Brad Roberts? bluegrass, (genus Poa), in botany, the largest genus in the grass family (Poaceae), comprising more than 500 species. Yet even today, the 1977 disappearance of Melanie Flynn remains a mystery. He spotted the body through his bathroom window whilst shaving as part of his morning routine. Daniel Goldin: NASA's Creature from the Black Vault, Part Two: ORWELL IN SPACE, NPRs This American Life Whitewashes U.S. Bluegrasses are slender annuals or . clnk&cd=1, Plea for Commutation of Death Sentence of The alleged strategy was that now if people Google "frozen . Hatched on Manhattan's Upper West Side, its motives remain shrouded in mystery . "I think if there could be some answers and some justice that it would go a long way towards helping everybody heal from the results of this," said Denton. The bluegrass illuminati are headquartered in a lavish bunker underneath a Nashville CVS store. At the time they were looking for cocaine that they believed was missing. However, he'd left behind a ledger, a telephone scrambling device, $25,000 in cash, weapons, and a lease to a warehouse in Lexington. It is a highly-fictionalized account loosely based on fact, from a story that has its roots in the Bluegrass. Bill Clinton and then went on to run drugs out of Mena, Arkansas by bringing back drugs on the empty planes that came back from South America. LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Even decades later, Ken Kurtz remembers exactly where he was on Sept. 11, 1985. Esquire magazine recently published a list of the top 30 conspiracy theories prevalent in the United States. At the time Ralph Ross was the head of organized crime and intelligence unit for the Lexington Police Department. Powered and implemented byFactSet Digital Solutions. Brad hopes that this tip could finally be the one. They were sure anxious for WHO was on it not to be known. Doubleday, 1990. Those tips sent a team of investigators to Murphy's Landing multiple times. Published Feb 4, 2022. Visit him online : Many LOCAL law enforcement personel were at that picnic/campout that weekend. NOT MANY I'd say. Privacy Policy. +64 6-361 7928. In 1985, a . Be careful what you joke about, as the originator of the birds arent real conspiracy will now tell you. Ken gave me - I think the first story on the Company [the drug smuggling ring at the center] - I cant remember when it appeared, probably 82 - the story was 13 minutes long straight, without a break, at the top of the news, the 6 oclock news. Walsh had never been involved in undercover work or narcotics investigations. See the latest outages from Kentucky Utilities, Blue Grass Energy and more, Live updates: Power restoration across Kentucky will be multi-day process, companies say. Another witness had seen Flynn later that night in Nellie Kellys, a Lexington Restaurant at the time. This agreement came up because Melanie was going to get arrested for possession of marijuana. Uncovering the conspiracy: Former WKYT journalists reflect on crime, corruption behind Cocaine Bear drug run, In the early- to mid-1980s, WKYT reported extensively on what would become known as the Bluegrass Conspiracy., One dead after tree falls onto car in Lexington, Chris Baileys Forecast | Potential for tornadoes to spin up across the area, One arrested, one injured in Nicholasville shooting, Big Sandy RECC crews continue working to restore power outages, Family of Letcher County woman offering reward for information on her death, EKY churches partner to help those impacted by historic flood, The Bluegrass Conspiracy: An Inside Story of Power, Greed, Drugs and Murder,, 2019 podcast interview with WKYTs Amber Philpott, Uniquely Kentucky with Amber Philpott | Sally Denton, The Bluegrass Conspiracy, the circumstances surrounding Thorntons death. And, I did have my identity stolen a few years ago when I thought that my bank needed me to update all my information for their new computer system. From being caught, Ross thought that the Lexington Police Department had cut Thornton a deal. You can listen to the full podcast below, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Brown, Jr. Case in point: Alison Krauss recently won another Grammy, which made her the Grammy-winningest artist of all time tied with producer Quincy Jones. ALL books on RFK mention the close ties of LAPD, FBI, and CIA and how some officers flow back and forth from LAPD to govern't agencies and back again. February 24, 2023. A couple of months earlier, Lexington narcotics cop Andrew Thornton's body was found in a front yard in Knoxville, Tennessee, along with bags containing 70 