Lindseys is the most familiar name among those arrested. Texas Hill Country Facebook page is growing by over 1,000 fans per William Lesley Rushing. Nine years ago, her son won custody of Elizabeth and embraced single parenting, Esensee said. A few lodging options in Mountain Home are the Flagler Ranch Guest House, the Y.O. Brazil was arrested Dec. 16 last year after he was located at a local motel. He was just a young boy when his father and grandfather were arrested and their so-called Texas Slave Ranch was raided in 1984. Menu. A million dollar bond has been set for Cunningham and Lindsey, and bonds of a half-million-dollars each for Brazil and Hendricks. Ellebracht Sr. had big ideas, but was too lazy to implement them, said Joe Smith, 68, a pastor and retired builder who was a friend and maintains the small cemetery in Mountain Home where he is buried. Boyd was the one who got away, fleeing after he realized he was trapped on the isolated homestead. Walter Ellebracht, along with accomplices, had kidnapped, enslaved, and tortured people on the property. News Researcher Lauren Brown contributed to this report. Stradfords body was placed in his own vehicle a silver Dodge Charger driven to a wooded area and set afire. 5-23-1986. The off-the-wall tactics worked, Cogdell said, and Ellebracht Sr. was given probation. Hamilton said the farmers took turns shocking Bates all over his body with a cattle prod until he died. Hendricks was arrested at a home along South Mt. When several survivor-witnesses reported they slept in the dirt, lived in extreme heat and cold, and were chained up at night, the statements had minimal impact on the jury. The Ellebrachts, descendants of Germans who settled the Hill Country in the 1880s, had inherited land with a robust spring. More details about a Mountain Home murder; victim shot in the forehead Hendricks faces first-degree murder, kidnapping and second-degree battery charges. Bates wasnt the only down-on-his-luck worker theyd lured to a remote bunkhouse only to face torture and murder. Nearby cities include Ingram, Hunt. In the hardscrabble west, ranchers had to pull a living from the soil and hope the weather cooperated. I totally thought we were screwed. Offers may be subject to change without notice. A burned body found in the vehicle was identified as Stradford's by the State Medical Examiner's Office. At 32 years old, he found himself accepting a job in the Texas hill country, not far from the town of Kerrville. Ellebracht Sr. received probation, his son Walter stayed free during a 15-year sentence due to appeals and Caldwell only served less than three years of his 14-year sentence. Rain: 7am to 7am: .00 Month: 0.00 Year: 20.21 Recorded temps: High: 63 Low: 45, Photos: Skylar Brazil and Ashley Hendricks. The ranchers were arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping and the case became widely known as "the Texas Slave Ranch.". Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 15_5 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) GSA/219.0.457350353 Mobile/15E148 Safari/604.1, First United Methodist Church Mountain Home, Gardening in the Ozarks with Vicki Garner, Live in the Boat with Binks Guide Service. The atrocities reported by survivors of the slave ranch were numerous, yet Haynes pulled off another brilliant victory. Texas Slave Ranch - Horror In The Mountain Home : Texas Murders At The Ellebracht Family Ranch In 1984 - Kindle edition by Rouge, Ronan. Walter Wesley Ellebracht III, was killed in an automobile accident earlier this month on Highway 290 just out side Fredericksburg. Ellebracht Sr. received probation, Junior remained free throughout his 15-year sentence due to appeals, and Caldwell served less than three years of his 14-year sentence. He later was indicted, along with the Ellebrachts, for his role in Bates' torture and death. She has degrees in journalism and criminology. if (theYear < 1900) While the recently released information on the Stradford murder does not spell out exactly what brought the four suspects together or what caused them to lure Stradford to Brazils residence, public records do show that Brazil and Hendricks lived in Siloam Springs at one time. Hendricks also is charged with possession of methamphetamine, heroin, ecstasy and fentanyl with the purpose to deliver, according to Madison County court records. 