And the Cooperative Extension Service reported early this year that county livestock producers had 66,000 head of cattle and 32,000 hogs and pigs. Contrary to accepted practice among state and local police agencies, Baker maintains no inventory of drugs or other evidence seized by his office and keeps no log of the drugs he destroys. Gregory has been convicted of attempting to manufacture methampetamine, Head of possession of drug paraphernalia. Baker became sheriff Jan. 1, 1973. HUNTSVILLE Ralph Baker has been buying land longer than he's been sheriff, at least since 1967. After the cruiser was washed into the creek it flipped over trapping him inside. Harp's relationship with the sheriff followed her into adulthood. Read Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Times Newspaper Archives, Dec 28, 1988, p. 1 with family history and genealogy records from fayetteville, arkansas 1936-2003. "That goes for both of you. Her 7-year-old son discovered her body late on the morning of Sept. 3, 1994, a Saturday. Want even more control of your Reflection? Minor said, the case felt like a setup. Harper first told Minor that he would have to pay Baker and the DEA $15,000 to keep his son out of prison. MADISON, RALPH L. On Friday, March 18, 2005, of Bethesda, MD. ", And in the Sept. 4 edition of The Madison County Record, Baker posed with a gram-sized mound of sugar substitute and told the newspaper: "There is a certain circle of people using the drug. He's alone down this ole' highway. But Harp said she then ran afoul of the sheriff when she stole $80,000 from a home in the community of Hilltop. 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. Kenneth Baker later sold his share to Ralph and Noreta for $10,000, and the Bakers sold the land to Casondra LeMay of Kansas City, Mo., for $20,000 in 1989. The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. The ranking police official was Madison County Sheriff Ralph Baker, a close friend of the slain convenience store owner. In that time, Baker has taken only one mortgage, for $8,000. January 5, 2017 Your heroism and service is honored today, the 14th anniversary of your death. "That's why Ralph really almost had to sell it to us, because he knows how much that land means to us, and all the family is buried up there in that Brashears Cemetery. 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. 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. You didn't want to be on his bad side !!!! "So?" Neither has Minor. passed through Huntsville as hundreds of school children and friends stood The family's well-established ties in the community help as well. Bill Baker's legacy to his only son was 6.23 acres of mountains and trees near the north end of the canopied highway that University of Arkansas fans know as the Pig Trail. "I hope he appreciates it and takes advantage of it.". comfort in those memories and in knowing that Ralph will forever remain Baker, who earns $31,000 a year as Madison County's sheriff and tax collector, declines to talk about his land deals. A letter of condolence from President 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. Of Harp's insistence that he admonished her to keep silent, he said: "That's bull****.". Minor hadn't yet hired an attorney, but he knew whom Baker meant. . by God Bless! Columbia, South Carolina However I loaned the copy to another retired cop and it looks like it will making the rounds for a while so I have ordered another copy for myself. Over the next three years, a score of new suspects would emerge. What's left is about $10 worth, and I'll give it to her. He started toward Springdale on Highway 68, taking Deputy Sheriff Phillip Morgan with him. Cain would spend $100,000 trying to clear himself. Along with his wife, Noreta, and Kenneth Baker, the sheriff signed a mortgage in 1980 for $8,000, secured by 68 acres of land the two cousins had just acquired for $17,000. "I think for the NCAA,, until you actually had NIL, it would be hard to know what it was going to look like . INSCRIPTION: (Shierff badge with Ralph Baker Shierff Madison County) married March 3, 1956 (on back) They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles. October 19, 1997 at 8:52 p.m. He had been Madison County Shierff since about 1972 until his death. at solemn attention as the hearse led by law enforcement officers passed And when Thanksgiving and Christmas finally arrive "RALPH CARES". The Bakers, owners of adjoining land, were two of the defendants, although the case file contains no indication that they or anyone else contested Wheeler's claim. He listed his age as 18, hers as 16. JEFF PORTER Clients receive knowledgeable guidance from experienced, multi-disciplined industry and client service teams, all seamlessly connected across 22 offices in Alabama, Florida . Cornett said Baker is a distant cousin who leases land from the Cornett family. to number about 2000 gathering to honor Sheriff Baker. He even got up in the middle of the night to read it and finished it quickly. Ralph Francis Baker was born Sept. 1, 1938, near the town of St. Paul, once a bustling banking, railroad and timber center in southern Madison County. 