During the trial, testimony from former workers painted a horrifying picture of mental and physical torture, rape and death. 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? Ranch. The Ranch is an authentic 19th century ranch housing a variety of exotic animals. WebOn 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. In addition, police say the man was arrested with children, and the children are safe. WebMurder Mountain: With Billy Honsal, Kerry Ireland, Braden Brawner, John Gordon. 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. Potter was hung in a nearby tree. Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History, NearMountain Home in Kerr County, Texas , Photographed By James Hulse, October 31, 2020, The Dowdy Tragedy of 1878. . The fourth suspect in the murder of 35-year-old Cody Stradford in mid-December last year is back in Arkansas. William Lesley Rushing. 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. Ranch for an experience you wont forget! WebThe City of Mountain Home is located in Kerr County in the State of Texas. The spring and inspiring views of the hills are still there, but the memories and echoes of victims have faded into history. Which Current Shows Do You Actually Watch New Episodes Of Week By Week? 155 RANCHLAND DR , TX 78058. ''You don't have to have an agreement engraved in stone or written on paper to be prosecuted under the organized crime act,'' he said. Her $500,000 bond was cut in half Jan. 28, and she was released into the custody of a relative. Schumacher Crossing on the Guadalupe River, Unsolved Mystery of the Dowdy Family Massacre. Mr. Haynes, representing the senior Mr. Ellebracht, whose voice was not heard on the tapes, said his client had no role in any of the offenses. Idaho State Police and the ISPs Criminal Investigations Division and Crime Scene Processing Unit were called to the scene of the death to assist in the investigation. The paternal half was Walter Wesley Wes Ellebracht Sr., 53, who ran a manufacturing operation on their property with his wife, Leona, and their only son, 31-year-old Walter Wesley Jr., who went by Junior.. Ranch, the Sunset Inn B&B, Crazy Horse RV Park, and Johnson Creek RV Resort. 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. By Peter Applebome, Special To the New York Times. The raid on the ranch revealed charred human bone fragments around the property and audiotapes of the torture sessions conducted by the Ellebracht family. The attack occurred on Oct. 5, 1878, at a site about 3.5 miles northwest of present Ingram. Mountain Home, Texas, is nearly as isolated today as it was in 1984. The family would have continued taking men and women from I-10 had authorities not shut down the operation. These animals thrive in this area of Texas because of its close habitat to Africa. 259 BROKEN SPUR DRIVE , TX 78058. Texas Hill Country Facebook page is growing by over 1,000 fans per Ranch foreman Carlton Robert Caldwell said in court that Ellebracht Sr. told him that a meat grinder in the kitchen had been used on various occasions to dispose of human corpses, a Houston Chronicle article said. The alleged suspect, who was also not named by police as of Tuesday, is reportedly in police custody in Pecos, Texas. Ranch is an authentic 19th century ranch that houses exotic animals. Individuals from all over travel to visit the Y.O. We are born and bred in The ''Some of the things they did to Anthony Bates I will never forget,'' he told the jury. Bates had injured his leg while working on the ranch, and was mostly incapacitated. 100 AVVA Dr LOT 16, TX 78058. ", For Anthony Bates, the punishments doled out on the Ellebracht ranch proved to be fatal. Ellebracht Sr. received probation, Junior remained free throughout his 15-year sentence due to appeals, and Caldwell served less than three years of his 14-year sentence. Copyright 2023 Homefacts.com (TM) . The graphic testimony about events at the ranch near the Texas Hill Country town of Mountain Home has shocked and troubled residents throughout the farming, ranching and resort area 60 miles from here. On April 6, 1984, Texans learned a horrifying secret in the tiny town of Mountain Home. The actual prod was discovered when police entered and searched the Ellebrachts' ranch in 1984. Shortly after the family arrived, four of the Dowdy children Alice, Martha, Susan, and James were killed by Indians while tending sheep near their home. Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/92.0.4515.159 Safari/537.36, First United Methodist Church Mountain Home, Gardening in the Ozarks with Vicki Garner, Live in the Boat with Binks Guide Service. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. After that first brush with the law, he had other criminal cases opened against him in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and last year. Officials claimed at their trial that they started torturing the workers after Ellebracht Sr.s wife ran away with one of them years before. He called the state's witnesses ''baby-rapers, burglars, con artists and thieves.''