places to stay, tourism, events, lodging, and we feature Texas Hill Country info 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. Hendricks was arrested at a home along South Mt. Has the 'Zodiac Killer' just been identified? They weren't slaves.. They're both wonderful girls, and he was a wonderful father, Esensee said. He was just a young boy when his father and grandfather were arrested and their so-called Texas Slave Ranch was raided in 1984. He was in court with his client during her appearance on Monday. The torture sessions would last up to two hours and were usually supervised or carried out by Junior. His mother, Sharon Marino, 66, recalls the men always were barefoot and dirty when they came to town. Hamilton said the farmers took turns shocking Bates all over his body with a cattle prod until he died. Population:96 (2000) The ranchers were arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping and the case became widely known as "the Texas Slave Ranch.". 5-23-1986. He was just a young boy when his father and grandfather were arrested and their so-called Texas Slave Ranch was raided in 1984. Haynes fellow attorney, Dan Codgell, who helped defend the Ellebrachts, said of the case, It was some of the worst evidence I've ever seen. Cunningham was in a blue Elantra. They told stories of how the man who'd managed restaurants, waited tables and worked at odd jobs helped them through complicated situations. Investigators report Lindsey and Cunningham have allegedly admitted to acquaintances they both shot Stradford at some point during the episode. Stradfords body was found in a burned-out vehicle just off Old Arkana Road on Dec. 16 last year. The two Ellebracht men and 21-year-old Caldwell were arrested for conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping. Ironically, Cunningham was the victim of crime herself while sitting in the Texas jail awaiting extradition to Baxter County. Electronic court records show her with an active criminal case in Madison County. In the hardscrabble west, ranchers had to pull a living from the soil and hope the weather cooperated. now = new Date The Ranch is an authentic 19th century ranch housing a variety of exotic animals. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Police: Burley man committed home invasion, rape, other crimes, Man dies after falling into Snake River Canyon, UPS pilot's family files wrongful death lawsuit in Heyburn plane crash, Man who caused fatal crash in Twin Falls agrees to plea deal, 9 inducted into Southern Idaho Livestock Hall of Fame, Man chases would-be burglar from out of Twin Falls clubhouse, police say, Bull market: How a truck ride with a PRCA cowboy set up Jerome's Taylor for success, UPDATE: Idaho Sen. 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Bates was shocked by the cattle prod sometimes more than 30 times in a torture session, including shocks administered to his genitals and tongue. The new workers often stayed because they had no way out and had no one to contact or believed conditions might improve. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Vermont. The land isn't suitable because topsoil is shallow, as the area is laced with karst and rock just under the surface. The workers would shock him in the creek, while he was naked, with a bar of soap in his mouth. All of his crimes were committed in Baxter County, although he had apparently been living in Little Rock for some period in the recent past. They offer 3-hour guided tours of the 50,00 acre ranch. The dog, which he'd taken in as a favor to a friend, suffered a broken leg. They were arrested in south Texas near the U.S./Mexico border about 900 miles south of Mountain Home and have been locked up in the Hidalgo County, Texas jail. In the 1970s and 80s, the Ellebrachts recruited the men knowing they wouldnt be missed, and wouldnt be believed. Most of the information is sealed by court order. He has been locked up in the local jail and the state prison system. 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. 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. Wesley Sr. and his son, along with whatever foreman they had on hand, recruited men who hitchhiked along the nearby interstate corridor, telling them theyd offer a hot meal and bed in exchange for labor. 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. They needed labor to keep their key-chain factory going. The worst infraction was being unable to work, a fate that befell Bates. Hendricks faces first-degree murder, kidnapping and second-degree battery charges. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Return Policy. He was told he wasnt going anywhere, then chained up along with two other men. News Researcher Lauren Brown contributed to this report. According to reports, the vehicle appeared to have been there for some time. I knew what I was doing; I had options. When he started to walk away the next morning, he was accosted with ranch hands carrying rifles. Hed take me on tours, and everybody was smoking, the sawdust was so deep. 295 RANCHLAND DR , TX 78058. The reality for many was imprisonment in a bunkhouse and torture with a cattle prod for the slightest mistake. The decision to change his name in hopes of distancing himself from the ranch didn't last long, Walls said. The Chicago mayorslammed Abbott for the inhumane and dangerous effort. Olive Street in Siloam Springs Dec. 19 last year. We are born and bred in The Restaurateur Joe Marino Jr. said his parents bought the Ellebrachts' key chains for a quarter and sold them for 35 cents at their former business, Big Joe's Country Store, for years. He has been locked up in the state prison system and the county jail. He said that he saw so much bad in the world that he wanted to look for the good.. Read her complete series atwww.pointofimpacttx.org. of all manners. Everybody says I'm a strong person for what I've been through. Wes' eldest daughter, Elizabeth Toby Ellebracht, 18, who'd been living with him in Fredericksburg, has moved in with the couple since his death. Not long after, Ellebracht Sr. and Jr. were torturing Bates, with help from the workers, who picked on him because they disliked his temperament and the fact that he couldn't do hard labor after he was injured by a chain saw, according to trial testimony. Caldwell, who now lives in a mobile home on San Antonio's South Side, said that after a fire destroyed the factory, workers chopped wood to be sold in San Antonio. On Tuesday, officers were sent to a. During the trial, testimony from former workers painted a horrifying picture of mental and physical torture, rape and death. The recovered tape wasnt the only one. Lindsey is, by far, the best known locally of those charged with the Stradford murder. According to the information filed in the case, Hendricks had a firearm as well as methamphetamine, heroin, ecstasy and fentanyl with her when arrested. McFadden was the principle suspect in all three murders, but he was only charged with Suzanne's death. The Ellebrachts, descendants of Germans who settled the Hill Country in the 1880s, had inherited land with a robust spring. Brazil attempted to flee but was found hiding in weeds by tracking dogs from the Arkansas Department of Correction. The land isnt suitable because topsoil is shallow, as the area is laced with karst and rock just under the surface. Roslyn is family-oriented and loves spending time with her fianc and chihuahua Paco. According to the probable cause affidavit in the gun case, the weapon is the one that was in Lindseys possession when he was arrested in Texas. According to investigators, officers found the body inside a home in southwest Mountain Home while investigating a missing person's case. 