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. He tracked it back to a break-in at a south Fayetteville auto shop. Land there is most commonly used for hunting, timber production or, after clearing, pasture. "So he made a profit. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. Most importantly, this book reveals one of Arkansas' darkest secrets, and demystifies one of its greatest legends. Biography ID: 38791252 . This Testimony showed that, in one precinct, 140 people signed in to vote, and 155 cast ballots. 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. Dr. Ralph Kendrick Baker Oshkosh - 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 Sheriff Ralph Baker, the man who befriended David Mac, and taught him what it means to be an outlaw. 'Cause in a moment the officer was dead. Baker insists it will be. Honolulu, HI 96850-0109. "The case will be solved when Ralph Baker wants it solved," Knox said when he resigned. Find Ralph Baker's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. For much of the 20th century, the hill folk operated a thriving moonshine trade. 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. "One guy held a shotgun in my face for over an hour last week. But a friend and fellow law enforcement officer said Baker lost the case because of his choice of clothing. Trudot was in the hospital at the time. Gary Wayne Johnson, a worker at a Wesley broom handle factory, sued Baker, Chief Deputy Steve Treat and former Deputy Steve Corkern, who is now Huntsville's police chief. He is survived by his wife and two children. The title of this book is misleading. Ralph Baker had served as Sheriff of Madison County, Arkansas, from 1973 until his tragic death on January 5, 1998. I was pleased to discover that the New York Times rightly devoted as much space to a recent obituary for my local baker . "Ralph don't put up with any bull****. Your memory lives and you continue to inspire. 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. Police would never raise questions about the mussed bed or take the bedclothes that might have provided some evidence of a killer. him". 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. In an interview this summer, she said Baker asked her not to talk about the drugs she and Patricia used from his truck before their 1977 accident. they don't exist". ", USERS AND THE LAW: DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON THE DRUG TRADE. and may not be duplicated without permission, Investigator David L Bell Richland County Sheriff's Dept., Columbia, SC, WE could use more sheriff's like him. "They were old-timers. County RALPH CARED'. 1973 - 1998. One former drug dealer, early considered a suspect in the Phillips murder, says he was involved in plans with Hathorn, Dennis Cordes, Rory Allen Gregory and Joe Benton Head to build a methamphetamine lab in a cave neighboring Phillips' house. From the first marijuana seed he planted, to the Devil's bargain Mac struck with Sheriff Baker, this book explores their harrowing journey on the twisted outlaw trail. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. In the past two. Some reviewers didn't like the fact that the author would "reveal" something bad coming up before it happened but Joe said that it did not have a negative effect on the story for him. He said he didn't know how the Bakers got the money: "I kind of had a feeling it was from her family. 1963 - 1972. I wouldn't even venture to guess.". Richland County Sheriff's Department He smiles at a 1996 FBI map of drug labs seized in Arkansas. Probate records there show a $10 inheritance from the estate of Joseph Sphere Burrell in September 1963. Although Ralph's brilliant mind was compromised by dementia, his instincts remained keen. Crawford said the tract contains some bottom land that had been farmed, but that it is mostly mountain, suitable only for hunting. He knows there might not be a tomorrow In January 1985, Dr. James Kelly Cornett of Little Rock, his sisters and their spouses gave about 10 1/2 acres in southern Madison County to their cousin, Brashears, and his wife, Reta. I hope you enjoy the book. I've got a pistol back there, and -- if somebody comes for me -- I'm ready.". With what's left, I'd cut off one little corner and save it and then do the rest of that.". Ham said he asked the Bakers in because "I had just bought some other land and didn't have the money.". Baker acknowledged that his former son-in-law may have been on a list of suspects he sought Harp's help catching. Went camping and exploring around the area a few years ago, especially in the Mckillroy WMA and parts of the Ozark NF. The R&N Baker Trust bought 744 acres in the St. Paul area from a general partnership, Crawford Brothers, in November 1995. N.Y.P.D. Most of the entire front page plus some of the other pages was dedicated to him and the accident.) She had been strangled. After that, the two generally kept their money in their pockets, he said. Six of every 10 of its adults have graduated high school. 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 He thought I did. 