He is survived by his loving wife Cindy; children, David and Cammy Thornton, Andrew and Kate Thornton, Michael and Meghan Thornton, and Katie and Tyler VanRee; grandchildren, Kennedy, Melanie, Hailey, Claire, Brennan, Mason, Addie, Cayden, Micah, and . Drag images here or select from your computer for Andrew Carter Drew Thornton II memorial. He had become increasingly paranoid. Bill enjoyed cutting grass and would make sure that elders in the community had their yards mowed. She was a lifelong devout member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Pine Level P.H. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. 0 cemeteries found in Paris, Bourbon County, Kentucky, USA. Thorntons upbringing wasnt typical of a career criminal. 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 . When police searched Thornton's Lexington town house last month, similar exotic poisons and explosives were among the items seized, including ether, nicotine, sodium and ammonium nitrate, and tear gas. Thornton had been smuggling drugs for years before his now-infamous 1985 flight. He then joined the ROTC and attended the University of Kentucky for a semester before dropping out to join the Army. Cliff Pike of the tiny Episcopal church in Paris, Ky., said in his eulogy. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Zairing said that the closer Thornton moved toward a James Bond character, the less she was able to relate to him, to live with the secrecy and danger of his life as a narc. Oops, something didn't work. You can always change this later in your Account settings. 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. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. Now, this should be the end of Thorntons story; however, there was another incident three months later that linked all the way back to him. Says former DEA agent Larry Lakin: "DEA worked with Drew on many occasions in narcotics, and sometimes on a weekly basis." Investigators found that he was carrying night-vision goggles and wearing a bulletproof vest, Time magazine reported. A system error has occurred. You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. A special thanks to Paulette Clayton for her extraordinary help, devotion, and friendship for the past several years. ). Born, January 14, 1937, in Sampson County, he was a son of the late Ivy Edmond Thornton and Anniebelle Jackson Thornton. Andrew Tyler "Drew" Thornton, 19, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, passed away on August 27, 2021 at his residence. Annette was a devoted mother and wife full of unconditional love and loyalty. 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. His problems began in 1981, with the arrest of one of his aristocratic connections, Bradley Bryant. He later transferred to Sawnee Military Academy. He later retreated from that story but continued to create the impression he was sanctioned by the CIA. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. [3][failed verification], After resigning from the police in 1977, Thornton practiced law in Lexington. September 11th: The Life & Death of Andrew C. Thornton II | by Sara Reynolds | Medium 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. I hope he got a hell of a high out of that [cocaine].. Once on the ground, they locate the contraband by tuning to the radio signals from the parachuted cargo. Pallbearers are Edward Thornton Anderson, Jr., Anderson Ellis Stone, James Andrew Watson, Sr., John Slade Screven, Edward Franklin Screven, and James Odingsell Screven, III. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Born, January 14, 1937, in Sampson County, he was a son of the late Ivy Edmond Thornton and Anniebelle Jackson Thornton. The cause of death? Let others know about your loved one's death. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. Member of "The Company" SmugglerUS Army VeteranFormer Lexington, KY Police/Narcotics OfficerConvict (Convicted on conspiracy to import marijuana)Military Decorations:Parachutist Badge (Jump Wings)National Defense Service MedalArmed Forces Expeditionary MedalPurple Heart (1965 Operation Power Pack)Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster with V-device for service in the line of duty in the Dominican RepublicHe was killed while parachuting from a Cessna Air Aircraft. The bluegrass hills were vibrant under the strong September sun as hundreds made their way past the Bourbon County gravesite. Resend Activation Email. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ludie Litz Scholarship Fund. He returned to Kentucky to await trial, and on Feb. 27, 1982, three days before he was scheduled to appear for a hearing in Fresno, Thornton was shot twice in the chest at close range as he was leaving a Lexington restaurant. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Mark Andrew Thornton. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. He also loved grilling chicken for folks and riding the grandkids on his lawn mower. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Banks told USA Today she was forced to omit aspects of Thorntons life that were too wild even for this movie. Nevertheless, the character is so outrageous that when star Keri Russell first brought the script home, her husband and fellow actor Matthew Rhys read it and immediately said, Text [Elizabeth] Banks and tell her I want to play that guy.. Andrew was the son of Alferino and Secundina DeHerrera from Roy, New Mexico. Thornton was an obedient child who didn't get into trouble, and he had a privileged upbringing. Family members linked to this person will appear here. (He later joined the Lexington law firm of an old friend, Harold Slone, but he never actually practiced law.) Her varied work experience included stints at Amoco, Bath Iron Works, Energy Industries, Inc. and KEDT. He was as flamboyant in his life as he was in his death.". Search above to list available cemeteries. The day of the 1985 jump, he was flying from Colombia on a Cessna 404 loaded with cocaine. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. But the ill-fated flight of ex-narcotics-officer-turned-drug-smuggler Thornton, who tossed his stash overboard before leaping from the plane, was not only a true story, but also a more absurd one even by Cocaine Bear standards. He told her he was of a hero consciousness, that at another time in history he would have been a Genghis Khan, a ninja or a samurai, a valorous paragon of battle. 