Family doubts former mayor was killed by a donkey

Hollywood Park City Secretary Janice Alamia administers the oath of office to newly elected Mayor Bill Bohlke (from left), and City Councilmembers Matt Amerman and Sudie Sartor. Hollywood Park City Secretary Janice Alamia administers the oath of office to newly elected Mayor Bill Bohlke (from left), and City Councilmembers Matt Amerman and Sudie Sartor. Photo: Edmond Ortiz / North Central News Photo: Edmond Ortiz / North Central News Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Family doubts former mayor was killed by a donkey 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — The wife of a Hollywood Park mayor who died at his ranch in 2012 said her husband was murdered, and not trampled to death by an aggressive donkey as authorities concluded.

Last year, Tonia Bohlke enlisted a private investigator to look into the death of her husband, Bill Bohlke, 65, who was found dead about 50 yards from his truck on Aug. 27.

At the time, then-Chief Deputy David Soward of the Atascosa County Sheriff's Office said Bohlke was discovered about 10 hours after he had been trampled by a stud donkey.

But according to the investigative report, completed by Dr. Gary Deegear, as well as photos and evidence from the scene, the cause of death is inconclusive.

“There are too many inconsistencies for an alleged animal attack to have caused Mr. Bohlke's injuries and death,” Deegear's report states. “The patterned injuries, the boot prints, and the lack of expected evidence are enough to warrant further investigation into this matter.”

Attorney Edgardo Baez said he hopes to have Bohlke's body exhumed and the case reopened.

Soward, now the Atascosa County sheriff, said that's not likely to happen.

“There was no murder, there was no evidence of murder and never any new evidence of murder,” he said, “and the case is closed.”

Baez said Bohlke, a retired U.S. Air Force major who raised cattle near Poteet, had plans to meet two men to sell them a bull the day he died. They were never interviewed, Baez said, and no autopsy was conducted at the time of Bohlke's death.

Tonia Bohlke said she was immediately suspicious of her husband's death and the sheriff's investigation, Baez said.

“This has been horrendous for them,” Baez said of Bohlke's widow and three adult children. “His wife has been nonstop searching for clues. It has been nightmare after nightmare.”

Deegear's report notes that the ground around Bohlke's body was undisturbed, which seems unlikely if an aggressive donkey was truly involved, Baez said, adding that an injury on Bohlke's back that tore his skin looks more like a human shoeprint than a donkey hoof.

“It's a large man's footprint,” Baez said. “This was a brutal attack by a human. Donkeys don't wear boots.”