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. The average family earns $24,776 a year, according to the 1990 Census. He was attempting to cross a low water bridge which was covered with water. ', "But when you start breaking down doors, then Ralph gets mad," the dealer adds. Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Contact. But crank is his intoxicant of choice. He radioed his office at 12:27 p.m. for the telephone number of Arkansas State Police criminal investigator Doug Fogley and made a frantic call to Fogley's home. "Then Ralph will put his foot down.". "Billie Phillips, g****** it!" When a shot rang through the night. I really enjoyed the book because I know some of the people named in the book and I know the places that they're talking about. Time never diminishes respect. Imagine piles of money that literally grew on trees. "A lot of people don't have the money to meet their light bill, much less buy a piece of property," said Kenneth Baker, a cousin and frequent partner in land deals. What emerges is a tale of methamphetamine and murder in a place known to its residents as "Booger County.". 1914/10/19. Another poll watcher, Derice Davis, signed an affidavit saying that Baker spent most of election day on the porch outside the Hilburn precinct. Berea . Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2017. asked Fogley, not recognizing the name of a woman he knew better as Billie Jean McKnight. It is late morning, and he already has finished his seventh Budweiser while talking with reporters. "They're doing Craig and me and you and everybody one hell of a favor here," Harper reminded Minor. The county was formed on September 30, 1836. Federal agents are now seeking to interview Cordes. In his book he talks about being involved in alleged marijuana-growing operations under Baker, and current Madison County Sheriff Philip Morgan said McElyea found himself in the county jail. "It was play money, not serious money. following a twenty-one gun salute fired by seven Madison County deputies. The funeral procession Then, in June, the Bakers sold the land back to the Cornetts -- for $15,000. Between 1993 and August 1997, Baker and three of his deputies have withdrawn $24,950 from the Drug Eradication Fund for undocumented expenses. The records paint a picture of an astute businessman who aggressively bought low and sold high. Wheeler said she didn't remember Baker ever wanting to buy the land. Baker's penchant for bare knuckles on the back roads won him the title the "Bull of St. Sheriff Ralph Francis Baker Madison County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas End of Watch Monday, January 5, 1998 Leave a Reflection Reflections for Sheriff Ralph Francis Baker May your rest in perpetual PEACE. Much of Baker's land -- and much of southern Madison County -- is heavily wooded. Baker would be shouldered out of the investigation, then have it handed back to him. The remaining corner of the day's score buys sex -- with a little return on the investment -- about 9 p.m. "I'd go down and say, 'Hey, look at what I've got. Sheriff Baker will not soon be forgotten We've traded the money on the one hand for the next land on the other hand, and it's built up a little bit down through the years. "My dad left me some money, and his left him some. Written By: "Why don't you cool down? Senior partner Robert G. Crawford said Noreta Baker wrote him a $200,000 check. And Everett and Knox said problems with Baker reached the breaking point when they developed fresh leads involving drugs. All I have is hearsay," said Joy Russell, the county's leading historian. He acknowledges that former Special Prosecutor John Everett and former investigator Jack Knox kept from him much of what they found during the 16 months they headed the investigation. Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2015. 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. "I don't know where that boy is," he said. Bill Baker had traveled with the Weaver Brothers, making a national name for himself on the steel guitar. His wife, Margaret, said she and her husband bought back the land they had given away because they were concerned the business would place junk cars next to the family cemetery. Smith, the special agent in charge of FBI operations in Arkansas. Ralph A. Baker Birth 17 Aug 1908 Death 6 Jan 1978 (aged 69) Burial. But those who loved him cried. In 1992, Baker and his cousins swapped 320 acres for 284 acres of U.S. Forest Service land. For one drug dealer who operates within a mile of downtown Huntsville, that means raising and spending as much as $6,000 a week. Baker declined to say whether he and Noreta had family money to work with. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Minor, who said he is speaking now because Craig, 44, is dying of cancer and living away from Madison County, said he asked Baker to make a deal. Baker said that he also conveyed the information to the State Police. Over the years, confusion had arisen over the property line. And some who listened cared less, A much smaller transaction gave Baker his living room back. 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