August 23, 1987. Saline County Arkansas. 16-year old Don Henry and 17-year old Kevin Ives head into the woods to do some late-night hunting, but never return. Hours later, the two boys are seen lying on some railroad tracks before they are run over by a cargo train and the medical examiner concludes they had fallen asleep after smoking marijuana and their deaths were accidental. However, Don and Kevin’s families push for a new investigation, which uncovers evidence that they were violently attacked before their bodies were placed on the tracks. Throughout the years, a number of conspiracy theories would emerge to suggest the boys were murdered as part of a cover-up involving drug trafficking and that members of law enforcement were involved. In Part 1 of our special five-year anniversary episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explored the basic facts of this story. This week, in Part 2, we take a deeper look into the convoluted saga known as the “Boys on the Track” case.
Additional Reading:
“The Boys on the Tracks” by Mara Leveritt
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Don_Henry_and_Kevin_Ives
https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/the-boys-on-the-tracks-book-12011/
https://unsolved.com/gallery/don-henry-kevin-ives/
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Don_Henry_and_Kevin_Ives
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/sep/20/suit-over-records-in-87-deaths-dismisse-1/
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The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.