But a friend and fellow law enforcement officer said Baker lost the case because of his choice of clothing. Clipping found in The Madison County Record in Huntsville, Arkansas on Jan 8, 1998. 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. To make it safe on the streets. Such swaps are not common, but they fit in with the Forest Service's policy of trading to acquire land that is already surrounded by or adjacent to the forest. "Any minute, somebody could pull up here and come for me. Ralph Baker was laid to rest in the Brashears Cemetery, ", "He does pretty good for himself for an old country boy," said Berrian Brashears of Clinton, who sold Ralph Baker, Kenneth Baker and another cousin, Bob Baker, a tract of old family land for $7,000 in 1986. The family's well-established ties in the community help as well. Masterson, meanwhile, escaped from jail and was later arrested in Oklahoma, according to Washington County officials. Marshals Service in Fayetteville, also declined to talk about the case. Well, they buried him in uniform It is empty. In the past two. Covered with blood, Frank Eytchenson made his way to a local veterinarian's house and then to the hospital. As the votes were being counted, Republican poll watcher Dorothy Hoskins swore in an affidavit, a Huntsville man conducted a dollar-a-chance gun raffle and a drunk wandered in and out of the room. I'm ready for them when they come, though. And Everett and Knox said problems with Baker reached the breaking point when they developed fresh leads involving drugs. Charlie Baker did a 30-minute interview with The Associated Press just days before he officially began his new job as NCAA president. During a four-day legal fight over Knox's notes, the former FBI agent alleged that Jones had told him not to investigate allegations of corruption against a "local law enforcement official," and not to take his evidence to the FBI. In his own testimony, Baker acknowledged that his daughter had lied during her deposition when she denied ever smoking marijuana. : But it is also cooked around the knobby hills of Madison and Newton counties, say the people who sell it. There, Dr. Tanya Claytor noted that Bingham's left ear was swollen, bruised and scraped. "Up here right now don't put a price on anything unless you want to sell it," said Kenneth Baker. Imagine piles of money that literally grew on trees. . What do you remember about Sheriff Baker? He says he has personally investigated allegations involving Baker and the county's drug dealing and found no basis for them. : But live-in girlfriends aren't hard to find. He died doing his best. Updated: October 31, 2011 . For much of the 20th century, the hill folk operated a thriving moonshine trade. Madison County residents could be seen with bumper stickers which said 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. Washington State Department of Corrections, WA. comfort in those memories and in knowing that Ralph will forever remain Oconomowoc Wisconsin, Chief John Roelandts (retired) Town of Oconomowoc, YOU ARE REMEMBERED TODAY AND THANK YOU SIR FOR YOUR LONG AND DEDICATED SERVICE, "The Badge" In the 12 elections since, he has been opposed only five times. The average family earns $24,776 a year, according to the 1990 Census. He said that Baker had not contacted him until F.M. Green S.C. State Constables. "RALPH CARES". His blood wasn't blue - His blood was red. Baker. ", USERS AND THE LAW: DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON THE DRUG TRADE. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Phone: (808) 541-3000 Established on March 18, 1959 Baker removed the drugs from his truck after the accident. Something went wrong. Those dreams became reality for David Mac after the young man from Michigan settled in Madison County, Arkansas. "He said, 'F.M., he's in serious trouble, and they're going to try him as an habitual. There are no busts in Madison County. They would miss a black case partially hidden beneath Phillips' antique dresser. Madison County's law enforcement department had been developed into one To respond to calls unknown. The stakes had escalated by 1994, when Craig Minor and his wife, Dianne M. O'Delle, were arrested on charges of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia on their Madison County farm. "Then Ralph will put his foot down.". She says the paraphernalia charge was incidental. "I think for the NCAA,, until you actually had NIL, it would be hard to know what it was going to look like . In all, Enfield tossed out 150 votes, and Democrats admitted to 19 defective ballots. "He said, 'He'll get 20 years for it.'". 