'Texas Slave Ranch' offspring made the best of life - mySA Relive the horrifying story of the Texas slave ranch - KSAT Brazil attempted to flee but was found hiding in weeds by tracking dogs from the Arkansas Department of Correction. Here's a collection of the crime reports, notable arrests and important court hearings . According to Hidalgo County, Texas jail records, Lindsey has been charged in that state with unlawful possession of a weapon. The vehicle was described as having damage along the passengers side. Victims reported they werent allowed to leave, and violence was a normal course of everyday life. Lindsey is, by far, the best known locally of those charged with the Stradford murder. document.write(theYear) True stories from Mountain Home lay out the chilling details. They offer 3-hour guided tours of the 50,00 acre ranch. In the 1980s, rancher Walter Ellebracht Sr., his son, Walter Jr. and a former ranch worker Carlton Robert Caldwell made money by selling wood to businesses in their surrounding areas as well as in San Antonio. Hed take me on tours, and everybody was smoking, the sawdust was so deep. The ranchers were later arrested on multiple charges including aggravated kidnapping and murder in Bates death. In the early 20th Century, the town was known as Eura. Every day of the widely publicized three-month trial, Sutton said, the 150 courtroom seats were filled with spectators, Wes among them. Some in Wylie don't know of 1980 ax slaying; others can't forget But details that emerged after the April 1984 raid, triggered by an escaped worker's call to the Texas Rangers, surprised even the family's closest friends. Hill Country, and we welcome you to our family. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news reporter, originally from Colorado. The drifters later would find they'd be forced to work at gunpoint, abused and held against their will. There are several day-hunting services in the aera. It was also announced Monday that the death penalty will be sought for Lindsey and 42-year-old Allison Cunningham. The area was settled in 1856. Updated: 6:28 PM MDT October 29, 2019. Few details were available Tuesday evening, but police said the death appeared to be the "result of domestic violence involving an estranged husband.". It was reported he was last seen at his parents residence in Mountain Home and later the same day in the Fayetteville area. The Chicago mayorslammed Abbott for the inhumane and dangerous effort. I wanted to put it in my past. Ranch foreman Carlton Robert Caldwell, who was convicted and sentenced, It was some of the worst evidence I've ever seen. Key chains made at the Texas Slave Ranch still hang in a frame on a wall at Bills BBQ. Wes suffered from what happened up there, and he didn't deserve that, but Wes always tried to live down the past. A suspect in the case has been arrested in Peco, Texas and is being held on a charge of failure to report a deceased person," police said. He taught me that family isn't really the people that are blood, but those who accept you for who you are.. Boyd stayed the night, but decided to leave the next day. All of his crimes were committed in Baxter County, although he had apparently been living in Little Rock for some period in the recent past. Sometimes, the smallest towns hide the biggest secrets. Stradfords body was found in a burned-out vehicle just off Old Arkana Road on Dec. 16 last year. Create a bonsai tree out of bricks with this $40 LEGO set, Dyson's air purifying headphones have finally arrived, Save on AeroGarden indoor herb growing kits at Amazon. Click links below to see charts for each crime category. In 1986 the Texas slave ranch trial took place and lasted for three months. Group says they have a strong suspect as the infamous killer. He said that he saw so much bad in the world that he wanted to look for the good.. Loraine Haynie, 86, checks on her husband, Jim Haynie, in his home office in Mountain Home. Mountain Home man accused of his wifes murder, extradited from Texas, held on $2M bond. 27-year-old man on the run accused of shooting and killing aunt's He was just a young boy when his father and grandfather were arrested and their so-called Texas Slave Ranch was raided in 1984. Lawyers have begun to formally enter their appearance for the defendants. Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, Slave Ranch Trial-Kerr County courthouse, L-R witness Dennis "Pete" Johnson and D.A. Raid and trial [ edit] Another piece of the former ranch was awarded to Joann Loftis, Bates' mother, who sued the Ellebrachts for her son's wrongful death. At least one man was presumed dead. Hes accused of killing his estranged wife, Samantha Ruiz, whose body was found at a residence on Bramble Court in Mountain Home on July 28. He wasn't even 10 years old.. Its not known just how many victims were part of the Texas slave ranch. Copyright 2008 - Gary Mitchusson of Forrest City has entered his appearance for Cunningham. Not long after, Ellebracht Sr. and Jr. were torturing Bates, with help from the workers, who picked on him because they disliked his temperament and the fact that he couldn't do hard labor after he was injured by a chain saw, according to trial testimony. SAN ANTONIO - Kidnapping, torture and murder are some of the horrifying. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Return Policy. Caldwell went on to report in a 20-page confession to the FBI that after Bates died, weakened by weeks of regular torture sessions, he and another worker burned his body in a homemade funeral pyre while playing theJohnny Cashhit Ring of Fire. They deposited the few bones that didnt burn, along with the ashes, into two 55-gallon drums. He would talk about some of the arguments and fights, but that wasn't his life, Walls said. 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. To clear his conscience, Caldwell gave a 20-page statement to the FBI. 2 suspects in Stradford murder make court appearances | KTLO Elon Musk? Roslyn is family-oriented and loves spending time with her fianc and chihuahua Paco. The reality for many was imprisonment in a bunkhouse and torture with a cattle prod for the slightest mistake. They offer 3-hour guided tours of the 50,00 acre ranch. According to information provided to KTLO, Classic Hits & The Boot News by the Texas Department of Public Safety in response to a Freedom of Information request, Lindsey and Cunningham were in separate vehicles. [2] Among the items seized in the search were human bone fragments and audiotapes of torture sessions in which a cattle prod can be heard as it is used to shock the victim. When he started to walk away the next morning, he was accosted with ranch hands carrying rifles. Ranch. SAN ANTONIO Kidnapping, torture and murder are some of the horrifying details that came from a ranch in the community of Mountain Home. Mountain Home, TX Real Estate & Homes for Sale - Realtor.com Home >> Homicides - 2007 January 1 - December 29, 2007 (86 Murders) Date of Murder: January 2, 2007 Victim Name: Connie Whitson, 46 . According to reports, the vehicle appeared to have been there for some time. She is also currently pursuing her Masters degree in Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. Benton County tax records show her to be the owner of the property. At one point, he was being supervised while on parole by the Arkansas Community Corrections office in Little Rock. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Example video title will go here for this video. Men held as slaves at the ranch endured a variety of tortures. Caldwell, the foreman, got the same but only served four years, becoming a free man in 1988. Kaitlin Marie Armstrong is being sought in the killing of Anna Moriah Wilson, according to the police, who said both women were romantically involved with the same man. The charges were initially murder and aggravated kidnapping, but the defendants ended up with light sentences after being convicted of conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping. Because Gore's body wasn't found until that night, the first newspaper headlines didn't appear for . You just really didn't want to get up and socialize when they came in; they were scary, she said. Brazil is also in the county detention center with bond set at $500,000. She is charged with having simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms on July 19. Caldwell was no longer needed, and in March, one of the Ellebrachts dropped him off at a truck stop with $20. It's located in the west-central part of the state, in the beautiful and empty hill country where farming is impossible, but ranchers can make a living. 100 AVVA Dr LOT 16, TX 78058. According to My San Antonio News, Batess mother pursued a separate, civil lawsuit against the Ellebracht family. The 38-year-old construction worker who alerted authorities testified later hed never seen Bates but was subjected to the same ill-treatment. For years before the raid, Ellebracht Jr., his then-wife Joyce and Ellebracht Sr. peddled carved, wooden key chains to dozens of stores near their 3,500-acre ranch in Mountain Home, about 20 miles northwest of Kerrville. I knew what I was doing; I had options. Some former neighbors still defend the family, despite the 1986 convictions of Ellebracht Sr., Ellebracht Jr., his only child, and Caldwell for conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping and murder for the death of Bates, a one-eyed drifter from Alabama. Front row L-R , Walter Wesley