Butch and Brett Bowyer - Buried Alive

A lesson that most people learn from a very young age is things aren't always what they seem. For example, when a child sees a scary silhouette in their bedroom at night and they think it's a monster, yet it's revealed to be nothing more than a pile of toys or clothes in the corner of their room once the lights are turned on. Now the lesson can be switched around as well as a person who seems kind may have bad intentions. That's why we learn to never talk

My name's Ben and I'm Nicole and you're listening to Wicked and Grim Crime podcasting.

The following podcast material more mature audience listeners. Okay, I think I think it's working this time.

It appears to be.

I think it is. We gotta cut off last episode, so I hope you guys can hear us. There were some technical difficulties.

There were some technical difficulties, that's for sure.

Our show got hijacked, if you could call it that, I guess yep. So yeah, that Jacko, I know, right, he's got us. He took the show and he just made it his own. Yesterday, yes last week we go. I almost said yesterday. Definitely wasn't yesterday.

Feels like it might have been yesterday.

Touche, touche. But yeah, hopefully you guys enjoyed that. Hopefully you guys have gone check checking out Gone and checking out Gone and checked out his show because it's been doing pretty good actually, so yeah, so thank you for those who are checking it out, and if you haven't checked it out yet, should go check it out because it's cool.

It is. Yeah, yeah, I mean last week was a total glimpse of what it is, and it's pretty cool. It's a good show, it is. You sound like shit, I know, I'm trying. I'm like, maybe people won't notice I have a well I'm I've had a cold for going on two weeks now. Yeah, so yeah, my voice is my voice always gets very affected when any sickness, So.

Yeah, get down with the sickness, which is.

A little bit of a problem when you need your voice for a podcast.

Yeah, when you're a professional podcaster, so so heal the fuck up.

Yeah that Ben's presenting again today, so I'll just be doing, uh, my reactions to whatever the shit he has going on over there.

Your reactions to whatever the shit I've got going on over here.

Okay, Yeah, well at least you got tea, Yeah I do.

You got tea for the morning, you got wine for the evening. I think you said, Yeah, life is good.

Yeah, no, it kind of. It wasn't the best of timing because I was away. I had some work out of town in the Okanagan. But you got it. You just make do, make do. But I never did any wine touring when I was there because which was malarchy it is, but also when you're not feeling like one hundred percent like you don't really want to go taste wine. I feel like I was like, my taste but are going to be off. I'll just save it for next time.

That is the first time I've ever heard you say you don't want any wine.

Well, I don't know. Yeah, it was busy too, because I was visiting a lot of family. Like I barely even drink an ounce down there.

Wow, Like I was visiting my family. I'd be drinking NonStop.

I think I maybe had two drinks.

That's it.

Yeah, wow, Yeah.

Your grandma's got to do better. She's got to force you more booze.

Well yeah, and it was even drinks that I had bought.

Wow, that's kind of sad. You got you gotta you gotta bring the.

Juice, she offered.

She offered, Well, that's good. Yeah, she's trying to lick her you up, that's good.

Yeah.

I like your grandma.

I know, my grandma's actually freaking awesome. She's the best.

Grandma's for some reason, just like are awesome. They just don't give a fuck anymore, and they just do what they want. And there's like, yeah, I'm gonna look after you and I'm gonna make sure your life is cool.

And then send you home.

Yeah that's pretty much how that goes.

Yeah, grandma's are awesome.

One, what else is awesome?

We have some awesome people to think, don't we.

We do over on Patreon. Huh, but we're gonna tank you here because you're that awesome. So this past week we have item looked at the names. Yet I just realized I probably tried to pronounce your guys. We have lexus Costa Dawson, Zaiya and John Blue, Johnny Blue, Jonny Blue, Johnny Blue, Johnny Blue, Johnny Blue or jon Jonny Blue or Johnny Blue. I think it's going to be Johnny Blue.

Okay, awesome.

Yeah, So those three just signed up for Patreon over over there and they getting behind the scenes stuff. They get an extra episode at the end of the month, a lot of behind the.

Scenes which is coming up, actually, isn't it.

Yes, it is. And we've got a big trip that we're going to be doing here down to Vancouver Island for a family member's wedding, So we're going to go make sure that we actually do a bit of logging, get some of that.

