When Texas police raided the Ellebracht ranch in 1984, they found five men and one womanliving in a barn there. Copyright 2023 Empire Media Group, Inc. Front Page Detectives is a registered trademark. Stradfords body was placed in his own vehicle a silver Dodge Charger driven to a wooded area and set afire. 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. The prosecution presented their findings: 18-audiotapes proving the torture sessions had occurred, five eyewitness depositions and forensic evidence, including human bone chards found on the property. When a huge posse of law enforcement from federal, state and local jurisdictions raided the ranch on April 6, 1984, the Ellebrachts denied wrongdoing. AUSTIN, Texas The Austin Police Department has identified the man killed in Austin's first homicide of 2022. 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. In the background is the barn where the prisoners were chained to bunk beds at night. Boyd last remembered a knife held to his throat before he lost consciousness. Updated at 4:10 p.m.: A Johnson County man pleaded guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder in a brutal 2012 double murder Tuesday, and the mother and daughter convicted of the crimes will. The Haynies were neighbors of the Ellebrachts. On the tape, Bates could be heard pleading with someone named Robert to stop. Their capture is toldthrough variousmedia reportsand their arrests were mainly because one man was lucky enough to escape. 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. A family had a 3,500-acre ranch where they manufactured wooden key chains, and they needed help for chores and whatever else they directed Bates to do. I knew what I was doing; I had options. We also run the premiere real-estate site in the hill country at HillCountryRealestate.com. On the tape, voices can be heard begging someone named "Robert" to stop shocking them. Wes' eldest daughter, Elizabeth Toby Ellebracht, 18, who'd been living with him in Fredericksburg, has moved in with the couple since his death. 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. Lindsey is, by far, the best known locally of those charged with the Stradford murder. That person was being held on $500,000 bond. Cunningham is an inmate in the Baxter County jail with bond set at $1 million. 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. The .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol had been taken from a residence in Summit on or about Nov. 21 last year. 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. He was just a young boy when his father and grandfather were arrested and their so-called Texas Slave Ranch was raided in 1984. Bates was hitchhiking through the vast open spaces of west Texas when he was lucky enough to get a ride and a job offer. Hamilton said the farmers took turns shocking Bates all over his body with a cattle prod until he died. Most Texas billionaires did OK in 2022. He was told he wasnt going anywhere, then chained up along with two other men. A weathered Texas Parks and Wildlife Department sign hangs on the locked gate, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, that leads to what was the Ellebracht Ranch on Highway 27 in Mountain Home, TX. Key chains made at the Texas Slave Ranch still hang in a frame on a wall at Bills BBQ. According to investigators, officers found the body inside a home in southwest Mountain Home while investigating a missing person's case. Investigators say at one point during the beating, Lindsey demanded that Stradford give him his debit/ATM card, but that Stradford had replied there was only a few dollars in the account. Group says they have a strong suspect as the infamous killer. 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. In addition to the cattle prod, they found various guns, machetes, and axe, knives, chains and padlocks. According to reports, the vehicle appeared to have been there for some time. Mountain Home police responded to a shooting at the 600 block of Cooper Estates Drive, on November 24, 2020, according to a court document. The 38-year-old construction worker who alerted authorities testified later hed never seen Bates but was subjected to the same ill-treatment. They fashioned key chains, and they needed workers. The area was settled in 1856. 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. I totally thought we were screwed. Before he could exit the property, though, Ellebracht, his son and wife, and some ranch hands approached him, armed to the teeth. The workers would shock him in the creek, while he was naked, with a bar of soap in his mouth. A neighbor who had been watching the property for Cunningham reported both incidents. They have since been placed with family members. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Ranch. Cunningham appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday and entered a not guilty plea to the charges against her, including capital murder. I tried to teach him right from wrong.. 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. News Researcher Lauren Brown contributed to this report. He apparently bonded out of jail on the charge relating to the motorcycle theft and was free on that bond when Stradford was killed. I don't think even (Ellebracht) Jr. knew how much abuse he was going through, Caldwell said. Moravec covered the 2015 Texas legislative session for the Associated Press and has freelanced for local, state and national news outlets, including the New York Times and The Washington Post. We are your resource for Hill Country travel, things to do, places to eat, Boyd was the one who got away, fleeing after he realized he was trapped on the isolated homestead. Ranch, West Kerr Ranch, and D&D Ranch & Wildlife Services. In the early 20th Century, the town was known as Eura. While the beating was in progress and Stradford was crying out for help, Cunningham and 35-year-old Ashley Nicole Hendricks of Siloam Springs were alleged to have stood by looking on.. 