Hugs to you all during this difficult time. A funeral service for Robert will be held Monday, May 15, 2023 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Swan-Law Robert Valdez Sr., age 67, of Denver, Colorado passed away on Monday, April 24, 2023. Oops, something didn't work. All Rights Reserved. She was born February 15, 1935 to Mary Meehl Thornton and William Littleton Thornton, Sr. Andrew Tyler "Drew" Thornton Obituary (2002 - 2021) - Echovita The email does not appear to be a valid email address. 1801 Baltic Ave, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. Thorntons upbringing wasnt typical of a career criminal. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. [6] At the time of his death Thornton was wearing a bulletproof vest and expensive Italian shoes, and in possession of night vision goggles, a green army duffel bag containing approximately 35 kilograms (75lbs.) His body was found about 6-8 hours later in the backyard of a Knoxville, Tennessee residents house. She recalls that over lunch last summer, she asked Thornton how he justified the violence, the paradoxes of his life. 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. [2], After quitting the army, Thornton joined the LexingtonFayette Urban County Police Department in 1968. Dec 19, 1953 - Oct 15, 2019. Cocaine Bear plays fast and loose with a lot of facts, but the story of drug smugglers ill-fated plane trip is all too real. Clark was born to Steve and Ellen Thornton on September 10, 1986, in Winter Haven. This is a carousel with slides. The .38-caliber "wadcutter" bullets didn't penetrate his bulletproof vest. 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. "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. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Youre all in my thoughts and may strength and solace be constant companions. To friends, Thornton was a man of loyalty, religious conviction, enchanting charm, keen intelligence and supreme self-confidence. Colin McEvoy joined the Biography.com staff in 2023, and before that had spent 16 years as a journalist, writer, and communications professional. 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. He attended a prestigious private school in his youth and joined a military academy to become a paratrooper, as reported by The Liberator. She said Thornton had trouble reconciling the paradoxes of his life. He was born June 11, 2002 in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Wild Life Of Cop-Turned-Criminal Andrew Thornton, The Man - Grunge There was an error deleting this problem. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Perhaps more than anyone, Thornton would have appreciated the absurdity of his death. Obituary | Donald "Don" Andrew Thornton of Pulaski, Virginia | Bower Available Information : Postal address, Phone, #COM# #TYPE_COMMUNE# office fax number, Website, Email address, Mayor, Geographical coordinates, Population, Altitude, Area, Weather and Hotel. He competed at high levels of competition in several of these areas. Thats right. Bryant initially told police he was involved in a clandestine CIA assignment. Im glad his parachute didnt open, Brian Leighton, an assistant U.S. attorney who once prosecuted Thornton, told The Los Angeles Times in 1985. Some time later, in Georgia, a black bear started chowing down on more than 70 pounds container of cocaine that had also fallen from Thorntons airplane. Sorry! Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. "We both realized it wasn't a life I felt comfortable with." Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Please try again later. He was charged with piloting into the Lexington airport a DC4 loaded with tons of marijuana. Death: 1992 (60-61) Place of Burial: Central Waterville, New Brunswick, Canada. Thornton, CO Obituaries Online | Find Thornton Obituaries To enemies, he was ruthless, egotistical, amoral -- driven by an ego so fragile he overcompensated with machismo. He was a "Starsky & Hutch" type of cop -- he drove fast cars, popped in and raided people. Annette had a tremendous sense of humor with an infectious laugh. Once on the ground, they locate the contraband by tuning to the radio signals from the parachuted cargo. Nearby cities and villages : Grenoble, Gires and Poisat. "They were cowboys," said a friend of both Thornton and Brown, who asked that his name not be used. Add to your scrapbook. He was born in Lebanon, KY to Bertha and Andrew Thornton on December 8th, 1927. But there are some who feel it was the most appropriate way for him to go. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. One case among the remaining 23 indictments was dismissed; the other defendants were either convicted or became government witnesses. Thornton trained at Fort Bragg as a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne Division. