andrew thornton obituary
Once you find the obituary you are looking for, you can get important information about upcoming services, share a favorite photo or memory, and send flowers or gifts to the family. She was a lifelong devout member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. "They shared the same mentality, the same paranoia. [10] The beginning of episode one features a flashback to 1983 in which a man falls to his death, parachute still attached, with bricks of cocaine scattered around his body. **In either case, please reference that the donation is being made towards the Ludie Litz Scholarship Fund**, Never allow the sun to set on an angry heart; instead live, laugh, love as if each day were your last.. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. She is a private investigator in Washington. Learn more about merges. The Cocaine Bear Drug Smuggler Was a Real Person. Says former DEA agent Larry Lakin: "DEA worked with Drew on many occasions in narcotics, and sometimes on a weekly basis." The affiliation between Thornton and the DEA intrigues cops who try to understand Thornton's shift from narc to drug smuggler. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Failed to delete flower. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. 5 Things To Know About Andrew Thornton And The 'Cocaine Bear' | News She was an avid Alabama football fan and rarely missed a game. He made a second stab at college in 1966 but dropped out after a year. 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. The service will be available to all others via livestream and recorded via a link here for future viewing. He attended Florida State University and was a devoted Seminoles fan. They were also accused of conspiring to smuggle 1,000 pounds of marijuana into the United States. He is also an avid film buff, reader, and lover of great stories. She taught music and kindergarten for many years at Highlands Day School and will be remembered by many as "Miss Annette". Kathleen Diane Rosa 10/26/1955 - 04/24/2023 Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. 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. Plant Memorial Trees Opens send flowers url in a new window Andrew C. Thornton II - Wikipedia Their association began in the early 1970s when Thornton worked closely with the DEA. Thornton, Tom Tom Thornton, age 71, of Saranac, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, September 12, 2020. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Obituary | William "Bill" Edmon Thornton of Smithfield, North Carolina CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Bill enjoyed cutting grass and would make sure that elders in the community had their yards mowed. Her varied work experience included stints at Amoco, Bath Iron Works, Energy Industries, Inc. and KEDT. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. "He loved me," she says, "but he resented having a wife." A funeral mass will be held at 10am on Tuesday, May 2nd, 2023 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. [1], On September 11, 1985, while on a smuggling run from Colombia, Thornton and a partner jumped from his auto-piloted Cessna 404, after dumping packages of cocaine off near Blairsville, Georgia, US. Sign up for service and obituary updates. He was a loyal friend and much beloved son. In 1977, he resigned from the police force and began practicing law in Lexington. an adventurer driven by adrenaline rushes" who became bored with being a cop. She is survived by her children Laurie Abeto Amagan (Marlene Cantillo) of Durham, NC; Denise Amagan Thornton (Matthew Thornton) of Austin, TX and Stephen Jay Litz (Jessica Litz) of Corpus Christi, TX; her brothers Roberto Abeto of Newberry Springs, CA; Angel Abeto and Rosario Abeto of Corpus Christi, TX; Reynaldo Abeto, Jr. of Lake Stevens, WA; Enrique Abeto and her sister Thelma Peterson of San Diego, CA; and their spouses as well as her aunt, Remedios Cybulsky (Larry Cybulsky) of Winnipeg, Canada, numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. He had the usual quotient of decency, fun-loving mischief. Annette was a devoted mother and wife full of unconditional love and loyalty. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Andrew Thornton (63367160)? The .38-caliber "wadcutter" bullets didn't penetrate his bulletproof vest. The bear ate it, overdosed, and unfortunately died. This account has been disabled. Sorry I could not be there in person. He had become increasingly paranoid. Once on the ground, they locate the contraband by tuning to the radio signals from the parachuted cargo. Andrew Carter "Drew" Thornton II Birth 30 Oct 1944 Bourbon County, Kentucky, USA Death 11 Sep 1985 (aged 40) Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee, USA Burial Paris Cemetery Paris, Bourbon County, Ill never forget his laugh and how he brought everyones mood up. Try again later. Born in 1944, to a well-off family and raised on a thoroughbred farm in Bourbon County, Kentucky, he joined the U.S. Army and trainedsomewhat ironicallyas a paratrooper. "He was a philosophical, incredibly disciplined, extremely spiritual and loyal warrior, with his own code of ethics, who thrived on excitement.". Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Bill worked for Carolina Packers Inc. for many years and he loved their hotdogs too. The mourners, by most accounts, made up a Who's Who in Kentucky aristocracy, a crowd of lawyers, socialites and politicians. He also attended law school at night and received a law degree in 1976, though he never practiced law. He was charged with piloting into the Lexington. 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. According to numerology, Andrew Thornton's Life Path Number is 3. . It may not be the best ending to this story, but it most definitely was the most unexpected. Harold Slone, a Lexington attorney who recently pleaded guilty to federal income tax violations and mail fraud -- an old friend and law partner of Thornton's -- was there. The son of Carter and Peggy Thornton of Threave Main Stud farm, he grew up in the Lexington, Kentucky, area and attended the private Sayre School and the Iroquois Polo Club. 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. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Please reset your password. He was brought back to Fresno, where he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor drug charge and the felony charges against him were dropped. 