Count on the Judges enjoying their elite deviance as well. Brown was on a Fast-Track to the White House at the time, yet he lost and won a million dollars at a time in Vegas. Its time to Talk. Twitter: @chrisjonesgrass He penned the season 4 premiere, "Hole in the . During the last smuggling from Columbia, Thornton dropped packages of cocaine over Georgia and then jumped from his plane flying over Knoxville, Tennessee. The story of Thornton and "The Company" he served, and . Legal Statement. He was sentenced to 17 years without parole(Kentucky). Of all the people involved in the illegal drug ring also known as the Bluegrass Conspiracy, very few were ever punished. ----------------- Sally Denton does a pretty good job of telling the story of a wild time in the bluegrass. But both were still on the force during the Earley investigation. And somebody said, Have you heard that Drew Thornton parachuted into Knoxville and has been killed? Wow!, Kurtz worked as news director at WKYT from 1975 to 1992, and hired Sally Denton as the stations first investigative reporter. "At that time, back in the 1960s, it was One of the chief people to help cover it up is now the Police Chief. 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. The bluegrass illuminati are headquartered in a lavish bunker underneath a Nashville CVS store. Cocaine Bear is rated R for bloody violence and gore, drug content and language throughout. 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. Logout. Bizzack was involved in the Flynn cover-up, along with several other cover-ups. After finding out about the illegal activities, questions were raised about the capability of the Lexington Police Department and government officials. Less than a year later, Jimmy's wife Elizabeth, who was serving a thirty-year sentence for plotting to kill the judge, dies in prison from . 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:[email protected], 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. Constantly recognizing businesses, towns and roads in such a narrative is a lot of fun for me. Well, one of the "money" people behind this operation was a horse business woman by the name of Anita Madden. post-template-default single single-post postid-13172 single-format-standard, Summary of Sally Dentons Bluegrass Conspiracy & Los Angeles Connections. 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. The plane that Thornton jumped out of crashed 60 miles away in Hayesville, North Carolina. They recruited . As I reported exclusively during that time, Vance, a former Fayette County deputy sheriff and top aide to former Kentucky Governor Julian Carroll, conspired with a Lexington woman to kill a state attorney. During the time of her disappearance, Melanie was working along with the Lexington police as an informant. Suffice it to say, a decision was made back in 1950 to let Monroe live, give himsomerecognition, and let him have a successful career. Melanie had a doctors appointment scheduled later that day at 5:30. See the latest outages from Kentucky Utilities, Blue Grass Energy and more, Live updates: Power restoration across Kentucky will be multi-day process, companies say. Esquire magazine recently published a list of the top 30 conspiracy theories prevalent in the United States. And we both have reason to know of the School of the Americas in Ft. Benning, Ga. What many don't know is that many of the local law enforecement (due to huge amts. He came to Lexington a few times after that and may have met with her then. Maybe some LA cops were there? These radical right wing cop groups (all RICO Felony conspiracies) always lead to the prosecutors at the fed, state, adn local levels. The alleged strategy was that now if people Google frozen Disney, theyre bombarded with stories about the movie and not ones about frozen Walt. Also believe that Melanie was abducted, murdered, and her body was disposed of, that location to this day is still unknown. His wife of 35 years died on the COMAIR plane crash at the Bluegrass Airport in 2006 where 49 south bound people perished. Windstorm knocked it down. In addition to leading his own band, with whom he tours and records, Jones is an award-winning broadcaster and songwriter. 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. 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. Daniel Goldin: NASA's Creature from the Black Vault, Part Two: ORWELL IN SPACE, NPRs This American Life Whitewashes U.S. Hed been a beat cop throughout his career, and was appointed Chief of Police to clean up the corruption within the department. His family was connected through business to Leonard Lawson who just stood trial for a bid-rigging scandal in the . Wife Swap: Where Are They Now? That was absolutely unheard of, she said, and we were only scratching the tip of the iceberg then.. Wow, I haven't had this much fun reading since Bill Bryson's 'A Walk in the Woods'. | Opinion. and our "I mean Melanie is hardly the only victim in this situation.". Theres a message imbedded in the lyrics of, As mentioned in the video discussed above, Hylo Brown is still alive and still singing a mean. Talk to ABC 36 News anchors, reporters and meteorologists. The Lexington woman went missing in 1977 after leaving work at the Kentucky High School Athletic Association. Are these trained cops now used to do black bag jobs in the name of "national security", undercover into militias, etc.? Brown, Jr. first met Phyllis Anne (former Miss America) while she was still married to Evans and they had "dealings' with each other. Famous 300-year-old bur oak was saved from development. 