andrew thornton obituary
On April 24th, 2023, Kathleen Diane Rosa was called home to be with her Suzanne "Susie" Marie Farnsworth, age 56, of Brighton, Colorado passed away on Sunday, April 23, 2023. Thanks for your help! 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. The day of the 1985 jump, he was flying from Colombia on a Cessna 404 loaded with cocaine. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. 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. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Family members linked to this person will appear here. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. The oldest son of Carter and Peggy Thornton (a brother and sister still live in central Kentucky), he was guaranteed induction into Kentucky's blue-blood society. 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. Annette had a tremendous sense of humor with an infectious laugh. Mr. Thornton was born in Plainfield, NJ and lived most of his life in Paris,. A private burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery. Like Thornton, Bryant was a native son of the horsy set, the grandson of a Lexington mayor. "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. Betty Zairing says Thornton thought of himself as a purist, an innocent. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Olinger Funeral, Cremation & Cemetery - Highland Andrew DeHerrera passed away peacefully on January 10, 2022 at the age of 88 at his home in Denver, Colorado surrounded by his family and friends after a short illness. 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. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. They were also accused of conspiring to smuggle 1,000 pounds of marijuana into the United States. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Kathleen Diane Rosa 10/26/1955 - 04/24/2023 Pallbearers are Edward Thornton Anderson, Jr., Anderson Ellis Stone, James Andrew Watson, Sr., John Slade Screven, Edward Franklin Screven, and James Odingsell Screven, III. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Perhaps more than anyone, Thornton would have appreciated the absurdity of his death. [1] He was sentenced to six months in prison, fined $500, placed on probation for five years, and had his law license suspended. On April 26, 2023 Annette Thornton Anderson passed away peacefully surrounded by her family. 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. Robert L. Williams' Cowboys Caravan looks into the death of his son David, and his skydiving relationship with Drew Thornton. RICHARD THORNTON OBITUARY Thornton, Richard "Kevin" Kalamazoo Passed away Thursday April 19, 2018 at his home. He was as flamboyant in his life as he was in his death.". You can search by first or last name, state and publication date. Prichard and Thornton were fellow acolytes at St. Peter's Episcopal church and car-pooled to Sayre School. Sorry! Managed by: [9] Thornton was also detailed in a Discovery Channel double-length episode of The FBI Files named "Dangerous Company" in 2003. He considered himself a free-lance military adviser of sorts, siding with anticommunists around the world -- the Salvadoran government, the Nicaraguan contras, South African industrialists. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Saint-Martin-d'Hres, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France Lat Long Coordinates Info. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. And also way funnier.. 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 a Knoxville, Tenn., driveway with several million dollars worth of cocaine strapped to his waist and a failed parachute strapped to his back. [5] The plane crashed over 60mi (97km) away in Hayesville, North Carolina. According to friends, he died a millionaire. Soon after graduation, Annette and John Franklin Anderson (Jack) married. Thornton had been smuggling drugs for years before his now-infamous 1985 flight. He. Failed to report flower. Thornton remained a fugitive for several months. Drew and I would often talk about meeting up someday and going to real life events together, it breaks my heart that we were never able to do that. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Andrew Tyler Thornton to show support. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Drew and I spent a lot of time playing video games with each other. [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]. His Army duffel bag contained 34 football-sized bundles of cocaine that were marked "USA 10. [10] The beginning of episode one features a flashback to 1983 in which a man falls to his death, parachute still attached, with bricks of cocaine scattered around his body. For years, Thornton pursued his avocation of preparing himself and others for Armageddon. The latitude of Saint-Martin-d'Hres, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France is 45.167198, and the longitude is 5.765300.Saint-Martin-d'Hres, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France is located at France country in the Towns place category with the gps coordinates of 45 10' 1.9128'' N and 5 45' 55.0800'' E. Thornton was one of nine Kentucky men named in that indictment, which was handed down amid hints that a larger drug-smuggling conspiracy existed. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. He surrounded Triad, the isolated Jessamine County farm that he owned, with concertina wire, setting up barracks and digging trenches, according to Kentucky State Police. She was a lifelong devout member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. 