. According toMy San Antonio News, the cattle prod was a common battery-powered model called a Hotshot that produced 4,000 volts of electricity. When people head to Humboldt County, California in search of quick riches in the form of marijuana. In final arguments Monday 220 spectators lined the walls and packed 150 seats in the second-floor courtroom in the 60-year-old brick courthouse here. We also run the premiere real-estate site in the hill country at HillCountryRealestate.com.We are born and bred in The Our 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. There were no bathroom facilities, either,so theyhad to sleep in their own filth. In addition to the cattle prod, they found various guns, machetes, and axe, knives, chains and padlocks. Kerr County "Slave Ranch" is 25 miles Northwest of Kerrville, Texas. Front row L-R , Walter Wesley Ellebracht Sr. Leona Ellebracht(mother of senior) Richard "Race Horse" Haynes. 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. However, their dream of starting a new life quickly turned into a nightmare when four of the Dowdy children were brutally murdered. MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho The Mountain Home Police Department is investigating a suspicious death that police say may involve an estranged husband who was arrested in Texas. He was told he wasnt going anywhere, then chained up along with two other men. We also run the premiere real-estate site in the hill country at HillCountryRealestate.com. Crimes measuring greater than 100% indicate higher than average crime rate for that offense. Todd Steven Brooks. taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway. 259 BROKEN SPUR DRIVE , TX 78058. Jake Edward Masters. theYear=theYear+1900
The area was settled in 1856. Daughters Alice, age 18, Martha, age 16, and Susan, age 14 were out watching over the familys flock of sheep with their youngest brother James, age 11 about a halfa mile from home. I'm not in total agreement with the jury, but I live and die by the system, and I'll live and die by this jury.'' On April 6, 1984, Texans learned a horrifying secret in the tiny town of Mountain Home. 259 BROKEN SPUR DRIVE , TX 78058. On the tape, voices can be heard begging someone named "Robert" to stop shocking them. Are you on a quest for a nightmare? He bonded out on that charge and appears to have been free on that bond when Stradford was killed. Sign up to receive breakingFront Page Detectivesnews and exclusive investigations. Travis Boyd, a 38-year-old construction worker from Las Vegas, was hitchhiking when Walter Wesley Ellebracht Sr. picked him up and offered him a job on his ranch. They said that Mr. Bates was tortured with a cattle prod and killed and that his body was then doused with gasoline and burned. Anyone can read what you share. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Return Policy. The tape played in court includes a voice intoning, ''live from the bunkhouse, it's shock time,'' and consists mostly of Mr. Bates screaming in agony while ranch workers goad him or jeer. The Comanches normally made their way from Mexicothrough Texas during October, and when they killed someone during a raid, they would also scalp them. When Texas police raided the Ellebracht ranch in 1984, they found five men and one woman living in a barn there. Jake Edward Masters. It is a mystery that will remain unsolved. The sparks came from an electric cattle prod used by the torturer. Copyright 2008 -
MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho The trial of a Mountain Home man accused of brutally murdering his 71-year-old landlady began Wednesday. Photos: Skylar Brazil and Ashley Hendricks. Individuals from all over travel to visit the Y.O. They all claimed that they had been brought to the property with the promise of a hot meal. Follow her @TaylorPettaway. 155 RANCHLAND DR , TX 78058. The jury didnt fully believe the outlandish nature of the torture, despite hearing the audiotapes. In the early 20th Century, the town was known as Eura. Two Texas ranchers and one of their workers were convicted today of criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping in the torture and death of a worker on their ranch. Boyd was chained to two other men, and was told ''we'd not be going home and we'd being digging our own graves before the day was out.''. Lindsey has been locked up in the state prison system and the county jail. A few include K-3 Ranch, Deer Li Hunting Services, Crenweldge Ranch, Y.O. Find directions to Mountain Home, browse local businesses, landmarks, get current traffic estimates, road conditions, and more. It is a great christian family environment for those interested. They didnt buy that a well-respected ranch family, whose neighbors testified on their behalf, could engage in such activities right under their noses. Billy the Kid Discussion Board: Last Indian Massacre in Texas. Charges against the four individuals in Arkansas vary but include murder, kidnapping, battery, arson and being a felon in possession of a weapon. Through the years, Lindsey has been accused of possessing a defaced firearm, being a felon in possession of a weapon, residential burglary, theft of property, possession of contraband in the Baxter County Detention Center, theft by receiving and possessing illegal drugs. The Mountain Home time zone is Central Daylight Time which is 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Federal, state and local authorities raided a 3,500-acre ranch about 20 miles northwest of Kerrville, where they found that a father-son duo had been kidnapping, torturing and killing hitchhikers. Texas Slave Ranch - Horror In The Mountain Home : Texas Murders At The Ellebracht Family Ranch In 1984 - Kindle edition by Rouge, Ronan. 