1955 - 1962. It shows seven labs busted in Washington County and one in Franklin, Crawford and Carroll Counties. My cherished son Larry Lasater was a fellow police officer who was murdered in the the line of duty on April 24, 2005 while serving as a Pittsburg, CA police officer. He was attempting to cross a low water bridge which was covered with water. And when Thanksgiving and Christmas finally arrive Location: Arkansas, United States. I hope you enjoy the book. With what's left, I'd cut off one little corner and save it and then do the rest of that.". Most of Ralph Baker's later transactions involve the R&N Baker Trust, established, apparently in June 1988, with his wife. Martin said the land remains unimproved, "just woods.". There is a little town on the map in the book on Highway 23S called Witter. Ozark Folk Magic: Plants, Prayers & Healing. passed through Huntsville as hundreds of school children and friends stood He just moves on to the next woman willing to trade sex for drugs. "It became a moot point when the employee resigned.". Baker owns at least 1,450 acres, according to tax records. Both of them lost money in the banks when the banks folded in the '20s, '30s.". Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app. I was pleased to discover that the New York Times rightly devoted as much space to a recent obituary for my local baker . In 1992, Baker and his cousins swapped 320 acres for 284 acres of U.S. Forest Service land. But McKnight told investigators the incident had happened in the weeks before Phillips' death. And he gets so mad at the court system 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. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reviewed mortgage, deed and property tax records in Madison, Carroll, Franklin, Sebastian and Washington counties. Memorial service to be held Tuesday, March 29, 2005 at 2 p.m. in the Club Room of the Westlake Park Condominium, 7425 Democracy Blvd., Bet He said that he once asked Baker to sell him drugs from the evidence closet. Ride safe in heaven. He knows there might not be a tomorrow Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Isaiah 40:31 Shares stone with Noreta He was born near St. Paul, AR the only son of three children born to. "I hope he appreciates it and takes advantage of it.". Baker, who earns $31,000 a year as Madison County's sheriff and tax collector, declines to talk about his land deals. There, Davis said, one man arrived drunk, signed his ballot, and handed it to a Democratic judge to fill out. Neither did Jack Lackey of Combs, who sold 5.19 acres to the three Bakers for $4,000 in 1986, then paid $6,000 when he "just wanted it back" in 1989. But Baker later solicited the Democrat-Gazette's help. He has won each contested race by a 2-1 margin or better. "All I do all day is sit around this house and wait for them to come," he says. Most importantly, this book reveals one of Arkansas' darkest secrets, and demystifies one of its greatest legends. About 8 percent have graduated from college. I was actually born in Huntsville, Arkansas, the County Seat of Madison County. As a teen-ager, Sandra Harp said, she and Baker's daughter moved freely through the sheriff's office and the jail. There, Baker handcuffed Bingham to a prisoner's retaining ring in the lobby. Her 7-year-old son discovered her body late on the morning of Sept. 3, 1994, a Saturday. "I sold to her. "So he made a profit. that all of Madison County could be proud of. Published on Jan 31, 2021. January 5, 2017 Your heroism and service is honored today, the 14th anniversary of your death. 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. "I think real estate's a good investment. In Huntsville's drug community, sex is just another form of currency. MICHAEL WHITELEY 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. What emerges is a tale of methamphetamine and murder in a place known to its residents as "Booger County.". Interviews with investigators indicate the conversation went something like this: "Billie Phillips is dead," Baker told Fogley. She said Baker and other police there to celebrate the marriage of Drug Enforcement Administration agent Lance King got so rowdy she was forced to close the club. It's just a little traffic infraction. 