Youre all in my thoughts and may strength and solace be constant companions. Thornton replied, she remembers, that he meditated regularly, at which time he entered a world beyond good and evil. After his time in the Army, Thornton became a police officer in Lexington, Kentucky, and joinedagain, somewhat ironicallythe narcotics squad in the 1970s, working on investigations with the local arm of the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to The Washington Post. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Colin McEvoy joined the Biography.com staff in 2023, and before that had spent 16 years as a journalist, writer, and communications professional. This browser does not support getting your location. Carmen Marine Kreutzer, age 79, of Commerce City, Colorado passed away on Thursday, April 27, 2023. [2], During his tenure, he began smuggling. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. As a policeman "Drew" arrested University of Kentucky students protesting the Vietnam war, and in the early 1970s he became a member of the Lexington police department's first narcotics squad, working with the Drug Enforcement Administration's regional office in Louisville. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. [1] Thornton left California after pleading not guilty and was arrested as a fugitive in North Carolina, wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a pistol. He became a member of the Lexington Police Department's narcotics squad in the early 1970s and worked on narcotics investigations with the Louisville office of the Drug Enforcement Administration. He had with him survival gear, a stiletto, $4,500 in cash, six gold Krugerrands, food rations and vitamins, a compass, an altimeter, identification papers in two different names, a membership card to the Miami Jockey Club and the key to the airplane. After graduation from Sewanee in 1962, he joined ROTC and attended one semester at the University of Kentucky. He was a loving and devoted family man and he enjoyed spending time with his kids and grandkids. of cocaine valued at $15 million, $4,500 in cash, six 1oz (28g) gold Krugerrands, knives, and two pistols. So was James Lambert, once a prominent Lexington businessman who is now awaiting sentencing on a recent federal cocaine distribution conviction. He was charged with piloting into the Lexington airport a DC4 loaded with tons of marijuana. She was born February 15, 1935 to Mary Meehl Thornton and William Littleton Thornton, Sr. Gene Berry, a Florida state's attorney, was murdered at point blank range Jan. 16, 1982, when he opened the door to his Punta Gorda residence; he had successfully prosecuted one of Thornton's Fresno codefendants. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. He made a second stab at college in 1966 but dropped out after a year. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhighland.com for the Valdez Sr. family. Andrew Carter Thornton II was born on October 30th, 1944. A celebration of life will be held for Drew on Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 2pm at Altmeyer Funeral Home on Baltic Avenue in Virginia Beach, and will be limited to invited family and friends. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. He will forever be missed. A system error has occurred. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. He wore camouflage fatigues and swastikas and bulletproof vests, and talked about eyes for eyes and teeth for teeth. Oops, something didn't work. In 1977, he resigned from the police force and began practicing law in Lexington. Try again later. Hugs to you all during this difficult time. It would take some time before authorities could piece together exactly what happened, but in its account of Thorntons dramatic death, Time magazine noted that drug smugglers were increasingly resorting to desperate measures to evade radar technology from federal authorities. After his apprehension, U.S. marshals transported Thornton to Fresno for his arraignment, where he posted $75,000 in cash and a $1 million personal surety bond, secured by his interest in three racehorses. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. [1] He was sentenced to six months in prison, fined $500, placed on probation for five years, and had his law license suspended. [3][failed verification], After resigning from the police in 1977, Thornton practiced law in Lexington. In the midst of the Chattahoochie National Forest, a 175 pound black bear was found dead. It was also a crowd of police, horse breeders and gamblers, mingling with some shadowy hangers-on. A memorial service for Grace will be held Saturday, May 13, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Olinger Robert Ray Gage Sr., age 69, of Northglenn, Colorado passed away on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Ill never forget his laugh and how he brought everyones mood up. One DEA agent who previously worked with Thornton called him a 007 paramilitary type personality, according to The Washington Post, while an FBI agent described him as a little boy who never grew up., He believed he was an impeccable warrior, Betty Zairing, Thorntons ex-wife, told The Washington Post in 1985. (19 years old). ", In his pocket were three epigrams. Get directions to Avenue Benot Frachon, 107 and view details like the building's postal code, description, photos, and reviews on each business in the building Clark Andrew Thornton died April 15, 2016, surrounded by his family. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. A funeral mass will be held at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church on May 2, 2023 at 11:00 AM. "He was a little boy who never grew up," says an FBI agent investigating his death, who asked to remain nameless. Add to your scrapbook. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Andrew Tyler Thornton to show support. Thornton's life began to take several directions. His body was found laying next to his reserve parachute with his main parachute unopened. As a policeman, Thornton would meet "with Mafia hit men from Detroit who had contracts on him," she said. He flaunted his soldier-of-fortune ideology, his professional connections, his sky-diving exploits, his macho command of weaponry and spy gadgetry. He competed at high levels of competition in several of these areas. Father of Michael Thornton and the. The plane crashes when it runs out of fuel., Thats not exactly how it goes down in Cocaine Bear, though. Thornton earned a Purple Heart during U.S. intervention in the Dominican Civil War in 1965, according to The Washington Post. . Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. in the chapel of Parrish Funeral Home in Selma, with the burial to follow in the Hills of the Neuse Memory Gardens in Smithfield. "He Thornton was very fond of the words of the Oriental philosopher who said, 'Man can overcome any obstacle if he knows in his heart that he must and in his mind that he shall,' " the Rev. Andrew Carter "Drew" Thornton II Birth 30 Oct 1944 Bourbon County, Kentucky, USA Death 11 Sep 1985 (aged 40) Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee, USA Burial Paris Cemetery Paris, Bourbon County, The 40-year-old died from the fall, and the plane, itself, later crashed into a mountain in western North Carolina. Born, January 14, 1937, in Sampson County, he was a son of the late Ivy Edmond Thornton and Anniebelle Jackson Thornton. He was a philosophical, incredibly disciplined, extremely spiritual, and loyal warrior, with his own code of ethics, who thrived on excitement.. These real-life events from 1985 were the inspiration behind the .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Elizabeth Banksdirected action-comedy movie Cocaine Bear, which hits theaters today. Before he was found dead in the driveway at a Knoxville, Tennessee home in 1985, Lexington, Kentucky native Andrew "Drew" Thornton was an army veteran, police officer, and an attorney. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. He was as flamboyant in his life as he was in his death.". After dropping 200 pounds of cocaine by parachute over Georgia, Thornton leapt from the aircraft over Tennessee and apparently became entangled in his own parachute. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Thornton owned an isolated farm in Jessamine County, Kentucky, that he called Triad, which he surrounded with barbed wire, barracks, and trenches. Thornton was one of nine Kentucky men named in that indictment, which was handed down amid hints that a larger drug-smuggling conspiracy existed. In the three years following his conviction, Thornton was sought by various jurisdictions for questioning, usually in connection with what police termed vendetta deaths -- with all the victims connected to various Thornton enterprises. She graduated from Rizal High School (Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines) and Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA). Investigators were able to link Thornton to the Cessna when they found the planes keys in his pockets. They Lived their 57 year marriage until his passing in 2016. He is also survived by many uncles, aunts and cousins. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Try again later. In 1981, Bryant was arrested in a hotel in Philadelphia when maids smelled marijuana smoke coming from his room. Mary moved to Dallas, Texas in 1965 to become a flight attendant for Braniff Airlines. Thornton attended law school at night and received his law degree in 1976. **In either case, please reference that the donation is being made towards the Ludie Litz Scholarship Fund**, Never allow the sun to set on an angry heart; instead live, laugh, love as if each day were your last.. You can search by first or last name, state and publication date. He then joined the ROTC and attended the University of Kentucky for a semester before dropping out to join the Army. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Banks told USA Today she was forced to omit aspects of Thorntons life that were too wild even for this movie. Nevertheless, the character is so outrageous that when star Keri Russell first brought the script home, her husband and fellow actor Matthew Rhys read it and immediately said, Text [Elizabeth] Banks and tell her I want to play that guy.. He felt smug in his survivability, his elusiveness, his discretion and his insulation. That was indeed Thornton's credo, according to those who knew him best. He was born in Lebanon, KY to Bertha and Andrew Thornton on December 8th, 1927. Thornton pleaded not guilty to the charges, then proceeded to flee the state. When asked about the incident involving Thornton, a DEA agent at the time was quoted as saying, there was cocaine literally falling from the sky. Duffel bags containing 220 pounds of 95% pure cocaine was still being recovered in Georgia after Thorntons death. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. But there are some who feel it was the most appropriate way for him to go. As soon as I woke up or got home I would be messaging him about playing games. 1801 Baltic Avenue Virginia Beach, VA ANDREW THORNTON OBITUARY Andrew Thornton's passing has been publicly announced by Altmeyer Funeral Home - Maestas Chapel in Virginia Beach, VA. Legacy. He is also an avid film buff, reader, and lover of great stories. The federal grand jury in Fresno investigated charges that Brown had thwarted the probe of the DC4 piloted by Thornton. Thornton, Tom Tom Thornton, age 71, of Saranac, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, September 12, 2020. Thornton trained at Fort Bragg as a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne Division. RICHARD THORNTON OBITUARY Thornton, Richard "Kevin" Kalamazoo Passed away Thursday April 19, 2018 at his home. Managed by: Son of the late Willie and Evelyn Thornton. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. This is a carousel with slides. Share. Weve updated the security on the site. Cliff Pike of the tiny Episcopal church in Paris, Ky., said in his eulogy. He cultivated and recruited police from around the United States. Her varied work experience included stints at Amoco, Bath Iron Works, Energy Industries, Inc. and KEDT. Drew was a very bright person when I met him online during a CSGO pug. "There was absolutely nothing startling about Andrew's youth that would be a prologue to the current circumstances. Bill enjoyed cutting grass and would make sure that elders in the community had their yards mowed. Like Thornton, Bryant was a native son of the horsy set, the grandson of a Lexington mayor. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Kevin was born February 2, 1962 in Kalamazoo the son of Richard and Ruth. She was preceded in death by her parents, Reynaldo and Esperanza Abeto, her sister Teresita Dimalanta, and her husband, James Stephen Litz. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Year should not be greater than current year. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. And also way funnier.. "He was recuperating from wounds he had received in the Dominican Republic, where he had really come into his own as a paratrooper. They were divorced in 1970, and neither remarried. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Rest easy now, Southside Chapel5033 Rouse DriveVirginia Beach, VA 23462(757) 422-4000More Info, Riverside Chapel7415 River RoadNewport News, VA 23607(757) 245-1525More Info, Maestas Chapel1801 Baltic AvenueVirginia Beach, VA 23451(757) 428-1112More Info, Denbigh Chapel12893 Jefferson AvenueNewport News, VA 23608(757) 874-4200More Info, Chesapeake Chapel929 South Battlefield Blvd.Chesapeake, VA 23322(757) 482-3311More Info, Bucktrout of Williamsburg4124 Ironbound RoadWilliamsburg, VA 23188(757) 229-3822More Info, Please choose the location you would like to call. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Mary and Jim Horn married on May 6, 1967 settling first in Dallas and . No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Born in 1944, to a well-off family and raised on a thoroughbred farm in Bourbon County, Kentucky, he joined. The bear, lovingly named Pablo Eskobear (or Cocaine Bear) was taxidermied after its autopsy and sent to Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington for display, where you can still see it today! Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Failed to delete flower. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. He later retreated from that story but continued to create the impression he was sanctioned by the CIA. During his time with the police, Thornton took night classes at the University of Kentucky College of Law, earning a law degree in 1976. Drug smuggling was a natural transition for him. Would you like to offer Andrew Tyler Thorntons loved ones a condolence message? Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Kentucky State Police repeatedly surveilled it in response to reports of guerilla warfare training for mercenaries, though Thornon denied any such activity. [2] He took night classes at Eastern Kentucky University and graduated with a degree in law enforcement in 1971. On September 11th, 1985, Thornton was on a smuggling run from Colombia when he jumped from his autopiloted Cessna 404. His Army duffel bag contained 34 football-sized bundles of cocaine that were marked "USA 10. Let the family know you are thinking of them. Saint-Martin-d'Hres, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France Lat Long Coordinates Info. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. His notebook contained the names and addresses of several Lexington men, including Thornton, as well as references to planned operations with names such as "Blue Fin.". Altmeyer Funeral Home - Maestas Chapel 1801 Baltic Ave, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. Death: 1992 (60-61) Place of Burial: Central Waterville, New Brunswick, Canada. Anticipating a nuclear holocaust, he stockpiled paramilitary weapons, freeze-dried foods, gold coins. They were lifelong friends; they traveled in the same social circles and attended the Sewanee Military Academy together. "Thornton's farm was the subject of aerial and ground surveillance several times following reports that Thornton was operating a guerrilla warfare training camp for mercenaries," according to Sgt. For years, Thornton pursued his avocation of preparing himself and others for Armageddon. To enemies, he was ruthless, egotistical, amoral -- driven by an ego so fragile he overcompensated with machismo. The death that best summed up the contradictions of the sort of life Thornton led, all the philosophical and cultural reversals, was that of Harold Wade Brown, former head of the DEA office in Kentucky. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. I know youre all beautiful people. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Bill was a godly, family man and he will be missed by all his family and friends. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Member of "The Company" SmugglerUS Army VeteranFormer Lexington, KY Police/Narcotics OfficerConvict (Convicted on conspiracy to import marijuana)Military Decorations:Parachutist Badge (Jump Wings)National Defense Service MedalArmed Forces Expeditionary MedalPurple Heart (1965 Operation Power Pack)Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster with V-device for service in the line of duty in the Dominican RepublicHe was killed while parachuting from a Cessna Air Aircraft.

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