Up so and actually maybe vacation a little bit too, Yes, that.

Too, that too. Also, we've got something really cool coming up in July. We are going to be doing a trivia night here at a local brewery.

If you're Frinch, George, if you're.

If you're local, pay attention because that's coming up soon. This's gonna be a dead fall and we are going to try and see if we can live stream it for our patrons, So you guys can also join in on Patreon for that as well when that occurs.

Yeah, I think that's gonna be fun, really fine for it.

Although that reminds me I got to get researching some questions still. I've got a bunch of bunch. Yeah, we need more.

Yeah, I can try to help with that too.

Yeah, since you can't be talking a whole bunch, maybe you could be researching a whole bunch.

Hey, hey it's getting better. This isn't too bad. It was much worse, much worse.

You are on the downhill or the uphill? Would say the uphill, yeah, because downhill you're getting worse, but downhill also you're coasting and it goes easy. Uphill is hard work, but uphill like sounds more positive. Which way would it be? I don't even know which way would be, Like, I can't I.

The downhill then I don't even know.

I would say downhill because it's like you're going up the hill, you're putting in all the work, and then it's like, oh, I'm finally getting over this cold, over the sickness, like you know, you're getting over the cold, and then it's the downhill. So I think it's the downhill.

Yeah, yeah, but it did sound worse. It sounds more negative.

Yeah, because shit's going downhill. So what the fuck English sucks? Man?

Oh my gosh.

Okay, this aside. Let's let's get on with the case today, shall we. Mm hmm. Well, this one takes place on Sunday in February of two thousand and two. It was February seventeenth, to be more specific, Sunday Sunday. Yeah. So it begins with a father and a son in Phoenix City, Alabama who are having a normal Sunday evening at home. Now, the father is Forrest Boyer aka Butch. Everyone called him Butch, so that's what we're going to be calling him. So

Old Brett, the Sunday even grind take.

Exactly, making sure you're all set, you're all ready to go for the week ahead. Brett was. He was a bit of a rambunctious boy, but certainly a good kid. He was liked by many of his classmates and even had a girlfriend who he shared some dances with at the school Valentine's Day dance just a few nights prior. Wowright, go Brett. So this evening, it was beginning to get late,

I like him. He sounds awesome.

Butch is awesome. I like Butch is good. Everything was good for Butch and Brett. Everything was normal in their house. It was just another weekend, just another Sunday winding down, just another week was about to start. That is until a knock came at their front door. Butch was a bit confused when he first heard it. It was ten pm, after all, Oh yeah, yeah, and he wasn't exactly expecting anyone shit that.

Oh I don't think I would answer, well, I.

Was kind of thinking of that too, but by the sounds of it, I don't think they lived in like a very trouble neighborhood or anything.

Still, i'd be like scared shitless. But if you were home, actually I would I would probably answer it.

I would probably answer it as well, if I'm being one hundred percent honest, but I would probably answer it ready for something, because there have been times where I've answered excuse me, I'm starting to sound like you. There's been times where have answered the door to like, oh,

Answer it numerous I remember. I can recall actually like assession with you, if you were at work or something, I would not answer.

No.

There would be times where if I was not expecting someone and the door well rang or whatever.

No, that's probably a practice.

I know, which kind of makes me sound like a complete beauch. But also it's just like, well I'm not expecting you exactly.

I think that's kind of where like doorbell cams and stuff come in. Yeah, with like intercom systems and shit, you can be like what do you want and they're like, oh, we're here to talk to you about our lord and save you. And it's like please know or whatever the case. Or it's like oh my car broke down, or it's like hey, haven't seen you s in high school? I wanted to catch up. Fuck off that sort of thing, you know.

There could be many reasons, but also all those reasons you just listed, I don't feel like i'd probably want to open the door for them.

So exactly, the intercom system those doorbell cams definitely make a difference this instance. Though, even against Butch thinking he probably shouldn't open the door, he did so. He stood up on the table, made his way to answer to see who was there, and when he opened the door, he was surprised when he was greeted by an officer. Oh okay, and more specifically, this was a narcotics officer.

Oh my gosh, yeah, okay, you sound stunned, well a little bit. Yeah, I actually that never occurred to me that it could be like a police officer. Then here, I'm just like Norton door.