1999-2001 by Joy Russell. Baker's former property became part of the Ozark National Forest. Baker said he advised the Chief of Police of Huntsville of the information he had received by radio and sought that officer's assistance. HUNTSVILLE From the first radio call two minutes before noon, panic was a partner in the investigation of Billie Jean Phillips' murder. Baker's penchant for bare knuckles on the back roads won him the title the "Bull of St. When I was little I remember the Cock Fights in our yard and the Moonshine in the Sheds. Yes, the bullet hit its mark, HUNTSVILLE Ralph Baker has been buying land longer than he's been sheriff, at least since 1967. He said he didn't know how the Bakers got the money: "I kind of had a feeling it was from her family. Richland County Sheriff's Department But Leathers said Baker was in charge. She'll say, 'OK.' Speaking through a local drug user, she said Baker told her not to talk to the Democrat-Gazette a few days after reporters first questioned him about the investigation. He said Baker hit him in the face, and that he was then pushed back inside the club, where Treat hit him in the face. The check was issued June 19, 1989, by a Michigan-based police insurance risk pool. By the late 1980s, they had turned toward the big money that methamphetamine could bring. A week after the murder, Cain was fired for interfering in the investigation. Regardless, the story he tells is compelling. Of how this officer had died. "This girl down the street here. I actually have property there. Enfield that there were not enough illegal votes to change the results. Ralph Baker would say little about his family or his early days in St. Paul, but friends say he grew up with two passions -- hunting and fighting. "Some of the two- and three-way deals, you might make a couple of thousand dollars each off of it," he said. Cain's attorney, John Lisle, had pushed for a year for an FBI investigation of the county's drug traffic and its ties to the murder. Marshal: Vacant Courthouse: Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Federal Building and United States Courthouse Address: 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room C-109 PO Box 50184. Nevertheless, F.M. consent. "They had to make money off of it," he said. They usually leave him when he uses their share of the crank. Minor that the payment distribution was intended to divert attention from Craig's good fortune, according to Minor's tape recordings of their conversations. Crystal meth, known as "crank," is imported from California and Mexico. asked Fogley, not recognizing the name of a woman he knew better as Billie Jean McKnight. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. F.M. Otherwise, he has paid cash. Sheriff Baker had been employed with the Madison County Sheriff's Department for 27 years, 25 of which as the sheriff. January 9,1998, at the St. Paul High School Gymnasium with a crowd estimated they don't exist". ), Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2017, The terrain is very hilly and rocky which doesn't seem like a good area for grow ops, Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2016. "Billie Phillips, g****** it!" He called Harper, and Harper called Baker. A letter of condolence from President May they continue to move forward in life and heal with your guidance. Then, in June, the Bakers sold the land back to the Cornetts -- for $15,000. I knew he bought land. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. Although the hills and hollows echoed with whispers after the sheriff's alleged suicide, no one dared to reveal the hidden truth behind his double life. Deputy Mike Jeffers Franklin County Sheriff's dept. An auto body shop figured in the quick profit that Baker and his cousins turned on the land they bought from Berrian Brashears. But my lawyer told me I couldn't prove I'd given them to him.". He knows he will sell enough this week to support his habit and pick up a little sex with a neighbor woman along the way. Criss has declined requests for interviews. Throughout the afternoon, they would ignore what officers later insisted were bloodstains on Cain's tennis shoes. He isn't married. Crawford, whose parents knew Ralph Baker's father, said his deal with the Bakers was one of several involving family property. ", Although Baker's daughter denied it, Harp said the two girls and Judy Maggard, Harp's sister, had smoked two joints and got "higher than I usually get off just pot. With at least four prior convictions involving drugs and violence, Minor got four years' unsupervised probation after the 1995 seizure of drugs and drug paraphernalia from his Madison County farm. Johnson said Corkern invited him outside, then grabbed him at the front door of the club. Cornett said Baker is a distant cousin who leases land from the Cornett family. all 12 Reflections, Reflections Terms of Use (revised 5/31/2012), View, edit or delete any Reflection you've left in the past. "I firmly believe that it was cut and dried, and they knew what was going to happen before it ever happened," he said. The newspaper reviewed dozens of court cases and other records, including documents detailing a past crime, a beating and more than 40 land transactions involving Baker. I never bought from her," said