Baker responded. I didn't pursue it.". Baker, 59, who shares Arkansas' longest tenure with Monroe County Sheriff Larry Morris, sometimes carries in his personal vehicle drugs seized as evidence. She said Wheeler hadn't wanted to sell to Baker. and Mrs. Bill Clinton said, "May Ralph live on in your good memories of But my lawyer told me I couldn't prove I'd given them to him.". A week after the murder, Cain was fired for interfering in the investigation. He isn't married. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. In all, Enfield tossed out 150 votes, and Democrats admitted to 19 defective ballots. One man from whom McKnight bought, Steve Hathorn, beat him over a debt from drugs and building materials a year after Phillips died. "I sold it to him without her knowledge," she said. "A lot of people call it that, but I don't know the origin.". Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Baker's receipts for the same period show $260 in payments. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. Cain, along with Phillips' brother and one of her sisters, beat the sheriff's office to her house. Please bring me home after my shift I think we're all pretty sure. But the dealer who claimed to have traded drugs for bogus documents says the case typifies the way business is done in Booger County: "It's a very crooked county, yeah. Baker and his wife, sometimes in partnership with other family members, have bought or traded for at least 2,300 acres in Madison, Washington and Franklin counties. Ralph Baker had served as Sheriff of Madison County, Arkansas, from 1973 until his tragic death on January 5, 1998. His blood wasn't blue - His blood was red. The former owner of a once-prosperous butcher shop, Baker who was broke following two trials, vowed to reopen his business in Elwood but ended up doing so in Indianapolis instead. Instead, he said, the sheriff recruited him as an informant and handed him $50 from his wallet. ", USERS AND THE LAW: DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON THE DRUG TRADE. ", Another secret is avoiding long-term debt, he said. In the past two. He prays to God above. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. 2009/08/22. Today on the 10th anniversary of your death, we pause and say a prayer for your family and loved ones that you left behind. Lots of caves around those parts, with lots of toothless backwoods folks who take a keen interest in outsiders visiting the area. Phillips had a strong dose of methamphetamine in her bloodstream. . To respond to calls unknown. How do you keep the deputy prosecutor out of the crime scene?". away from trouble. Minor that the payment distribution was intended to divert attention from Craig's good fortune, according to Minor's tape recordings of their conversations. Minor said he called Baker to negotiate and was told things had changed, because Craig was classified as a habitual felon under Arkansas law. .you for I know both the pain and pride are forever. "Ralph's dad was a very well-thought-of man here. With his badge pinned on his chest. On May 16, 1986, Baker and Treat arrested Minor and Jerry Samuelson with 75 marijuana plants in the back of their pickup. 'Cause the crooks don't get any time. Information for this article was contributed by staff writer Jeffrey Wood. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Create a free ODMP account now for these benefits: Create an account for more options, or use this form to leave a Reflection now. This is Mac's story of damnation and redemption. Wheeler also said she didn't recall filing the lawsuit. An auto body shop figured in the quick profit that Baker and his cousins turned on the land they bought from Berrian Brashears. Most of that land is taxed on its value for agricultural. In the last two years, those transactions have involved selling, rather than buying. But those who loved him cried. It could also have something to do with land prices, which can vary widely. What's left is about $10 worth, and I'll give it to her. "Since I've been sheriff, we hadn't hardly got any meth at all," he said in June. During a lawsuit filed by Baker and his daughter against the driver of the other vehicle, Rodney Nelson, Harp testified that the sheriff's glove compartment contained marijuana, pills and white powder she believed to be cocaine in bags marked "Property of Madison County. "Whether it's what you pick from your nose or what your grandmother told you came out of the woods," Baker said, "people don't seem to mind it.". I'm ready for them when they come, though. In 1987, the two county officials and their wives had bought 120 acres of timberland from Minsie Leathem, the widow of former Sheriff Noah Leathem, for $8,000. Most of these, probably if you'd put them in a chronological order, there's not been that much money made off of them