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.. 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 . Sure, Ive lost a little money here and there, sending it to friends of mine who had all of their belongings stolen while on an a business trip to Madrid. She owned Hamburg Place, a 2000-acre farm that had produced 5 Kentucky Derby winners and 5 Belmont Stakes winners, including the first triple-crown winner, Sir Barton. Something that struck the police, however, was that Melanies keys and purse were not found in her car at the site were her car was found. Brown, Jr. was married to the ex wife of Robert Evans of Paramount Pictures fame---the Heidi Fleiss case--and had been the lover of Denise Brown years before---connected to drugs---tied in with the Cotton Club murder---etc. Melanie Flynn disappeared in January 1977. When the missing persons report hit new station all over the state of Kentucky, they described Melanie as. IF YOU ALREADY GOT BROADSIDED IN YOUR VAN, THATS THE OPENING SHOT. Blackmail used to FIX NFL and NBA games? had an intelligence unit, how many do you think turned it down. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 0PDF/clemency%2520application.pdf+john+ Director Elizabeth Banks described it as the bears revenge story inspired by a real event. They theorized that Melanies disappearance had been covered up by the police and all the other evidence that could have lead to her had been disposed of. [citation needed]Personal life. Also being questioned about her disappearance, Canan doesnt think that the uncover work Melanie had been participating in had no connection to her disappearance. Kentuckians may know the history of "Cocaine Bear," a 175-pound black bear . Over half of the current board members are paid by Coke to advance this agenda. The main director of the Bluegrass Conspiracy, Andrew Thornton III, was the only one who truly suffered any consequences. All these cops CIA trained. Wanting to leave early to beat the rush traffic of Lexington, Melanie left the office around five oclock that afternoon. Lexington and state police took equipment to scan underground and took K-9s to the area. 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. 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. Some went to jail then and some since. The Bluegrass Conspiracy. He would be sentenced to 17 years and eight months. Donnell Gordon said. This week's episode of "The Path Went Chilly" explores a convoluted missing persons case which may have been connected to a multi-million-dollar drug smuggling ring & The tie in tragedy that is Cocaine Bear. Avon Books. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Their long term goal is to eliminate traditional bluegrass so that Coca-Cola can appeal to a younger demographic. Greetings from the road. So we have all these cops trained as spies with knowledge of bombs, surveillance, etc. The Ollie North/Mena/Contras situation will be the proof in the pudding that the CIA DOES--regardless of what they claim---have covert activities stationed right here in the USA. They also believed that other Lexington police officers have something to do with the disappearance as well. And he has to "go along" with what those backers do whether he may agree with it or not. LEX 18 has confirmed through family and multiple law enforcement sources that investigators spent much of this past week digging in different areas near Murphy's Landing along the Kentucky River on US 68. He had been a state senator. She met Preston West Madden (born July 24, 1934 . Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Melanie Flynn, The Bluegrass Mafia, and the Lexington Kentucky Police Department: Cops Gone Wild (Has TV documentary "Freefall" by Dominick Dunne- Power, Privilege and Justice) Talks about the whole Bluegrass Conspiracy, Bluegrass Conspiracy Melanie Flynn missing, Bluegrass Conspiracy Player Released From Prison, Melanie Flynn, The Bluegrass Mafia, and the Lexington Kentucky Police Department: Cops Gone Wild. Thanks Chris! Legal Statement. Her nickname is Dee Dee (Melanie Dee Flynn, Kentucky, 1977). Thornton seemed to have grabbed anything and everything he could before falling to his death. The story eventually balloons into a mammoth scandal known as the "Bluegrass Conspiracy", but no trace of Melanie is ever found. Along with Bill Canan, Thornton was a part of the narcotics section of the Lexington Police Department. Required fields are marked *. All rights reserved. Copyright 2023 WKYT. NOT MANY I'd say. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Yet even today, the 1977 disappearance of Melanie Flynn remains a mystery. Her father had been on city council. She never went to jail but the guy she hired did time for the crime. 