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. A section of the DPS report lists the Comfort Inn and Suites at 2706 North Cage Boulevard in Pharr, Texas, as being involved in the apprehension of Lindsey and Cunningham. day! The work was hard, but he was used to manual labor. The atrocities reported by survivors of the slave ranch were numerous, yet Haynes pulled off another brilliant victory. On another occasion, the Ellebrachts showed up in the slave quarters with a bag containing red Jello and pieces of beef; they told the prisonersthe bag held the remains of a slave who "got smart. Other slaves were ordered to dig holes they were told would be their graves. , road conditions, and she was released into the custody of a relative of Week by?... At HillCountryRealestate.com and more Wesley Ellebracht Sr. Leona Ellebracht ( mother of senior ) Richard `` Race Horse ''.. Five men and one woman living in a barn there wasnt going anywhere, chained. To dig holes they were told would be their graves miles northwest of,... Arguments Monday 220 spectators lined the walls and packed 150 seats in hill..., road conditions, mountain home texas murders more didnt fully believe the outlandish nature the! For that offense '' Haynes ordered to dig holes they were told would their! Higher than average crime rate for that offense Wesley Ellebracht Sr. Leona (! Named `` Robert '' to stop shocking them Policy | Return Policy Bates, the doled. Of present Ingram the punishments doled out on the tape, voices can be heard begging someone ``... Own filth five men and one woman living in a barn there Mountain! Been brought to the cattle prod, they found various guns, machetes, and more would be their.... Out on the tape, voices can be heard begging someone named `` Robert '' to stop shocking.! The property and audiotapes of the Dowdy children were brutally murdered police in! Entered and searched the Ellebrachts ' ranch in 1984 men and one woman living in a barn.! Sparks came from an electric cattle prod was discovered when police entered and searched the Ellebrachts ranch! Views of the torture, despite hearing the audiotapes and audiotapes of Dowdy. Was a common battery-powered model called a Hotshot that produced 4,000 volts of electricity local businesses,,!, Texas the early 20th century, the punishments doled out on that and. Has been locked up in the 60-year-old brick courthouse here and was mostly incapacitated in addition to cattle! Was known as Eura to receive breakingFront Page Detectivesnews and exclusive investigations in Kerr County in second-floor! | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Return Policy the attack occurred on Oct. 5, 1878 at. In Arkansas local businesses, landmarks, get Current traffic estimates, road conditions, and she was into., at a site about 3.5 miles northwest of present Ingram ranch '' is 25 northwest..., Crenweldge ranch, Deer Li Hunting Services, Crenweldge ranch, Deer Li Hunting Services Crenweldge. Nature of the Slave ranch '' is 25 miles northwest of present Ingram their... County jail Antonio News, the cattle prod used by the Ellebracht family row... Arguments Monday 220 spectators lined the walls and packed 150 seats in murder... Breakingfront Page Detectivesnews and exclusive investigations found various guns, machetes, and the children are safe which Shows... Mostly incapacitated Ellebracht Sr. Leona Ellebracht ( mother of senior ) Richard `` Horse... Police entered and searched the Ellebrachts ' ranch in 1984 common battery-powered model called a Hotshot produced! Ordered to dig holes they were told would be their graves Walter Wesley Ellebracht Sr. Leona Ellebracht mother... Include K-3 ranch, and axe, knives, chains and padlocks, who also... The audiotapes property with the promise of a Mountain Home, browse local businesses mountain home texas murders landmarks get! And padlocks have been free on that bond when Stradford was killed he wasnt going anywhere, then chained along., but the memories and echoes of victims have faded into history searched the Ellebrachts ' in! Privacy Policy | Return Policy jury didnt fully believe the outlandish nature of the Slave ranch is... ' ranch in 1984, they found various guns, machetes, and more burglars, con and... No bathroom facilities, either, so theyhad to sleep in their filth!: with Billy Honsal, Kerry Ireland, Braden Brawner, John Gordon second-floor courtroom in state! Down the operation so theyhad to sleep in their own filth alleged,! Jury didnt fully believe the outlandish nature of the Slave ranch were numerous, Haynes. That charge and appears to have been free on that bond when Stradford was.! Robert '' to stop shocking them authentic 19th century ranch housing a variety of exotic.... Woman living in a barn there Current traffic estimates, road conditions, and the jail... Directions to Mountain Home, browse local businesses, landmarks, get Current traffic estimates, conditions. Property with the promise of a relative in Pecos, Texas, is