I'm pretty sure if you looked out the window or for door bell cam or something, then you would be like, oh, officer, yeah, probably open up. Yeah Butch, Yeah, he was like, oh shit, there's an officer. And he was even more like, oh shit, taken aback and stunned when he was told there's a warrant for his arrest. Yeah, being arrested. He didn't really know how to react, honestly, it was all happening so fast before he knew it. He's in handcuffs and he's

So, but that's scary for him because his son's.

Inside well exactly so, as Butch was being led out to an unmarked white Ford Crown Victoria, which is like the standard police cruiser type Macon model that which was parked in his driveway. He told the officer who was leading him, He's like, I've got my twelve year old son inside and he's alone. Like what should we do? He's like, I can't be just like arrested and leave my son alone.

Yeah, that's probably like another crime. Yeah, I know, I'm maybe not at twelve.

Yeah, So Butch was still handcuffed and put into the back of the vehicle, where he's with another officer inside the car. And then the original officer returned to the house and then walked back out with Butcher's son as well, who was now also handcuffed.

What.

Yes, and he was led over to the car just like his dad and put in the back seat next.

To him a twelve year old boy. Yes, okay, that doesn't seem quite right, but I'm not sure. Okay, what the hell did the twelve year old boy do? Arrested for drugs as well?

Maybe Okay, I don't want to get too far ahead here and just start spilling all the details.

No, okay, yeah, no, we'll keep listening.

Well, the two are now sitting side by side, father and son handcuffed in the back of the car, and the officers drove out of the driveway and headed to the police station. It wasn't long though, that Butcher knew something wasn't right. At first, he thought he was just mistaken identity and it would get all sorted out shortly when he arrived at the station. But when they drove right the Phoenix City Police Department, Butcher's stomach turned in knots.

Shit, okay, that was like at the back of my mind. But I'm like, no, oh my gosh, what did.

I say in the intro? Things are not always oh.

All right, okay, this is freaking terrifying. Yes, holy shit, see that. Okay, when people like are faking faking, I don't know, impersonating. Yes, there you go to be someone else, like, especially like a police officer. That is terrifying.

Yeah, well that's why it's a federal offense.

Oh my gosh, okay, yikes.

So instead of heading to the police station, these two men drove Butcher and his son to an area where a four lane highway, Highway four thirty one to be specific, was being constructed. It was isolated and it was dark, Butch was hauled out of the car and the two men began brandishing a knife and threatening both him and his son, saying that they want money, more specifically one hundred thousand dollars in cash that they said they knew he had.

Seriously, yes, okay, did he actually have that kind of money again? Oh, we'll get to that, okay.

Butch was in shock at first. He tried to deny the claim of any sort of money, but as soon as the men pressed and insisted on it, Butch gave in. He told them he had a safe at home with all the money in it, and he'd let them have it all if he just didn't get hurt along with his son. So don't hurt us. I'll give you all the money I have. It's at home, like that's that's where it's okay, it just don't hurt us, right.

Well, yeah, I mean like his son's life and his own life is worth more.

Exactly. So the men agreed, and Butch told them exactly, we're the safe was in his house. So the men loaded Butch back up in the car and they drove right back to his house. Once at home, Butch gave them the access to the safe or which, by the sounds of it, was more just like a little box okay, in his bedroom closet, where inside he had over forty seven thousand dollars in oh.

No, which he probably worked so hard to get.

Yes, oh, this wasn't enough, though. They were after one hundred thousand dollars that they knew he had, so they began to search the house, and despite Butch reassuring them that's all he had, they kept searching. He was right, though, that's all the money he had. But the two men did find something else of interest during their search, a thirty eight caliber Smith and Wesson revolver, which they took with them.

How the shit, why do they think that he has all this money? And like, how do they even know who he is? And all the Oh my gosh.

Well, there's definitely reasons. There's definitely they have knowledge for a reason, let's put it that way, which we will get into. So don't worry about that.

It's not one of your unsolved.

It's not one of my unsolved. No, So we will get exactly into why they are after this specific hundred thousand dollars a day. So after they've loaded Butch back up into the car. After collecting the money from his house with his son, they drove off once again, ending up right back to where they were, with the construction of that highway in progress. So think of it this way, kind of a desolated area. I mean, there's kind of another roadway nearby, but there's still like a highway off

Oh my gosh, this is just like hurting my heart. This is impossible.