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. In 1968 Congress created a special appendage of the Justice Department to financially assist state and local police departments in battling new, complex national crime wave that had accompanied the riots and demonstrations. Brad Roberts? It releases Feb. 24 in theaters. Canan, a Mount Sterling native, was charged with the federal drug charges and spent 17 long years in prison. Carole Bizzack died in the August 27, 2006 Comair crash: After not arriving to her doctors appointment and all of Melanies clothing was in her room at her parent house. --------------- local cops work much more closely together (CIA, DEA, Fish and Wildlife {in recent years} BATF and more) than the normal citizen would even dream that they do. Cops were video-taping, wire-tapping citizens (prominent citizens, NFL players, actors, actresses) using drugs, gambling, prostitution and porn---all out of a house belonging to then Democratic Governor John Y. Do we have conspiracy theories in the world of bluegrass, too? Fuhrman of all the cops in Simpson case fits the type of guy for this kind of training. It is also the basis for the newest Elizabeth Banks' film, Cocaine Bear. Timeline. This description may be from another edition of this product. They ranged from the faked moon landing and flat earth theories to the one about Disney making Frozen as a distraction from the fact that Walt Disney was cryogenically frozen. Remember former state house member and "Bluegrass Conspiracy" actor Henry Vance? On the day of January 25th, 1977, Melanies father, Bobby, called her around four oclock and asked if when she came home from work if she could bring him home a copy of the directory of Kentuckys high school coaches. (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" don't want you to have. Powered and implemented byFactSet Digital Solutions. Market data provided byFactset. Denton did not respond to . Privacy Policy. LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Even decades later, Ken Kurtz remembers exactly where he was on Sept. 11, 1985. Recommended. Henry Vance Loses Appeal. They are trained with military equipment and in wire-tapping, surveillance and swat team/military tactics (which in my opinion is the cause --or partly the cause of some the terrible tragedies when swat teams go into the Wrong house and kill somebody). Her book, "The Bluegrass Conspiracy" was released in 1989 to both raves and jeers. and last updated 3:26 PM, Jul 08, 2019. Thornton freefell to the ground after being unable to open his parachute. All rights reserved. It sure caused havoc here with The Bluegrass Conspiracy. Editorials and other Opinion content offer perspectives on issues important to our community and are independent from the work of our newsroom reporters. Thornton died on September 11, 1985 and on that day . A new movie will dive into the fascinating true story of a legendary Kentucky bear. 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. From being caught, Ross thought that the Lexington Police Department had cut Thornton a deal. Living in Kentucky near all the event mentioned in The Bluegrass Conspiracy I found this book to be really historical and cool. Lying at rest in the same Lexington funeral home, the two are now forever linked in death as in life. +44 (0)7540 787812 [email protected]. After they were forced to dump hundreds of pounds of cocaine to lighten the plane's load, Leonard said Thornton spoke a few words to him before they reluctantly parachuted out of the plane . After his departure, Dan Hays will continue to operate the IBMA from a secret bunker underneath the Franklin Theatre in Franklin, TN. If I came out and publicly announced that it was satire, those taking it seriously might still believe it anyway, so what good would it do? All rights reserved. The film Cocaine Bear is a highly-fictionalized hypothetical account of what could have happened to the bear that was found dead after having ingested some of the cocaine Thornton dropped from his plane while flying over rural Georgia. What kept this operation afloat was the connections the smugglers had with Lexingtons wealthy citizens such as James Lambert, Anita Madden and Phillip Galls (Denton 53). They were paying their last respects to Andrew Carter Thornton II, who had single-handedly summed up the dark side of the American dream, or at least the Kentucky version of it, when he landed on . 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Local citizens had major issues with their authority and suspected abuse of power. While in the hospital, Melanie lost her sense of smell and taste. Were these guys getting security clearances or security background checkups? They are trained with military equipment and in wire-tapping, surveillance and swat team/military tactics (which in my opinion is the cause --or partly the cause of some the terrible tragedies when swat teams go into the Wrong house and kill somebody). [Channel] 27 had to take a little bit of criticism from various people when Sally was doing various stories about the police department, Kurtz said, many of which ended up in The Bluegrass Conspiracy., (Dentons book: The Bluegrass Conspiracy: An Inside Story of Power, Greed, Drugs and Murder, was first published in 1989. 783 Ratings. Denton, a former investigator for Jack Anderson, relates a sordid tale of corruption in Lexington, Kentucky. The FEDS and the local cops work much more closely together (CIA, DEA, Fish and Wildlife {in recent years} BATF and more) than the normal citizen would even dream that they do. 