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. Donald "Don" Thornton, Age 69 of Pulaski, Virginia died Tuesday, May 29, 2018 due to a tractor accident at his home. See other industries within the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector: Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services , Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services , Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services , Computer Systems Design and Related Services , Legal Services , Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services , Other . [1], Four years later, he was among 25 men accused in Fresno, California, in a theft of weapons from the China Lake Naval Weapons Center and of conspiring to smuggle 1,000 pounds of marijuana into the United States. Oops, we were unable to send the email. He regularly carried a gun, claimed to be a martial arts master, bragged about killing a German shepherd with his bare hands, and described himself as an expert at skydiving from heights of below 2,000 feet, according to The Washington Post. Roberts. How Pete Davidsons Life Inspired Bupkis, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Bill enjoyed cutting grass and would make sure that elders in the community had their yards mowed. This browser does not support getting your location. Andrew Tyler "Drew" Thornton, 19, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, passed away on August 27, 2021 at his residence. You can always change this later in your Account settings. His passing touched all of us deeply. Try again later. I'll cover a different true crime case every time I post, so be sure to follow, comment, and share if you want. After graduation from Sewanee in 1962, he joined ROTC and attended one semester at the University of Kentucky. You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Andrew Tyler Thornton to show support. Who Was Andrew Thornton? My heart goes out to his family. The cause of death? No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Learn more about merges. Andrew "Drew" Thornton was also detailed in a Discovery Channel double-length episode of "The FBI Files" named "Dangerous Company" in 2003. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Kentucky State Police repeatedly surveilled it in response to reports of guerilla warfare training for mercenaries, though Thornon denied any such activity. While awaiting trial in 1982 on his criminal charges, Thornton was shot twice in the chest at close range while leaving a restaurant in Lexington. Cocaine overdose. A visitation will be held from 6-8pm on Monday, May 1st, 2023 at Seaside Funeral Home Chapel with a Rosary to be recited at 6:30pm that same evening. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. [1], On September 11, 1985, while on a smuggling run from Colombia, Thornton and a partner jumped from his auto-piloted Cessna 404, after dumping packages of cocaine off near Blairsville, Georgia, US. Prichard and Thornton were fellow acolytes at St. Peter's Episcopal church and car-pooled to Sayre School. A system error has occurred. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? During his time with the police, Thornton took night classes at the University of Kentucky College of Law, earning a law degree in 1976. He worked for his father, training racehorses, before joining the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Police Department in 1968. "I never saw any indication of innate motivation for his life on the razor's edge," Prichard says. Thorntons Cessna 404 was discovered 60 miles away in Hayesville, North Carolina. ). Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Andrew Tyler Thornton Obituary We are sad to announce that on August 27, 2021 we had to say goodbye to Andrew Tyler Thornton (Virginia Beach, Virginia), born in Lynchburg, Virginia. Andrew is also survived by his grandparents, Debbie and Bill Frick, Mark Mohler, Pam and Jim Orr, Bob Thornton and Lydia Santili; great-grandparents, Xen and Janet Lemmon; aunt, Charlotte Paisley; and his uncles, Adam Mohler and Justin Thornton. In some extreme cases, the crew members put the plane on automatic pilot, dump the drugs, and bail out, Times John S. Demott wrote in 1985. Federal agents tried to trace the Cessna back to its maker; however, the company the Cessna was made at turned out to be nonexistent. A search of a cabin Brown owned in Dead Horse Hollow uncovered a laboratory for manufacturing a poison that was sold on the streets as cocaine, according to Black. He was 40 when he died. Failed to delete flower. He is preceded 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, Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. He was wearing night vision goggles, a bulletproof vest, and Gucci loafers. You will never be forgotten. Ryan Moore horse jockey. [2] He took night classes at Eastern Kentucky University and graduated with a degree in law enforcement in 1971. Mark Thornton Obituary - Death Notice and Service Information - Legacy.com When Betty Zairing met Thornton, he was training racehorses and thinking of becoming a policeman. [1] He pled no contest in Fresno to a misdemeanor drug charge and the felony charges were dropped. [7], Three months later, a dead black bear, later known as the Cocaine Bear, that had apparently overdosed on cocaine dropped by Thornton, was found in the Chattahoochee National Forest.