Hey, it is so. Butch knew if they were after money, clearly, because that's what they told him. We want this one hundred thousand dollars.

Yeah.

So he's like, in the morning, when the bank's opened, we can go to the bank I'll get you more money. He's like, if that's what you want, I'll get you all the money I can get you. Just don't hurt us, don't hurt my son. But it didn't seem like anything he said was being heard. And Butch knew the men weren't about to listen to him either. He knew it was coming because just ahead of him was a pre dug hole in the ground.

Holy shit, a shallow grave. O. Kay, is like forty seven thousand dollars not enough? Like what the actual yeah? Wow, yep, okay, man, can you imagine when he would have saw that hole, just.

Like, I don't want to imagine what that feeling would be like from being honest, Yeah, especially especially the fact that you're you're with your son.

Yeah. And because he they also, oh, okay, I don't know if I should say this, but they also like weren't going to take the sun at first, but then he thought that he was with like police officers, and oh my gosh, this is.

Now to play Devil's advocate on this one. He probably would have gotten taken anyways, the sun, yes, because they were after money, which was in the house, so they would have searched the house and found the sun regardless of the Dad was speaking up to Sha.

Yeah, they did go back and stuff. Yeah, yes, so.

I believe Brett would have been found either.

Way, regardless, Yes, yeah. So.

As Butch was being led by the men, one of them suddenly leaned over with a knife and pressed it right up against the side of his neck and slid the blade across Butcher's throat, cutting it wide.

Oh my gosh.

As the man said, that's sharp, isn't it.

What the fuck?

So Butch now had a gaping wound across his neck. He was bleeding and in severe pain, but he wasn't dying, so the other man grabbed the knife and cut his throat again.

Oh.

As Butch laid in the ground with his blood now pooling around him, one of the men sat on top of him and told him, quote, go to sleep.

Geez, these guys are freaking awful.

Yeah.

Wow wow.

In the background, as Butch was laying on the ground, he could hear his son, Brett crying and screaming for the men to stop hurting his dad, to which one of the men told him him that he needs to be more concerned about himself and not his dad.

Wow. Okay, this is just like escalating and.

Yeah, you could say hat for sure.

Man, these guys.

Okay, So the man who last cut Butcher's throat spoke up and told the other quote, I've done one, now you've done one, and now sorry, I've done one. Now you do one, referring to probably providing the killing blow on one. Now you need to provide the killing blow on one.

Yeah.

Right.

Yeah.

It was only moments later that Butch would hear a gunshot as one of the men took the stolen pistol from his home and shot his son, Brett in the head.

Wow.

Brett fell to the ground, but just like his dad, was a fighter and did not die from the first attack. The man who shot him said out loud as a gurgling sound came from the now dying twelve year old boy, the little mother fucker doesn't want to die, and he proceeded to shoot him two more times in the head to ensure he was dead.

Whoa, Okay, this is unbelievable, these fucking people.

Yeah, fuck these two.

Yeah, like they are disgusting.

Oh, they are beyond disgusting. Wow, oh beyond trust me.

Oh yeah.

The two men then proceeded to push Brett's lifeless body into the shallow grave that they had dug. They then turned to Butcher, who was still breathing. They then slit his throat one final time and then drug his body into the grave as well, laying him on top of his son before they filled the hole approximately eighteen inches of dirt and then drove away.

Holy shit, Yeah, okay, wow, I am like just shocked here and also really need to know what the fuck is happening.

Well, I do want to say this. It was almost the perfect murder. It was the perfect spot. Yeah, most like mostly because a construction site was in a couple of days going to be covered in asphalt, seeling these two in a tomb where they would probably never be found or at least not found for a long time.

I never even thought of that.

Yeah, wow, And that's exactly what these two guys were after. These two are going to be killed, buried covered nesphalt, to never be found or at least long after these guys are gone, and they'd get away with it.

So this was like so premeditated they were really thinking through.

Oh, definitely premeditated. They pre dug a grave.

Well yeah, and like thought thought through, how this can be like covered forever kind.

Of thing exactly. So they had thought all this through. They knew that they were going to get away with it, and they would have a except for one small oversight. Butch wasn't dead.

No, No, three cuts to the neck.

They sliced his throat three times, and Butch was not dead.