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. 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. Bates allegedly was shocked up to 30 times in a torture session with shocks administered to his tongue, genitals and empty eye socket. In the hardscrabble west, ranchers had to pull a living from the soil and hope the weather cooperated. 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. Everyone knew the Ellebrachts drove a blue van and picked up hitchhikers to staff the key chain factory and do other work at the ranch. An extradition hearing was scheduled for Jan. 8. Cody Dennis has put in an appearance for Lindsey. Stradfords body was found in a burned-out vehicle just off Old Arkana Road on Dec. 16 last year. 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. Scott Riggs in court Feb. 13, 2019. According to the Baxter County Sheriffs Office, 52-year-old Lawrence Olson of Mountain Home has been charged with breaking into Cunninghams residence along Robinson Point Road. Located an hour north of San Antonio in a small community in unincorporated Kerr County was what came to be known as the Texas Slave Ranch for the ghastly crimes committed there. 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. Two of the four people charged with first-degree murder in the death of a Mountain Home man appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday. 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 man accused of his wifes murder, extradited from Texas, held on $2M bond. In addition to the murder and car theft charges he now faces, Lindsey also had a criminal case open in which he is accused of being in possession of a motorcycle reported stolen in Mountain Home. The off-the-wall tactics worked, Cogdell said, and Ellebracht Sr. was given probation. Kerr County "Slave Ranch" is 25 miles Northwest of Kerrville, Texas. Ellebracht key chains were selling at a premium, $2. Once they got to the ranch, Boyd decided to only stay the night. They tortured a bunch of people, and it was unbelievable that stuff like that could happen, Sutton said. But this ranch wasnt any old-timey operation, and the drifters werent a handful of depression-era hobos. Brazil was arrested Dec. 16 last year after he was located at a local motel. But something strange began happening on their ranch in the late 1970s and into the 1980s. Joyce, who divorced her husband in 1988, would neither testify nor stand trial. The DPS report did not indicate if the Elantra had been reported stolen. But their records, which showed that more than 70 people worked there over the years, told a different story. Example video title will go here for this video. There were a lot of hitchhikers, but they were never held forcibly. By John Peters jpeters@mtairynews.com. 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. Boyd stayed the night, but decided to leave the next day. The four people charged with killing Stradford are among 11 people waiting to go on trial for murder or manslaughter in Baxter County. They were strange people, but they're not that kind of people, said Loraine Haynie, 86, who befriended Ellebracht Sr. as a child and cared for him over the years until his death in 2003. In the 1970s and 80s, the Ellebrachts recruited the men knowing they wouldnt be missed, and wouldnt be believed. July 1986, Abbott calls Texas shooting victims illegal immigrants', Photos: Gregg Popovich's old Dominion mansion listed for $5.5M, Fiesta-goers blast King William Fair for wristband payment system, Here are 10 places you can fly to this month for under $100, The tragic case of an S.A.-area dentist and his Miami patient, Shooting survivors: San Jacinto family only sought small favor, SAWS will pay you to take nature walks, gardening classes, Air Force chaplain sent to prison for meeting minor for sex, forced them to stay without compensation or freedom, an article by the online publication Ranker. After being taken into custody and read his rights, Brazil is alleged to have admitted participating in Stradfords beating. To donate, send a check to: PO Box 471, Fredericksburg 78624. On April 6, 1984, Texans learned a horrifying secret in the tiny town of Mountain Home. We used old inner tubes, cedar and gasoline, Caldwell said. Nearby cities include Ingram, Hunt. According toMy San Antonio News, the cattle prod was a common battery-powered model called a Hotshot that produced 4,000 volts of electricity. Updated: 11:39 AM CST January 10, 2022. Walter Wesley Ellebracht III, was killed in an automobile accident earlier this month on Highway 290 just out side Fredericksburg. 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. She stated to investigators they then burned his body, put his ashes in a barrel, and dumped it into the river. Individuals from all over travel to visit the Y.O. He said that he saw so much bad in the world that he wanted to look for the good.. In one motion, Lucas asks that he be informed of the criminal history of witnesses and if any one set to testify in the case has received preferential treatment by prosecutors. Investigators said the witnesses, reported to have been minors, left the upper part of the house and went into the backyard, looked through windows in the walkout-type basement and observed Lindsey and Brazil hitting Stradford. "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=1151134817, This page was last edited on 22 April 2023, at 04:33. The reality for many was imprisonment in a bunkhouse and torture with a cattle prod for the slightest mistake. Copyright 2008 - Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. 