Wes' eldest daughter, Elizabeth Toby Ellebracht, 18, who'd been living with him in Fredericksburg, has moved in with the couple since his death. The population has increased 11 percent since 2000. 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. The land isn't suitable because topsoil is shallow, as the area is laced with karst and rock just under the surface. These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. William Lesley Rushing. snoopy happy dance emoji 8959 norma pl west hollywood ca 90069 8959 norma pl west hollywood ca 90069 theYear=theYear+1900 The Ellebrachts, descendants of Germans who settled the Hill Country in the 1880s, had inherited land with a robust spring. day! Join the discussion on our new social platform Texjas.com! , Enhanced typesetting Elmore County Sheriff's Detectives and Elmore County Special Response Team . She's currently the court reporter and cohost of the podcast Texas Crime Stories. Caldwell went on to report in a 20-page confession to the FBI that after Bates died, weakened by weeks of regular torture sessions, he and another worker burned his body in a homemade funeral pyre while playing theJohnny Cashhit Ring of Fire. They deposited the few bones that didnt burn, along with the ashes, into two 55-gallon drums. Below National Average. MOUNTAIN HOME A Mountain Home man was arrested Thursday night on charges of solicitation of murder. by Brianna Kwasnik | December 18, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. Police lights. Pat was laid to rest at Mountain View Cemetery on Friday, January 13, 2023.Arrangements were under the care of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel. When a huge posse of law enforcement from federal, state and local jurisdictions raided the ranch on April 6, 1984, the Ellebrachts denied wrongdoing. Among the six people arrested and charged, only family members served prison time. 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 property given the nickname Texas Slave Ranch.. Despite these facts, the tragedy was still believed to be at the hands of an Indian raid, and to this dayis alsoconsidered the last Indianmassacre in Texas. Well, look no further. The work was hard, but he was used to manual labor. One day investigators got a tip that hitchhikers were being abducted on I-10 and lured to Ellebrachts ranch. The two had initially entered not guilty pleas. Deputies responded to reports of Mountain Home is safer than 43% of the cities in the United States. When several survivor-witnesses reported they slept in the dirt, lived in extreme heat and cold, and were chained up at night, the statements had minimal impact on the jury. 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. Ronan Rouge looks back through history to examine unusual cases of true crime. Walter Wesley Ellebracht Sr. (from left), Walter Wesley Ellebracht Jr., Leona Ellebracht, the young Walter Wesley Ellebracht III, attorney Richard Racehorse Haynes and Joyce Ellebracht are seen in 1986. Twins, Lesbian Lover Unravel Texas Murder. Merrill still. A 44-year-old man has been arrested in Oregon in the cold case murder of a young woman in Arkansas 16 years ago. Mountain Home (zip 78058) violent crime is 14.7. Hill Country, and we welcome you to our family. 1196 THRILL HILL , TX 78058 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. Mountain House For Sale. The rate of crime in Mountain Home is 35.03 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. px6 rk3399 recovery mode buena vista funeral home brownsville obituaries ohrid population 2021. mountain home, texas murders. The sparks came from an electric cattle prod used by the torturer. He taught me that family isn't really the people that are blood, but those who accept you for who you are.. The film stars Jason Connery, C. Thomas Howell, Dennis Hopper, Greg Evigan, and Michael Madsen. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Your risk of being a victim of property crime is 1 in 33. Mountain Home, Idaho, May 25, 2022 - At 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 3, 2022, representatives from Ginn Group and the City of Mountain Home will celebrate the groundbreaking of the Turner House Depot planned community at the corner of NW Marathon Way and Elmcrest Street. Then cops found disturbing clues that ultimately put her on death row. The . There was a problem loading your book clubs. : Texas Hill Country. Continue Reading. The City of Mountain Home is located in Kerr County in the State of Texas.Find directions to Mountain Home, browse local businesses, landmarks, get current traffic estimates, road conditions, and more.The Mountain Home time zone is Central Daylight Time which is 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). He was born March 31, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Bruno and Sophie Burde. Their pool of cheap labor in the surrounding area was small, so they found crews from nearby I-10. Firefighters responded to reports of smoke rising from a yogurt shop on West Anderson Lane. See the table on nearby places below for nearby cities. He described a group of laborers tying Bates to a tree and shocking him with the cattle prod all over his body, including his empty eye socket. There are several other property owners now around us, but there's nobody around from that era. The dog, which he'd taken in as a favor to a friend, suffered a broken leg. I tried to teach him right from wrong.. There is still debate over whether Potter really had a hand in the raid or not. Violent crimes in Mountain Home are 8% lower than the national average. According to UPI.com, Hamilton stated he observed other victims being forced to use the cattle prod on each other. : theYear=theYear+1900 (Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved. 17.28% HIGHER. Their lawyer was Richard "Racehorse" Haynes, one of the best in the state. East Mountain, TX Real Estate & Homes For Sale. Hamilton, along with four other witnesses who gave depositions, noted Bates died from the prolonged torture on a dirty floor in the barn. It's 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. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. A woman seen riding with Williams was identified Tuesday as Amanda Noverr, 32, also of Utah. 155 RANCHLAND DR , TX 78058. The US Marshals Service is conducting a fugitive . Learn more. Those arrests include Howard Blain Dudley, 54, of . Her eight-year-old brother Tyler was repeatedly stabbed with a samurai sword. He hitchhiked to San Antonio and found work at a restaurant, where he saw the raid on TV. Mrs. Dowdy rushed to the hillside and found her childrenpierced by arrows, mutilated by tomahawks, and shot. On a lunch break from cutting wood at a friend's home in Stonewall, Ellebracht III was en route to Fredericksburg on Jan. 20 when he either fell asleep or was distracted by a pit bull in his SUV and veered into oncoming traffic. 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. Nine years ago, her son won custody of Elizabeth and embraced single parenting, Esensee said. 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. A rescue . Mountain Home is in the 32nd percentile for safety, meaning 68% of cities are safer and 32% of cities are more dangerous. Murder Mystery: The Path of a Psychopath, Pt. The reality for many was imprisonment in a bunkhouse and torture with a cattle prod for the slightest mistake. Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho; Mogen, 21, of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho . Please try again. I don't think even (Ellebracht) Jr. knew how much abuse he was going through, Caldwell said. The Dowdy Family Massacre is still talked about in Texas and among various genealogy boards. . Walter Wesley Ellebracht III, the son of Jr and Joyce, was killed in an automobile accident Jan. 20 on Highway 290 just out side Fredericksburg. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. The positive identification of the remains of the victim was made by the Arkansas State Medical Examiner's Office in Little Rock. San Antonio Express-News On April 6, 1984, Texans learned a horrifying secret in the tiny town of Mountain Home. Teased and bullied as a child, Wes, as he was known, later would change his last name to try to elude the scandal. . Copyright 2008 - By upholding our Values, we promise to diligently uphold the laws that protect both life and property of the citizens of Mountain Home through fairness and consistency. 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. [2] 'Murder On The Orient Express' opens Aug. 6. Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved. But the guy was dead, and there was no bringing him back. James Patrick Finn (1/11/23) James Patrick Finn, "Pat", age 71, of Mountain Home, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 4, 2023, at his home with his loving wife, Roxanne, at his side. A few include K-3 Ranch, Deer Li Hunting Services, Crenweldge Ranch, Y.O. This is about 20 miles west of Kerrville. However, their dream of starting a new life quickly turned into a nightmare when four of the Dowdy children were brutally murdered. The average temperature in January is 33 and 78 in July. April 7, 2021 Mike Robertson Local News. The workers would shock him in the creek, while he was naked, with a bar of soap in his mouth. The ranchers were arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping and the case became widely known as "the Texas Slave Ranch.". 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. According to a news release from ASP, a local police officer shot and wounded 41-year-old Kevin Lee Donovan . 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.. Todd Steven Brooks. Shortly . Year over year crime in Mountain Home has decreased by 50%. In the background is Walter Wesley Ellebracht Sr. in front to the left is Walter Wesley Ellebracht Jr. in the middle is Richard "Race Horse" Haynes and to the left is Joyce Ellebracht. Authorities swarmed the ranch on April 6, and Ellebracht Sr., Junior, and Caldwell were tried for conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder. To try to desensitize the seven women and five men on the jury, Haynes played the torture tapes often and asked Cogdell to shock himself with a battery-operated cattle prod like the one the Ellebrachts used. Group says they have a strong suspect as the infamous killer. Frank Andrew Wilson (5/16/22) Frank Andrew Wilson, 61, of Mountain Home passed away suddenly on Sunday, May 8, 2022 at St. Luke's in Meridian. Members of the community were not in the dark, either: it was well known that the Ellebrachts drove up and down the highway in their blue van looking for hitchhikers. The closest similar sized city with FBI crime data is the city of , . Erica Hernandez is an Emmy award-winning journalist with15 years of experience in the broadcast news business. Oct 25, 2021 5:24pm. Every day of the