November 29th 2017
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — The murder case is now 30 years old and the mother of one of the victims has been on a journey to uncover the truth ever since. Now a judge is set to privately review documents from three federal agencies connected to investigations into the deaths of Kevin Ives and Don Henry.
Ives and Henry were found dead on train tracks in Alexander back on August 23, 1987. A state medical examiner initially concluded the two were struck by the train while in a deep sleep induced by marijuana, but another pathologist years later claimed the two boys were killed elsewhere before being placed on the tracks.
Several books and documentaries have featured the case with multiple theories as to how the teenagers died. Kevin Ives' mother Linda, and her attorney David Lewis believe the teens deaths were the result of them witnessing a drug drop and a cover-up by the CIA. They've spent years trying to obtain files to prove their case but they've continually been met with push back.
"They'll say we have to keep these to protect the identities of our informants or our investigation techniques," said Lewis. "What investigation? There is no investigation - nobody's trying to find anything."
In 2016, Lewis filed a lawsuit against nearly a dozen state and federal agencies claiming violations of the Freedom of Information Act. Two judges recused themselves from the case. Federal Judge Leon Holmes recused himself because he is related to the plaintiff by marriage, while Judge Billy Roy Wilson recused himself because he consulted one of the victim's parents as an attorney.
The case was finally heard by Judge Brian Miller who ended up dismissing most of the defendants from the lawsuit, but has since ordered the Department of Homeland Security, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys to turn over unredacted documents that they believe are exempt from FOIA law. The deadline is December 1. Judge Miller will then review the documents in private and then decide whether the documents should be handed over to Ives and Lewis or not.
"If these reveal what I think they're going to reveal, that there's a wrongful death case against the CIA," claimed Lewis.
While the speculation surrounding the boys' deaths has been mostly conspiracy until now, Lewis questions if there's nothing for these agencies to hide then what's the issue with releasing the documents.
"Why would they bury their exhibits," questioned Lewis. "Why would they bury their reports? Why do they keep this from the public? The reason they keep this from the public is because they're the ones that are guilty."
Lewis said documents he's received from FOIA requests in the past pertaining to the deaths of Kevin Ives and Don Henry have been so heavily redacted that he claims they're practically useless.
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