down through the years. The Madison Avenue storefront today. Along the way, the unlikely duo of lawman and outlaw discovered that greed ruins even the best-laid plans, and the Devil always gets His due. The ranking police official was Madison County Sheriff Ralph Baker, a close friend of the slain convenience store owner. Fred Raymond Crumley. "You know you're talking to a dead man," he says. Madison County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas. that all of Madison County could be proud of. Cain worked as both a private attorney and a public official in a fatal automobile accident involving Phillips, with whom he began a long-running affair in the early 1980s. Ham said he asked the Bakers in because "I had just bought some other land and didn't have the money.". Date Posted: 1/24/2013 11:33:25 AM. Madison County residents, as well as Ralph's family, may find some But tonight he stops a speeding car, Of how this officer had died. One in every five Madison County residents lives below the poverty level. Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. But, in pretrial testimony, club owner Jeannie Ward cited three separate incidents involving Baker that night. Former Massachusetts Gov. Franklin Lakes NJ 07417. She'd trade those for drugs. My Dad and Uncles used to tell us all kinds of stories about Ralph Baker. The records paint a picture of an astute businessman who aggressively bought low and sold high. As the case developed, Minor's father, Illinois oil well driller F.M. Minor, said he later negotiated through a Fayetteville attorney to pay another $10,000 to the Madison County Drug Eradication Fund to ensure that his son, Marshall Craig Minor, would not be sent to jail as a habitual felon. Sheriff Baker lost his life in the flooded waters of White River near St. Paul in the early morning hours while investigating the theft of stolen property in the area. "I'm retired, I'm alive, and I plan to stay that way.". Baker and Sharp adamantly denied the beating, and Baker told jurors he was unaware that Bingham was retarded. Craig and his wife were sentenced to four years unsupervised probation -- despite Craig's lengthy criminal record. Ralph Baker was laid to rest in the Brashears Cemetery, With a handful of household chemicals and some ingredients used in hog feed, dealers can produce a drug that sells for $1,600 to $2,000 an ounce. The DEA has identified one of them as the largest in U.S. history. Enfield discarded 79 absentee votes that Democratic campaign worker and then-state Rep. Steve Smith had gathered from the residents of the Meadowview Nursing Home. : He's just another man. She had been strangled. Again, he and relatives received land instead of money in some deals, and some acreages moved back and forth among family members. : Madison County records show the money was paid to the county's Drug Eradication Fund, $7,500 credited to Craig, $2,500 to his wife. "I went to some people, and Ralph was one. October 19, 1997 at 8:55 p.m. The man "had a brother out of his mind or a total drunk all the time," Enfield said. She was already on probation for stolen-property and drug convictions in Benton County when she, former husband Roger Dale Harp and another couple broke into John Trudot's house Oct. 1, 1995. Fogley, the state police investigator and a close friend, blames the Fourth of July fire on misdirected Roman candles. Enfield also rejected a five-page "friend of the court" brief filed by William Jefferson Clinton, a young University of Arkansas law professor. Want even more control of your Reflection? At the time of his death, his tenure in office was tied with only one other sheriff in the state. No other deputies were listed on copies of receipts provided by Baker in response to an Arkansas Freedom of Information Act request. Berea . Ralph Kendrick Baker - beloved doctor, husband, father, and grandfather - died on Friday, January 29, 2021, at Mercy Hospital in Oshkosh, WI, after a short spell of pneumonia. Mom of fallen California Officer Larry Lasater, Pittsburg PD, eow 4/24/05. Contact. For much of the 20th century, the hill folk operated a thriving moonshine trade. Time never diminishes respect. Rest In Peace. In the news they told the story Ralph Gardner Jr. /. , Dimensions Meth and murder in Madison County by MICHAEL WHITELEY | October 19, 1997 at 8:52 p.m. HUNTSVILLE From the first radio call two minutes before noon, panic was a partner in the investigation of . When I was little I remember the Cock Fights in our yard and the Moonshine in the Sheds. As prosecutors and investigators sorted through clues obscured by mistakes at the crime scene and the state forensics laboratory, a changing cast of law enforcement officials sardonically wondered who hadn't slept with Billie Phillips -- and who in this rural county lacked a motive to kill her. "But I have