MARKS, Miss. — After four men were arrested in a theft ring bust this week, one man is speaking out, claiming that theft ring played a role in his son’s death.
Arrest documents showed the investigations into Julian Burrow, Charles Wilks, Raymond Reams and Robert Dratnol began after a Quitman County boy died in an ATV accident. Investigators discovered the ATV he was riding had been stolen.
That’s when they began to trace where the ATV came from.
Gregory McDaniel is the father of the boy. He sat down with WREG Thursday.
He said his son, Hunter, was riding on the ATV with his ex-wife’s boyfriend.
An affidavit said a man, who McDaniel identified as his ex-wife’s brother, told investigators he bought the ATV from his boss. That man’s boss assisted investigators in the sting to catch the suspects.
“If it wasn’t stolen, it wouldn’t have happened,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel said he still does not know the details of what went wrong, but he said he has heard there was a steering problem. Whatever went wrong cost him his boy.
“Just last month was his birthday, and all I could do was take some flowers to his grave. I couldn’t even buy my nine-year-old son nothing for his birthday. I couldn’t buy nothing but some flowers,” McDaniel said.
The theft ring suspects were locked up, but right now, no one’s facing charges for Hunter’s death.
“I want everybody that was responsible to be held responsible. If I’ve got to sign the papers myself, I’ll do it,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel’s family said the ATV is now at the Quitman County Sheriff’s Office.
A detective would only say that this investigation is ongoing.