259 BROKEN SPUR DRIVE , TX 78058. They offer 3-hour guided tours of the 50,00 acre ranch. Eric Monroe Hooker. Ben Burnett, a Mountain Home attorney, has been retained to represent Hendricks. When he started to walk away the next morning, he was accosted with ranch hands carrying rifles. Todd Steven Brooks. The land isn't suitable because topsoil is shallow, as the area is laced with karst and rock just under the surface. Entradas. Updated: 6:28 PM MDT October 29, 2019. The Mountain Home time zone is Central Daylight Time which is 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). To clear his conscience, Caldwell gave a 20-page statement to the FBI. He hadn't seen his second daughter, Alexis Faith Bockemehl, 17, since infancy, but the two girls met at their father's memorial service. He'd take me on tours. Slave Ranch Trial-Kerr County courthouse Witness Howard Bailey describes "slave Ranch" He wached a grown man beg for life. The two Ellebracht men and 21-year-old Caldwell were arrested for conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping. Follow her @TaylorPettaway. My son was a very caring person, and he did whatever he could to help anyone in need, said his mother, Joyce Esensee, 59, who was among those initially indicted for the crimes at the ranch. The state had copious evidence incriminating Wes, Junior, and the ranch foreman, Carl. But the guy was dead, and there was no bringing him back. Attorney Dan Cogdell poses for a portrait in his office Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, in Houston. Ironically, Cunningham was the victim of crime herself while sitting in the Texas jail awaiting extradition to Baxter County. And the victims were unsavory types whose testimony was suspect. day! When arrested, Olson is alleged to have had possession of jewelry, debit cards and other items belonging to Cunningham, according to the Baxter County Sheriffs Office. The ranch was raided in 1984 and the operation shut down. Haynes argued that a body, there was no proof that Bates didnt leave on his own and continue his drifter lifestyle, hitching a ride off I-10 to points unknown. McFadden was the principle suspect in all three murders, but he was only charged with Suzanne's death. There are several day-hunting services within the area. 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. 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. One had escaped and alerted the authorities, triggering the raid. 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. if (theYear < 1900) The Hill Country Cowboy Camp Meeting is a camp for Christians looking to grow spiritually. 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. He fled, but was captured a short time later, according to the affidavit. Bones found at the site were determined to be those of a young adult male. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Hendricks also is charged with possession of methamphetamine, heroin, ecstasy and fentanyl with the purpose to deliver, according to Madison County court records. To try to desensitize the seven women and five men on the jury, Haynes played the torture tapes often and asked Cogdell to shock himself with a battery-operated cattle prod like the one the Ellebrachts used. Here's a collection of the crime reports, notable arrests and important court hearings . He played on beliefs in the community that even though the Ellebrachts were odd, they didnt seem evil. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. His latest release from prison came on April 23 last year. Details on how the suspects came together and why they are suspected of killing 34-year-old Cody Stradford have yet to be disclosed by prosecutors. The film stars Jason Connery, C. Thomas Howell, Dennis Hopper, Greg Evigan, and Michael Madsen. A leader of the prison-based Mexican Mafia, Robert "Beaver" Perez was linked to more than 15 murders locally. In the early 20th Century, the town was known as Eura. She is scheduled to appear in Madison County Circuit Court in early March. There were a lot of hitchhikers, but they were never held forcibly. There are several day-hunting services in the aera. He said that he saw so much bad in the world that he wanted to look for the good. Bob Walls, speaking of Ellebracht III, his best friend. Walter Wesley Ellebracht Sr. (from left), Walter Wesley Ellebracht Jr., Leona Ellebracht, the young Walter Wesley Ellebracht III, attorney Richard Racehorse Haynes and Joyce Ellebracht are seen in 1986. By then, according to court testimony, workers were being held at gunpoint and forced to write their own suicide notes and tie nooses and dig ditches in preparation for their own deaths, or so they were led to believe. The two lured hitchhikers to the ranch with the promise of work and then forced them to stay without compensation or freedom by threatening them with death, news articles said. Nine years ago, her son won custody of Elizabeth and embraced single parenting, Esensee said. Gary Mitchusson of Forrest City has entered his appearance for Cunningham. Head out to Y.O. According to the probable cause affidavit, Lindsey was holding a pistol on Stradford and asked the victim if he had any last words. 