no idea how he obtained [all] the land. Baker's second-biggest transaction involved a land-for-land trade with the federal government. A letter of condolence from President It's also a "heck of a good hunting spot.". Ralph don't care if you use drugs. ", BARE KNUCKLES, A DEFERRED SENTENCE AND QUESTIONS ABOUT AN ELECTION. Sheriffs of Madison County Ralph Baker Ralph Baker Article by Joy Russell Back to Previous Page Anyone having Information, Pictures, Stories, or Corrections, regarding the Sheriff's of Madison County that they would like to contribute for publication please contact ralberts@mcso.info "Ralph's dad was kind of like my dad," he said. "I wish I could come up on something like that.". He called Harper, and Harper called Baker. Baker pleaded no contest to burglary and grand larceny charges on April 2, 1958, and drew two years in the Arkansas Penitentiary. He approached Baker because he had heard the sheriff was in the market for property in the area. God Bless! Green S.C. State Constables. Cornett said Baker is a distant cousin who leases land from the Cornett family. Baker owns at least 1,450 acres, according to tax records. But an enterprising deputy circuit clerk found a docket sheet detailing the case of State of Arkansas vs. Ralph Baker and Eugene Masterson. He has been involved in transactions to sell at least 1,092 acres, receiving about $319,000. He even had his revolver, '", TWO LAWSUITS, HINTS OF THE HIGH LIFE AND THE SHERIFF. The second acquisition the newspaper found came in 1974, when Baker's father, Bill Baker, deeded 6.23 acres to his son. Marshals Service in Fayetteville, also declined to talk about the case. All I have is hearsay," said Joy Russell, the county's leading historian. He was attempting to cross a low water bridge which was covered with water. The tops of both his feet had red semicircular marks, which Claytor attributed to boot heels. The check was issued June 19, 1989, by a Michigan-based police insurance risk pool. "I've never seen anything in writing. Well, he walks up to the driver's window, But it is also cooked around the knobby hills of Madison and Newton counties, say the people who sell it. Fayetteville lawyer Terry Harper had handled some of his son's previous run-ins with the law. He ended the June interview when the subject came up. : To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. Please try again. Merry Christmas too you and your family. It was a curious election, with allegations of widespread voter fraud. Now, Baker and the state police are back in charge. Listen 5:20. The population of Madison County is 16,521 (2020 Census). Baker testified that he earned a little less than $20,000 as sheriff, and that he owned 648 acres of forest and farm land in Madison and Franklin counties and a share of a lake lot in Missouri. Written By: For one drug dealer who operates within a mile of downtown Huntsville, that means raising and spending as much as $6,000 a week. If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. The newspaper examined more than 200 documents. Bingham's attorneys alleged that Baker and Sharp then began hitting and kicking Bingham, who the attorneys said had a speech impediment and the mind of an 11-year-old. To see our price, add these items to your cart. Sheriff Baker will not soon be forgotten "I realized that Joey Bingham had a speech problem at the time," Baker testified. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. The newspaper's search of records found just one transaction that involved Baker borrowing money. He started toward Springdale on Highway 68, taking Deputy Sheriff Phillip Morgan with him. Johnson said they beat him up after he intervened in a squabble between Baker and a female employee at Fayetteville's Bottoms Up Club on March 4, 1993. Baker acknowledged that his former son-in-law may have been on a list of suspects he sought Harp's help catching. ", But Enfield did say the trial helped illustrate that Madison County is a "different world.". He also does not obtain court orders for the destruction of drugs, creating what other police officials say is the potential for theft. He tracked it back to a break-in at a south Fayetteville auto shop. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. He worked the regional circuit and opened a store and cafe amid the rolling hills along Arkansas 23. Noah A. Leathem. Everett and Knox asked that Hathorn be required to undergo DNA testing, a request they say brought their feud with Baker to a head. It's one of the last places where you can get a little privacy.". "Somebody's going to come along and buy it. The drug dealer is still alive in October, and he says he has no choice but to continue to deal crank from his family home. But Leathers said Baker was in charge. Terry Jones, the prosecuting attorney for Madison and Washington counties, is among the latter. He's told me, 'If you want to mess up your mind, that's your fault. 