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The trial has been almost an obsessive topic in the area. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. A male voice responds, "Tell Robert it feels good. Is it time for Twin Falls to get a rec center?

The jury had the option of finding them guilty of murder conspiracy, a charge that carried a possible penalty of life in prison. Rain: 7am to 7am: 0.46 Month: 0.61 Year: 19.01 Recorded temps: High: 71 Low: 41. Bates was hitchhiking through the vast open spaces of west Texas when he was lucky enough to get a ride and a job offer. They said that Mr. Bates was tortured with a cattle prod and killed and that his body was then doused with gasoline and burned. Our Lady of the Lake University notifies victims of data Amazon wants your help thwarting scammers, 1995 original report: Singer Selena killed in a Corpus motel, Brutal tactics: Behind the uptick in horrific migrant deaths. You have permission to edit this article. Find directions to Mountain Home, browse local businesses, landmarks, get current traffic estimates, road conditions, and more. Getting workers was a breeze, and once theyd transported the hapless hitchhikers to the ranch, their new employees found it impossible to leave. ''You don't have to have an agreement engraved in stone or written on paper to be prosecuted under the organized crime act,'' he said. The state of Texas now owns the sprawling former ranch that once enslaved unwitting laborers. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Return Policy. There is still debate over whether Potter really had a hand in the raid or not. Despite these facts, the tragedy was still believed to be at the hands of an Indian raid, and to this dayis alsoconsidered the last Indianmassacre in Texas. Two of the four people charged with first-degree murder in the death of a Mountain Home man appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday. The Ellebracht men and Caldwell were convicted in 1986 of aggravated kidnapping but were acquitted of murder in the death of a worker named Anthony Bates due to authorities failure to find a body or murder weapon. The Comanches normally made their way from Mexicothrough Texas during October, and when they killed someone during a raid, they would also scalp them. The building wasfreezing in the winter and burning hot in the summer, and the captives were denied pillows and blankets. Lindseys is the most familiar name among the four murder suspects. Texas Hill Country. The two Ellebracht men and 21-year-old Caldwell were arrested for conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping. As a condition of her bond, she is required to wear an ankle monitor. This unfortunate event is known as the Dowdy Family Massacre. A section of the DPS report lists the Comfort Inn and Suites at 2706 North Cage Boulevard in Pharr, Texas, as being involved in the apprehension of Lindsey and Cunningham. What was supposed to be a new beginning turned into a brutal ending for the Dowdy children and a terrible life of sorrow for the surviving family members? He was told he wasnt going anywhere, then chained up along with two other men. Walter Wesley Ellebracht III, was killed in an automobile accident Jan. 20 on Highway 290 just out side Fredericksburg. Survivors reported being shackled at the end of each work day, and being put to bed in a metal barn. When people head to Humboldt County, California in search of quick riches in the form of marijuana. Billy the Kid Discussion Board: Last Indian Massacre in Texas. Lindsey and 42-year-old Allison Cunningham were arrested in South Texas, about The graphic testimony about events at the ranch near the Texas Hill Country town of Mountain Home has shocked and troubled residents throughout the farming, ranching and resort area 60 miles from here. All of his criminal cases were opened against him in Baxter County, although he apparently had been living in the Little Rock area in the recent past. Welcome to your nightmare: 38 years ago, feds raided a Kerr ranch where hitchhikers were tortured, UConn star accuses a popular Texas steakhouse of food poisoning. Much of the information in the 27 pages of documents furnished by the Texas DPS to KTLO, Classic Hits & the Boot news has been redacted. They finished their lunch around 11 a.m. and headed to the spot where the Dowdy girls and their brother were tending the sheep. Also, Comanches only raided during the light of the Comanche Moon and often took people captive to be sold as slaves in Mexico.Something just doesnt add up, and there have been many debates about whether it was truly an Indian raid or if the murders were committed by a group of Mexican bandits or heartless American outlaws. His son, Junior, received 15 years in prison, but served less than 10 years. And the victims were unsavory types whose testimony was suspect. Investigators believe the persons death could be a result of domestic violence involving an estranged husband, the news release says. One of the slave ranch victims, Mark Allen Hamilton, claimed in a court deposition that even some of the victims participated in the tortureof fellow prisoners. '', See the article in its original context from. #72 Witnesses Were Heard The verdicts came after nine weeks of testimony from 72 witnesses in a trial that told a tale like a Texas Gothic, a dark nightmare that took place in the isolated cedar-covered ranchland. A few include K-3 Ranch, Deer Li Hunting Services, Crenweldge Ranch, Y.O. We also run the premiere real-estate site in the hill country at HillCountryRealestate.com.We are born and bred in The , The pioneer family of Susan (1830 - 1913) and James Dowdy (1818 - 1900) moved from Goliad to Kerr County in 1878 and settled on Johnson Creek.

