An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. All of my condolences go out to his family. Andrew Tyler "Drew" Thornton, 19, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, passed away on August 27, 2021 at his residence. The .38-caliber "wadcutter" bullets didn't penetrate his bulletproof vest. Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. in the chapel of Parrish Funeral Home in Selma, with the burial to follow in the Hills of the Neuse Memory Gardens in Smithfield. Failed to delete flower. Try again later. "He was recuperating from wounds he had received in the Dominican Republic, where he had really come into his own as a paratrooper. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. "As a policeman, Andrew could walk the edge only so long before it became routine. 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. The mourners, by most accounts, made up a Who's Who in Kentucky aristocracy, a crowd of lawyers, socialites and politicians. He was 40 when he died. He. Love you. 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. Drag images here or select from your computer for Andrew Carter Drew Thornton II memorial. He was carrying a green Army duffel bag containing 88 pounds of cocaine valued at $15 million, $4,500 in cash, six 0.1 ounce gold Krugerrands (a South African gold coin that accounted for 90% of the global gold coin market by 1980), knives, and two pistols. Commander Dr. O.W. He also loved grilling chicken for folks and riding the grandkids on his lawn mower. Andrew "Drew" Thornton was also detailed in a Discovery Channel double-length episode of "The FBI Files" named "Dangerous Company" in 2003. Where Is He Going, The True Story of Popes Exorcist Gabriele Amorth, The Real Story Behind Netflixs Transatlantic, The True Story of the Michael Jordan Film Air, Michael Jordans Two Requests for The Movie Air, Tetris Creator Alexey Pajitnov Got No Royalties, Actors in the 1993s Super Mario Bros. Hated It, The Mandalorian Features Jar Jar Binks Actor. Who Was Andrew Thornton? Generous Blessings be upon you all. The latitude of Saint-Martin-d'Hres, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France is 45.167198, and the longitude is 5.765300.Saint-Martin-d'Hres, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France is located at France country in the Towns place category with the gps coordinates of 45 10' 1.9128'' N and 5 45' 55.0800'' E. The irony is lost on him. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. 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. "He would have loved the concept of the warriors who fall from the sky.". Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Andrew Thornton was born on October 28, 1972 (age 50) in England. 0 cemeteries found in Paris, Bourbon County, Kentucky, USA. "He went onto the police force so he could do battle. They weren't in it for the money alone." The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. GREAT NEWS! Andrew Tyler Thornton Obituary 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. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. 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 adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Andrew was the son of Alferino and Secundina DeHerrera from Roy, New Mexico. At the time of his arrest, he was wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a pistol. 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. Thornton was arrested as a fugitive in North Carolina, where he had fled to. The Dignity Memorial online obituary search tool gives you access to obituaries from thousands of locations across North America. [11] Thornton is played by Matthew Rhys. "He went out like an eagle scout," Zairing says of Thornton's death. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Andrew Thornton (63367160)? 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. We have set your language to For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. A funeral service for Robert will be held Monday, May 15, 2023 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Swan-Law Robert Valdez Sr., age 67, of Denver, Colorado passed away on Monday, April 24, 2023. He had become increasingly paranoid. Thats right. Drew was a lifeguard, pharmacy tech student, pro-level gamer, volleyball player, and talented pool player. He was born June 11, 2002 in Lynchburg, Virginia. ", In his pocket were three epigrams. Shirley Lou Brown, age 95, of Broomfield, Colorado passed away on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. Drew was a lifeguard, pharmacy tech student, pro-level gamer, volleyball player, and talented pool player. To enemies, he was ruthless, egotistical, amoral -- driven by an ego so fragile he overcompensated with machismo. "He had trouble understanding that." Please try again later. Other items in the garment bag included clothes and a map of Jamaica. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Andrew Tyler Thornton to show support. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. He participated in the 1965 U.S. invasion of the Dominican Republic and received a Purple Heart for his service. He is the author of two true crime books: Love Me or Else and Fatal Jealousy. Prichard and Thornton were fellow acolytes at St. Peter's Episcopal church and car-pooled to Sayre School. So was James Lambert, once a prominent Lexington businessman who is now awaiting sentencing on a recent federal cocaine distribution conviction. This is a carousel with slides. She was preceded in death by her parents, Reynaldo and Esperanza Abeto, her sister Teresita Dimalanta, and her husband, James Stephen Litz. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He also attended law school at night and received a law degree in 1976, though he never practiced law. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. 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. When he graduated, he joined the Army, where he became a paratrooper. Thornton's life began to take several directions. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Failed to delete memorial. [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.) She is survived by brother Patrick Anthony Thornton (Ann), her daughter Kathryn Gaynor Anderson Porter, her son Edward Thornton Anderson (Blair) and her daughter Virginia Littleton Anderson Stone (Tim) She is also survived by her five cherished grandchildren; Mary Winslow Anderson, Edward Thornton Anderson, Jr., Anderson Ellis Stone, Grace Littleton Stone and step grandson Ian Patrick Stone. She said Thornton had trouble reconciling the paradoxes of his life. A memorial service for Grace will be held Saturday, May 13, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Olinger Robert Ray Gage Sr., age 69, of Northglenn, Colorado passed away on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Thornton pleaded not guilty to the charges, then proceeded to flee the state. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. (He later joined the Lexington law firm of an old friend, Harold Slone, but he never actually practiced law.) . [1] He pled no contest in Fresno to a misdemeanor drug charge and the felony charges were dropped. Police concluded the shooting had been staged by Thornton to persuade the California judge that his life would be endangered should he be incarcerated. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Betty Zairing says Thornton thought of himself as a purist, an innocent. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. Unfortunately, theres hardly anything else known about Andrew C. Thornton II from 1981 until 1985 at the time of his death. He was predeceased by : his grandfather Roger Thornton; and his aunt Rebecca Stone (Thornton). I have so many fond memories staying up till the early AMs of the morning be it winning, losing, raging, or laughing. Kathleen Diane Rosa 10/26/1955 - 04/24/2023 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. "They shared the same mentality, the same paranoia. The death that best summed up the contradictions of the sort of life Thornton led, all the philosophical and cultural reversals, was that of Harold Wade Brown, former head of the DEA office in Kentucky. She was a university coed, a beauty from Shelby County. He was also preceded in death by his only son Donald Andrew "Andy" Thornton II and step-son Roger Douglas . You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. I know youre all beautiful people. Ryan Moore horse jockey. Mary moved to Dallas, Texas in 1965 to become a flight attendant for Braniff Airlines. "I fell in love with him as a romantic hero," she says. 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. Thornton was an obedient child who didn't get into trouble, and he had a privileged upbringing. A private burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery. This man had known Brown and Thornton for many years, had watched them go from one side of law enforcement to the other. He was a loyal friend and much beloved son. His death, however, makes for an interesting story on its own. "Andrew always made sure I had whatever I needed.". 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. That was indeed Thornton's credo, according to those who knew him best. There is a problem with your email/password. Thornton's upbringing wasn't typical of a career criminal. Born in 1944, to a well-off family and raised on a thoroughbred farm in Bourbon County, Kentucky, he joined. 1801 Baltic Ave, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. According to numerology, Andrew Thornton's Life Path Number is 3. . She was born February 15, 1935 to Mary Meehl Thornton and William Littleton Thornton, Sr. She attended Cathedral of St. Paul Elementary School, John Carroll High School and graduated from The University of Alabama where she was a member of the Phi Mu sorority. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Make sure that the file is a photo. "There was absolutely nothing startling about Andrew's youth that would be a prologue to the current circumstances. There is no photo or video of Andrew Tyler Thornton.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. "They were cowboys," said a friend of both Thornton and Brown, who asked that his name not be used. He will forever be missed. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. cemeteries found in Paris, Bourbon County, Kentucky, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. They were lifelong friends; they traveled in the same social circles and attended the Sewanee Military Academy together. She was a member of St. Andrew by the Sea Catholic Church, Corpus Christi Tennis Association (CCTA), Corpus Christi Womens Golf Association (CCWGA) and the Shriners Club. 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. Mr. Thornton was born in Plainfield, NJ and lived most of his life in Paris,. Andrew Thornton Obituary (1939 - 2022) - Sacramento, CA - The Sacramento Bee Andrew "Sonny" Thornton Jr. May 4, 1939 - December 16, 2022 Sacramento, California - Andrew "Sonny" Thornton. Learn more about merges. Donations can be made over the phone by calling Cherie at Tennis Success at 361-696-4070 or made by mail to Ludie Litz Scholarship Fund c/o Tennis Success PO Box 71647, Corpus Christi, TX 78467. To plant Memorial Trees in memory of William "Bill" Edmon Thornton, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Andrew and Bertha moved their young family to the Louisville, KY area where Jim lived most of his life. In some extreme cases, the crew members put the plane on automatic pilot, dump the drugs, and bail out, Times John S. Demott wrote in 1985. He considers it almost reasonable, suggesting that neither ever left the DEA but became smugglers to better infiltrate narcotics organizations. 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. He attended Florida State University and was a devoted Seminoles fan. If you are a fan of Andrew Thornton, tell us more about Him Andrew Thornton Fans Also Viewed. My heart breaks for you Andrew and your loved ones. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. 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 . 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 affiliation between Thornton and the DEA intrigues cops who try to understand Thornton's shift from narc to drug smuggler. In the three years following his conviction, Thornton was sought by various jurisdictions for questioning, usually in connection with what police termed vendetta deaths -- with all the victims connected to various Thornton enterprises. But there are some who feel it was the most appropriate way for him to go. On September 11th, 1985, Thornton was on a smuggling run from Colombia when he jumped from his autopiloted Cessna 404. Their association began in the early 1970s when Thornton worked closely with the DEA. He felt smug in his survivability, his elusiveness, his discretion and his insulation. [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. He attended a prestigious private school in his youth and joined a military academy to become a paratrooper, as reported by The Liberator. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. She was preceded in death by her parents, Reynaldo and Esperanza Abeto, her sister Teresita Dimalanta, and her husband, James Stephen Litz. He was charged with piloting into the Lexington airport a DC4 loaded with tons of marijuana. 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. He regularly carried a gun, claimed to be a martial arts master, bragged about killing a German shepherd with his bare hands, and described himself as an expert at skydiving from heights of below 2,000 feet, according to The Washington Post. (19 years old). Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? August 27, 2021 [4] Thornton became caught in his parachute and ended up in a free fall to the ground. In 1977 Bryant formed a private security company called Executive Protection Ltd. Thirteen floral arrangements decorated the rural cemetery, including one from the deceased's most recent girlfriend, signed, "I will always love you, Rebecca.". He worked for his father, training racehorses, before joining the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Police Department in 1968. [1], Four years later, he was among 25 men accused in Fresno, California, in a theft of weapons from the China Lake Naval Weapons Center and of conspiring to smuggle 1,000 pounds of marijuana into the United States. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Sally Ann Denton, a former TV and wire service reporter, covered part of the Thornton story in Kentucky. Annette will always be remembered for her tireless, unwavering strength and faith towards the recovery of her beloved eldest daughter Gaynor. Immediate Family: Son of James Murray Thornton and Willa Mae Thornton. To friends, Thornton was a man of loyalty, religious conviction, enchanting charm, keen intelligence and supreme self-confidence. The federal grand jury in Fresno investigated charges that Brown had thwarted the probe of the DC4 piloted by Thornton. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. For me Drew was my favorite person to spend my time with online. After his apprehension, U.S. marshals transported Thornton to Fresno for his arraignment, where he posted $75,000 in cash and a $1 million personal surety bond, secured by his interest in three racehorses. Funeral arrangement under the care ofAltmeyer Funeral Homes & Crematory. Thornton, Tom Tom Thornton, age 71, of Saranac, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, September 12, 2020. Cliff Pike of the tiny Episcopal church in Paris, Ky., said in his eulogy. Select boxes below to reduce the number of results. Andrew Thornton Obituary. When he eventually left the Army, he became a Lexington police officer on the narcotics task force. She is a private investigator in Washington. Nearby cities and villages : Grenoble, Gires and Poisat. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. He is preceded His body was found about 6-8 hours later in the backyard of a Knoxville, Tennessee residents house. "He believed he was an 'impeccable warrior,' " said Betty Zairing, Thornton's former wife, referring to a term penned by mystical author Carlos Castaneda. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhighland.com for the Atencio family. Oops, something didn't work. Perhaps more than anyone, Thornton would have appreciated the absurdity of his death. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Drug smuggling was a natural transition for him. This poor, unsuspecting bear stumbled upon 88 pounds of cocaine that had been dropped by Thornton during his freefall. Parrish & Underwood Funeral Homes and Cremations. Born December 27, 1948 in Radford, he was the son of the late James Isaac Thornton and Iva Annie Cressel Thornton. "He Thornton was very fond of the words of the Oriental philosopher who said, 'Man can overcome any obstacle if he knows in his heart that he must and in his mind that he shall,' " the Rev. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. based on information from your browser. Available Information : Postal address, Phone, #COM# #TYPE_COMMUNE# office fax number, Website, Email address, Mayor, Geographical coordinates, Population, Altitude, Area, Weather and Hotel. 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. And also way funnier.. She taught music and kindergarten for many years at Highlands Day School and will be remembered by many as "Miss Annette". These real-life events from 1985 were the inspiration behind the .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Elizabeth Banksdirected action-comedy movie Cocaine Bear, which hits theaters today. His body was found laying next to his reserve parachute with his main parachute unopened. ", A fellow police officer describes Thornton as an "edge walker" -- a thrill seeker motivated by danger. Within days of his arrest, several federal agencies joined the investigation, and a few months later 25 individuals were indicted in Fresno, Calif., and charged with conspiracy to import and distribute marijuana and to steal government property from the China Lake Naval Base. Robert L. Williams' Cowboys Caravan looks into the death of his son David, and his skydiving relationship with Drew Thornton. How Thornton would have felt about his untimely death and less-than-flattering portrayal in Cocaine Bear is anybodys guess. He later retreated from that story but continued to create the impression he was sanctioned by the CIA. Hugs to you all during this difficult time. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? The bag that had carried the cocaine becomes the focus of a mystery roughly 30 years later. Thornton attended law school at night and received his law degree in 1976. Drew was a very bright person when I met him online during a CSGO pug. He also attended University of Kentucky Law School. 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. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. 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. [3][failed verification], After resigning from the police in 1977, Thornton practiced law in Lexington.
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