma? Seal used the Mena airport along with double agents, who were attempting to tie Bill Clinton to drug smuggling conspiracies, especially during his first four years as President. It also helps the At first, I was turned off by the omniscient musings of Linda Ives in a non-fiction book. According to WorldNetDaily, Matrisciana created the Obstruction of Justice documentary to show the connection between the cover-up of Kevin Ives and Don Henrys murder, Mena drug trafficking and Bill Clinton. The 1987 case was originally ruled a double suicide, then an accidentAthe boys supposedly smoked too much marijuana and passed out. 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 were laying on the tracks. I believe he was at the wrong place at the wrong time just like these boys. What is believed and what and where the case is. However, he repeatedly received resistance from authorities, who seemed unwilling to cooperate or change their opinions about the case. Mara Leveritt told the story of the boys on the tracks as a journalist should: facts only and told in a narrative style. The Boys On The Tracks. I read this book years ago when it first came out. His documentary accused many men holding high rank, such as Dan Harmon, of being corrupt and involved in drugs. The philandering and sexual harassment claims in the film have since been reported, and in some cases confirmed, by mainstream media. Matrisciana created the Obstruction of Justice documentary to show the connection between the cover-up of Kevin Ives and Don Henrys murder, Mena drug trafficking and Bill Clinton. However, this never happened, and the federal investigation regarding corruption in Saline County was unexpectedly terminated. The Los Angeles Times reported that Larry Nichols, who appears throughout the film and is the primary source for a number of the murder and mysterious death claims, was fired from his Arkansas state government job and once admitted to an Associated Press reporter to being motivated by spite. The death of a child is bad enough. Curtis recalls that Don came into his bedroom at around 12:15am. Paula Jones, who appeared in the film accusing Clinton of harassing her, sued the president for sexual harassment. TIL of the death of Don Henry and Keven Ives, who were hit by a train as they lay on the tracks. The boys did not move, despite the sound and vibration of the approaching train, its emergency brakes, and its air horn. An optional selection for larger public libraries.APatrick Petit, Catholic Univ. June 13, 2020 - Latest Upload: Murder On The Tracks - The Billy Jack Haynes Storyhttps://youtu.be/utCKt6GYmBkDec 20 2019 Upload: American Re-Made - The Real . The cartel gave a cut of their drug profits to the Sandinistas, members of the socialist Nicaraguan political organization and militarily opposed by the US, so they could access a Managuan airstrip to run drugs. She uses the public record to present the facts. Friends who were with them that night confirmed this amount. Anonymous tips to the telecenter suggested that Kevin and Don were murdered by drug traffickers, and that they may have stumbled into the middle of a "drug drop." Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. Both Clinton and Elders had the authority to remove Malak from office after his false ruling, but they continued to support him and even gave him a $32,000 pay raise. A second autopsy by Georgia medical examiner Dr. Joseph Burton found the equivalent of one or two marijuana cigarettes, not 20. The deaths were initially ruled an accident as a result of the boys sleeping on the tracks due to marijuana intoxication. Ives said that there was a possibility that Harmon was dealing drugs, but she was sure he had intentions of helping her find out what happened to her son. , of being corrupt and involved in drugs. Curtis was not worried about them going into the woods because he did not think they would get in trouble. He feels that his life could be in danger. People warned of us Harmon, she said. I mean WOW!, what qualifications! The biggest cocaine smuggler in the history of the U.S., operating right in your own backyard, and you dont even know it, so then you get picked to be the head of the Drug Enforcement Agency??? [3], Matrisciana produced a followup video focused exclusively on the Mena airport drug smuggling and murder accusations. In March 1990, Kevin and Don's manner of death were officially changed from "accidental" to "homicide." Kevin and Dons families hired a private investigator to try and figure out what happened to them. Malak, in fact, had direct ties to Jocelyn Elders, who was the head of the state health department, and Bill Clinton, who was governor at the time. It ranks as one of the most remembered cases in the entire series. However, since he started working on it, he has carried one. That was her immediate reaction to the ruling. Boonie Bearden, who was friends with Collins and Coney, went missing in 1989. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Select a location to see product availability, Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. American Made, the new title for the film, is about a pilot who lands work for the CIA as a drug runner. By then, it was almost 1AM. [2] Members of the locomotive crew also stated that the bodies were partly covered by a green tarpaulin,[3] though police disputed the existence of any such tarp and none was ever recovered from the scene. One of them would shine a light in the animals eyes, transfixing the prey while the other fired. These relationships began to tie the murders to something larger than just a homicide. About 4:00 a.m. on August 23, 1987, the crew on board 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. A portrait emerges of state governance as a deeply corrupted good-ol'-boy network, funded by drug money and protected by blackmail and violence. It is also known as the "Boys on the Tracks" case. In 1995, the investigation into Kevin and Don's murders was officially closed without their killer(s) captured or identified. These witnesses testimonies could have solved the murders of Kevin and Don, however they were all killed before they had the chance. 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, Patrick Matrisciana's US Court of Appeals. Please feel free to make a contribution towards helping bring this treacherous case to a close, with some Justice finally being served!THE KEVIN IVES/DON HENRY GoFundMe PAGEhttps://www.gofundme.com/KevinIves-DonHenryMurdersLinda Ives appeared on a Reddit AMA on Wed June 7, 2017. That said, her investigatory efforts seem impeccable; little within this page-turner reads as implausible conspiracy theory. As Dan Harmons investigation pushed forward, many potential witnesses started to turn up dead. 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. Why aren't they talking about this? Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The two boys were identified as sixteen-year-old Don Henry and seventeen-year-old Kevin Ives. The two teens were hit by a . Ives compelled a series of investigations that began promisingly yet were inexplicably stifled by such malign forces as the states notoriously incompetent medical examiner (protected by then-Governor Clinton) and an admired local prosecutor who championed her cause as camouflage for his own criminal activities. Matrisciana was a video journalist who also filmed The Clinton Chronicles in the early 90s. He ruled their deaths an accident. is a horrifying story from first page to last, and its most frightening aspect is that all of the story is true. Teenagers Don Henry, 16, and Kevin Ives, 17, popular students who were gearing up for their senior year at Bryant High School, had decided to hang out with a group of friends at a local commuter parking lot, a popular gathering place for teens. Kevin Ives and Don Henry. I learned of this book while listening to a true crime podcast and was fascinated by the story. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. I ordered the book immediately and devoured it over the course of about 2 weeks. The boys' bodies were terribly mangled. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow0yPO8g9YA. I can not say enough good words about this book !! They initially prevailed; however, lost the case when it was appealed. The general public remained ignorant of many of the facts until long after the fact when the record was researched by people such as Leveritt. to Mena. My nephew is Boonie Bearden. Several of these theories date to Clinton's tenure as the governor of Arkansas. The Train Deaths: Don Henry and Kevin Ives Don Henry and Kevin Ives. The fate of Barry Seals plane Everything that WAS brought out to the public centered on the West Coast aspect of the Cocaine-flow into the US Freeway Ricky Ross, Danilo Blandon, Norwin Meneses and so on What the CIA had set up in Mena Arkansas with Barry Seal etc, has never been officially explained not even as shoddily as the West Coast operation was explained away. 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. The boys had reportedly left home about midnight to go hunting. After meeting with deputy prosecutor Jean Duffey, who was put in charge of a drug task force for Saline County, Ives was made aware of incriminating information tying Harmon to the murders of Kevin Ives and Don Henry. Imagine a true story that opens with two dead teenagers being run over by a train! Nearly every day after school he would be in the front yard washing it. However, this never happened, and the federal investigation regarding corruption in Saline County was unexpectedly terminated. Thanks for sharing the real word, this cant rest until solved. Good article! I ordered the book immediately and devoured it over the course of about 2 weeks. All evidence gathered from The Obstruction of Justice video documentary. Fraud: Dennis Walker: October 12, 1988 () 22.7 : 10: 3: The . By 4:40 a.m., police arrived on the scene. My question is, who are the individuals you feel are the most responsible for the murder and cover up of the boys?