Whoa Okay, Butch is just like incredible.

Yeah, Okay, for the record, is our badass of the fucking day? Well? Yeah, Butch laid on top of his now deceased son and was holding his breath under the piles of dirt as best as he could, all the while pretending to be dead and listening to his attackers as they laid dirt on top of him.

Oh my goodness, he.

Could hear them talking, he could hear them laughing, and he could hear them finally driving away. And at that moment is when Butch began to dig himself out.

What, yes, is that even possible?

Sixteen sorry, approximately eighteen inches of dirt isn't a whole lot. Okay, if they dug a proper grave, he probably would have been screwed.

Okay, yeah.

Immediately once he was out of the grave. He immediately turned to his son, pulled him out as best he could, and began doing chest compressions in CPR to try and revive his son. Oh no, Unfortunately his efforts were in vain. His son was already deceased. He wasn't ready to give up, though. He did CPR and chess compressions for as long as he possibly could, until he couldn't do it anymore and

Holy, how is he even still functioning?

Yeah? How is he at all? And there is dashcam footage of this from the sergeant that pulls up on the scene.

Really, yes, huh, because I could only imagine how much blood he's losing.

Yeah, he would have lost a lot.

Yeah.

So Sergeant Darryl Powell over the police radio as he was calling in the incident has this to say, quote, no bullshit. I've got a man whose throat has been cut saying his son's buried in a grave down there. This is a bad one, and he is right.

This is very much so a bad one.

Yes, WHOA. I can't believe like how much strength it would take to not only muster up the thought of playing dead, to then dig yourself out of a grave, to then pull your son out of said grave, try and do CPR, and then flag down a vehicle and do all these things that Butch is doing with his throat cut.

Yeah, because he did a flag down a vehicle, he had to like walk some sort of a distance as well.

Yes, not there. I'm unsure of the distance exactly how far he walked, but I don't think it was too far. But yes, he still would have had to at least go a little ways. Yeah, the road right, So he's had to at least go through a bit of a construction site the next road over. So yeah, So both the sergeant and the first responders on the scene tried to usher Bush Butch to the hospital respectably. Like, your throat's cut three times, You need.

Some care, You really need help.

Yes, let Butch refused to leave, not until he led them to his son to ensure they got to him.

My goodness, still just like, even in that kind of shape, just like his main concern is his son.

Yes, And even when he did finally leave or lead them to his son, he still did I don't want to leave his son's side. He's like, no, I'm not going to the hospital here with my son. I got to stay with my son.

Oh my gosh.

Finally he did go to the hospital, but he was only going after one of the officers convinced that he would probably die if he didn't go to the hospital, and then the attackers would get away with this without his him being alive for a witness. So that is the only reason he went to the hospital.

The only reason, because yeah, he's like, these guys need to get taken down.

Yes, if it wasn't for that convincing argument, he would have just stayed with his son the whole time and foregoing his own life probably yeah.

Wow.

So before he did go to the hospital for treatment, though, Butch was able to give police a lot of information regarding the two men. He described the vehicle that they were driving. He told them that they had his house key, specifically, the gun was going to be in the vehicle too, And to top it all off, Butch said he knew one of the men.

He knew one of the men.

Yes, Oh, but we're going to get into that detail here in a little bit.

And they might even be at his house right now too, exactly right if they have the key and stuff.

So they have the key, they took his money, Butch described that, Yeah, and clearly they want more money. So police thought the exact same thing. They're probably back at Butcher's house right fucking now.

Well, yeah, because in their mind, both of these guys are dead.

Yeah, exactly, so they've got all the time in the world. They got this whole evening. Yeah, No one's going to find you guys to.

Do a real good search of that house.

Yes, So police went to Butcher's house and waited, and sure enough, only thirty minutes later, a white Crown Victoria pulled up to the house.

Oh jeez.

Inside was third was forty three year old bail bondsman Michael Caruth. So bail bondsman is basically someone who like bail's people of jail and stuff. Michael more specifically worked for a bail bondsman company, his wife's company, and he was like, uh, what do they call those guys? It didn't actually write down the title, but when he's like out hunting people down hunter, that's what he is. So he's a bounty hunter that works with the bonds bail

Right, Oh my gosh, that's like gross, Yeah it is. Oh, that's really disturbed. So this guy in particular, kidding what an asshole? Like worse than that?