pounds of Colombian cocaine, some $4,000 in cash, night vision goggles, two . It wasnt until Drew Thornton parachuted, Denton said, that people were like, Maybe Sally Denton did know what she was talking about., People did not want to believe the Cocaine Cowboys existed within the Lexington Police Department, Kurtz said. In the latest episode of Uniquely Kentucky, Amber Philpott dives into "The Bluegrass Conspiracy" with Sally Denton. In many cases, his "backers" are way more powerful than he is. Im personally fond of the belief that the moon isnt real. Required fields are marked *. Predictably, neither obit mentioned their involvement in the Bluegrass Conspiracy and the other sordid events of the 1970s. and our After they were forced to dump hundreds of pounds of cocaine to lighten the plane's load, Leonard said Thornton spoke a few words to him before they reluctantly parachuted out of the plane . But, I would much rather lose a few bucks than walk around ignorant of the forces of evil that are cleverly manipulating us every day. I think that little "picnic" that you mentioned--The Good Ole Boy Roundup--in Chattanooga, Tenn. is a prime example. Also Bobby believed that Melanie didnt have much cash on her because she didnt get paid until three days later, which in the time that the three days pasted Melanie didnt come and pick up her check. Each time I see the Kentucky Derby on TV now I will enjoy a nice chuckle, thanks to Denton! During the time of the Bluegrass Conspiracy,Lexington had a large gap between the high-class and the rest of society, making it possible to fund this operation while keeping it a secret (Danziger ET). This, the second of five related stories this week, looks at the WKYT journalists who worked to dig up the network of organized crime and corruption with ties to the story behind the film. His family was connected through business to Leonard Lawson who just stood trial for a bid-rigging scandal in the . - Sandra K. Lindheimer, Middlesex Law Library, Cambridge, Mass. I also put an affadavit on The Christina Moore Murder at Austin IMC. And youre going to tell me this is just a coincidence? Wanting to leave early to beat the rush traffic of Lexington, Melanie left the office around five oclock that afternoon. The alleged strategy was that now if people Google frozen Disney, theyre bombarded with stories about the movie and not ones about frozen Walt. In 1990, just before the Earleys were murdered, Walsh became Chief of Police. Melanie never arrived at her doctors appointment and never arrived home. Op-Ed. He penned the season 4 premiere, "Hole in the . Siegel told LEX 18 that he has watched police dig up dirt piles for at least two full days and carefully search the area. With a population of just over 14,000, it was voted "The Most Beautiful Small Town In America" and also boasts of being the "Bourbon Capital of the World," due to the presence of six major whiskey distilleries in town. of Fed money coming in with strings attached) are trained in another facility in East Georgia run by the CIA. They also believed that other Lexington police officers have something to do with the disappearance as well. Lexington, KY 40509 It specifically mentioned a septic hole at Murphy's Landing. Many LOCAL law enforcement personel were at that picnic/campout that weekend. The bluegrass conspiracy: an inside story of power, greed, drugs, and murder User Review - Not Available - Book Verdict. It is also the basis for the newest Elizabeth Banks' film, Cocaine Bear. During the time of her disappearance, Melanie was working along with the Lexington police as an informant. He had been a state senator. Twitter: @chrisjonesgrass FX's Justified has returned, and with it, our weekly postmortems with showrunner Graham Yost, who'll once again take us inside the writers room. The poison was administered through bluegrass festival corndogs. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. I pulled together many seemingly disparate Kentucky characters and exposed their good-ole-boy network of criminality. Joel Pett: What about critical gender theory. On Thursday, crews focused on digging in one particular area and brought in an excavator to dig two holes. The most serious came in 1972 when Melanie fell off a running horse. bluegrass, in music, country and western style that emerged in the United States after World War II, a direct descendant of the old-time string-band music that had been widely played and recorded by such groups as the Carter Family from the late 1920s. But both were still on the force during the Earley investigation. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The writer mile Zola exposed the affair. and our For more information, please see our Sally Denton is an investigative reporter, author, and historian who writes about the subjects others ignore--from a drug conspiracy in Kentucky to organized crime in Las Vegas; from corruption within the Mormon Church to the hidden history of Manifest Destiny; from one of America's bitterest political campaigns to the powerful forces arrayed against Franklin D. Roosevelt. Thornton freefell to the ground after being unable to open his parachute. [citation needed]Personal life. "Despite all of our best efforts, we never could come up with any conclusions," Kurtz said. Police are also encouraging anyone with tips to report them. Windstorm knocked it down. The FEDS and the She hired somebody to break into the courthouse and steal records/evidence. Some say that he left because of both reasons, but that will never be known. After searching the car for any clues of where Melanie might have been and any evidence of the person who took her all Lexington Police found was a red leather jacket that Bobby Flynn identified as being Melanies. I just think the Heidi deal and other connections (whew! That's the big conspiracy theory in bluegrass music, but we also have numerous other ones, which I feel compelled to share with you now. Vance was a prominent state official who was convicted in 1987 on a federal charge of conspiracy to transport a firearm that was used in a murder. I am an investigative reporter, author, and historian who writes about the subjects others ignore--from a drug conspiracy in Kentucky to organized crime in Las Vegas; from corruption within the Mormon Church to murdered women in New Mexico; from one of America's bitterest political campaigns to the powerful forces arrayed against Franklin D. Roosevelt. When Kentucky Blueblood Drew Thornton parachuted to his death in September 1985 carrying thousands in cash and 150 pounds of cocaine the gruesome end of his startling life blew open a scandal that rea. But afte that the case went cold for years. We have trained cops now all over the US that could do black bag jobs, surveillance, wiretaps, etc.====trained by CIA. In addition to leading his own band, with whom he tours and records, Jones is an award-winning broadcaster and songwriter. Crimes in Central America, Wins Peabody Award, 1) Swiss Men with CIA Links Face Nuclear Smuggling Trial, 2) The CIAs Destruction of Evidence, The CIA, Drugs, the Death of Cass Elliot, and the Reason Sharon Tate Died, CIA Lied about Shoot-Down of Missionary Plane, Report Says, The CIA, Tufts University and Apocalyptic Programming from Jeremy Rifkin, Beyond Torture: The CIAs Shameful Kidnapping of a 12-Year-Old Girl, Hearing Voices: The Hidden History of the CIAs Electromagnetic Mind Control Experiments, U.S. Culpable in African Atrocities (Bellingham Herald). | Opinion, Bill to end anti-competitive bourbon barrel tax a positive start | Opinion. I dont think so. Melanie had a doctors appointment scheduled later that day at 5:30. Bradley and Drew were able to meet many different kinds of people; enough of those people had lots of money. Timeline. ured prominently in the so-called Bluegrass Conspiracy in the early 1980s. We have our conspiracy theories in the world of bluegrass music, too, Im happy to say. Instead, they found an overdosed bear. December 2019 A cluster of cases of a mysterious respiratory disease were reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the first traces of a virus that would kill millions of people worldwide . Of course we do. p.47. My family and I are en route from Alberta to Nashville before we head to Morganton, NC. The city of Lexington, Kentucky, has made major changes since the 1970's and 1980's. During this time period many corruptions were going on within the major families and the major businesses that shouldn't have been involved with the scandal but more or less have been trying to stop the scandal. and last updated 3:26 PM, Jul 08, 2019. http://www.shout.net/~bigred/RFOJ.html, THE BLUEGRASS CONSPIRACY Privacy Policy. Wow, I haven't had this much fun reading since Bill Bryson's 'A Walk in the Woods'. The FEDS and the local cops work much more closely together (CIA, DEA, Fish and Wildlife {in recent years} BATF and more) than the normal citizen would even dream that they do. We are putting it out there that we are here, and we want the public to know we don't forget cases like this," Lexington Police Sgt. After Walsh took office, many officers either retired or took jobs elsewhere, including