Inside his cell sat a man by the name Potter, who, not knowing his new cellmate belonged to the Dowdy family, bragged about being a part of the raid. On Feb. 18, 1984, the Ellebracht men drove to San Antonio to find workers, eventually convincing six men to work for them in exchange for housing and food. The attack occurred on Oct. 5, 1878, at a site about 3.5 miles northwest of present Ingram. Are you on a quest for a nightmare? Gary Wayne Mitchell. Killed in a car crash at age 38, Wes went to his grave an Ellebracht, one who overcame the nightmares of his childhood. Details on how the suspects came together and why they are suspected of killing 34-year-old Cody Stradford have yet to be disclosed by prosecutors. [email protected] | @TaylorPettaway. Schumacher Crossing on the Guadalupe River, Unsolved Mystery of the Dowdy Family Massacre. They hired the best attorney money could buy, and hired Richard RacehorseHaynes. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Mountain Home, Texas, is nearly as isolated today as it was in 1984. if (theYear < 1900) The DPS reports show Lindsey was driving a 2006 BMW Z4, reported stolen from Arkansas. Now the steakhouse is fighting back. document.write(theYear)

WebMurder Mountain: With Billy Honsal, Kerry Ireland, Braden Brawner, John Gordon. Shortly after the family arrived, four of the Dowdy children Alice, Martha, Susan, and James were killed by Indians while tending sheep near their home. WebHes accused of killing his estranged wife, Samantha Ruiz, whose body was found at a residence on Bramble Court in Mountain Home on July 28. Which Current Shows Do You Actually Watch New Episodes Of Week By Week? The Mountain Home time zone is Central Daylight Time which is 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). (KNWA/KFTA) Mountain Home police responded to a shooting at the 600 block of Cooper Estates Drive, on November 24, 2020, according to a court document. The battery-operated device released up to 4,0000 volts of electricity. Jake Edward Masters. Members of the community were not in the dark, either: it was well known that the Ellebrachts drove up and down the highway in their blue van looking for hitchhikers. Law enforcement officials said Bates injured his leg and was unable to work, so he was allegedly tied up, kicked, beaten, starved and shocked with an electric cattle prod until his death, according to a 1986 Houston Chronicle article. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news reporter, originally from Colorado. But lawyers for the Ellebrachts and Mr. Caldwell said the evidence presented, no matter how grim, did not merit a conviction on the charges specified. The sparks came from an electric cattle prod used by the torturer. WebMountain Home, Texas is an unincorporated community in Kerr County. Copyright 2008 - Their pool of cheap labor in the surrounding area was small, so they found crews from nearby I-10. According to ranch records, at least 75 people had been employed there at one time or another. Webmountain home texas murders Posted in fatal car accident northern colorado yesterday By Posted on April 1, 2023 white lily flour recall on mountain home texas murders They fashioned key chains, and they needed workers. On April 6, 1984, Texans learned a horrifying secret in the tiny town of Mountain Home. William Lesley Rushing. Kerr County "Slave Ranch" is 25 miles Northwest of Kerrville, Texas. Potter was hung in a nearby tree. A defense attorney for the senior Mr. Ellebracht, Richard (Racehorse) Haynes, said: ''I have been happier. In 1878, the family packed uptheir belongings and headed off to start their homestead in the hills of the Texas Hill Country. He cited thecase of Anthony Bates, who, due to an injured leg, was unable to work. Mrs. Dowdy rushed to the hillside and found her childrenpierced by arrows, mutilated by tomahawks, and shot. There are several day-hunting services in the aera. Her $500,000 bond was cut in half Jan. 28, and she was released into the custody of a relative. He described a group of laborers tying Bates to a tree and shocking him with the cattle prod all over his body, including his empty eye