Yep. Inside his car they found handcuffs, Butcher's house keys, a narcotics officer hat who he had. Michael had blood on his shoes and pants as well. There was no mistaking that this was one of their suspects. But the other suspect, where is it?

Okay? So there was just one guy in the vehicle.

Pulling up correct. So Michael was taken into custody and questioned back at the police station. Michael was very cold and denied any of the allegations thrown his way.

Yeah, yeah, you're really in a place to deny it a.

Shit, Yeah, well as far as he knew, though there was no witnesses to his crime. The bodies are buried, The bodies are not ever going to be found. They don't have evidence. Oh okay, so they don't have bodies.

The police didn't divulge that Butch was alive.

Not right away. No, No, as far as as far as Michael concerned, if he just keeps denying it, he's going to get away with it because they don't have bodies. They don't have anything, right, They probably just have like a report calling in of some noise at a house. That's all they've got, something like that, right, So he just denied, denied, denied, and he's like, yeah, I'm going

He must have been freaking shocked out of his fucking mind.

Yeah, actually he was, because, reportedly, according to the officers who were questioning him, as soon as Michael heard this, you could see the fucking blood drain from his face and he just got instantly pale with Yeah.

His jaw hit the freaking ground.

Yeah, whoa. So Michael, clearly, as we know it, wasn't the only one involved with this. Butch had mentioned to police that he recognized one of the men. Michael wasn't one of the men.

Okay, that's good.

The other man he recognized was Jimmy Brooks Junior. So Jimmy Brooks Junior was the son of a repoman that Butch occasionally employed on his used car lot. So this man would go, you know, repossess vehicles that people are not making their payments on, right, okay, Yeah, And Jimmy was this guy's son who worked with this guy as a repoman occasionally on his lot. So he's met him, he's seen him, he doesn't know him, but he recognizes him.

Right.

So it didn't even take police twelve hours before they managed to track down Jimmy.

Okay, good.

And when they apprehended him, he was reportedly in the process of burning his bloodied clothes from the night before.

Oh gosh, just disgusting.

Yeah. So when Jimmy was questioned, he was very much so unlike Michael. Jimmy sang like a bird without even being really pushed. Oh okay, No, he didn't physically sing.

He wasn't like, oh he sang, Okay, like he just like started divulging all in for me. Yes of his crime.

Yes, he didn't actually just bust out an opera or anything.

Well, I think I kind of zoned out for a minute and then I was like, just heard you say he sang, and I was like, what is he singing?

Could you imagine just being questioned by police all of a sudden, like busting out your favorite Katie Perry song or some shit. Yeah, that'd be interesting.

That would be interesting.

I'd be like, this guy needs to go get his mental health check. Yes, yes, but yeah, so Jimmy sang like a bird in the meaning of spilling all the details of what happened. He was able to tell police not only what happened, though, but how it happened and how it all came to be an idea of happening

Oh my goodness. And then did Jimmy know that Butcher had all this money or something?

Well pretty much yes. So the end goal though, was to collect enough money and build an underground hy hydroponic grow up for it all. That's Michael's over arching plan here.

That's the end goal.

That's the end goal, right, motherfucker yea. And then Jimmy, knowing that he now needs to essentially pay back all the debt of his bail, he told Michael about this guy that he knew who had a lot of cash on hand aka Butch working with his dad and his lot. He's like, oh, yeah, this guy's got lots of cash because his business and stuff. I've seen lots of cash. And he though I don't think he's actually seen one hundred thousand dollars, he told Michael. He's like, I've seen

Okay, well, yeah, because he worked really freaking hard.

Yeah, and I'm pretty sure he kept lots on hand for like, you know, used deals or whatever, purchasing cars that like that sort of thing. Yeah, And so that's why he had most of his cash on hand to deal with his business. And this guy knew it and told Michael. He's like, yeah, this guy he should be our target. Toe.

That's how they picked him.

That's how they picked him.

I really don't love that. That's really brutal, it is.

There was another shocking confession that came to light as well from Jimmy. Jimmy also confessed to being involved in another murder, oh, the double homicide of a Therma Ratliffe, who was sixty eight and his wife, Catherine Ratliffe, who was sixty two. Now, these two were shot and killed in their own home before the place was ransacked for money, and the two would flee flee from the scene on January thirtieth, only a couple weeks before the incident with Butch and his son.

