In the early morning hours of August 23, 1987, a freight train slowed in the woods outside Bryant, Arkansas.

On the tracks ahead were two teenage boys.

Sixteen-year-old Don Henry. Seventeen-year-old Kevin Ives.

Within hours, police declared their deaths an accident — blaming marijuana intoxication and poor judgment. But almost immediately, the evidence began to contradict that story.

In Part I of Boys on the Tracks, The Midnight Mystery Archive reconstructs what really happened that night and what investigators chose to ignore.

This episode examines:

• The boys’ final hours and why their families knew something was wrong • The train crew’s sworn testimony that the bodies did not appear to be struck alive • Toxicology reports showing THC levels far too low to cause unconsciousness • The autopsy findings that revealed hidden stab wounds • The powerful medical examiner who dismissed those injuries • The crime-scene details that made an “accident” physically impossible • Why the bodies appeared placed — not hit • And how the families forced the case back into public view

Through court records, crime lab reports, contemporaneous reporting from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and later forensic reviews, this episode establishes one fact clearly:

Don Henry and Kevin Ives were murdered.

And their deaths were staged to look like something else.

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Part I ends where the story truly begins — when witnesses start coming forward, federal authorities quietly take interest, and the case shifts from tragedy to something far more dangerous.

Visit midnightmysteryarchive.com for timelines, source documents, and case notes.

Follow The Midnight Mystery Archive on Substack for behind-the-scenes research and long-form analysis.

Join the Midnight Mystery Archive Facebook Group to discuss the evidence respectfully with other listeners.

And if this series has earned your trust, consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps independent, evidence-first reporting reach new listeners.

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