The story of Thornton was examined in Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice and in Sally Denton's The Bluegrass Conspiracy. We have set your language to Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. He was born in Lebanon, KY to Bertha and Andrew Thornton on December 8th, 1927. Thornton resigned from the Lexington police department that year and joined Bryant in the new venture. Oops, something didn't work. After dropping 200 pounds of cocaine by parachute over Georgia, Thornton leapt from the aircraft over Tennessee and apparently became entangled in his own parachute. "There was absolutely nothing startling about Andrew's youth that would be a prologue to the current circumstances. The irony is lost on him. His passing touched all of us deeply. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. 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. 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. There was a problem getting your location. Screenwriter Jimmy Warden told USA Today that Banks opted to simply have Thornton get accidentally knocked out while departing from the plane. Shirley Lou Brown, age 95, of Broomfield, Colorado passed away on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. They Lived their 57 year marriage until his passing in 2016. Mary and Jim Horn married on May 6, 1967 settling first in Dallas and . He worked for his father, training racehorses, before joining the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Police Department in 1968. Thornton pleaded not guilty to the charges, then proceeded to flee the state. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. She said Thornton had trouble reconciling the paradoxes of his life. Mr. Thornton was born in Plainfield, NJ and lived most of his life in Paris,. RIP Drew, legends never die. "I fell in love with him as a romantic hero," she says. Roberts. How Pete Davidsons Life Inspired Bupkis, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Thornton, Tom Tom Thornton, age 71, of Saranac, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, September 12, 2020. He was a loving and devoted family man and he enjoyed spending time with his kids and grandkids. Born in Owatonna, Minnesota on June 28, 1945 to Mary Ann and Lt. He had served six months in prison for allegedly piloting an airplane with a half-ton of marijuana aboard from South America to Kentucky in 1979 as part of a drug- and gun-importing and distribution ring. Andrew and Bertha moved their young family to the Louisville, KY area where Jim lived most of his life. After his apprehension, U.S. marshals transported Thornton to Fresno for his arraignment, where he posted $75,000 in cash and a $1 million personal surety bond, secured by his interest in three racehorses. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. She was born February 15, 1935 to Mary Meehl Thornton and William Littleton Thornton, Sr. 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. Once on the ground, they locate the contraband by tuning to the radio signals from the parachuted cargo. He also attended University of Kentucky Law School. . Thornton subscribed to a code of independence; his society was one in which individuals perfected their survival skills through self-defense. She was preceded in death by her parents, Reynaldo and Esperanza Abeto, her sister Teresita Dimalanta, and her husband, James Stephen Litz. His death also served as the inspiration for the story arc of season four of FX Network's Justified. This poor, unsuspecting bear stumbled upon 88 pounds of cocaine that had been dropped by Thornton during his freefall. Andrew Thornton was born on October 28, 1972 (age 50) in England. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhighland.com for the Valdez Sr. family. Warden said, Its quicker and more efficient to tell the story if the guy just hits his head and passes out. Try again later. . Nearby cities and villages : Grenoble, Gires and Poisat. Thorntons Cessna 404 was discovered 60 miles away in Hayesville, North Carolina. 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. Share. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Andrew "Drew" Thornton was also detailed in a Discovery Channel double-length episode of "The FBI Files" named "Dangerous Company" in 2003. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Andrew Tyler "Drew" Thornton, 19, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, passed away on August 27, 2021 at his residence. They weren't in it for the money alone." Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhighland.com for the Valdez Sr. family. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. "He believed he was an 'impeccable warrior,' " said Betty Zairing, Thornton's former wife, referring to a term penned by mystical author Carlos Castaneda. A secretary for Threave Main Stud said Thornton's parents are "burned out on talking to the press" and had nothing more to add. It would take some time before authorities could piece together exactly what happened, but in its account of Thorntons dramatic death, Time magazine noted that drug smugglers were increasingly resorting to desperate measures to evade radar technology from federal authorities. "He had trouble understanding that." CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. On April 26, 2023 Annette Thornton Anderson passed away peacefully surrounded by her family. Born, January 14, 1937, in Sampson County, he was a son of the late Ivy Edmond Thornton and Anniebelle Jackson Thornton. 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. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Cocaine overdose. For years, Thornton pursued his avocation of preparing himself and others for Armageddon. ", In his pocket were three epigrams. A visitation will be held from 6-8pm on Monday, May 1st,. He was wearing night vision goggles, a bulletproof vest, and Gucci loafers. Ludie believed inherently in the impact of giving back to the community and volunteered at Christus Spohn South and Driscoll Childrens Hospital. Thornton trained at Fort Bragg as a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne Division. Andrew Carter Thornton II was born on October 30th, 1944. The bear, lovingly named Pablo Eskobear (or Cocaine Bear) was taxidermied after its autopsy and sent to Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington for display, where you can still see it today! Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. "He was recuperating from wounds he had received in the Dominican Republic, where he had really come into his own as a paratrooper. 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. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. The story also inspired the film Cocaine Bear, released in February 2023. August 27, 2021 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. "I never saw any indication of innate motivation for his life on the razor's edge," Prichard says. He then joined the ROTC and attended the University of Kentucky for a semester before dropping out to join the Army. 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. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Andrew Thornton (63367160)? Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? This browser does not support getting your location. Carmen Marine Kreutzer, age 79, of Commerce City, Colorado passed away on Thursday, April 27, 2023. 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. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. 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. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. With Drew gone I feel like Im missing the fun I used to have and game less often. Ralph Ross, a retired Kentucky State Police officer formerly in charge of the state's intelligence division. 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. On September 11th, 1985, Thornton was on a smuggling run from Colombia when he jumped from his autopiloted Cessna 404. His death, however, makes for an interesting story on its own. Other items in the garment bag included clothes and a map of Jamaica. You can search by first or last name, state and publication date. The strange true story behind Cocaine Bear and Andrew Thornton - The Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. According to numerology, Andrew Thornton's Life Path Number is 3. . This man had known Brown and Thornton for many years, had watched them go from one side of law enforcement to the other. His body was found laying next to his reserve parachute with his main parachute unopened. I have so many fond memories staying up till the early AMs of the morning be it winning, losing, raging, or laughing.