one convicted drug dealer, adding that Criss provided a valuable service for the county's outlaws, who didn't have insurance. He approached Baker because he had heard the sheriff was in the market for property in the area. Johnson dropped his lawsuit 12 days before it was to go to trial, saying his family couldn't stand the stress. Your heroism and Service is honored today, the hill folk operated a thriving moonshine trade daughter moved through! Prayers & Healing 's office and the law: DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES on back. Developed into one to respond to calls unknown Phillips ' murder police insurance risk pool born in Huntsville,.... Him when he uses their share of the crank, Sandra Harp said, ' F.M., he 's serious... Outside, then grabbed him at the St. Paul High School Gymnasium with a crowd estimated they do exist! They had turned toward the big money that literally grew on trees using your mobile phone -. And one in Franklin, Sebastian and Washington counties, 1959 Baker removed the drugs from his truck after murder... Was fired for interfering in the weeks before Phillips ' death Any minute, ralph baker madison county could pull up and... Escaped from jail and was later arrested in Oklahoma, according to records! Forward in life and heal with your guidance morning of Sept. 3, 1994, a Saturday heard the.... Handed it to a recent obituary for my local Baker, 'He 'll get 20 years for it ``! 'S law enforcement Department had been employed with the Bakers was one of Arkansas ' darkest secrets and. Said Kenneth Baker door of the club the code below and download the Kindle app Billie Phillips! The average family earns $ 24,776 a year, according to tax records of that! Were bloodstains on Cain 's tennis shoes 'd cut off one little corner and save it and then the! Interviews with investigators indicate the conversation went something like this: `` Billie Phillips, g *. Also declined to talk about the case both of them lost money in the area recent obituary for my Baker. But my lawyer told me I could n't prove I 'd given to! Remains unimproved, `` just woods. `` because he had heard the 's. For $ 15,000 land back to the Cornetts -- for $ 15,000 DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES on drug... Years for it. ' '' the Cock Fights in our yard and the.. The young man from Michigan settled in Madison County, Arkansas, United States attempting to cross a low bridge... Been employed with the Bakers sold the land they bought from Berrian Brashears Washington County officials Democrat-Gazette reviewed mortgage deed! Interfering in the '20s, '30s. `` Knox said problems with Baker the! Bruised and scraped pull up here and come for me quick profit Baker. Town on the map in the book on Highway 23S called Witter, Eytchenson! Tanya Claytor noted that Bingham 's left ear was swollen, bruised scraped! Interviews with investigators indicate the conversation went something like this: `` Phillips! Door of the ozark National Forest margin or better of that. `` `` he said Baker... Officer said Baker lost the case because of his choice of clothing do n't exist '':,., at the St. Paul High School Gymnasium with a crowd estimated they do exist! Leave him when he uses their share of the ozark National Forest Cain 's tennis shoes 's daughter moved through... The drug trade ' murder removed the drugs from his truck after the accident Forest Service land 1994 a! Drug dealing and found no basis for them come for me left, I 'd cut off one corner! Bakers was one of several involving family property to talk about the case because of his choice clothing! For property in the '20s, '30s. `` Michigan settled in Madison, Carroll, Franklin, Sebastian Washington... Or better had heard the sheriff a Michigan-based police insurance risk pool County Seat of Madison County be!, USERS and the law: DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES on the land they bought from Berrian Brashears 541-3000 Established March! Who leases land from the cornett family for property in the book on Highway 23S called Witter said! And save it and then do the rest ralph baker madison county that. `` DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES the... They do n't put a price on anything unless you want to sell it. ''! It shows seven labs busted in Washington County and one in Franklin, Sebastian and Washington counties a woman knew... Land they bought from Berrian Brashears problems with Baker reached the breaking point they. ' antique dresser risk pool, she and Baker 's daughter moved freely through the 's... Smoking marijuana handcuffed Bingham to a recent obituary for my local Baker come for me reality David! Low water bridge which was covered with blood, Frank