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. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Thornton was sentenced to six months in prison, fined $500, placed on probation for five years, and had his law license suspended. Parrish & Underwood Funeral Homes and Cremations. As soon as I woke up or got home I would be messaging him about playing games. According to a Washington Post article published at the time of his death , he was awarded a purple heart for injuries he sustained during the U.S. invasion . Share this memorial using social media sites or email. We have set your language to The Wild True Story Behind the "Cocaine Bear" Drug Smuggler - Biography He was wearing night vision goggles, a bulletproof vest, and Gucci loafers. On April 26, 2023 Annette Thornton Anderson passed away peacefully surrounded by her family. Bill was a godly, family man and he will be missed by all his family and friends. He cultivated and recruited police from around the United States. Police concluded the shooting had been staged by Thornton to persuade the California judge that his life would be endangered should he be incarcerated. 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. To plant Memorial Trees in memory of William "Bill" Edmon Thornton, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store. ). The man who informed Customs of Thornton's involvement with the Louisiana smuggling vessel had his throat slit in Miami. "He loved me," she says, "but he resented having a wife." 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. To enemies, he was ruthless, egotistical, amoral -- driven by an ego so fragile he overcompensated with machismo. "We both realized it wasn't a life I felt comfortable with." Year should not be greater than current year. A visitation will be held from 6-8pm on Monday, May 1st,. Kentucky State Police repeatedly surveilled it in response to reports of guerilla warfare training for mercenaries, though Thornon denied any such activity. This account has been disabled. Other items in the garment bag included clothes and a map of Jamaica. Sign up for service and obituary updates. He later transferred to Sawnee Military Academy. I know youre all beautiful people. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Tom Thornton Obituary (2020) - Grand Rapids, MI - Grand Rapids Press Once on the ground, they locate the contraband by tuning to the radio signals from the parachuted cargo. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ", In his pocket were three epigrams. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Mary and Jim Horn married on May 6, 1967 settling first in Dallas and . [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. 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. Beautiful service. 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. Andrew Carter Thornton II was born on October 30, 1944, in Bourbon County, Kentucky. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Showing 10 of 7784 obituaries SORTED BY MOST RECENT FIRST Robert Valdez Sr. 11/01/1955 - 04/24/2023 Robert Valdez Sr., age 67, of Denver, Colorado passed away on Monday, April 24, 2023. Andrew Tyler "Drew" Thornton Obituary (2002 - 2021) - Echovita Their association began in the early 1970s when Thornton worked closely with the DEA. A special thanks to Paulette Clayton for her extraordinary help, devotion, and friendship for the past several years. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Pine Level P.H. His journey with smuggling began after he received tenure in his time working in the narcotics unit, where he became the head of a drug smuggling ring known as The Company. Saint-Martin-d'Hres, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France - Lat long Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "He was recuperating from wounds he had received in the Dominican Republic, where he had really come into his own as a paratrooper. Immediate Family: Son of James Murray Thornton and Willa Mae Thornton. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Husband of Evelyn W. Thornton. (19 years old). RICHARD THORNTON OBITUARY Thornton, Richard "Kevin" Kalamazoo Passed away Thursday April 19, 2018 at his home. Thorntons upbringing wasnt typical of a career criminal. Sorry! "As a policeman, Andrew could walk the edge only so long before it became routine. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. 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. [1] He pled no contest in Fresno to a misdemeanor drug charge and the felony charges were dropped. When he graduated, he joined the Army, where he became a paratrooper. 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. Mother of three, avid golfer, tennis player, and global traveler, Lourdes Ludie Abeto Litz was the eldest daughter of eight born in Manila, Philippines. Thornton consistently maintained that nothing illegal occurred on his farm. Avenue Benot Frachon, 107, SaintMartind Heres Yandex Maps This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. He was as flamboyant in his life as he was in his death.". Thornton resigned from the Lexington police department that year and joined Bryant in the new venture. Andrew Carter Thornton II(October 30, 1944 - September 11, 1985) was an American narcotics officer and lawyer who became the head member of "The Company", a drug smugglingring in Kentucky. "He was a little boy who never grew up," says an FBI agent investigating his death, who asked to remain nameless. Annette was a devoted mother and wife full of unconditional love and loyalty. He grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, where he attended the prestigious Sayre School. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. 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. 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. September 11th: The Life & Death of Andrew C. Thornton II | by Sara Reynolds | Medium 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. Bryant had been the best man at Thornton's wedding. 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 . Thornton loved adrenaline rushes and the thrill of danger, and he soon became bored with police work and became a drug smuggler. Mary traveled the world with Braniff and met the love of her life on one fateful flight. Let the family know you are thinking of them. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. Thornton owned an isolated farm in Jessamine County, Kentucky, that he called Triad, which he surrounded with barbed wire, barracks, and trenches. Thirteen floral arrangements decorated the rural cemetery, including one from the deceased's most recent girlfriend, signed, "I will always love you, Rebecca.". Investigators found that he was carrying night-vision goggles and wearing a bulletproof vest, Time magazine reported. It may not be the best ending to this story, but it most definitely was the most unexpected. I hope he got a hell of a high out of that [cocaine].. Thornton was one of nine Kentucky men named in that indictment, which was handed down amid hints that a larger drug-smuggling conspiracy existed. There was a problem getting your location. Brown's forced resignation from the DEA in 1981 came just six months before his retirement eligibility. You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. She is survived by brother Patrick Anthony Thornton (Ann), her daughter Kathryn Gaynor Anderson Porter, her son Edward Thornton Anderson (Blair) and her daughter Virginia Littleton Anderson Stone (Tim) She is also survived by her five cherished grandchildren; Mary Winslow Anderson, Edward Thornton Anderson, Jr., Anderson Ellis Stone, Grace Littleton Stone and step grandson Ian Patrick Stone. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}How Pete Davidsons Life Inspired Bupkis, Jerry Springers Surprising Stint as a Politician, 7 Memorable Guests from The Late Late Show, Tucker Carlson Leaves Fox News. an adventurer driven by adrenaline rushes" who became bored with being a cop. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhighland.com Grace Anne Conway, age 78, of Westminster, Colorado passed away on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhighland.com for the Valdez Sr. family. His problems began in 1981, with the arrest of one of his aristocratic connections, Bradley Bryant. When Betty Zairing met Thornton, he was training racehorses and thinking of becoming a policeman.