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. According to a Washington Post article published at the time of his death , he was awarded a purple heart for injuries he sustained during the U.S. invasion . They were lifelong friends; they traveled in the same social circles and attended the Sewanee Military Academy together. Ralph Ross, a retired Kentucky State Police officer formerly in charge of the state's intelligence division. Thornton subscribed to a code of independence; his society was one in which individuals perfected their survival skills through self-defense. Sally Ann Denton, a former TV and wire service reporter, covered part of the Thornton story in Kentucky. Andrew Carter Thornton II (ACT II) is a name unknown to most except as a piece of historical trivia - the man who fell from the sky in 1985 with millions of dollars of cocaine strapped to his body. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? They were also accused of conspiring to smuggle 1,000 pounds of marijuana into the United States. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Mother of three, avid golfer, tennis player, and global traveler, Lourdes Ludie Abeto Litz was the eldest daughter of eight born in Manila, Philippines. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Andrew Carter Drew Thornton II I found on Findagrave.com. Before he was found dead in the driveway at a Knoxville, Tennessee home in 1985, Lexington, Kentucky native Andrew "Drew" Thornton was an army veteran, police officer, and an attorney. She was a university coed, a beauty from Shelby County. Andrew Thornton II was born in 1945 in Lexington, Kentucky, to horse breeders Carter and Peggy. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. The man who informed Customs of Thornton's involvement with the Louisiana smuggling vessel had his throat slit in Miami. He was 40 when he died. Share. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. After graduation from Sewanee in 1962, he joined ROTC and attended one semester at the University of Kentucky. Colin McEvoy joined the Biography.com staff in 2023, and before that had spent 16 years as a journalist, writer, and communications professional. "He went out like an eagle scout," Zairing says of Thornton's death. It was a quiet, partly cloudy morning when Andrew Drew Thornton II fell out of the sky and landed on a driveway in Knoxville, Tennessee, with $15 million worth of cocaine strapped to his body. That film takes its fair share of liberties with the truth. Andrew Carter Thornton II was born on October 30th, 1944. Drew and I would often talk about meeting up someday and going to real life events together, it breaks my heart that we were never able to do that. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Son of the late Willie and Evelyn Thornton. Robert Thornton He bailed out of his aircraft and died on impact after his parachute failed to open. He had the usual quotient of decency, fun-loving mischief. Police concluded the shooting had been staged by Thornton to persuade the California judge that his life would be endangered should he be incarcerated. In 1977 Bryant formed a private security company called Executive Protection Ltd. 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. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. They further linked the Cessna to him when a garment bag was fished out of a pond 40 miles southeast of Atlanta, Georgia, which contained a pilots handbook with identifying numbers on it. She was born February 15, 1935 to Mary Meehl Thornton and William Littleton Thornton, Sr. Failed to delete flower. RIP Drew, legends never die. Hugs to you all during this difficult time. "Either side," he said, "they were working for America.". He was a philosophical, incredibly disciplined, extremely spiritual, and loyal warrior, with his own code of ethics, who thrived on excitement.. 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! He is preceded in death by his brothers, Delma Ray Thornton, and Bernice Thornton; sisters, Faye Pope, and Edith Britt. He ultimately pleaded no contest to marijuana conspiracy charges, and received a six-month sentence at a minimum-security facility in Lexington; Bryant is currently serving a 15-year sentence at the Federal Correctional Institute in Memphis. During his time with the police, Thornton took night classes at the University of Kentucky College of Law, earning a law degree in 1976. Get directions to Avenue Benot Frachon, 107 and view details like the building's postal code, description, photos, and reviews on each business in the building "He went onto the police force so he could do battle. Cocaine Bear plays fast and loose with a lot of facts, but the story of drug smugglers ill-fated plane trip is all too real. A visitation will be held from 6-8pm on Monday, May 1st,. Plant Memorial Trees Opens send flowers url in a new window 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. A funeral mass will be held at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church on May 2, 2023 at 11:00 AM. In 1981, Bryant was arrested in a hotel in Philadelphia when maids smelled marijuana smoke coming from his room. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. Annette was an early Volunteer for the Foundation of Hearing and Speech. Brown's forced resignation from the DEA in 1981 came just six months before his retirement eligibility. According to numerology, Andrew Thornton's Life Path Number is 3. . When he graduated, he joined the Army, where he became a paratrooper. Clark Andrew Thornton died April 15, 2016, surrounded by his family. Perhaps more than anyone, Thornton would have appreciated the absurdity of his death. He was predeceased by : his grandfather Roger Thornton; and his aunt Rebecca Stone (Thornton). (19 years old). Roberts. Weve updated the security on the site. Thornton was raised on Threave Main Stud, a thoroughbred horse farm in picturesque Bourbon County. RICHARD THORNTON OBITUARY Thornton, Richard "Kevin" Kalamazoo Passed away Thursday April 19, 2018 at his home. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Nothing more and nothing less. If you are a fan of Andrew Thornton, tell us more about Him Andrew Thornton Fans Also Viewed. Robert S. Walker, a witness against Thornton in the case, was found strangled in a swamp in Tampa. Surviving are his parents, Jim and Karen (Sabol) Thornton of Virginia Beach, Virginia; brothers, Zachary and Ryan Thornton of Virginia Beach, Virginia; paternal grandmother, Thelma (VanWyngarden) Thornton of Rustburg, Virginia; maternal grandparents, Dennis Sabol and Edwina Barton of Oxford, North Carolina and Anthony and Patricia (Malloy) Fronzaglia of Lynchburg, Virginia and many uncles, aunts and cousins. [6] At the time of his death Thornton was wearing a bulletproof vest and expensive Italian shoes, and in possession of night vision goggles, a green army duffel bag containing approximately 35 kilograms (75lbs.) [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.

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