\"Linda - \"Number one on the list as far as killers would be special prosecutor Dan Harmon who orchestrated the murders and cover up. If you want a window into the corruption of our government at the state and federal levels, read this book. His murder remains unsolved. Two out of three pilots interviewed in the Obstruction of Justice documentary confirmed the site and its name. Today Kendall and Josh discuss the case of Don Henry & Kevin Ives. The picture made President Reagan ecstatic, and he went on national television with the photograph condemning the Sandinistas asdrug smugglers corrupting American youth.. Item may be missing bundled media unless noted. In August 2016, Linda sued the United States over Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. When police officer Danny Allen attempted to stop him, the man opened fire and managed to disappear into the night. McKaskle then realized that he had told the wrong person, and made his own funeral arrangement. The director admitted the payments but denied he had instructed any paid participants to say anything that was false. They talked for about fifteen minutes before he left. [1] Matrisciana later acknowledged that he was not in any danger, but that the interview was staged for dramatic effect at Falwell's suggestion. Officially ruled an accidental death on the train tracks, but . By all accounts, the engineer did a masterful job of bringing his train to a stop. As years passed, and more unsolved killings occurred, Ives assembled evidence that the boys had stumbled upon a diffuse conspiracy involving CIA-backed air suppliers to the Contras, who ran an enormous cocaine-trafficking operation from a remote airport. He does not believe Don would do that because he would not want the wood getting scratched. Kevin waited on the porch while Don went inside to talk to his father, Curtis. Jay Campbell and Kirk Lane vs. Citizens for an Honest Government, Inc. Clinton Body Count Series: #9. Man Claims to Have Seen "Boys on the Tracks" Murders", "Unsolved Mysteries - Episode #2 - TheTVDB.com", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Killing_of_Don_Henry_and_Kevin_Ives&oldid=1151905070, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 April 2023, at 23:59. the dispatcher asked. But few tragedies compare with the story of Linda Ives, whose teenage son and his friend were found mysteriously run over by a train. It was alleged that they were the officers seen beating the two boys in a store parking lot. The cocaine aspect of Iran/Contra wasnt publicly well known until Gary Webbs Dark Alliance series was published in 1996 Even though AP reporters Robert Parry and Brian Barger, first broke the Contra-Cocaine-association story in December 1985, the press and the networks refused to put the story out and it was ignored, although it was thanks to their reporting that the Kerry Committee was formed sadly to no avail though(even though Kerry DID uncover quite a lot of evidence). The new movie about Barry Seal will most likely be Hollywood nonsense. Excerpt. SUPERB read. According to the documentary The Mena Connection, Clinton was approached by prosecutor Charles Black, who wanted to fund an investigation about the Mena criminal activity. Kevin Ives and Don Henry; Her approach is one of scrupulous reporting and lively narrative. Yet the further away from the murder she gets, the less compelling her story becomes. Leveritt does an excellent job in capturing Mara Leveritt tells an awesome tale about the two young boys murdered in Arkansas after they stumbled onto the airfield where cocaine drops from Central America were flown in and arms to Central America were flown out. We even gave him thousands of dollars from Kevins insurance, because he had a hard time supporting his family.. His shirt was found in Bryant, but his body was never discovered. Leveritt brings up every wild conspiracy theory in Arkansas and ties each to the boys' death; some of the theories are wacky right-wing fantasies, others are simply small-town oddities. Their families have conducted their own investigations and are still hoping that the case can be solved. It is not only extremely well written, it points out how our law enforcement - from the local police on up - fail to take an investigation seriously !. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 8, 2015. In the early hours of August 23 rd, 1987, they also died together. 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). The state medical examiner said the boys had been under the influence of marijuana and he ruled the deaths accidental. From Congress Report of the Central Intelligence Agencys Alleged Involvement in the Crack Cocaine Trafficking in the Los Angeles Area, issued in February 2000 Exposing a web of silence and complicity in which drugs, politics, and murder converge. In 1987, Linda Ives suffered a parental worst-nightmare when her son and a friend were run over by a train, whose crew observed them supine and covered with a tarp before impact. This time, he was leaving town, heading down a road less than 200 yards from the spot where the bodies were run over. At first, police believed that the boys had died after smoking . All information was gathered from The Obstruction of Justice documentary. Interestingly, Campbell and Lane were involved in investigating Harmon. An ex-girlfriend of his reportedly told an investigator that Harmon and two other men were responsible for the murders. Police never found a tarp.[4]. 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.