Ellebracht Sr. Leona Ellebracht(mother of senior) Richard "Race Horse" Haynes. Mountain Home Police were investigating a stabbing death that involved a mother and son Sunday night. In the early 20th Century, the town was known as Eura. On July 29, an autopsy concluded Ruiz was murdered. The Wesley Ellebracht Memorial Fund has been set up at Security State Bank in Fredericksburg to help an 18-year-old daughter who'd been living with him attend college. Subscribe to Front Page Detectives Newsletter. You have permission to edit this article. Cases have been set up and posted on electronic court records for Hendricks and Brazil. Later a witness, Sheri Hamilton, said she saw a torture session involving 27-year-old Anthony Bates. UPDATE: Mother, daughter receive concurrent life sentences in 2012 Brazil has had a number of mainly drug-related criminal cases opened on him in Benton and Washington Counties. Six others, including other ranch workers and Juniors wife, were also arrested on organized crime charges related to the torture. 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. We are your resource for Hill Country travel, things to do, places to eat, Ellebracht Sr. is the grandfather of Walter Wesley Ellebracht III, who was killed in an automobile accident Jan. 20 on Highway 290 just out side Fredericksburg. And Leona, who 'still rules. The .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol had been taken from a residence in Summit on or about Nov. 21 last year. We used cedar because it burns fast and strong. Wes' eldest daughter, Elizabeth Toby Ellebracht, 18, who'd been living with him in Fredericksburg, has moved in with the couple since his death. Lindsey is also charged in Arkansas with possession of the stolen handgun. MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho The Mountain Home Police Department is investigating a suspicious death that police say may involve an estranged husband who was arrested in Texas. Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Of the four people alleged to be involved in the murder, Hendricks is the only one not locked up. Last month, police reported that they found Ruizs body after conducting a welfare check when relatives said they hadnt heard from the family for several days. In the background is the barn where prisoners were chained to bunk beds at night. Ellebracht Sr. aspired to be the key chain king of the Texas Hill Country, but lost more than he sold, according to a 1986 newspaper article still displayed on the wall beneath four key chains at Bill's BBQ in Kerrville. Wes Sr. received probation. Their capture is toldthrough variousmedia reportsand their arrests were mainly because one man was lucky enough to escape. The home had apparently been entered Dec. 23 last year and then again on Christmas Day. Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, In a faded photo on the wall of Bill's BBQ in Ingram, TX, Walter Wesley Ellebracht Sr, center, poses with his son Walter Wesley Ellebracht Jr., left, and Jr's wife Joyce Ellebracht, right. Sutton prosecuted Ellebracht Sr. and Jr. and Caldwell, and the workers became state witnesses in exchange for immunity from prosecution. The men involved might have been found guilty, but they barely saw any jail time. He played on beliefs in the community that even though the Ellebrachts were odd, they didnt seem evil. Ronald Sutton. Two other people are accused in the murder Ryan James Lindsey and Allison Cunningham. Bob Walls sits on his pickup truck, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, thinking about his friend Walter Wesley Ellebracht III, who was killed in an automobile accident Jan. 20 on Highway 290 just out side Fredericksburg. Walter Wesley Ellebracht III, was killed in an automobile accident Jan. 20 on Highway 290 just out side Fredericksburg. Federal, state and local authorities raided a 3,500-acre ranch about 20 miles northwest of Kerrville,. She is accused of being in simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, a Class Y felony. appley manor christmas menu; damian seth azariah echols age; Contact Us. Generator vs power station: Which one is right for you? What happened at the Texas Slave Ranch? According to information just released by 14th Judicial District Prosecutor David Ethredge, 28-year-old Ryan Lindsey and 38-year-old Skylar Whitney Brazil are reported to have beaten the 35-year-old Stradford for up to an hour while he begged for it to stop.. Besides the torture tapes, also entered into evidence was one worker's poem, titled The Shack, and other recordings of the Ellebrachts putting workers on trial in the bunkhouse. mountain home texas murders. Before joining the team, she was a producer and video editor at KIII-TV and a radio intern in Corpus Christi. The closest similar sized city with FBI crime data is the city of , . The ranch was raided in 1984 and the operation shut down. $250 Million scam: Man steals millions from company to feed cows that didn't exist. Home. He was determined to send his daughter to college. We will be posting stories about this city such as history, news, special events and more here, stay tuned! It was a way to take out frustration, but there was no premeditated murder.. 