David Shade and John Bizzack. Local citizens had major issues with their authority and suspected abuse of power. When you see news happening, share it! "I mean Melanie is hardly the only victim in this situation.". The president doesn't actually "run" things but with him he brings his background, his connections, the powers that back him and those who are using him for their own political and social agendas. This scandal had a great impact on a small town, yet still remains a mystery to everyone not involved. This "scandal" involved Lexington cops on the Narc squad and more. Gov. Wow, I haven't had this much fun reading since Bill Bryson's 'A Walk in the Woods'. Among those was John Bizzack --at the time the Earleys were murdered, one of the highest ranking officers in the department, second in command only to the Chief and in charge of both the homicide and narcotics division. They also believed that other Lexington police officers have something to do with the disappearance as well. Use it wisely.). He owned a house here in Lexington on Old Dobbin Road (a fine house) while he lived in the Governor's mansion and a man named Jimmy Lambert ran the gambling, drug, prostitution, porn, outfit out of it. Required fields are marked *. Ross turned his attention to Andrew Thornton. #1. Bizzack+and+cover-up&hl=en&gl=us&ct= All I could think what, what else are they hiding? Its not okay to think you are being protected by the local police department, when in fact they are the ones creating the problems. An ex-DEA agent friend of the family told me that they learned that Dan Lassiter had him killed. Their primary goals are the introduction of the Moog synthesizer into bluegrass music so gradually that no one notices, and the relocation of the Bluegrass Hall of Fame to Belgium. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As drugs were continuously being sold, the gap between the wealthy and poor of Lexington grew larger and larger with each transaction, until the lower class citizens were completely in the dark about the illegal activities pursued by the upper class. In the latest episode of Uniquely Kentucky, Denton is asked if she thinks there will ever be answers in the Flynn case. | Opinion. Sure, Ive lost a little money here and there, sending it to friends of mine who had all of their belongings stolen while on an a business trip to Madrid. If you have this book and have read it, think back or look up Anita Madden--rich horsefarm matron who probably dealt in drugs as a sideline. Sally Denton is the author of The Bluegrass Conspiracy and numerous other books. The film Cocaine Bear is a highly-fictionalized hypothetical account of what could have happened to the bear that was found dead after having ingested some of the cocaine Thornton dropped from his plane while flying over rural Georgia. The shocking death and plane crash brought to light, revelations and allegations about a scandal involving cops, politicians and high society in Central Kentucky, with drugs, weapons, and murder. . Well, he's lost his appeal to get his Kentucky insurance license back. Thats how a lot of these theories work: they simply take on a life of their own. The main director of the Bluegrass Conspiracy, Andrew Thornton III, was the only one who truly suffered any consequences. Denton was a WKYT investigative reporter from about 1980-83 and who worked several reports on corruption in the Lexington police department. She worked for a prominent public sports agency. I happen to believe that the same requirements from the Feds that began in the 70's (the CIA training) was in effect in LA during that time and later and caused the LAPD Intelligence Squad to come into existence. The "bluegrass conspiracy," as coined by author Sally Denton in her book-length investigation of the scandal, describes the exploits of Lexington's most rich and powerful families and their . according to our reporting partners at the Lexington Herald-Leader. Investigators are asking specifically for photos of the area from the 1950s through the 1970s that may show what buildings and other structures that were in the area. Constantly recognizing businesses, towns and roads in such a narrative is a lot of fun for me. The new executive director will be merely a puppet (possibly an, Dan Tyminski did not actually sing on the. Your email address will not be published. This woman was indicted (but managed to have charges dropped), she supplied money, was involved in game fixing in the NFL and college games, was interviewed in the disappearance/death of Melanie Flynn (a party girl) who was last seen in