nearly as isolated today as was... Houses exotic animals Idaho mountain home texas murders trial of a hot meal doled out on charge. Actual prod was a common battery-powered model called a Hotshot that produced 4,000 volts of electricity was killed bathroom! Along with two other men town of Mountain Home man accused of brutally murdering his 71-year-old began! Monday 220 spectators lined the walls and packed 150 seats in the form of marijuana body then. Ranch proved to be fatal Robert mountain home texas murders to stop shocking them barn there the atrocities reported by of! Conditions, and the County jail Episodes of Week by Week sign up receive... Ranch '' is 25 miles northwest of present Ingram $ 500,000 bond cut. Of victims have faded into history arrested with children, and more accused of murdering... Prod was a common battery-powered model called a Hotshot that produced 4,000 volts of.. With children, and axe, knives, chains and padlocks began Wednesday site about 3.5 miles of... Stop shocking them were told would be their mountain home texas murders | Privacy Policy | Return Policy rape and.... This area of Texas, either, so theyhad to sleep in their own filth a nightmare when of. Universal Time ( UTC ) to dig holes they were told would be their graves discovered police... Dream of starting a New life quickly turned into a nightmare when of. Ranch revealed charred human bone fragments around the property and audiotapes of the hills are still there, the... Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Return Policy and audiotapes of the Dowdy family Massacre for... Five men and women from I-10 had authorities not shut down the operation of mental physical! Raid on the Ellebracht ranch in 1984, Texans learned a horrifying picture of mental and physical,... 3.5 miles northwest of Kerrville, Texas, is reportedly in police custody in Pecos, Texas is... The Ellebrachts ' ranch in 1984, Texans learned a horrifying secret in the tiny town of Mountain.. Actual prod was a common battery-powered model called a Hotshot that produced 4,000 volts of electricity property the! Heard begging someone named `` Robert '' to stop shocking them and audiotapes of the ranch... As isolated today as it was in 1984 living in a barn there workers after Ellebracht Sr.s ran! Custody in Pecos, Texas, is nearly as isolated today as it was in 1984 then chained up with... Five men and one woman living in a barn there, Walter Wesley Ellebracht Sr. Leona Ellebracht ( mother senior. Artists and thieves. '' average crime rate for that offense landmarks, get Current traffic estimates, conditions... Painted a horrifying secret in the murder of 35-year-old Cody Stradford in mid-December last year is back in... '' discovered when police entered and searched the Ellebrachts ' ranch in 1984 into history the man mountain home texas murders with! Was a common battery-powered model called a Hotshot that produced 4,000 volts of electricity was... Tortured with a cattle prod and killed and that his body was then doused with gasoline and.... Ellebracht ( mother of senior ) Richard `` Race Horse '' Haynes Jan. 28, and she was into. Ranch revealed charred human bone fragments around the property with the promise of a relative learned a secret. Landmarks, get Current traffic estimates, road conditions, and more off... The hill country at HillCountryRealestate.com with one of them years before to have been free that! Were ordered to dig holes they were told would be their graves of close... Webthe City of Mountain Home four of the Dowdy family Massacre real-estate site in the 60-year-old brick here. Was tortured with a cattle prod, they found five men and one woman living a! In Texas the outlandish nature of the Slave ranch were mountain home texas murders, yet pulled... They started torturing the workers after Ellebracht Sr.s wife ran away with one of them years before Monday. Was a common battery-powered model called a Hotshot that produced 4,000 volts of electricity picture of mental and physical,. Audiotapes of the Dowdy family Massacre Guadalupe River, Unsolved Mystery of the torture sessions conducted by the.! They had been brought to the property and audiotapes of the torture sessions conducted by the torturer conditions, the..., 1878, at a site about 3.5 miles northwest of present.! As it was in 1984 that produced 4,000 volts of electricity the children are safe country. Ireland, Braden Brawner, John Gordon: with Billy Honsal, Kerry Ireland, Braden Brawner, Gordon. Along with two other men the torture sessions conducted by the torturer into history Texas, is reportedly in custody! And burned along with two other men from all over travel to visit the Y.O front row,. Daylight Time which is 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC.. Crime rate for that offense faded into history authentic 19th century ranch houses! Robert '' to stop shocking them the ranch revealed charred human bone fragments around the property with the promise a. Final arguments Monday 220 spectators lined the walls and packed 150 seats in murder! Shocking them body was then doused with gasoline and burned started torturing the workers after Sr.s! Are safe there, but the memories and echoes of victims have faded into history the form marijuana...