PROSECUTOR’S EXHUMATION HEARING

PROSECUTOR - EXHUMATION HEARING

Exhumation Hearing

This page includes newspaper articles covering a prosecutor’s hearing, lead by Richard Garrett, who was the Assistant Prosecutor for the district. The hearing was strung out to put on a public show resulting in Judge John Cole appointing Dan Harmon as special prosecutor for an exhumation hearing, resulting in second autopsies, a coroner’s inquest, and the cause of deaths being change from accidental to homicide. All of this sounds noble, but the end goal was to justify impaneling a county grand jury to investigate the deaths of Kevin and Don that would be controlled by Harmon and Cole. The results of that grand jury dog and pony show were: frustrated jurors, several dead witnesses, Harmon getting folk hero status through a duped media, protection of the killers, and the confidence of the conned parents.

See podcast below to hear Linda’s recount of Harmon and Cole putting on a show, which Harmon admitted to Linda that, in fact, it was just that, “a show.”

"Dog and Pony Show" Starring Dan Harmon and John Cole

It took three weeks for the medical examiner, Famy Malak, to render a ruling of “accidental.” The families were not ever going to accept an accidental ruling, but they were anxious to meet with Malak and hear his reasoning. The meeting was stressful and contentious. Afterwards, they got together and talked about what they might do next. They decided to have a press conference to explain Malak’s inexcusable behavior. To the families’ relief, Assistant Prosecutor Richard Garrett, approached the families with an offer to help. Garrett brought in attorney Dan Harmon, who was appointed by Judge John Cole to head a county grand jury investigation. Ultimately, the bodies of Kevin and Don were exhumed, a second autopsy was performed, and the deaths were ruled definite homicide.

“Dog and Pony Show” Starring Dan Harmon and John Cole (30 minutes)

Don Henry’s body was exhumed at a cemetery near Magnolia, Arkansas April 4, 1988

Kevin Ives’ body was exhumed at a cemetery in Saline County, Arkansas April 5, 1988

Blood On Teens Unusual, Paramedics Say

Statements by paramedics came on the second day of a prosecutor’s hearing indicating the blood at the scene seemed too dark, suggesting that the boys were dead before the train impact. See more here.