[8]. He was carrying a green Army duffel bag containing 88 pounds of cocaine valued at $15 million, $4,500 in cash, six 0.1 ounce gold Krugerrands (a South African gold coin that accounted for 90% of the global gold coin market by 1980), knives, and two pistols. He told her horror stories about U.S. military operations in Vietnam, she says. Ill never forget his laugh and how he brought everyones mood up. Try again. His death also served as the inspiration for the story arc of season four of FX Network's Justified. [1] He was sentenced to six months in prison, fined $500, placed on probation for five years, and had his law license suspended. She was preceded in death by her parents, Reynaldo and Esperanza Abeto, her sister Teresita Dimalanta, and her husband, James Stephen Litz. To them, Thornton was a cop gone bad. That was indeed Thornton's credo, according to those who knew him best. The bear ate it, overdosed, and unfortunately died. Unfortunately, theres hardly anything else known about Andrew C. Thornton II from 1981 until 1985 at the time of his death. Sorry I could not be there in person. But the ill-fated flight of ex-narcotics-officer-turned-drug-smuggler Thornton, who tossed his stash overboard before leaping from the plane, was not only a true story, but also a more absurd one even by Cocaine Bear standards. Strapped to his body was an Army duffel bag containing "two pistols, knives and $4,500 in cash," and close to 80 pounds of cocaine worth at least $15 million.The story of Andrew C. Thornton II was examined in Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice and in Sally Denton's The Bluegrass Conspiracy. Brown was perhaps Thornton's closest friend for many years, until he was found shot to death in his Louisville home last year -- an apparent suicide, according to a coroner's inquest. Write your message of sympathy today. "He was a little boy who never grew up," says an FBI agent investigating his death, who asked to remain nameless. He also attended University of Kentucky Law School. He was a quick learner, great athlete, and talented guitar player. He considers it almost reasonable, suggesting that neither ever left the DEA but became smugglers to better infiltrate narcotics organizations. He is the author of two true crime books: Love Me or Else and Fatal Jealousy. There is no photo or video of Andrew Tyler Thornton.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. Drew was a lifeguard, pharmacy tech student, pro-level gamer, volleyball player, and talented pool player. We have set your language to All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Father of Michael Thornton and the. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Andrew Carter Thornton (1917-2010) - Find a Grave Memorial As a policeman, Thornton would meet "with Mafia hit men from Detroit who had contracts on him," she said. Lourdes "Ludie" Abeto Litz Obituary - Corpus Christi Caller Times Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Screenwriter Jimmy Warden told USA Today that Banks opted to simply have Thornton get accidentally knocked out while departing from the plane. According to numerology, Andrew Thornton's Life Path Number is 3. . He had become increasingly paranoid. What wonderful stories each shared of Drews talents, kindness and life during the service. Pallbearers are Edward Thornton Anderson, Jr., Anderson Ellis Stone, James Andrew Watson, Sr., John Slade Screven, Edward Franklin Screven, and James Odingsell Screven, III. He is survived by : his parents, Jim Thornton and Karen Thornton (Sabol) of Virginia Beach, Virginia; his brothers, Zachary and Ryan Thornton of Virginia Beach, Virginia; and his grandparents, Thelma Thornton (VanWyngarden) of Rustburg, Virginia, Dennis Sabol, Edwina Barton of Oxford, Anthony and Patricia Fronzaglia (Malloy) of Lynchburg. Kathleen Diane Rosa 10/26/1955 - 04/24/2023 Harold Slone, a Lexington attorney who recently pleaded guilty to federal income tax violations and mail fraud -- an old friend and law partner of Thornton's -- was there. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. His True Story Is More Shocking than the Movie. For years, Thornton pursued his avocation of preparing himself and others for Armageddon. "He was recuperating from wounds he had received in the Dominican Republic, where he had really come into his own as a paratrooper. He flaunted his soldier-of-fortune ideology, his professional connections, his sky-diving exploits, his macho command of weaponry and spy gadgetry. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Immediate Family: Son of James Murray Thornton and Willa Mae Thornton. He attended Florida State University and was a devoted Seminoles fan. Carmen Marine Kreutzer, age 79, of Commerce City, Colorado passed away on Thursday, April 27, 2023. It wasnt until a few years later, however, that he caught the publics attention. Rosemary Thornton Obituary (1924 - 2022) - Dallas, TX The Cocaine Bear Drug Smuggler Was a Real Person. Thornton owned an isolated farm in Jessamine County, Kentucky, that he called Triad, which he surrounded with barbed wire, barracks, and trenches. A private burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery. Thornton's upbringing wasn't typical of a career criminal. He made a second stab at college in 1966 but dropped out after a year. For me Drew was my favorite person to spend my time with online. GREAT NEWS! 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Within days of his arrest, several federal agencies joined the investigation, and a few months later 25 individuals were indicted in Fresno, Calif., and charged with conspiracy to import and distribute marijuana and to steal government property from the China Lake Naval Base. MINMAXMEDICAL Company Profile - Dun & Bradstreet Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. When he hit the driveway on Sept. 10, shortly after abandoning a Cessna twin-engine 404 (which would crash unmanned against a mountain in North Carolina), Thornton was wearing a bulletproof vest, special night vision goggles, a Browning 9 mm automatic pistol, a .22-caliber pistol and several clips of ammunition. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Son of the late Willie and Evelyn Thornton. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? The bear, for example, simply died of an overdose in real life and did not go on a bloody, murderous rampage as in the film. Ronald Keiffer Graham, age 91, of Thornton, Colorado passed away on Thursday, April 27, 2023. "We kept in touch," she says. He quit school to join the Army, and often often spoke of his training as a paratrooper for the Army's 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., and of being awarded a Purple Heart for service in the 1965 U.S. invasion of the Dominican Republic. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. Born in 1944, to a well-off family and raised on a thoroughbred farm in Bourbon County, Kentucky, he joined the U.S. Army and trainedsomewhat ironicallyas a paratrooper. This man had known Brown and Thornton for many years, had watched them go from one side of law enforcement to the other. THORNTON, Rosemary Rosemary Jeanette Taylor Thornton was called to her Lord and Savior on Sunday, January 23, 2022, after sharing her love and life with God, her family, and friends for over 97. He is survived by his wife of sixty-one years Mrs. Ruth Kennedy Thornton; daughters, Donna Capps (Wesley) of Smithfield, Gina Davis (Craig) of Smithfield, Carol Gunter (John) of Smithfield; brothers, Bryan Thornton (LaRena) of Raleigh, Jerry Thornton (Pat) of Smithfield, Glenn Thornton (Debbie) of Newton Grove; sisters, Lottie Corbett of Newton Grove and Ida Mozingo of Smithfield; grandchildren, Lara Jackson (Chris), Ryan Capps (girlfriend, Stormy Williams), Savannah Stewart, Chyann Gunter, Brooke Stewart and Alyssa Capps; great-grandchildren, Lucas Barbour, Thomas Jackson, Andrew Jackson and Pas little girl, Makenna Jackson; many nieces and nephews as well as extended family, Shauna Lee (Kelvin), Antonio Blake, Janet and Madelyn Johnson, Jacey Velazquez, Tonia Puckett, Mataya Grimes and Joaquin Trejo. The Dignity Memorial online obituary search tool gives you access to obituaries from thousands of locations across North America. On April 26, 2023 Annette Thornton Anderson passed away peacefully surrounded by her family. Zairing said that the closer Thornton moved toward a James Bond character, the less she was able to relate to him, to live with the secrecy and danger of his life as a narc. Andrew Tyler "Drew" Thornton - Altmeyer Funeral Homes & Crematory At night, he attended Eastern Kentucky University and in 1971 received a degree in law enforcement. Share. Warden said, Its quicker and more efficient to tell the story if the guy just hits his head and passes out. Please reset your password. Drug smuggling was a natural transition for him. Andrew was the son of Alferino and Secundina DeHerrera from Roy, New Mexico. He was a daring pilot, a master of martial arts who boasted of killing a German shepherd with his bare hands, and an expert sky diver -- famous among jumpers for "pulling low," or releasing the chute at below 2,000 feet.
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andrew thornton obituary