His wife of 35 years died on the comair plane crash at the bluegrass airport in 2006 where 49 south bound people perished. Kentucky, also known as the bluegrass state, is known for its horses, bourbon, and beautiful scenery. Sharp and other unidentified people began planning the conspiracy in july 1985. Thornton ii, his associates, and their actions during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, is from this source, unless otherwise indicated. Beshears continuing connection with criminal defendants. The case figures prominently in a book, the bluegrass conspiracy.
Wrd 110 final project the bluegrass conspiracy yourmochila. When kentucky blueblood drew thornton parachuted to his death in september 1985carrying thousands in cash and 150 pounds of cocainethe gruesome end of his startling. Many books have been written regarding these happenings, one of which, sally dentons the bluegrass conspiracy, i have used as research for the writing of this piece, and all information regarding andrew c. Sources in the lexington pd say the organization still operates today, over 30 years later.
Lexington, though a diverse and alluring city in many ways, has not always had a sparkling reputation. Have you read the book or know anyone that was involved with this. The bluegrass hills were vibrant under the strong september sun as hundreds made their way past the bourbon county gravesite. Its fitting because ours is a kind of music that has been systematically denied massmarket exposure for decades, and i suppose thats just a coincidence. Bobby and melanies mother, ella ritchey flynn, believe canan was involved in their. I was around and knew a lot of the lexington bunch. The mourners, by most accounts, made up a whos who in kentucky. This scandal has been called by many the bluegrass conspiracy, a term coined from sally dentons book that details the events of the scandal and the lives of those involved. While the subjects of her books at first glance seem disparate, they are actually unified by a central theme of the exploration. The mystery of kentucky state senator, bobby flynns daughter, melanie flynn, remains unsolved. There are no mint juleps or pampered folks wilting on their porches.
An inside story of power, greed, drugs, and murder by sally denton and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Ralph ross got nailed for illegally bugging henry vance. Curious to know if anyone remembers anything about that time. November 28, 2007 henry vance loses appeal remember former state house member and bluegrass conspiracy actor henry vance. We have our conspiracy theories in the world of bluegrass music, too, im happy to say. The bluegrass conspiracy is a widely told story about crime and corruption in the lexington police force in the 1980s. Im from kentucky so it was interesting reading about something that happened in your own backyard. But even less cerebral shows have a way of inspiring some absolutely bonkers ideas. The son of carter and peggy thornton of threave main stud farm in southern bourbon county, kentucky, thornton grew up living a privileged life in the lexington, kentucky, area and attended the prestigious. A wildly popular thread on the lexington, kentucky topix forum filled with facts, theories, and inevitably fiction, titled the bluegrass conspiracy a reference to sally dentons book the bluegrass conspiracy. Read how the rich boys of the lexington elite whos who get away with drug deals and hush up both the press and local police.
Uniquely kentucky dives into the bluegrass conspiracy with sally. When kentucky blueblood drew thornton parachuted to his death in september 1985carrying thousands in cash and 150 pounds of cocainethe gruesome end of his startling life blew open a scandal that reached to the most secret circles of the u. The story of thornton was examined in dominick dunnes power, privilege, and justice and in sally dentons the bluegrass conspiracy. Im reading it for the 2nd time to pick up on info i missed the first time.
Pictures drew thornton found dead on mans driveway after jumping from plane left, drew thornton right, melanie flynn who first drew attention to thornton after her disappearance, bottom. Bluegrass conspiracies pop up again bluegrass today. The book bluegrass conspiracy reads like a great movie thriller, but this is all true to life and a wellresearched story. I left kentucky in 1983 and developed what i had uncovered during my threeyear stint there into the book the bluegrass conspiracy.
The bluegrass conspiracy 1990 edition open library. It would have been impossible to predict that henry vance and bill canan. Buy the bluegrass conspiracy book online at best prices in india on. Bluegrass conspiracy tale never gets old lexington. The inside story of power, greed, drugs and murder by sally denton should be a prerequisite read. A unique variety of people make up the population, from tobacco farmers to entrepreneurs and lawyers. It profiles the preppie mafia from the seventies and eighties in lexington. The bluegrass conspiracy was a multimillion dollar drug ring involving well connected members of the lexington community and the police force. Andrew carter thornton ii october 30, 1944september 11, 1985 was a former narcotics. The bluegrass conspiracy by sally denton and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Well, hes lost his appeal to get his kentucky insurance license back.