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. Zairing describes Thornton as a loving, supportive and gentle husband. Thornton remained a fugitive for several months. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. While awaiting trial in 1982 on his criminal charges, Thornton was shot twice in the chest at close range while leaving a restaurant in Lexington. Andrew C. Thornton II, whose life was once filled with privilege and promise, decided that now was the time to parachute from a twin-engine plane in the dead of night to smuggle the $15 . Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. The day of the 1985 jump, he was flying from Colombia on a Cessna 404 loaded with cocaine. He then joined the ROTC and attended the University of Kentucky for a semester before dropping out to join the Army. Hugs to you all during this difficult time. His body was found about 6-8 hours later in the backyard of a Knoxville, Tennessee residents house. Thornton replied, she remembers, that he meditated regularly, at which time he entered a world beyond good and evil. Thornton was one of nine Kentucky men named in that indictment, which was handed down amid hints that a larger drug-smuggling conspiracy existed. You can search by first or last name, state and publication date. . He is preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Roger Thornton and paternal aunt, Rebecca Stone (Thornton). Try again later. I'll cover a different true crime case every time I post, so be sure to follow, comment, and share if you want. Kevin was born February 2, 1962 in Kalamazoo the son of Richard and Ruth. Born in 1944, to a well-off family and raised on a thoroughbred farm in Bourbon County, Kentucky, he joined. Weve updated the security on the site. [4] Thornton became caught in his parachute and ended up in a free fall to the ground. ). Thornton pleaded not guilty to the charges, then proceeded to flee the state. He felt smug in his survivability, his elusiveness, his discretion and his insulation. The family will visit with friends one hour prior to the service beginning at 2:00 p.m. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. Obituary of Clark Andrew Thornton | Funeral Homes & Cremation Servi "He had trouble understanding that." [11] Thornton is played by Matthew Rhys. Mary traveled the world with Braniff and met the love of her life on one fateful flight. Lourdes "Ludie" Abeto Litz Obituary - Corpus Christi Caller Times Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. The Dignity Memorial online obituary search tool gives you access to obituaries from thousands of locations across North America. Drew Thornton's Last Adventure - The Washington Post Smithfield William Bill Edmon Thornton, age 86, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, in Wake Medical Center in Raleigh. "He was a little boy who never grew up," says an FBI agent investigating his death, who asked to remain nameless. The story of Thornton was examined in Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice and in Sally Denton's The Bluegrass Conspiracy. "Andrew always made sure I had whatever I needed.". Born, January 14, 1937, in Sampson County, he was a son of the late Ivy Edmond Thornton and Anniebelle Jackson Thornton. When he hit the driveway on Sept. 10, shortly after abandoning a Cessna twin-engine 404 (which would crash unmanned against a mountain in North Carolina), Thornton was wearing a bulletproof vest, special night vision goggles, a Browning 9 mm automatic pistol, a .22-caliber pistol and several clips of ammunition. A visitation will be held from 6-8pm on Monday, May 1st, 2023 at Seaside Funeral Home Chapel with a Rosary to be recited at 6:30pm that same evening. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. With Drew gone I feel like Im missing the fun I used to have and game less often. Who Was Andrew Thornton? Let the family know you are thinking of them. 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 . There is a problem with your email/password. He was a "Starsky & Hutch" type of cop -- he drove fast cars, popped in and raided people. He was as flamboyant in his life as he was in his death.". Thorntons Cessna 404 was discovered 60 miles away in Hayesville, North Carolina. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63367160/andrew-carter-thornton. Immediate Family: Son of James Murray Thornton and Willa Mae Thornton. He later transferred to Sewanee Military Academy,[1] graduating in 1962. Some time later, in Georgia, a black bear started chowing down on more than 70 pounds container of cocaine that had also fallen from Thorntons airplane. He surrounded Triad, the isolated Jessamine County farm that he owned, with concertina wire, setting up barracks and digging trenches, according to Kentucky State Police. Thornton was exceedingly eccentric and paranoid, and his short life was filled with stories as bizarre and colorful as that of his death. Kathleen Diane Rosa, age 67, of Thornton, Colorado passed away on Monday, April 24, 2023. Refresh the page, check Medium 's site status, or find. of cocaine valued at $15 million, $4,500 in cash, six 1oz (28g) gold Krugerrands, knives, and two pistols. One DEA agent who previously worked with Thornton called him a 007 paramilitary type personality, according to The Washington Post, while an FBI agent described him as a little boy who never grew up., He believed he was an impeccable warrior, Betty Zairing, Thorntons ex-wife, told The Washington Post in 1985. "He went onto the police force so he could do battle. Our thoughts continue to be with you today and each day forward. Saint-Martin-d'Hres : Saint-Martin-d'Hres Localisation : Country France, Region Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, Department Isre. Thanks for your help! They were lifelong friends; they traveled in the same social circles and attended the Sewanee Military Academy together. 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. A memorial service for Susie will be held Wednesday, May 24, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. They were paying their last respects to Andrew Carter Thornton II, who had single-handedly summed up the dark side of the American dream, or at least the Kentucky version of it, when he landed on a Knoxville, Tenn., driveway with several million dollars worth of cocaine strapped to his waist and a failed parachute strapped to his back.