her presence and more. Thornton died on September 11, 1985 and on that day . "Carole Bizzack, 64, of Lexington, Ky., wife of an Eastern Kentucky University Regent.". They were sure anxious for WHO was on it not to be known. Traditional bluegrass bands are systematically being excluded from the IBMA showcases because their music is not advancing the secret agenda of IBMAs new masters. Plus, they know too much about the deaths of three of Jimmy Martins hunting dogs. The fact is that it all goes back to Bill Monroe knowing too much about one of the biggest figures in the Nashville music scene. Fuhrman of all the cops in Simpson case fits the type of guy for this kind of training. Or, the other reason that Thornton resigned was because he knew what was about to happen with Melanie Flynn. For that reason, were pulling one out of the archives about bluegrass conspiracy theories. The new horror-comedy, which is rated R, is about a black bear that stumbles upon a stash of drugs, then goes on a bloody killing spree. You can do your research from Sweden, or Costa Rico, or Mexico. At one time, actor Warren Beatty was on the board of directors of the resort. of Fed money coming in with strings attached) are trained in another facility in East Georgia run by the CIA. . 3) You can find my blog at Beans banality. had an intelligence unit, how many do you think turned it down. That saga is chronicled in Sally Denton's 1989 book, "The Bluegrass Conspiracy." The 175-pound bear's body was found several months after Thornton's and preserved with taxidermy. local cops work much more closely together (CIA, DEA, Fish and Wildlife {in recent years} BATF and more) than the normal citizen would even dream that they do. As a result of simply not doing their jobs, the Lexington Police Deparment created a huge sense of false security. As I reported exclusively during that time, Vance, a former Fayette County deputy sheriff and top aide to former Kentucky Governor Julian Carroll, conspired with a Lexington woman to kill a state attorney. They didn't want the videos out and harassed the militia group who took the videos. See more. Do you realize how difficult it would have been to contact Kato at that time and get him to come to your house in Ky.--(a total stranger?)? In 1894 Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French army, was convicted of treason. People may say, where is she going with this. Yet Nobody was ever arrested (Rothmiller's claim for the LA Secret Police as well). Although Thornton denied any allegations that him and Melanie had no other relationship the just being close friends. Donnell Gordon said. Her father had been on city council. xxiv, 473 pages ; 20 cm "When Kentucky Blueblood Drew Thornton parachuted to his death in September 1985 carrying thousands in cash and 150 pounds of cocaine, the gruesome end of his startling life blew open a scandal that reached to the most secret circles of the U.S. government. Denton is an award-winning investigative reporter, author, and historian. Many species are useful as lawn, pasture, and forage grasses, and some are cultivated as ornamentals. It sure caused havoc here with The Bluegrass Conspiracy. Lester Flatt never died and is coming back on September 29th to host the IBMA Awards and assume control of the IBMA. In that world passes a sordid cast of . A very good friend at the time was a man we heard of later with another Democratic governor by the name of Dan Lassiter. (This is purely for your education, but remember that access to information is the greatest weapon we have, and one that you can be sure they dont want you to have. Kentucky native and blue blood Andrew Thornton II was found dead after jumping from a plane strapped with over $15 million worth of . Kentucky, also known as The Bluegrass State, is known for its horses, bourbon, and beautiful scenery. 'Shakespearean twist.'. _oJ:www.kcadp.org/pdf%2520files/Bowling%252 All rights reserved. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that police were relying on information provided by an elderly person who wanted to get this off their chest. I am left to wonder whether either Vance or Canan was the whisperer. Of all the people involved in the illegal drug ring also known as the Bluegrass Conspiracy, very few were ever punished. When Bobby was describing all the allegations to Lexington Police he stated, Bill Canan was a friend of the family and that Melanie and him were dating. To make everything more suspicious about Melanies disappearance, Bill Canan was the police officer that Bobby Flynn reported Melanies disappearance to. Visit him online : Also found in the car was a suitcase that Melanie had left in her car from her trip, a week before she suddenly disappeared, to Louisville, Kentucky. Bizzack was involved in the Flynn cover-up, along with several other cover-ups. He also was from the "society set" here of horse business families. On September 11th, 2010, the Lexington Herald-Leader released an article 25 years to the day of his death. Along with Bill Canan, Thornton was a part of the narcotics section of the Lexington Police Department. Melanie, being the good looking girl as everyone described her, she didnt just date one guy. People are ready to believe almost anything. A Lexington resident during this time, Donna Brandenburg, said I remember when rumors of this started to spread. There are no urban legends in my world, and we all know that the web site Snopes.com, which purports to tell us which internet rumors are true or false, is nothing more than a front for a secret organization funded by the Koch Brothers, George Soros and the Queen of England (who all live together, by the way, in a condo in Belize). They theorized that Melanies disappearance had been covered up by the police and all the other evidence that could have lead to her had been disposed of. Suffice it to say, a decision was made back in 1950 to let Monroe live, give himsomerecognition, and let him have a successful career. Sally Denton, an investigative reporter, historian and author of The Bluegrass Conspiracy: An Inside Story of Power, Greed, Drugs and Murder, explained the true story on the Moncrieff programme . She owned Hamburg Place, a 2000-acre farm that had produced 5 Kentucky Derby winners and 5 Belmont Stakes winners, including the first triple-crown winner, Sir Barton. Though just an hour south of the major metropolitan hub of Louisville, Bardstown, Kentucky, is a world away. "We want people to know that we are still - it doesn't matter how old the cases are - that we are still actively investigating all of our cases and any tip that comes in we really appreciate it because we need the community's help," said Sgt. When Melanie was reported missing, she was classified by the Lexington Police as endangered missing. She knew Melanie Flynn who was killed (probably by Lexington cops). Sources said that the information involved someone who wanted to get this off their chest. After going many months, those months turning into years, investigators got a surprise. Please believe responsibly: Chris Jones wears many hats in his bluegrass career. Bear in mind that this was written before the IBMA had named a replacement for former executive director Dan Hays (Im well aware that Nancy Cardwell is not a puppet, or even a marionette!). Fuhrman's so-called real partner? Her husband's work while a police official entailed obstruction of justice: http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:10iTC4SUp This training has the potential (and the history as per Bluegrass Conspiracy and others) of being USED by government against the ordinary citizen. Lexington and state police took equipment to scan underground and took K-9s to the area. The Bluegrass Conspiracy. They're still looking," Siegel said. In 1996 his brother Joe, having served six years in a federal prison for conspiracy in the Judge Wood murder, dies in an automobile accident near El Paso, Texas. Its time to Talk. Drew Thorntons death really validated a lot of what she wrote, and now the Cocaine Bear comes along for a new generation and re-validates a lot.. Some may have called this just a coincidence, but Ross looked at it one of two ways, and both could have been logical. Only the files were made but nobody was ever arrested. And he has to "go along" with what those backers do whether he may agree with it or not. He was younger, a hunter (familiar with and admits to camping out and survival training), very bright, etc. Other blackmail as Daryl Gates was prone to use on the City Council, the governor, the mayor and more??? Who has power? Everyonein law enforcement is in on corruption. These radical right wing cop groups (all RICO Felony conspiracies) always lead to the prosecutors at the fed, state, adn local levels. Her car was found a week later in Lexington. They've not found anything so far, but police are asking for tips and old photos of Murphy's Landing. Posted on December 8, 2011 by viceandsuicideinthebluegrass. Some people are musicians and some people play an instrument or sing for themselves. The Bluegrass Conspiracy. Neither of their obituaries mentioned their criminal convictions and lengthy federal prison sentences.