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. [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. The story also inspired the film Cocaine Bear, released in February 2023. Andrew Tyler "Drew" Thornton, 19, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, passed away on August 27, 2021 at his residence. She was born February 15, 1935 to Mary Meehl Thornton and William Littleton Thornton, Sr. She attended Cathedral of St. Paul Elementary School, John Carroll High School and graduated from The University of Alabama where she was a member of the Phi Mu sorority. When he graduated, he joined the Army, where he became a paratrooper. Try again later. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Pine Level P.H. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhighland.com for the Graham Cynthia Ruth Atencio, age 67, of Denver, Colorado passed away on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. According to numerology, Andrew Thornton's Life Path Number is 3. . 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. Federal agents tried to trace the Cessna back to its maker; however, the company the Cessna was made at turned out to be nonexistent. Please try again later. (He later joined the Lexington law firm of an old friend, Harold Slone, but he never actually practiced law.) "They were cowboys," said a friend of both Thornton and Brown, who asked that his name not be used. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. He later transferred to Sawnee Military Academy. Ralph Ross, a retired Kentucky State Police officer formerly in charge of the state's intelligence division. Colin McEvoy joined the Biography.com staff in 2023, and before that had spent 16 years as a journalist, writer, and communications professional. 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, I thought you might like to see a memorial for Andrew Carter Drew Thornton II I found on Findagrave.com. In Bryant's possession at the time of his arrest was a cache of semiautomatic weapons, disguises, more than 10 fraudulent Kentucky driver's licenses and $22,000 in cash. Thornton earned a Purple Heart during U.S. intervention in the Dominican Civil War in 1965, according to The Washington Post. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. In 1977, he resigned from the police force and began practicing law in Lexington. Ludie believed inherently in the impact of giving back to the community and volunteered at Christus Spohn South and Driscoll Childrens Hospital. A visitation for Carmen will be held Thursday, May 4, 2023 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Olinger Patricia Aka Reynoso Mejia, Petra Reynoso, age 79, of Thornton, Colorado passed away on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. Kerr Brothers Furneral Home obituary: Andrew Carter Thornton, born Dec. 2, 1917, passed away with his family by his side Sunday, April 18, 2010 at Bourbon Heights Nursing Home in Paris, Kentucky after a long illness of Alzheimer's Disease. Ill never forget his laugh and how he brought everyones mood up. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. He was a "Starsky & Hutch" type of cop -- he drove fast cars, popped in and raided people. GREAT NEWS! You have chosen this person to be their own family member. The plane crashes when it runs out of fuel., Thats not exactly how it goes down in Cocaine Bear, though. Unfortunately, theres hardly anything else known about Andrew C. Thornton II from 1981 until 1985 at the time of his death. DEA agent Robert Brightwell, who says he worked with Thornton on narcotics investigations in the early 1970s, describes him as "an 007 paramilitary type personality . The son of Carter and Peggy Thornton of Threave Main Stud farm, he grew up in the Lexington, Kentucky, area and attended the private Sayre School and the Iroquois Polo Club. He was also preceded in death by his only son Donald Andrew "Andy" Thornton II and step-son Roger Douglas . Andrew Thornton Obituary. The mourners, by most accounts, made up a Who's Who in Kentucky aristocracy, a crowd of lawyers, socialites and politicians. It may not be the best ending to this story, but it most definitely was the most unexpected. I'll cover a different true crime case every time I post, so be sure to follow, comment, and share if you want. Drew will forever be a irreplaceable memory, my best friend, and my idol. "He went out like an eagle scout," Zairing says of Thornton's death. 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. To use this feature, use a newer browser. She taught music and kindergarten for many years at Highlands Day School and will be remembered by many as "Miss Annette". Im glad his parachute didnt open, Brian Leighton, an assistant U.S. attorney who once prosecuted Thornton, told The Los Angeles Times in 1985. There is no photo or video of Andrew Tyler Thornton.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. His death also served as the inspiration for the story arc of season four of FX Network's Justified. There is a problem with your email/password. Mary and Jim Horn married on May 6, 1967 settling first in Dallas and . He was charged with piloting into the Lexington airport a DC4 loaded with tons of marijuana. He later transferred to Sewanee Military Academy,[1] graduating in 1962. I know youre all beautiful people. Thornton was arrested as a fugitive in North Carolina, where he had fled to. Thornton resigned from the Lexington police department that year and joined Bryant in the new venture. He also loved grilling chicken for folks and riding the grandkids on his lawn mower. Love you. In 1977 Bryant formed a private security company called Executive Protection Ltd. [2] He took night classes at Eastern Kentucky University and graduated with a degree in law enforcement in 1971. He considers it almost reasonable, suggesting that neither ever left the DEA but became smugglers to better infiltrate narcotics organizations. He competed at high levels of competition in several of these areas. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Death: 1992 (60-61) Place of Burial: Central Waterville, New Brunswick, Canada. How Thornton would have felt about his untimely death and less-than-flattering portrayal in Cocaine Bear is anybodys guess. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Resend Activation Email. Others who knew him say he thrived on vengeance and murder. 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. Annette is predeceased by her husband, John Franklin Anderson, her parents Mary Meehl Thornton and William Littleton Thornton, Sr., her brothers William Littleton Thornton, Jr., Thomas Joseph Thornton and James Thornton. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Mother of three, avid golfer, tennis player, and global traveler, Lourdes Ludie Abeto Litz was the eldest daughter of eight born in Manila, Philippines. She recalls that over lunch last summer, she asked Thornton how he justified the violence, the paradoxes of his life. 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. On September 11th, 1985, Thornton was on a smuggling run from Colombia when he jumped from his autopiloted Cessna 404. Refresh the page, check Medium 's site status, or find. Write your message of sympathy today. Thornton consistently maintained that nothing illegal occurred on his farm. There was an error deleting this problem. Thats right. 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. I hope he got a hell of a high out of that [cocaine].. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63367160/andrew-carter-thornton. The .38-caliber "wadcutter" bullets didn't penetrate his bulletproof vest. He made a second stab at college in 1966 but dropped out after a year. 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. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. He was happiest when he was on the cutting edge, when he tested himself.". It was also a crowd of police, horse breeders and gamblers, mingling with some shadowy hangers-on. Please reset your password. "Cocaine-Carrying Chutist Was Ex-Policeman, Lawyer", "Woman to Go on Trial As Smuggler's Helper", "NTSB Accident Report Identification: ATL85LA273", "Cocaine Bear: The True Story Behind the Ultimate Party Animal", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Andrew_C._Thornton_II&oldid=1151568992, This page was last edited on 24 April 2023, at 21:27. He returned to Kentucky to await trial, and on Feb. 27, 1982, three days before he was scheduled to appear for a hearing in Fresno, Thornton was shot twice in the chest at close range as he was leaving a Lexington restaurant. The cause of death? Drew was a talented gamer he always was kind and nice to me I remember we created our 10 man called Lads 10 mans and those days were very fun I hope he finds peace and to his family as well I am very sorry for youre loss drew was a amazing young man. In 1981, he caught public attention in a big wayby being among the 25 men in Fresno, California, who were accused of stealing weapons from the China Lake Naval Weapons Center. May you be free and happy as you watch over your friends and family. Carmen Marine Kreutzer, age 79, of Commerce City, Colorado passed away on Thursday, April 27, 2023. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. He worked for his father, training racehorses, before joining the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Police Department in 1968. All Rights Reserved. Kevin was born February 2, 1962 in Kalamazoo the son of Richard and Ruth. He then joined the ROTC and attended the University of Kentucky for a semester before dropping out to join the Army. Would you like to offer Andrew Tyler Thorntons loved ones a condolence message? Bryant initially told police he was involved in a clandestine CIA assignment. He told her horror stories about U.S. military operations in Vietnam, she says. Thirteen floral arrangements decorated the rural cemetery, including one from the deceased's most recent girlfriend, signed, "I will always love you, Rebecca.". Drug smuggling was a natural transition for him. His passing touched all of us deeply. A visitation will be held from 6-8pm on Monday, May 1st,. 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. "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. Commander Dr. O.W. ). Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Sally Ann Denton, a former TV and wire service reporter, covered part of the Thornton story in Kentucky. He is preceded 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. Shirley Lou Brown, age 95, of Broomfield, Colorado passed away on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. Andrew Tyler Drew Thornton, 19, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, passed away on August 27, 2021 at his residence. Anticipating a nuclear holocaust, he stockpiled paramilitary weapons, freeze-dried foods, gold coins. The Cocaine Bear Drug Smuggler Was a Real Person. Visitation will begin at 10:00 AM. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. To enemies, he was ruthless, egotistical, amoral -- driven by an ego so fragile he overcompensated with machismo. He is preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Roger Thornton and paternal aunt, Rebecca Stone (Thornton). August 27, 2021 Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He was predeceased by : his grandfather Roger Thornton; and his aunt Rebecca Stone (Thornton). He returned to school for a year in 1966 but dropped out and trained racehorses for his father. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Says former DEA agent Larry Lakin: "DEA worked with Drew on many occasions in narcotics, and sometimes on a weekly basis." His body was found by 85-year-old Fred Myers, in the gravel driveway of Myers's home in Knoxville, Tennessee. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one.
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