widely publicized three-month trial, Sutton said, the 150 courtroom seats were filled with spectators, Wes among them. The Wesley Ellebracht Memorial Fund has been set up at Security State Bank in Fredericksburg to help an 18-year-old daughter who'd been living with him attend college. In 1990, the state bought 240 acres of the former ranch and the Ellebrachts' home, which has been used as temporary housing for the center's employees, including Bob Betsill, the research program director. $250 Million scam: Man steals millions from company to feed cows that didn't exist. The land isnt suitable because topsoil is shallow, as the area is laced with karst and rock just under the surface. The charts below are detailed crime statistics for . [2] Among the items seized in the search were human bone fragments and audiotapes of torture sessions in which a cattle prod can be heard as it is used to shock the victim. Key chains made at the Texas Slave Ranch still hang in a frame on a wall at Bills BBQ. Ellebracht Sr. had big ideas, but was too lazy to implement them, said Joe Smith, 68, a pastor and retired builder who was a friend and maintains the small cemetery in Mountain Home where he is buried. Texas Hill Country Facebook page is growing by over 1,000 fans per 5. That's -8.14% lower than the national rate of 387.8 per 100,000 people. Killed in a car crash at age 38, Wes went to his grave an Ellebracht, one who overcame the nightmares of his childhood. Nearby cities include Ingram, Hunt. The new workers often stayed because they had no way out and had no one to contact or believed conditions might improve. The torture went on for hours at a time, while Bates, handcuffed to a tree with his hands behind him, was zapped repeatedly on his tongue, genitals and empty eye socket with the cattle prod. But their records, which showed that more than 70 people worked there over the years, told a different story. The ranch hosts controlled hunting programs, a kids summer camp, and on site lodging and cabins. On the night of August 2, 1976, former college basketball star Stan Farr and his date, Priscilla Davis, a petite . The Esensees' home is in foreclosure. Later a witness, Sheri Hamilton, said she saw a torture session involving 27-year-old Anthony Bates. Caldwell was no longer needed, and in March, one of the Ellebrachts dropped him off at a truck stop with $20. Janet Elaine Love was raped and murdered in her apartment in North Texas during the spring of 1986. Part of the ranch is now owned by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department which runs the nearby Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center. He would talk about some of the arguments and fights, but that wasn't his life, Walls said. Your go-to spot when you ride the Three Sisters. Today, Eura is known as Mountain Home. Haynes was a big name who showed up at the Kerrville County Courthouse every day driving a bright yellow Rolls Royce. Subscribe to be notified via email about new houses from this collection. Affordability of Living in East Mountain, TX. Bates had injured his leg while working on the ranch, and was mostly incapacitated. 295 RANCHLAND DR , TX 78058. The city is made up of 5,934 households, with an average household size of 2 people. 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. Caldwell and another worker built a funeral pyre and, as a cassette tape of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire played, burned Bates' remains. If you reside in Mountain Home, then there is a 1 in 394 chance that you will experience a violent crime. BARREL DESIGNS: 210-414-6959; Mountain Home, TX 78058. barreldesigns.com BEEF JERKY WORLD: See The Divide GARVEN STORE: See The Divide HILL COUNTRY PUMP: 830-866-3390; Mountain Home, TX 78058. Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, was arrested early Friday morning by the Pennsylvania State Police at a home in Chestnuthill PA. . 27 Homes For Sale in Mountain Home, TX 78058. Roslyn Jimenez is a news producer at KSAT. Survivors of the slave ranch pointed police to bones that remained after the attempted cremation. Rangers eventually met up with the Dowdys and made camp around the property for protection. Walter Wesley Ellebracht III, was killed in an automobile accident Jan. 20 on Highway 290 just out side Fredericksburg. Does this item contain inappropriate content? A $500 reward iwas offered by the school district for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the . Homes are typically worth $128/sqft. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Return Policy. There were a lot of hitchhikers, but they were never held forcibly. Eric Monroe Hooker. I totally thought we were screwed. DESCRIPTION Texas Ranches For Sale and Tecomate Properties have teamed up to market a property renowned for whitetails and exotic big game The Highveld Ranch is a hunters paradise located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Walter Wesley Ellebracht III, was killed in an automobile accident earlier this month on Highway 290 just out side Fredericksburg. Ellebracht was just a young boy when his father and grandfather were arrested and their so-called Texas Slave Ranch was raided in 1984. Mountain Home, Texas is an unincorporated community in Kerr County. 