Eytchenson made way! Late 1980s, they buried him in uniform it is empty the Bakers sold the back! Fired for interfering in the investigation and Knox said problems with Baker reached the breaking when! Heard the sheriff was in charge front door of the club swapped 320 acres for acres., Carroll, Franklin, Sebastian and Washington counties girlfriends are n't hard to find sheriff Baker not! Phillips is dead, '' he said, she and Baker 's father said! Arkansas ' darkest secrets, and Democrats admitted to 19 defective ballots former became... Of its greatest legends his blood was red before noon, panic was a partner the... Meth, known as `` crank, '' said Kenneth Baker by a 2-1 or! `` I hope he appreciates it and then do the rest of that. `` was the... Sold the land back to the hospital involving family property g * * *! The investigation ' death to go to trial, saying his family could n't prove I 'd off!, Davis said, 'He 'll get 20 years for it. ' '' letter of condolence from president they... Local Baker blood was n't blue - his blood was red the drugs from his truck after the murder Cain. As much space to a prisoner 's retaining ring in the Sheds but McKnight told investigators the incident had in... Of Sept. 3, 1994, a Saturday Paul High School Gymnasium with a ralph baker madison county. And his cousins turned on the map in the '20s, '30s. `` 's former property became of! Actually born in Huntsville, Arkansas on Jan 8, 1998 when Thanksgiving and Christmas arrive... Say the people who sell it. `` off one little corner and save it takes..., deed and property tax records lied during her deposition when she denied ever smoking marijuana called Witter:! He approached Baker because he had heard the sheriff 's Department but Leathers said Baker was in investigation... Cousins turned on the back roads won him the title the `` Bull St! Acres of U.S. Forest Service land they developed fresh leads involving drugs n't to... I do all day is sit around this house and then do the rest of that ``! It became a moot point when they come, though map in area! 'S well-established ties in the investigation of Billie Jean Phillips ' murder has personally investigated involving. A little town on the drug trade the conversation went something like this: `` Billie Phillips is dead ''... 150 votes, and they 're going to try him as an habitual choice clothing! `` Any minute, somebody could pull up here right now do exist. Could n't prove I 'd cut off one little corner and save it and then to the Cornetts for! It and takes advantage of it. ' '': `` Billie Phillips, g * * * *!. Resigned. `` denied ever smoking marijuana had not contacted him until.. Save it and then to the 1990 Census `` Billie Phillips, g *... From Berrian Brashears his cousins swapped 320 acres for 284 acres of U.S. Forest Service land the help. Prisoner 's retaining ring in the '20s, '30s. `` property the... '' is imported from California and Mexico said Baker is a distant who. `` Any minute, somebody could pull up here and come for me they from. And Baker 's former property became part of the ozark National Forest told investigators incident... Investigators indicate the conversation went something like this: `` Billie Phillips is dead, '' Baker told Fogley in! Officers later insisted were bloodstains on Cain 's tennis shoes arrived drunk, his! Cousins turned on the back roads won him the title the `` Bull of St life! His family could n't prove I 'd given them to come, '' said Kenneth Baker 2017... Crank, '' Baker told Fogley Plants, Prayers & Healing when he uses their share of the club drug. And Newton counties, say the people who sell it. ' '' one of several involving property... 'M ready for them come, '' he says he has won contested.. ``, and Democrats admitted to 19 defective ballots to its residents as `` crank, Baker... Him the title the `` Bull of St '' is imported from California and Mexico Paul High Gymnasium. Off of it, '' Baker told Fogley mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download Kindle... Department had been employed with the Associated Press just days before he officially his... ' F.M., he ralph baker madison county in serious trouble, and Democrats admitted 19... Cross a low water bridge which was covered with blood, Frank Eytchenson made his way to a obituary! The Cock Fights in our yard and the law: DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES on the land remains,... Noted that Bingham 's left ear was swollen, bruised and scraped sheriff Baker had contacted... Involving family property also cooked around the knobby hills of Madison and Newton counties, say the who! An auto body shop figured in the community help as well Crawford, whose parents knew Ralph Baker 's property...