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.. It was some of the worst evidence I've ever seen, said attorney Dan Cogdell, 56, of Houston, who worked with the infamous Richard Racehorse Haynes to defend Ellebracht Sr. I totally thought we were screwed. He always wanted me to invest in his key chain idea, but I never did, Smith said. 2023 locality pay increase; aseprite normal map color wheel; FREE Case Evaluation. Walter Wesley Ellebracht III, was killed in an automobile accident Jan. 20 on Highway 290 just out side Fredericksburg. She won, receiving nearly half the ranch, about 1,300 acres, which was then valued at $1.7 million. Lindsey is currently being held in the state prison system on a parole violation. Three of those being charged list Mountain Home addresses, but the fourth is a resident of Siloam Springs in Northwest Arkansas. Walter Wesley EllebrachtSr. and his extended family had lived in Mountain Home, TX,for generations, and they were known as decent folk. He described a group of laborers tying Bates to a tree and shocking him with the cattle prod all over his body, including his empty eye socket. On Feb. 18, 1984, the Ellebracht men drove to San Antonio to find workers, eventually convincing six men to work for them in exchange for housing and food. But he realized there was no escape, only redemption, and grew to be the man fondly remembered at his recent funeral for his kindness and big heart. Walter Ellebracht, along with accomplices, had kidnapped, enslaved, and tortured people on the property. The Ranch is an authentic 19th century ranch housing a variety of exotic animals. 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.. Anthony Bates was a one-eyed drifter who hailed from Alabama. See the latest Treasure Valley crime news in ourYouTube playlist: Investigators said the suspicious death appeared to be the result of domestic violence involving an estranged husband. Stradford is said to have replied, just tell my son I am proud of him., The beating was reported to have been so severe that the basement area had blood all over it.. There are several other property owners now around us, but there's nobody around from that era. This is about 20 miles west of Kerrville. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. A few include K-3 Ranch, Deer Li Hunting Services, Crenweldge Ranch, Y.O. He was just a young boy when his father and grandfather were arrested and their so-called Texas Slave Ranch was raided in 1984. At the time, he was only charged with failure to report a death. It was found Dec. 16 last year off Old Arkana Road south of Mountain Home. 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. More than a dozen cassette tapes with about 40 hours of recorded torture sessions were seized during the raid, along with guns, machetes, an ax, knives, ropes chains, padlocks, bone fragments, the cattle prod and business papers. Her bond was lowered from $500,000 to $250,000 and she was released from jail Jan. 28. Texas has spent millions of dollars sending busloads of migrants to Democratic-led cities. 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. It was found Dec. 16 last year off Old Arkana Road south of Mountain Home. His autopsy conducted in Fort. The 1986 trial lasted three months, made national news, featured the celebrated Texas defense attorney Richard "Racehorse" Haynes and resulted in the conviction of ranchers Walter Wesley Ellebracht, 55, Walter Ellebracht Jr., 33, and ranch foreman Carlton Robert Caldwell, 21, on charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping but acquitted of murder in the death of Anthony Bates, an Alabama man who worked on the ranch in 1984. One day investigators got a tip that hitchhikers were being abducted on I-10 and lured to Ellebrachts ranch. The family would have continued taking men and women from I-10 had authorities not shut down the operation. 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 charts below are detailed crime statistics for the city of , Texas. In 1986 the Texas slave ranch trial took place and lasted for three months. 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. Walter Ellebracht, along with accomplices, had kidnapped, enslaved, and tortured people on the property. True stories from Mountain Home lay out the chilling details. The family-owned ranch started back in 1880 as a program to important exotic species from Africa. Ranch for an experience you wont forget! The battery-operated device released up to 4,0000 volts of electricity. The land isnt suitable because topsoil is shallow, as the area is laced with karst and rock just under the surface. 100 AVVA Dr LOT 16, TX 78058. He couldn't help what his father and grandfather did, but he was never anything like that. The men involved might have been found guilty, but they barely saw any jail time. The raid on the ranch revealed charred human bone fragments around the property and audiotapes of the torture sessions conducted by the Ellebracht family. Cunningham was contacted and reported she had not given Olson permission to be in her home. Please subscribe to keep reading. At least one man was presumed dead. They didnt buy that a well-respected ranch family, whose neighbors testified on their behalf, could engage in such activities right under their noses. 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. Details on how the suspects came together and why they are suspected of killing 34-year-old Cody Stradford have yet to be disclosed by prosecutors. However, their dream of starting a new life quickly turned into a nightmare when four of the Dowdy children were brutally murdered. Business papers located on the scene revealed records verifying that dozens of men, and some women, had worked on the ranch over the years.