Shorty Thurmond is the cook at Shadow Ranch.
History
The Secret of Shadow Ranch
In 2004, Shorty was looking for ways to get rich quick and had a map of mineral deposits. He also was looking for Dirk Valentine's treasure, and went so far as to cover a horse with phosphorescent powder to make it appear to glow and use it to haunt the ranch, marketing it as Dirk's phantom horse. Shorty sabotaged the pump house, the electricity and even set a rattle snake loose in the Rawleys' bedroom (the owners of the ranch) in hopes of scaring them off their property. He had found bank robbers nearby and hidden them out in the ghost town of Dry Creek in order to help with his plans. Nancy eventually gets him arrested.