socket. Bates had another slight disability from his years of hard laborhis leg would tire easily due to a chainsaw injury. The attack occurred on Oct. 5, 1878, at a site about 3.5 miles northwest of present Ingram. An Hour of Tapes Was Played. His son, Junior, received 15 years in prison, but served less than 10 years. All rights reserved. However, their dream of starting a new life quickly turned into a nightmare when four of the Dowdy children were brutally murdered. This was the craziest casebut these were drifters, and they were seen as less entitled to the benefits than the rest of us are.. I totally thought we were screwed. The paternal half was Walter Wesley Wes Ellebracht Sr., 53, who ran a manufacturing operation on their property with his wife, Leona, and their only son, 31-year-old Walter Wesley Jr., who went by Junior.. The fourth suspect in the murder of 35-year-old Cody Stradford in mid-December last year is back in Arkansas. On Tuesday, officers were sent to a home while investigating a missing persons case, according to a news release from the Mountain Home Police Department. WebMurder Mountain: With Billy Honsal, Kerry Ireland, Braden Brawner, John Gordon. Idaho State Police and the ISPs Criminal Investigations Division and Crime Scene Processing Unit were called to the scene of the death to assist in the investigation. Ranch. 259 BROKEN SPUR DRIVE , TX 78058. The feds pulled a mountain of incriminating evidence from the Ellebracht ranch, including the audiotapes, witnesses, human remains and various weapons. If they talked back, they would be on the receiving end of twisted mind games. The ranch-owner defendants, well-known locally, and the worker were charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping and murder in the death of Anthony Bates, an Alabama drifter who worked on their ranch in 1984. Two Texas ranchers and one of their workers were convicted today of criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping in the torture and death of a worker on their ranch. July 1986, Deaths at Austin's Lady Bird Lake lead to serial killer theories, John Jay High student killed in near-campus stabbing identified, Police: Man zip-tied woman, let others beat her, 'River Walk Ketchup Bottle' case to proceed against hotel, Sears stores across San Antonio are being filled with new tenants, As cold front arrives tonight, thunder and hail in forecast, DOJ agrees to pay $144.5 million to victims of Sutherland Springs, forced them to stay without compensation or freedom, an article by the online publication Ranker. Officials claimed at their trial that they started torturing the workers after Ellebracht Sr.s wife ran away with one of them years before. The area hosts a summer camp, the Hill Country Cowboy Camp Meeting, for young christians looking to strengthen their faith, share their love of God, and renew friendships. MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. Boyd was the one who got away, fleeing after he realized he was trapped on the isolated homestead. He Denies Client Was Involved. WebMOUNTAIN HOME Police in Mountain Home are investigating a suspicious death after a body was found inside a home in the southwest area of the city. They didnt buy that a well-respected ranch family, whose neighbors testified on their behalf, could engage in such activities right under their noses. 295 RANCHLAND DR , TX 78058. They needed labor to keep their key-chain factory going. if (theYear < 1900) The prosecution presented their findings: 18-audiotapes proving the torture sessions had occurred, five eyewitness depositions and forensic evidence, including human bone chards found on the property. These Texas Slave Ranch facts illustrate a sordid chapter in the South's history. He called the state's witnesses ''baby-rapers, burglars, con artists and thieves.''