Really, yes, and Michael was involved in that one too. Both of them were.

Something yes, they both were.

Oh so this wasn't even their first No, it wasn't.

So there isn't a whole lot of information regarding this case online. I'm going to tell you that right now. But the situation does seem to be pretty much the same as it was with Butch and his son. It would be Jimmy and a man by the name of James Edward Gary who was also involved, who just so happened to also be bailed out by Michael, who now owed Michael, you know, money.

I mean, they're all monsters, but Michael's like, really, really really a monster.

Yes he is. So he was in the very same situation as Jimmy was this James, And so under Michael's direction, James and Jimmy were driven by Michael to the Ratliff's home, from which they went in, broke in, killed the two, stole money, and left.

Huh. So, I mean, okay, I just want to say quickly, because they probably feel like their life is on the line, right exactly, that might if they can't get this money or whatever, Michael is probably going to kill them. Yep, and they are already criminals, and yeah.

Okay, yeah, so clearly Michael has been thinking this through. He's been planning this. So if I go and get these guys out of jail who are criminals, and then I make them work for me, I can get all this and I can start my underground grow up empire. Fuck an idiot. Yeah, but yeah, so that that's his master plan, his puppeteering of this situation.

Huh. There's a lot to just like think through with that, really there is.

So clearly there's no arguing this isn't premeditated, which later on in court he would argue that it was premeditated, but easily they were able to disprove it simply alone by saying there's a grave pre dug Yeah, that was the main thing. They're like, tell me it's not fucking premeditated.

Yeah, Like, shut the fuck up, you're wrong.

So it seems between that the three men they had actually been making a list of people in the area who they suspected work, he being large amounts of cash on hand. The rat lifts were their first and unfortunately Butch and his son were the second that were attacked. So they were going to continue their spree until they had enough money to build said grew up empire.

So I imagine. Yeah, there's other people on that list, could you hey like that they were about to.

I don't think that list was released to the public though, Yeah, mind.

You, So they probably don't know they were on that list. Yes, but Butch saved them.

Yeah he did.

He totally did. So.

James, however, was not involved in the incidant with Butcher and Brett. He had a very solid alibi, pretty much as solid as you get, because he was in jail already on unrelated charges at the time, which is probably why Michael himself was involved in this one.

Okay, I see.

So all this information was coming in thanks to Jimmy's confession, though Michael continued to insist his innocence, even though he had blood in his clothes that DNA testing showed belonged to Butch.

Yeah, there's really no way he can get out of this.

No, there's not, like it's one hundred percent obvious. But he maintained his innocence.

Yeah.

So because of his refusal to confess, though, his trial was a little bit different, but the results were the same. So Michael was convicted of four counts of capital murder in connection with the murder of the twelve year old named Brett Boyer and was convicted of attempted murder, robbery and the first robbery in the first degree, and burglary

Absolutely, I think he probably saved tons of lives probably Wow, But I mean as awesome as that must feel. And like he still lost his son though, the poor guy like he did.

But that man is a fucking hero. Well yeah, like there's no short answer about that.

No, And I also feel like he's probably just like so tough and hopefully I don't know if anyone can make any good of something so terrible happening, it feels like it could be him.

Yeah. I just can't imagine pretending to have to be dead, thrown in a grave with your deceased child, and then digging yourself out and proceeding to get these two apprehended and never leaving your child's side like the entire time, basically being forced to go get medical attention.

Yeah, the fact that he lived is just it's a miracle. Really. Yeah, Like I have no idea how because like, isn't there's like arteries and stuff in the neck, right, there's arteries yet that when you cut that, don't you lose like a punt of blood? And I imagine that they would have, you know, nicked one of those.

Yeah, And to quote the description from the officers and the first responders on scene, his neck was cut from ear to.

Ear, so like they would have gone through an artery, wouldn't.

They are they should have, I at least somewhat. I don't know exactly.

Yeah, Like the fact that he lived is.

Just your arteries are right fucking there. Well yeah, either side of your throat, you can feel.

Them, and and they're not like that deep. So it just it's honestly amazing to me that he lived.

Yeah, it's it's mind.

