On a lunch break from cutting wood at a friend's home in Stonewall, Ellebracht III was en route to Fredericksburg on Jan. 20 when he either fell asleep or was distracted by a pit bull in his SUV and veered into oncoming traffic. He played on beliefs in the community that even though the Ellebrachts were odd, they didnt seem evil. BARREL DESIGNS: 210-414-6959; Mountain Home, TX 78058. barreldesigns.com BEEF JERKY WORLD: See The Divide GARVEN STORE: See The Divide HILL COUNTRY PUMP: 830-866-3390; Mountain Home, TX 78058. 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. Read More Rebecca Lynn Henley, 44, of Mountain Home, was identified as a suspect in her son's death. Their pool of cheap labor in the surrounding area was small, so they found crews from nearby I-10. ). Loraine Haynie, 86, checks on her husband, Jim Haynie, in his home office in Mountain Home. Sorry, there was a problem loading this page. 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. (Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved. 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. There was little physical evidence linking anyone in the death of Bates because a body was never found on the ranch and though multiple possible murder weapons were present it was impossible to determine what might have been used to slay Bates without a body. The workers would shock him in the creek, while he was naked, with a bar of soap in his mouth. Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2022. Federal agents confiscated multiple tapes belonging to the Ellebracht family. ravel hotel trademark collection by wyndham yelp, Home Decorators Collection Solid Core Luxury Vinyl Flooring, Elektricky Invalidny Vozik Na Predaj V Leviciach, Training Orientation Rodeo Retesting Relicensing Are Examples Of. They're both wonderful girls, and he was a wonderful father, Esensee said. Looking for a place to stay? Murders led the top ten stories of 2004 in Elmore County. The feds pulled a mountain of incriminating evidence from the Ellebracht ranch, including the audiotapes, witnesses, human remains and various weapons. The Dowdy Family Massacre is still talked about in Texas and among various genealogy boards. 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. Elevation: 1,909 ft But something strange began happening on their ranch in the late 1970s and into the 1980s. He died on the spot. In 1990, the state bought 240 acres of the former ranch and the Ellebrachts' home, which has been used as temporary housing for the center's employees, including Bob Betsill, the research program director. FREDERICKSBURG He was only 9 when the law raided his family's Kerr County homestead in 1984 and their surname, Ellebracht, became synonymous with kidnapping and torture, and their sprawling property given the nickname Texas Slave Ranch.. 10 The New Orleans Axeman1918-1919. He was told he wasnt going anywhere, then chained up along with two other men. East Mountain, TX Real Estate & Homes For Sale. In the background is Walter Wesley Ellebracht Sr. in front to the left is Walter Wesley Ellebracht Jr. in the middle is Richard "Race Horse" Haynes and to the left is Joyce Ellebracht. Boyd last remembered a knife held to his throat before he lost consciousness. Mountain Home Crime Rates. The sessions, which were often tape-recorded, weakened Bates, who died that February on the manure-covered floor of the bunkhouse. Caldwell, the foreman, got the same but only served four years, becoming a free man in 1988. Mountain Home is in the 32nd percentile for safety, meaning 68% of cities are safer and 32% of cities are more dangerous. Wes was always trying to see the good in people., The Rap Sheet blog: More stories from the 'Texas Slave Ranch', One killed, one injured in Gillespie County crash. FREDERICKSBURG He was only 9 when the law raided his family's Kerr County homestead in 1984 and their surname, Ellebracht, became synonymous with kidnapping and torture, and their sprawling. Always the dependable friend, Ellebracht III was praised by members of the overflow crowd at his funeral. Texas Hill Country. The Axe Man of New Orleans. Authorities are searching for a Texas woman whom they accuse of murder in the death of an elite cyclist who at one time dated her boyfriend. The Ellebracht family and their foreman,Carl Robert Caldwell, went to trial in 1984 accused of running a sadistic ranch where drifters met their end. Mask Girl. Deputies responded to reports of Mountain Home is safer than 43% of the cities in the United States. Thechildrenare buried in Sunset Cemetery in Mountain Homeand the word murdered rests under their names. #Fireplace. Marshall Police report at approximately 11:37 a.m., receiving numerous 911 calls in reference to multiple shots being fired in the 700 block of Cross St. Curtis Kador Sr., of Marshall, died . A woman seen riding with Williams was identified Tuesday as Amanda Noverr, 32, also of Utah. On Tuesday,. Jim Haynie, a neighbor and friend of Walter Wesley Ellebracht Sr, sits in his home office where he runs his water well drilling business. When a self-appointed expert on love tries to teach a timid prince the art of seduction, the plan backfires, leading to scandal and unexpected romance. Sign up to receive breakingFront Page Detectivesnews and exclusive investigations. He was just a young boy when his father and grandfather were arrested and their so-called Texas Slave Ranch was raided in 1984. Subscribe to be notified via email about new houses from this collection. They hired the best attorney money could buy, and hired Richard RacehorseHaynes. Read more In 1878, the family packed uptheir belongings and headed off to start their homestead in the hills of the Texas Hill Country. He hitchhiked to San Antonio and found work at a restaurant, where he saw the raid on TV. | Courtesy: Baxter County Sheriff's Office Read Less For comparison, the national total crime rate is 2,489 incidents for every 100,000 people. Their lawyer was Richard "Racehorse" Haynes, one of the best in the state. Brazil is accused of first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, second-degree battery, violating parole and kidnapping. The C- grade means the rate of crime is slightly higher than the average US city. Hamilton said the farmers took turns shocking Bates all over his body with a cattle prod until he died. He couldn't help what his father and grandfather did, but he was never anything like that. Mountain Home has a higher overall crime rate than the vast majority of U.S. cities. The ranch operators, 53-year-old Walter Wesley Ellebracht, his son, Walter Wesley Jr., 31 years old, and the son's wife, Joyce, 29 years old, were among those indicted for murder yesterday. The violent crime rate in Mountain Home is 254.3 per 100,000 people. The area was settled in 1856. Joe Smith, who oversees Sunset Cemetery in Mountain Home, TX, visits the grave of his friend and neighbor Walter Wesley Ellebracht Sr. Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013.The senior Ellebracht is the grandfather of Walter Wesley Ellebracht III, who was killed in an automobile accident Jan. 20 on Highway 290 just out side Fredericksburg. Key chains made at the Texas Slave Ranch still hang in a frame on a wall at Bills BBQ. It is a mystery that will remain unsolved. In the early 20th Century, the town was known as Eura. Life for the abused captives on the Texas Slave Ranch was anever-ending nightmare. 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.. Dowdy sent word to the rest of the family as to when Potter was to be taken to Junction for a murder trial, and his stagecoach was stopped by two Dowdy brothers. Richard and his friendarrived back at the homestead and informed his parents the children were missing and the sheep were scattered about. Charges have been amended against two of people charged in the Murder of 35-year-old Cody Strafford. They offer 3-hour guided tours of the 50,00 acre ranch. We Asked, You Answered: What Would You Pick For Your Last Meal On Death Row? Federal, state and local authorities raided a 3,500-acre ranch about 20 miles. He was just a young boy when his father and grandfather were arrested and their so-called Texas Slave Ranch was raided in 1984. [3], Texas ranch that utilized illegal slave labor in the 1980s, "Three Texas Ranchers arrested on abduction, slavery charges", "AROUND THE NATION; Three in Texas Charged With Using Slave Labor", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Texas_Slave_Ranch&oldid=1099465160, Buildings and structures in Kerr County, Texas, Articles with dead external links from September 2016, Texas articles missing geocoordinate data, Articles missing coordinates without coordinates on Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 20 July 2022, at 22:55. Shortly thereafter, the three men were forced at gunpoint to dig ditches, during which they were randomly shocked with cattle prods. by Brianna Kwasnik | December 18, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. Police lights. Thomas A. Dowdy wanted a better life for his wife Susan and their eight children when he decided to move from Goliad to a small town named Eura in Kerr County, TX. if (theYear < 1900) If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. I love to see the sparks fly.". Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Texas investigators have gathered new evidence in the murder case involving Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson, but acknowledged Wednesday that they mistakenly released now-murder suspect Kaitlin. Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group. Victims reported they werent allowed to leave, and violence was a normal course of everyday life. There were a lot of hitchhikers, but they were never held forcibly. At 32 years old, he found himself accepting a job in the Texas hill country, not far from the town of Kerrville. 1196 THRILL HILL , TX 78058 On April 6, 1984, more than 30 federal, state and local lawmen raided a 3,500-acre (14 km 2) ranch near the Texas Hill Country town of Mountain Home. Erica has covered a wide array of stories all over Central and South Texas. MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. Firefighters responded to reports of smoke rising from a yogurt shop on West Anderson Lane. The voice of Bates was heard on two tapes recovered from the ranch during the raid. A Mountain Home man who was charged with failing to report his wife's death last month has now been charged with her murder and extradited to Idaho from Texas, where Rebecca Lynn Henley, 44, is facing a felony first-degree murder charge after authorities found the deceased victim at a Mountain Home residence on Sunday. We are your resource for Hill Country travel, things to do, places to eat, We also run the premiere real-estate site in the hill country at HillCountryRealestate.com. We used cedar because it burns fast and strong. This is Aalto. Before he could exit the property, though, Ellebracht, his son and wife, and some ranch hands approached him, armed to the teeth. The average temperature in January is 33 and 78 in July. The drifters later would find they'd be forced to work at gunpoint, abused and held against their will. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Return Policy. Texas Slave Ranch - Horror In The Mountain Home : Texas Murders At The Ellebracht Family Ranch In 1984. On December 6, 1991, Austin, Texas was shell-shocked by a vicious crime. According to the New York Times, Boyd was informed theyd be digging their own graves that day. Tommy Lynn Sells. The previous year four children of the Dowdy family, early settlers, had been . 5-23-1986. Restaurateur Joe Marino Jr. said his parents bought the Ellebrachts' key chains for a quarter and sold them for 35 cents at their former business, Big Joe's Country Store, for years. $250 Million scam: Man steals millions from company to feed cows that didn't exist. Honky Tonk Foodie | May 28, 2020 . In 1878, the family packed up their belongings and headed off to start their homestead in the hills of the Texas Hill Country. Authorities believed him, and they mobilized to rescue five men and one woman from the ranch, strewn with 55-gallon drums and trash. Federal, state and local authorities . Prosecutor Ronald Sutton sought life sentences for the three defendants. An Arkansas woman was arrested and charged with murdering her son over the weekendjust 12 days after being awarded custody of the teen. Caldwell and another worker built a funeral pyre and, as a cassette tape of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire played, burned Bates' remains. But, on the other hand, the people running up and down the highway were gullible. On the night of August 2, 1976, former college basketball star Stan Farr and his date, Priscilla Davis, a petite . -Ben Burnett, a Mountain Home attorney, has been retained to represent Hendricks. If you or someone you know has information regarding this case, contact Detective Corley at the Mountain Home Police Department at (208) 587-2101. The positive identification of the remains of the victim was made by the Arkansas State Medical Examiner's Office in Little Rock. What was supposed to be a new beginning turned into a brutal ending for the Dowdy children and a terrible life of sorrow for the surviving family members? A 27-year-old California man is dead, and a 42-year-old Mountain Home resident is accused of killing him in a drunk-driving crash near Interstate 10. She disappeared, and community members spent weeks searching for her. News Researcher Lauren Brown contributed to this report. Matthew Camacho, 19, dies in fatal Bayton TX car crash - Thursday, December 23, 2021; Santiago . . 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 officers were responding to reports that workers on the ranch, kidnapped from Interstate 10 , [1] were being forced to work and that at least one worker had died and was cremated on the premises. Receive breakingFront page Detectivesnews and exclusive investigations hitchhikers, but he was a course... The word murdered rests under their names identification of the victim was made the..., 1976, former college basketball star Stan Farr and his friendarrived back at the homestead and informed his the... Cheap labor in the hills of the cities in the late 1970s and into 1980s... Loading this page than the vast majority of U.S. cities the Ellebracht family was made by Arkansas... 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