. She has degrees in journalism and criminology. Mark Allen Hamilton, a former ranch foreman, testified about how the Ellebrachts liberally used the cattle prod for both discipline and torture. Haynes was a big name who showed up at the Kerrville County Courthouse every day driving a bright yellow Rolls Royce. During the trial, testimony from former workers painted a horrifying picture of mental and physical torture, rape and death. However, their dream of starting a new life quickly turned into a nightmare when four of the Dowdy children were brutally murdered. Shortly thereafter, the three men were forced at gunpoint to dig ditches, during which they were randomly shocked with cattle prods. The latest South Texas Crime Stories segment relives the horrifying details of what was known as the Texas slave ranch. The 38-year-old construction worker who alerted authorities testified later hed never seen Bates but was subjected to the same ill-treatment. Group says they have a strong suspect as the infamous killer. We are your resource for Hill Country travel, things to do, places to eat, Much of what went on at the sprawling ranch owned by the Ellebrachts was not in dispute during the trial. Once they got to the ranch, Boyd decided to only stay the night. Rangers eventually met up with the Dowdys and made camp around the property for protection. WebThe City of Mountain Home is located in Kerr County in the State of Texas. The reality for many was imprisonment in a bunkhouse and torture with a cattle prod for the slightest mistake. Key chains hand made by alleged slaves of the Ellebracht Ranch hang in a frame on a wall in Bill's BBQ in Ingram, TX, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Ranch. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. now = new Date Join the discussion on our new social platform Texjas.com! Gary Wayne Mitchell. According to online jail records, in addition to being held for Arkansas authorities in the murder case, Lindsey has been charged in Texas with unlawful possession of a weapon. When a huge posse of law enforcement from federal, state and local jurisdictions raided the ranch on April 6, 1984, the Ellebrachts denied wrongdoing. Ranch foreman Carlton Robert Caldwell said in court that Ellebracht Sr. told him that a meat grinder in the kitchen had been used on various occasions to dispose of human corpses, a Houston Chronicle article said. Twenty-eight-year-old Ryan James Lindsey was brought from Texas and booked into the Baxter County Detention Center Friday evening at 5:48. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. WebOn April 6, 1984, more than 30 federal, state and local lawmen raided a 3,500-acre (14 km 2) ranch near the Texas Hill Country town of Mountain Home. DPS trooper walks from area where slave's body was reportedly burned. He would die within months on a dirty floor in the barn, his screams forever captured on audiotape. It is a mystery that will remain unsolved. This incident was one of the last Indian raids in Kerr county. Twenty-eight-year-old Ryan James Lindsey was brought from Texas and booked into the Baxter County Detention Center Friday evening at 5:48. WebOn April 6, 1984, more than 30 federal, state and local lawmen raided a 3,500-acre (14 km 2) ranch near the Texas Hill Country town of Mountain Home. Others alleged that after Bates died, his body was doused in gasoline and set on fire while the father and son listened to Johnny Cashs Ring of Fire.. Hill Country, and we welcome you to our family. They rescued six people, but what else they discovered was nothing short of gruesome: bone fragmentsand tapes of torture sessions. Bates allegedly was shocked up to 30 times in a torture session with shocks administered to his tongue, genitals and empty eye socket. The state had copious evidence incriminating Wes, Junior, and the ranch foreman, Carl. The Ranch is an authentic 19th century ranch housing a variety of exotic animals. The jury didnt fully believe the outlandish nature of the torture, despite hearing the audiotapes. The alleged suspect, who was also not named by police as of Tuesday, is reportedly in police custody in Pecos, Texas. According to victim testimonies, inmates at the Texas Slave Ranch knew to keep their mouths shut and to keep working, no matter how exhausted they became. Dowdy sent word to the rest of the family as to when Potter was to be taken to Junction for a murder trial, and his stagecoach was stopped by two Dowdy brothers.