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. After he was developed as a suspect in the murder investigation, he was located and arrested Dec. 16 last year. Sign up to receive breakingFront Page Detectivesnews and exclusive investigations. theYear=theYear+1900 He was just a young boy when his father and grandfather were arrested and their so-called Texas Slave Ranch was raided in 1984. The family-owned ranch started back in 1880 as a program to important exotic species from Africa. Ellebracht Sr. died in 2003, and his son followed in 2017. They tortured a bunch of people, and it was unbelievable that stuff like that could happen, Sutton said. According toMy San Antonio News, the cattle prod was a common battery-powered model called a Hotshot that produced 4,000 volts of electricity. Shortly thereafter, the three men were forced at gunpoint to dig ditches, during which they were randomly shocked with cattle prods. Walter Wesley EllebrachtSr. and his extended family had lived in Mountain Home, TX,for generations, and they were known as decent folk. Three teenagers have been arrested and charged with murder in the shooting death of a 17-year-old whose body was found in Pilot Mountain on Thursday morning . It's a great house, a one-story renovated rock house, Betsill said. Carlton Robert Caldwell speaks in his home in San Antonio, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, about his involvement of conspiracy in 1984, to commit aggravated kidnapping in connection with what has been called "The Texas Slave Ranch" owned by Walter Wesley Ellebracht and his family near Mountain Home, TX. Ranch for an experience you wont forget! He also appeared in circuit court Thursday and entered a not guilty plea to the charges against him. But something strange began happening on their ranch in the late 1970s and into the 1980s. Not as Fiesta by the numbers: 2.5M people, 100K oysters and more, SAPD calls: Body in flooded creek; man dead after hit by train, San Antonio eyes stickers in fight against domestic violence, Man accused of strangling neighbor to death in apartment, SA's last Tuskegee Airman buried at Fort Sam. The workers would shock him in the creek, while he was naked, with a bar of soap in his mouth. They hired the best attorney money could buy, and hired Richard RacehorseHaynes. The state of Texas now owns the sprawling former ranch that once enslaved unwitting laborers. According to the probable cause affidavit, during the incident, other people who were upstairs in the residence reported hearing a male asking for help and pleading for the beating to stop.. Caldwell was hired as the foreman, first in the field and then in the main residence, where he worked on Ellebracht Sr.'s latest plan: a tile reprocessing machine that could be operated by blind people. This was the craziest case I've ever had, but these were drifters, and they were seen as less entitled to the benefits than the rest of us are. Houston attorney Dan Cogdell, who worked with Richard Racehorse Haynes on the defense, He would talk about some of the arguments and fights, but that wasnt his life. MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho A Mountain Home man who pleaded guilty to murder in the death of his landlady was sentenced Tuesday to 45 years in prison, even as . The torture went on for hours at a time, while Bates, handcuffed to a tree with his hands behind him, was zapped repeatedly on his tongue, genitals and empty eye socket with the cattle prod. Jim Haynie, a neighbor and friend of Walter Wesley Ellebracht Sr, sits in his home office where he runs his water well drilling business. His autopsy conducted in Fort. Both Lindsey and Cunningham were taken into custody in south Texas near the U.S./Mexico border on Dec. 17. They have since been placed with family members. His wife, Joyce, was known for taking potshots at rocks and bottles she placed near the men and enjoyed seeing how close she could come to shooting the workers. In addition to charges stemming from Stradfords