Interest in the flynn mystery surged this spring after one of the books principals, former lexington police officer bill canan, was arrested on federal drug charges. Police taking a closer look at famous missing person case. Melanie was working as an informant when she mysteriously disappeared. The discovery of andrew thorntons body in knoxville, tennessee really shed light on the corruption that was present in the lexington police department. Each month, well announce the next book club selection. An inside story of power, greed, drugs and murder 498. Below are the links to days of research i have done on the topic. I thought for sure this would stop once he was elected. These are books with dirty fingernails, gravel roads, injury, illness. Nobody could make up a story like this one with a straight face, but this is apparently all true. Secret scandals in lexington, kentucky mariapienkowski. I should state that the book the blue grass conspiracy. A lot of characters and hard to keep up with who is who.
Books similar to the bluegrass conspiracy goodreads. Canan, 63, is a former narcotics detective with the lexington police department, where he. The bluegrass conspiracy by sally denton avon 1990 363. Police taking a closer look at famous missing person case that inspired the bluegrass conspiracy book. There are many biased stories, accounts, and rumors regarding the conspiracy, but personally, i am unsure if anybody knows the truth. Summary of plot the bluegrass conspiracy is about what happened with drew thornton, bill. Andrew carter thornton ii october 30, 1944september 11, 1985 was a former narcotics officer and lawyer who became the head member of the company, a drug smuggling ring in kentucky. Soto was charged with conspiracy and aiding and abetting those attempting to import and distribute cocaine.
An inside story of power, greed, drugs and murder by sally denton 1990 stated first edition hardcover in dust jacket 334 pages including index. Henry vance appeals his conviction of conspiring to transport a firearm in interstate commerce with knowledge that it was to be used to commit murder. An inside story of power, greed, drugs and murder contained a short, obscure statement from an anonymous author referencing a huge london, ky connection in regards to the. I found it so interesting that such things happened in and around lexington in the 80s. Bluegrass conspiracy tale never gets old lexington herald leader. Mindbending shows like lost and westworld bring out the conspiracy theorist in all of us. Martha layne collins 198387 one of the nations first six female governors, ms. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. An inside story of power, greed, drugs and murder, published in 1990. The main director of the bluegrass conspiracy, andrew thornton iii, was the only one who truly suffered any consequences. Flynn, melanie d, january 25,1977 page 2 porchlight. Her brother doug played for the cincinnati reds and new york mets at the time. Rotten roots of the bluegrass viceandsuicideinthebluegrass. Sally denton came around and gathered a few facts and made up a whole lot of the rest of the stuff in the bluegrass conspiracy.
The city of lexington, kentucky, has made major changes since the 1970s and 1980s. Collins chaired the democratic national convention one year and was considered for the vice presidential nomination eventually taken up by geraldine ferraro of new york. Of all the people involved in the illegal drug ring also known as the bluegrass conspiracy, very few were ever punished. It is the topic of the bluegrass conspiracy, sally dentons 1990 truecrime classic. February 2021 choosing books for 2021 tuesday, march 9, 2021 catch and kill ronan farrow. Doubleday publishers i found this book to be quite entertaining and a very interesting read. Key members of bluegrass conspiracy died within days of each other. The bluegrass conspiracy by sally denton goodreads. Imagine an eclectic mix of people coming together for good food and stimulating conversation about a recently published book. Especially curious about the unsolved disappearance of melanie flynn. Find books like the bluegrass conspiracy from the worlds largest community of readers. The bluegrass conspiracy by sally denton, 1990, doubleday edition, in english 1st ed.
Rosss pursuit of the three men, particularly vance, cost him his career with the kentucky state police in 1982. There will be heavy use of quotation marks throughout the rest of this column. Hes been quite successful, even though implicated in much of the cover up documented in ms. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. During the last smuggling from columbia, thornton dropped packages of cocaine over georgia and then jumped. When the story of the illfated pursuit was told in the book the bluegrass conspiracy three years ago, ross was catapulted to near hero status. Denton is an awardwinning investigative reporter, author, and historian who has written a number of books, including, the bluegrass. During this time period many corruptions were going on within the major families and the major businesses that shouldnt have been involved with the scandal but more or less have been trying to stop the scandal. Buy the bluegrass conspiracy book online at low prices in. I reported here during the election about steve beshears connections with various convicted criminals and criminal defendants.
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