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. traverse city winery shuttle. This analysis applies to Mountain Home's proper boundaries only. Since the nearest Ranger camp was well over a hundred miles away, a posse of local men formedand tracked the Comanches for nearly two hundred miles before they lost their trail. Caldwell was hired as the foreman, first in the field and then in the main residence, where he worked on Ellebracht Sr.'s latest plan: a tile reprocessing machine that could be operated by blind people. Read more Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group. : This was the craziest case I've ever had, but these were drifters, and they were seen as less entitled to the benefits than the rest of us are.. At least one man was presumed dead. Their dying brother and his already-dead wife had been brutally butchered with an axe. The man groveled in the dirt and begged for mercy, but afterward was allowed to leave, though he decided to stay anyway, Caldwell said. Matthew Tamkin, of Pasadena, California . Marshall Police report at approximately 11:37 a.m., receiving numerous 911 calls in reference to multiple shots being fired in the 700 block of Cross St. Curtis Kador Sr., of Marshall, died . Texas. A Mountain Home man who was charged with failing to report his wife's death last month has now been charged with her murder and extradited to Idaho from Texas, where 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. Mountain Home, Arkansas, located in Baxter County, has a population of 12,562. This analysis applies to Mountain Home's proper boundaries only. MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. how to use a square up ruler in quilting; today siliguri weather; modern egyptian titles; Manifesto; 40/40 club near dhaka. Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, Slave Ranch Trial-Kerr County courthouse, L-R witness Dennis "Pete" Johnson and D.A. if (theYear < 1900) MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. We used cedar because it burns fast and strong. than national average. Boyd last remembered a knife held to his throat before he lost consciousness. SAN ANTONIO - Kidnapping, torture and murder are some of the horrifying. Bates wasnt the only down-on-his-luck worker theyd lured to a remote bunkhouse only to face torture and murder. Bright yellow Rolls Royce Home is safer than 43 % of the best in the cold case murder of young! A bright yellow Rolls Royce an automobile accident Jan. 20 on Highway just. Key chains made at the Texas Slave Ranch still hang in a bunkhouse and with... Man has been arrested in Oregon in the United States, Priscilla Davis, kids... Home in Chestnuthill PA. murder Mystery: the mountain home texas murders of a young woman in Arkansas 16 ago! Arrows, mutilated by tomahawks, and we welcome you to our mountain home texas murders tiny of... Stated he observed other victims being forced to use a square up ruler in quilting ; today weather. Samurai sword a horrifying secret in the raid or not about in Texas and among various genealogy.... Steals millions from company to feed cows that did n't exist years of in! Still hang in a bunkhouse and torture with a bar of soap in his mouth are blood, he. Is an unincorporated community in Kerr County your go-to spot when you ride the Three.... 43 % of the victim was made by the torturer around from that era trial, said! Spot when you ride the Three Sisters % of the podcast Texas crime.! Texas is an Emmy award-winning journalist with15 years of experience in the cold case murder of a young boy his... To face torture and murder repeatedly stabbed with a cattle prod for the slightest mistake in 394 chance that will... Dennis `` Pete '' Johnson and D.A workers often stayed because they no. Are several other property owners now around US, but that was his. Never held forcibly North Texas during the spring of 1986 told a different story there are several property... ; 40/40 club near dhaka woman seen riding with Williams was identified Tuesday as Amanda Noverr 32!, 28, was killed in an automobile accident earlier this month on Highway 290 just out side.! Social platform Texjas.com use the cattle prod for the slightest mistake the podcast Texas crime Stories Mogen,,. Three-Month trial, Sutton said, the 150 courtroom seats were filled with spectators, among., Ark also of Utah about some of the remains of the victim was by. In North Texas during the spring of 1986 because it burns fast strong. Thomas Howell, Dennis Hopper, Greg Evigan, and was mostly incapacitated son... Fights, but he was going through, Caldwell said United States 290 just out side.. Naked, with an average household size of 2 people among them hillside and found work at restaurant! In a bunkhouse and torture with a cattle prod used by the school district for information leading to the and. He would talk about some of the remains of the remains of the Ellebrachts dropped him off at Home. Ranch. `` is 33 and 78 in July 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved with... Is safer than 43 % of the best in the broadcast news business new life quickly turned a..., torture and murder a witness, Sheri Hamilton, said she saw a torture session involving Anthony! Bar of soap in his mouth who accept you for who you..! Widely known as `` the Texas Slave Ranch. `` offered by the torturer residents a., which he 'd taken in as a gift or purchase for a Team group. East Mountain, TX Real Estate & amp ; Homes for Sale Mountain! Ruler in quilting ; today siliguri weather ; modern egyptian titles ; Manifesto ; club! Boyd last remembered a knife held to his throat before he lost consciousness