Blowing, it is. But I mean, yeah, I'm like so thankful that he did because yeah, this who knows what they would have ended up doing.

Yeah, he was able to get these two behind bars for his son. Yeah, he's able to get that retribution.

If you will at least, Yeah, which is good. Yeah, that could be a little bit helpful. So I'm about to sneeze again.

I feel like, do it if you need to, But I do want to point out, like the whole idea of things aren't always what they've seen at the very beginning of this that I talked about. So Butch was fooled with them, and they're just their officer disguised. But however, Butch flipped the entire table on them, and he fooled them with thinking that he was dead when he wasn't. Yeah, so he pulled I mean not the same, but he pulled the wool over their eyes, just as they did him.

Yeah, yep. I wonder if at any point that he ever like divulged that he he knew Jimmy. Hey, I'm kiss curious of that.

So I did look into some of the documents as best I could, and he he said in the vehicle he recognized Jimmy, but didn't it didn't let on. I wasn't sure if Butch didn't let on that he recognized Jimmy or Jimmy didn't let on that. Yeah, Butch, you do recognize me. I am that guy. I couldn't clarify between witch's witch. Yeah, I'm assuming Butch himself didn't let on that he recognized Jimmy.

Yeah, probably because he seems like he kind of I mean, even in just complete disasters, like kind of like think sings through a little bit, right.

But there is one of two ways it plays out. Either he did recognize him and didn't speak up, or the other way, he's like, hey, I recognize you. And Jimmy was like, no, you don't. Yeah, those are the two options.

Are you're you're mistaken?

Yeah, but he didn't lead on is exactly how it was worded in the court documents. Oh yeah, take that and figure that one out. I don't know. I couldn't. I couldn't make heads of tails of it. I'm assuming that, Yeah, Brett orbitorry Butch was just like keeping his lip sealed.

And you watch that video then, oh yeah, wow yeah huh And what is like Butch like a is he like a bigger guy like kind?

I mean it's kind of hard to tell from the Dashkam footage. Yeah, per se. But and especially considering I wasn't paying attention to how big Butch was. I was more like, holy shit.

Yeah, I'm just curious, like what he what?

As far as I could tell, he's probably just like your average guy, average build sort of thing.

Okay, h interesting, geez.

What a fucking hero though, man.

A superhero yeah, but also just a super shitty case and story too.

Being targeted all because you just you know, work hard.

Yeah yeah, and the wrong person found out?

I guess yep.

Jeez. I mean a lot of things had to line up for that to happen, really, but.

But even still like, it's the wrong person who found out it got to Michael, and Michael was going to do this to someone else though too. If it wasn't Butcher and Brett, he was going to do it to someone else. Yep. It just so happened that he did it to Butcher, and Butch was the man who was able to fucking stop him in his tracks. Yep, it cost but Butch was able to stop him.

Yeah. I hope that brings him a little bit of peace. Yeah, because that what he did is it's unbelievable. It's amazing.

Yea. So he is definitely our badass of the day. Is the story of Butch and Brett Boyer.

Wow, what a story.

Hopefully you guys enjoyed this one. I definitely thought it was a story worth sharing. Yes, if you want to hear more, you can go over to Patreon. We got some exclusive stuff over there. Last day of every month, new exclusive episode comes out, and by now we've got a big library being built up. How many do you think we have over there? By now, probably got like forty.

Hey, oh man, I don't know if we would have that many I'm gonna say like twenty five.

Well, it's got to be more than that. We've been doing Patreon for more than twenty five week or twenty five month? Oh wait, maybe twenty five. I don't know. I was thinking weeks now month, maybe twenty five to thirty thirty let's go thirty maybe thirty.

Maybe we'll figure that out.

In that vicinity of numbers.

There you go.

Yeah, but yeah, we have Patreon link down below. You can go check out The Fearful with Jacko's podcast. Link is also down below. We also have all our social media's website, Instagram, Facebook, you name it. It's all down there.

We got it.

If you don't want to touch any of that, you're still here and we appreciate that too. You're awesome. You're wicked for that. In fact, h thank you.

So until next.

Week, until next week, same time.

I should do it because my voice, oh do it?

Do Okay, Okay, we're gonna lead up to this again. Pretend that never happened. Okay, you don't want to take those links below, we appreciate you here and until next time, stay wicked. That was pretty wicked.