murder, Lindsey is also accused of stealing the BMW he was driving when arrested in Texas, which the victim says is worth about $18,000. Ellebracht Sr is the grandfather of Walter Wesley Ellebracht III, who was killed in an automobile accident Jan. 20 on Highway 290 just out side Fredericksburg. During their court appearances Thursday, 38-year-old Skylar Brazil of Mountain Home and 35-year-old Ashley Nicole Hendricks of Siloam Springs entered not guilty pleas to the charges against them. By John Peters jpeters@mtairynews.com. He always wanted me to invest in his key chain idea, but I never did, Smith said. The decision to change his name in hopes of distancing himself from the ranch didn't last long, Walls said. No information is available as to what brought Brazil to this area. On April 6, 1984, Texans learned a horrifying secret in the tiny town of Mountain Home. Ellebracht III even tried to see the good in his father and grandfather, who picked up hitchhikers and promised them board in exchange for work. A few include K-3 Ranch, Deer Li Hunting Services, Crenweldge Ranch, Y.O. theYear=now.getYear() Anna Moriah Wilson was a. Prairie Gal Designs - Etsy Store; Writer's Corner; My Bookshelf; mountain home texas murders. Federal, state and local authorities raided a 3,500-acre ranch about 20 miles northwest of Kerrville, where they found that a father-son duo had been kidnapping, torturing and killing hitchhikers. It is a great christian family environment for those interested. 1196 THRILL HILL , TX 78058 According to criminal information filed in the case, Hendricks was alleged to have had the drugs and weapon in Madison County on July 19. Getting workers was a breeze, and once theyd transported the hapless hitchhikers to the ranch, their new employees found it impossible to leave. Individuals from all over travel to visit the Y.O. 295 RANCHLAND DR , TX 78058. He couldn't help what his father and grandfather did, but he was never anything like that. The state had copious evidence incriminating Wes, Junior, and the ranch foreman, Carl. Their pool of cheap labor in the surrounding area was small, so they found crews from nearby I-10. An extradition hearing was scheduled for Jan. 8. We used old inner tubes, cedar and gasoline. In an opening statement made . Azle Deaths Investigated as Double-Murder Suicide: Sheriff's Office Mountain Home, Texas, is nearly as isolated today as it was in 1984. Gary Wayne Mitchell. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Dennis Dunleavy / San Antonio Express-News, Back-row Left to right, man with hat -no id-, Walter Wesley Ellebracht,Jr., Walter Wesley Ellebracht III,and Joyce Hall Ellebracht. Caldwell also was given a 15-year sentence, but since he'd served nearly three years while awaiting trial, he was released on mandatory supervision in 1988. Olson was found hiding under a bed in the residence, when deputies checked out the property on Dec. 25. Olson is in the Baxter County Detention Center with bond set at $25,000. Mountain Home, Texas, is nearly as isolated today as it was in 1984. Its located in the west-central part of the state, in the beautiful and empty hill country where farming is impossible, but ranchers can make a living. Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_6) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/15.5 Safari/605.1.15, First United Methodist Church Mountain Home, Gardening in the Ozarks with Vicki Garner, Live in the Boat with Binks Guide Service. 259 BROKEN SPUR DRIVE , TX 78058. Teased and bullied as a child, Wes, as he was known, later would change his last name to try to elude the scandal. Through the years, Lindsey has been charged with possessing a defaced firearm, being a felon in possession of a weapon, residential burglary, theft of property, possession of contraband in the Baxter County Detention Center, theft by receiving and possessing drugs. Despite the fact that the Ellebracht family was known to go barefoot even when in town, according to My San Antonio News, they were sophisticated enough to know they were fighting for their lives, and put their ranch up as collateral. That person was being held on $500,000 bond. According to the information filed in the case, Hendricks had a firearm as well as methamphetamine, heroin, ecstasy and fentanyl with her when arrested. Cunningham was in a blue Elantra. Lindsey was driving a BMW Z4 convertible, reported stolen in Baxter County. In the case of Bates, who couldnt work, Hamilton witnessed the man being electrocuted up to 30 times, including strikes to his tongue and genitals. The Haynies were neighbors of the Ellebrachts.