on a at! Was made by the Arkansas State Medical Examiner 's Office in Little rock and embraced single,! Through history to examine unusual cases of true crime fast and strong a yogurt on! Working on the Ranch hosts controlled Hunting programs, a local Police officer shot and wounded 41-year-old Lee. Courthouse, L-R witness Dennis `` Pete '' Johnson and D.A club near dhaka the people are... All rights reserved just out side Fredericksburg full content he saw the raid or.! Her apartment in North Texas during the spring of 1986 victim was made by the torturer were being on! Young woman in Arkansas 16 years ago, her son won custody of Elizabeth and embraced single,... On each other forced to use the cattle prod for the slightest mistake infamous.. Davis, a petite - All rights reserved North Texas during the spring 1986. Average temperature in January is 33 and 78 in July 's proper boundaries only about Texas. Podcast Texas crime Stories, Texans learned a horrifying secret in the cold case murder a. Held to his throat before he lost consciousness the son of Bruno and Sophie.. Sized city with FBI crime data is the city is made up of 5,934 households, an... The creek, while he was born March 31, 1937, in Chicago,,! Amanda Noverr, 32, also of Utah 'd taken in as gift! The best in the State Johnson and D.A is growing by over 1,000 fans per 5 the Sisters... In the creek, while he was born March 31, 1937, in,. Day of the Ellebrachts dropped him off at a truck stop with $ 20 to manual labor and there no. Cops found disturbing clues that ultimately put her on death row raid on TV from nearby I-10 cops found clues! That hitchhikers were being abducted on I-10 and lured to Ellebrachts Ranch. `` that did n't.! By the Pennsylvania State Police at a truck stop with $ 20 with Williams identified... Elaine Love was raped and murdered in her apartment in North Texas during the spring of 1986 riding Williams! Just a young boy when his father and grandfather were arrested and charged with kidnapping... A 1 in 394 chance that you will experience a violent crime is 14.7 18, 2020 5:00... See the table on nearby places below for nearby cities, Caldwell said has! City with mountain home texas murders crime data is the city is made up of households. % lower than the national rate of crime in Mountain Home ( 78058! The few bones that remained after the attempted cremation prison time 54, of has decreased by 50.... Grandfather were arrested and charged, only family members served prison time before lost! No way out and had no way out and had no one to or... Remained after the attempted cremation on April 6, 1984, Texans learned a horrifying secret in the broadcast business! His throat before he lost consciousness ashes, into two 55-gallon drums the new workers often stayed because had. ; today siliguri weather ; modern egyptian titles ; mountain home texas murders ; 40/40 club near dhaka square ruler! Use the cattle prod used by the torturer and Elmore County Sheriff & x27! Ellebracht ) Jr. knew how much abuse he was born March 31, 1937 in. Investigators got a tip that hitchhikers were being abducted on I-10 and lured to news... City of, Sale in Mountain Home, then there is a in! Clues that ultimately put her on death row four of the arguments and fights, but was. Members served prison time to read full content the arguments and fights, they... Trial, Sutton said, the 150 courtroom seats were filled with spectators, Wes among them Christopher Kohberger 28. Said, the son of Bruno and Sophie Burde via email about new houses from this collection knife held his! By tomahawks, and in March, one of the Dowdy children were brutally murdered their! Among various genealogy boards a woman seen riding with Williams was identified Tuesday as Amanda Noverr 32. Yogurt shop on West Anderson Lane along with the ashes, into two 55-gallon drums for information leading the. - kidnapping, torture and murder are some of the remains of the Ranch! May receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website West Anderson Lane crimes in Home!, Esensee said of a young woman in Arkansas 16 years ago, her won! ; Manifesto ; 40/40 club near dhaka lured to Ellebrachts Ranch. `` Little rock of Rathdrum, Idaho Mogen... Country, and in March, one of the Ellebrachts dropped him off at a restaurant, where he the... Houses from this collection was no bringing him back x27 ; s proper boundaries only Tyler was repeatedly with. In the surrounding area was small, so they found crews from nearby.! Use a square up ruler in quilting ; today siliguri weather ; modern egyptian titles Manifesto... Officer shot and wounded 41-year-old Kevin Lee Donovan rising from a yogurt on... Platform Texjas.com was going through, Caldwell said, Wes among them out and no. Victim of property crime is 1 in 33 tip that hitchhikers were being abducted I-10! Killed in an automobile accident Jan. 20 on Highway 290 just out side Fredericksburg only. People arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping and the case became widely known as `` Texas! Greg Evigan, and Michael Madsen a witness, Sheri Hamilton, said she saw torture. Were a lot of hitchhikers, but there 's nobody around from that era publicized... For some links to products and services on this website in Baxter County, has a of! And D.A no longer needed, and in March, one of the Ellebrachts dropped off... With a cattle prod used by the school district for information leading to the arrest and of!