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Walter Ellebracht Sr. received probation, Walter Jr. remained free while his 15-year sentence was appealed and Caldwell served less than three years of his 14-year sentence. When authorities showed up, they found people there that were being enslaved and tortured. See pricing and listing details of Mountain Home real estate for sale. 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. In 1878, the family packed up their belongings and headed off to start their homestead in the hills of the Texas Hill Country. 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. 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The drifters later would find they'd be forced to work at gunpoint, abused and held against their will. 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. Walter Wesley EllebrachtSr. and his extended family had lived in Mountain Home, TX,for generations, and they were known as decent folk. The DPS report did not indicate if the Elantra had been reported stolen. 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.''. There are several other property owners now around us, but there's nobody around from that era. The victim also has not been publicly identified. Erica Hernandez, Digital Journalist/Courthouse Reporter. Caldwell was no longer needed, and in March, one of the Ellebrachts dropped him off at a truck stop with $20. Ellebracht key chains were selling at a premium, $2. On July 29, an autopsy concluded Ruiz was murdered. Finally, in 1984, the authorities raided the property on a tip. Their pool of cheap labor in the surrounding area was small, so they found crews from nearby I-10. Mark Allen Hamilton, a former ranch foreman, testified about how the Ellebrachts liberally used the cattle prod for both discipline and torture. 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. Ellebracht Sr. received probation, his son Walter stayed free during a 15-year sentence due to appeals and Caldwell only served less than three years of his 14-year sentence. According to criminal information filed in the case, Hendricks was alleged to have had the drugs and weapon in Madison County on July 19. 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. What happened at the Texas Slave Ranch? Men held as slaves at the ranch endured a variety of tortures. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. But something strange began happening on their ranch in the late 1970s and into the 1980s. This page is not available in other languages. The ranch was raided in 1984 and the operation shut down. Sutton prosecuted Ellebracht Sr. and Jr. and Caldwell, and the workers became state witnesses in exchange for immunity from prosecution. She graduated from Del Mar College with an Associate's degree in political science and liberal arts. 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. For years before the raid, Ellebracht Jr., his then-wife Joyce and Ellebracht Sr. peddled carved, wooden key chains to dozens of stores near their 3,500-acre ranch in Mountain Home, about 20 miles northwest of Kerrville. Bones found at the site were determined to be those of a young adult male. Walter Wesley Ellebracht III spent his life trying to overcome memories of the horrors that happened in the 1980s at his familys Texas Slave Ranch.. Their capture is toldthrough variousmedia reportsand their arrests were mainly because one man was lucky enough to escape. Police were called to a home in the. 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. According to reports, the vehicle appeared to have been there for some time. Menu. The ranch was raided in 1984 and the operation shut down. He was found guilty and ultimately executed by the state of Texas in 1999. When asked to help pay for his son's burial, Ellebracht Jr. reportedly told relatives to let the county worry about it, his ex-wife said. We used cedar because it burns fast and strong. He hitchhiked to San Antonio and found work at a restaurant, where he saw the raid on TV. 'Texas Slave Ranch' offspring made the best of life. 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. True stories from Mountain Home lay out the chilling details. Slave Ranch Trial-Kerr County courthouse, witness Dennis "Pete" Johnson . FREDERICKSBURG He was only 9 when the law raided his family's Kerr County homestead in 1984 and their surname, Ellebracht, became synonymous with kidnapping and torture, and their sprawling. James Waybern Hall: The murderer known as "Big Jim" killed 4 people, including his wife, in Arkansas between 1944 and 1945. They werent slaves. Pastor and retired builder Joe Smith, speaking of Ellebracht Sr., his neighbor and friend. All Rights Reserved. Generator vs power station: Which one is right for you? It was a way to take out frustration, but there was no premeditated murder.. 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.. One of the victims, Travis Boyd, told investigators they were tortured with cattle prods and chained in the barn at night. I don't think even (Ellebracht) Jr. knew how much abuse he was going through, Caldwell said. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. mountain home texas murders. He was just a young boy when his father and grandfather were arrested and their so-called Texas Slave Ranch was raided in 1984. On the tape, voices can be heard begging someone named "Robert" to stop shocking them. In addition to the charges stemming from the murder, she has a criminal case open in Madison County. Daniel Ruiz-Ortiz is in the custody of the Elmore County Sheriffs Office and remains in the Elmore County Jail on a $2 million bond, according to a news release posted on the city of Mountain Homes Facebook page Monday afternoon. appley manor christmas menu; damian seth azariah echols age; Contact Us. 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. Boyd last remembered a knife held to his throat before he lost consciousness. He always wanted me to invest in his key chain idea, but I never did. Investigators report the vehicle appeared to have been at the location for several days before being discovered. Its 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. They didnt buy that a well-respected ranch family, whose neighbors testified on their behalf, could engage in such activities right under their noses. Mountain Home Police were investigating a stabbing death that involved a mother and son Sunday night. Benton County sheriffs deputies and agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Hendricks in mid-December last year at her residence in Siloam Springs.