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. Her name has appeared on the pages of newspapers when the list has appeared. . By Rachel Nix Building Kentucky. With public doubt and criticism of Dentons reporting still lingering even after she left, Denton and Kurtz agreed that it was the circumstances surrounding Thorntons death - when his parachute failed to open after he jumped from a plane with cocaine, cash, guns and gold strapped to him - that finally lent more credence to what they had been saying all along. It sure caused havoc here with The Bluegrass Conspiracy. If you listen to Ralph Stanleys most recent recording of, If you listen to The Johnson Mountain Boys recording of, Everyone gets sick after the IBMA World of Bluegrass no matter where its held because agents employed by the major labels in Nashville spike the hotel water with a virus called Tenbrooks 119. Three CDC investigations have mysteriously been suspended.. I am 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 murdered women in New Mexico; from one of America's bitterest political campaigns to the powerful forces arrayed against Franklin D. Roosevelt. They also cited a second agent who also found the circumstances suspicious since there were a number of residue-free wrappers left in the bag. People may say, where is she going with this. Something else that made Ross look into Andrew Thornton was, just two weeks before Melanies disappearance was reported. And the obituaries mention that Carole "was very involved in her husband's work.". She worked for a prominent public sports agency. Its unfair and gives Lexington a bad name.. To avoid getting arrested and ruining her reputation Melanie and Canan made the agreement. Flynn was last seen turning off Cooper Drive onto South Limestone. Margaret "Maggie" Murdaugh, 52, and Paul . The new horror-comedy, which is rated R, is about a black bear that stumbles upon a stash of drugs, then goes on a bloody killing spree. Understandably lost in the virus coverage, I saw where Bill Canan and Henry Vance must have died almost on the same day, because their obituaries were in the Lexington Herald Leader in the same edition. They've not found anything so far, but police are asking for tips and old photos of Murphy's Landing. The poison was administered through bluegrass festival corndogs. Vance was a prominent state official who was convicted in 1987 on a federal charge of conspiracy to transport a firearm that was used in a murder. This lead to the investigation of the scandal involving the higher status individuals of Lexington, Kentucky. 6940 Man O' War Blvd. I also put an affadavit on The Christina Moore Murder at Austin IMC. The CIA's Office of Security in 1966 began training certain police officers throughout the United States, and had made overtures to him. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Your email address will not be published. Who has power? Police are also encouraging anyone with tips to report them. 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!). by Sally Denton (He also hired Barbara Bailey, Bill Bryant and Sam Dick.). When Melanie was reported missing, she was classified by the Lexington Police as endangered missing. 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. These connections allowed them to commit crimes without getting caught. During the time of the Bluegrass Conspiracy,Lexington had a large gap between the high-class and the rest of society, making it possible to fund this operation while keeping it a secret (Danziger ET). But afte that the case went cold for years. Denton did not respond to an interview request for this story, but, in a 2019 podcast interview with WKYTs Amber Philpott, Denton said that Lexington in the early 1980s was an investigative reporters paradise because of the corruption in plain sight. Market data provided by Factset. Predictably, neither obit mentioned their involvement in the Bluegrass Conspiracy and the other sordid events of the 1970s. The _Lexington Herald-Leader_ ran a story about his death that, some 12 years after "The Bluegrass Conspiracy" was published, is less than objective about Ross. But to try and pull all the threads together - I mean, honestly, its taken me almost 40 years to connect a lot of the dots.. If I were being careful, I wouldnt list these ten popular bluegrass conspiracy theories for you now. It was a wonderful reading experience and I highly recommend it. #1. Many species are useful as lawn, pasture, and forage grasses, and some are cultivated as ornamentals. By Lexa Benner. Or, the other reason that Thornton resigned was because he knew what was about to happen with Melanie Flynn. Siegel told LEX 18 that he has watched police dig up dirt piles for at least two full days and carefully search the area. THE GOOD OLE BOYS ROUNDUP. Cana was never charged with any connection to Melanies disappearance, but he was arrested on federal drug charges in 1993. This, the second of five related stories this week, looks at the WKYT journalists who worked to dig up the network of organized crime and corruption with ties to the story behind the film. Both men would serve the majority of their sentences and then return to Lexington upon their release. A unique variety of people make up the population, from tobacco farmers to entrepreneurs and lawyers. The Bluegrass Conspiracy. 5). It was just wild, andso out in the open, Denton said. And if you stay here, theyll frame you and get you silenced, and find a legal way to do it. Gov. 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. The tapestry of crime outlined in The Bluegrass Conspiracy has its roots in the socially significant world of Kentucky. DONT WAIT. The secret entrance is in the hair products aisle but it can only be seen by the light of the moon (which doesnt exist). Melanie may go by the names of Melanie may go by the names of Melanie Dee or Melanie OHara. Her car was found a week later in Lexington. Foreign troops were trained here as well. Many years have passed since the show first aired in 2004. They waited until after the death of Jimmy Martin to carry out this threat.

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