1912/09 . "It became a moot point when the employee resigned.". I've got a pistol back there, and -- if somebody comes for me -- I'm ready.". He started smoking marijuana at 10 and moved to harder drugs three years later. It tracked the deaths of other Madison County people who died under mysterious circumstances. Well, they buried him in uniform "I took all the serial numbers off 10 hundred-dollar bills," Minor said. It wasn't his first conviction. He listed his age as 18, hers as 16. "Definitely foul play," Livermore called back to the dispatcher at 12:53 p.m. HUNTSVILLE Ralph Baker has been buying land longer than he's been sheriff, at least since 1967. He peeks out the window at each passing car. Minor said Baker took the cash without question but that the two never discussed its purpose. Drug dealers who acknowledge being paid by either Baker's agency or the federal Drug Enforcement Administration for help with Madison County drug busts say they never received payments of more than $100, and then no more often than a few times a year. The Brashears couple sold the tract to the three Bakers for $7,000 in February 1986. This is his tale about life as a marijuana moonshiner in the Ozark Mountains, and the corrupt sheriff who made it all possible. But live-in girlfriends aren't hard to find. "He said, 'He'll get 20 years for it.'". "The main worry about that is if they jerk him in there once a month, and he takes a hot piss test, and comes up they can revoke him and I don't want them to have to do that," Harper told Minor. It shows two methcathinone lab busts in Benton County. The same day, she and her husband sold it to the Bakers, again for $6,000. It makes me wonder what the "Macster" was smoking as he re-read the manuscript. My husband remembers some of the things that happened. U.S. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. "My dad left me some money, and his left him some. Striking the officer in the chest. Knox deleted references to confidential sources he said were afraid for their safety and gave Jones his notes on Sept. 29. At his home he cannot be found. In that time, Baker has taken only one mortgage, for $8,000. Sheriff Baker lost his life in the flooded waters of White River near St. Paul in the early morning hours while investigating the theft of stolen property in the area. Arkansas Forestry Commission figures show Madison County produced 111,557 tons of hardwood and 11,502 tons of pine in 1996. So he lay on the ground bleeding. The timber there was harvested 20 years ago. It is specifically about the part of Arkansas right here where we live. By the late 1980s, they had turned toward the big money that methamphetamine could bring. To some he's just a fool. "Any minute, somebody could pull up here and come for me. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. After the cruiser was washed into the creek it flipped over trapping him inside. Neither she nor Brashears knew who wanted the land for the shop. More than three years after she was murdered, Billie Jean Phillips' death has done more than confound and divide law officers. He said that Baker had not contacted him until F.M. The convicted thief and drug dealer, now 34, said she refused when Baker asked her to set up his former son-in-law in a drug deal during a 1994 custody fight over Baker's granddaughter. It was a bed, Phillips' family said later, in which no one ever slept. Bingham's parents picked him up and drove him to the emergency room at St. Mary's Hospital in Rogers. Madison County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas. Washington State Department of Corrections, WA. I was interested in this book, because my daughter in law had heard of it & wanted to read it. Yes, the bullet hit its mark, His hair is graying. And his badge is shining bright. Jones returned control of the investigation to Baker and Fogley. An analysis of the state's circuit court computer files shows 69 cases involving drug charges were filed in Madison County between 1993 and last May. Moonshine trade of money in some deals, and order total ( including tax ) shown at checkout same! For personal and noncommercial use 'm retired, I 'm ready. `` bought some land., Cain was fired for interfering in the market for property in state! Took all the serial numbers off 10 hundred-dollar bills, '' he says corrupt sheriff who made all! A speech problem at the time of his death, his tenure in office was tied with only mortgage... Which Claytor attributed to boot heels other police officials say is the for. Drugs, creating what other police officials say is the potential for theft 2 1958. Was fired for interfering in the back of their pickup search of records just... 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