Fourteen Year CIF Investigation Into Cockfights Leads To Arrests
VIEW ARTICLE FROM CLAY COUNTY CITIZEN HERALD ABOUT THE GRIMSLEY FAMILY COCKFIGHTERS: The Vicious Rise and Fall of the Grimsley Cockfighting Empire
CELINA, TN (February 6, 2024) - A 14 year undercover investigation ended this past January with local authorities raiding an illegal cockfighting operation that had staged monthly fights on Celina 52 Truck Stop property since 2009.
The fights took place in an old abandoned storage shed on the edge of the property, under the cover of darkness at 3am every third Saturday of the month for nearly 15 years.
CIF veteran Rodney Bartow infiltrated the cockfighting ring early on and spent over a decade supplying roosters to compete in the brutal matches while patiently gathering evidence over 14 years to make an eventual raid possible.
CIF analysis estimate as much as $20,000 changed hands each time the cocks fought, as gamblers exploited and tortured creatures purely for entertainment and gain.
"Over 200 of my birds were killed in the fights just so I could maintain credibility with these people," said Bartow after the raids. "But I would do it all over again if it meant saving just one Rooster from future harm. I had many sleepless nights thinking about how ruthless these people were and how difficult it was to pretend to be their friend for 14 years."
When the CIF finally raided three key hubs simultaneously on a snowy January 21st dawn, six ringleaders were arrested and assets totaling nearly $120,000 were seized.
Agent Bartow became one of the top cockfighters in the South, amassing over $150,000 in earnings during the 14 year span. The money was then funneled to make improvements to the truck stop while the investigation continued. Some improvements to the truck stop included new shower tiling, and a new espresso machine.
Truck stop CEO Dennis Herniple applauded his Employees dedication despite horrors witnessed firsthand. "Agent Bartow sacrificed his time and money to compete in these fights religiously for 14 years, just to ensure that the investigation was thoroughly handled before we were finally able to move in for arrests. His patience and passion for ending cockfights is inspiring."
Diego Martinez, Eddie Fairchild, Ken Wattenbarger, Carl Grimsley, Bobby Grimsley, and Martha Grimsley were all arrested during the raid.
This is my first time learning that cock fighting is done with chickens….. I spent years of training and hours of waiting in Stall 3 for nothing. I’m so ashamed, Gobbless
I’m so pissed about this. First, that “old abandoned shed you talk about was on my granddaddy’s opium farm in South. Carolina. He and my three great uncles were borned under that roof. You show some respect buddy!! We had to donate to the truck stop to help pay my Uncle Ricky’s tab he had been charging to for 8 years. Malt liquor,Penrose sausage and Skoal winter green long cut gets expensive, not to mention the propane we had to get to heat the trailer where I grewed up.
Next I’m not to sure but my third cousin Jimmy Wayne said “ cock fighting is our God given right”.” They talked about it in the Magna Carta” Jimmy said. Also who gives a damn about a couple guys and a few confused young boys making extrey cash off a cock.
Clay county and The so called expert Agent Bartow have been corrupt for years. I’m going to tell it all I don’t give a good gosh damn. Them officials have been draining the residence for years. I heard the police chief and his boys engaged in gypsy witchcraft rituals where they strip naked every 5 th Sunday and play pickle ball. I mean it’s like tennis just went away
Anyhow the Grismley family is like royalty to us down here. Every time a family gets a idea on how to make a little money off their livestock some Yankee policeman tries to stop u. this is all a conspiracy Agent Bratow could have pulled out anytime he wanted but kept bringing his cock to the shed cause he liked the excitement. He would come hard almost every night we had an event. Sometimes he would come soft but rarely.
Diego Martinez, Eddie Fairchild, Ken Wattenbarger, we’re all set up. I heard it all started when they laughed at Agent Bartow one night when his cock went soft after the tired round. Diego said “ after taking a hard pounding for two rounds solid it just wouldn’t get up..even after Bartow applied a cream right under the shaft below its head.”We call that going limp in our native language Cocks are a complex, multifaceted faceted creatures that kinda have a mind of their own .
If anyone wanted to cash app me money to help with their legal fees please let me know if we all stand together we can beat these assholes
I support the addition of bull fights. Donnie would probably make a good matador. He is quick like a cat. As a bonus maybe the price on a brisket sandwich will come down like chicken fingers have at Celina 52.