There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal of Rob Zombie, Korn, Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails. I think he spent more time on concealing the bodies and the clothing and the bikes than he did on the actual murders. hitType: 'event', Investigators found the bottle exactly where he said it would be. ga('ads.send', { Police noted he knew at least one of the victims by name and was on vacation the week the murders took place. Like John Mark Byers, Hobbs was a wifebeater. Equally, it was widely known he threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend's father, yet those who had taken against him left out that this was through a fear that the father was going to assault his daughter. Echols, by most accounts, didn't even consider himself one. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); The hair would tie in with a reported sighting of a "disoriented" man on the night of the boys' disappearance. Toggle dark mode }); Curiously, most of the injuries suffered by Byers were to the lower body, whereas the damage inflicted on Branch and Moore was primarily to the upper body. Sign up to receive breakingFront Page Detectivesnews and exclusive investigations. eventAction: 'view' Yet, none of this makes a murderer, and Echols, like most readers of LaVey and Crowley, believed that their work had been unfairly maligned as evil, instead calling to libertarian freedom away from the confines of Christian morality. Two of the boys' underwear, however, was missing. But it seemed the story for the West Memphis Three was over. In 1973, his parents had called the police to report that he was threatening them with a butcher knife. The assailant is also prone to violent outbursts, likely has a history of domestic violence, and places a high importance on punishment. While Morgan, Holland and "Mr. Bojangles" already seem to have more against them than Echols, the police were now focusing solely on the one angle and one suspect, getting Vicki Hutcheson to agree to have her home wired. Indiana man accused of murdering motorist after accident in Illinois now facing charges in separate murder, Man shot, killed after crash on highway, suspect charged with murder, police say, Woman Started Firing At Pool Party, Killing One And Injuring Two, Police Say, Subscribe to Front Page Detectives Newsletter. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) A former Memphis Fire Department emergency medical technician told a Tennessee board Friday that officers impeded patient care by refusing to remove Tyre Nichols ' handcuffs, which would have allowed EMTs to check his vital signs after he was brutally beaten by police. The friends rode over to Bobby Posey's house, where they learned Christopher had been whipped by his adoptive father, John Mark Byers, and planned to run away. To this day, it is still unclear who is responsible for the brutal murders, and in hopes of uncovering new potential leads, investigative podcaster Bob Ruff reexamined the case in The Forgotten West Memphis Three, streaming now on Oxygen. He was interrogated for 12 hours with only two segments running to 46 minutes being recorded, and although he was read his Miranda rights, he later said that he hadn't understood them. He kept a calendar of the lunar cycle so he and Jones could patrol the county and check for covens. The following afternoon, the bodies of Steve Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were found by a muddy ditch. pg.acq.push(function() { The police were called, but he had left by the time they arrived, and nobody from law enforcement entered the bathroom until the next day after the discovery of the bodies. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Yet, it is a giant leap toward murder. They had a daughter together, Amanda Hobbs, who was 4 years old at the time of her brothers death. "I want to live and to continue to fight for our innocence. He failed to recognize where the crime scene actually was, mixed up the timeline and confused the victims. The varying wounds included unrecognized bites, and possible stab wounds to his groin and castration, with some putting this down to animal predation. Christopher Byers' father, Rick Murray, was one of the early voices to speak out against the West Memphis Three's convictions, with Pamela Hobbs perhaps becoming the most vocal. The West Memphis Three were the distinctive people in the town of West Memphis; however, there was little evidence suggesting they killed the three young boys. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. The discovery comes after West Memphis Police Chief Michael Pope resigned Tuesday. I believe there was an incident of over-disciplining one of the boys. WebDevil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three is a 2002 true crime book by Mara Leveritt, about the 1993 murders of three eight-year-old children and the subsequent trials of three teenagers charged with and convicted of the crimes.The names of the three teens convicted - Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley - would come to be However, a hair "not inconsistent with" Steve Branch's stepfather, Terry Hobbs, was found, and crucially it was tied into the knots of the bindings that had hogtied one of the children. The time spent to conceal them could have been skipped completely if there was no known relationship to the victims, Clemente told Ruff. Despite the falsehoods in the testimony, Echols was pulled in for questioning two days after the bodies were discovered, denying any involvement. Equally, Pamela's sister Jo Lynn McCaughey saw Hobbs washing clothes, bed linens, and curtains from Steve's room around the time of the killings. Speaking about Echols to The New York Times in 1993, high school teacher Jim Ferguson said, "he's like some wacko cult member.". There is a vast difference between what most Satanists believe Satanism is and the popular perception of Satanism. She was unable to say where this meeting was or who else was present. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a They still had the convictions, but the men would be free. But their innocence did leave investigators back at square one. Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. Eventually, three local teenagers, Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, and Jason Baldwin, were zeroed in on as the prime suspects. They were released on Aug. 19, 2011. ga('ads.send', { Toggle dark mode All three were charged and accused of committing a Satanic murder. "The chief of police was not truthful," Echols tweeted on Wednesday. Furthermore, Clemente believes the assailant was a male in his 30s who is either biologically related to one or more of the victims, a family member, or a very close community member. Hutcheson was accused of settling from her employer and forced to bring her young son, Aaron Hutcheson, to the interview. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." John Mark Byers, stepfather of Chris Byers and initially the subject of considerable suspicion himself, is shown calling Terry Hobbs a "baby killer" outside an Arkansas courtroom. Byers had been a step-father to Christopher Byers, who along with his two eight-year-old friends Michael Moore and Steve Branch, had been killed in West Memphis on May 5, 1993, and whose murders remain unsolved to this day, almost three decades later. With continuing advances in DNA testing, that day may finally be around the corner. Jones, the assistant juvenile probation officer, was one of the chief voices pushing the line alongside his supervisor Jerry Blackwood Driver. }); With John Mark Byers ruled out, revelations in 2007 would point in a new direction equally close to home. John Mark Byers, stepfather of Chris Byers and initially the subject of considerable suspicion himself, is shown calling Terry Hobbs a "baby killer" outside an Arkansas courtroom. Yet Misskelley kept talking, confessing again on Feb. 4. Echols filed a petition, which was not granted, but then the decision was overturned by the Arkansas Supreme Court. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." "We are planning to move ahead and test this evidence using the latest DNA technology available to hopefully identify the real killer(s) of the three children in 1993, and exonerate Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelley.". Despite doubt over the way authorities handled the case, as well as a lack of substantial evidence, the West Memphis Three were found guilty. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? Generation X was seen as cynical slackers, beholden to social-tribal identity and influenced by the likes of MTV and the ever-growing internet. However, her description of the boy she nearly hit was inconsistent with either Branch, Byers or Moore, and it was, in fact, a fourth boy by the name of George Taylor. Martin molested both of his stepchildren a son and a daughter over four years, serving just three years in the Colorado State Penitentiary. All three were convicted, not based on evidence but by a "twisted portrayal of their character", given sentences varying from death to life in prison, and then eventually exonerated following the advent of improved DNA technology. ET. It took them 18 years to clear their names. How the three died wasn't the same, with Moore and Branch being killed by multiple injuries and then drowning, with Byers dying of blood loss and not being drowned. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were best friends. He explained that the particular petition they filed is not up for interpretation and ultimately is not within their rights. While Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley may have begun to rebuild their lives, there is still no solace or closure for the families of Steve Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore. But in 2011, the West Memphis Three walked free. Climber only named Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. "I think maybe for the general public it's not quite as scary to believe that blood-thirsty Satanists were out murdering children as it is to believe that parents are actually murdering their own children. With the evidence mounting that all three accused had been innocent, the deal ensured that Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley would never be allowed to pursue civil action against the state of Arkansas for wrongful imprisonment. They were 17, 16, and 18 years old respectively. All three bodies were immediately removed from the water before the coroner arrived, meaning that they were exposed to sunlight and insects before judgments could be made surrounding rigor mortis and the time of death. The chief of police was not truthful. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. At the scene, Steve Jones, assistant juvenile probation officer, openly speculated that Echols was capable of the crime, saying, "it looks like Damien Echols finally killed someone.". He admitted the crime on June 3, June 11 and Aug. 19 and implicated others. Kara Goldfarb is a writer living in New York City. However, it wouldn't only be many of the victims' families who were dissatisfied, with former FBI criminal profiler John E. Douglas saying the killings were likely the work of one individual whose intent was to degrade the victims. But in the process, the West Memphis Three get blamed for the crime they didn't commit. While his repeated confessions may seem incriminating, Lawyer Dan Stidman would say in a 1999 letter to the court that "Absolutely nothing Misskelley told the officers or prosecutors would ever be admissible against him. Soon after, witness, Narlene Hollingsworth, reported she saw three boys riding bikes, almost hitting one when he rode out in front of her car. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) A former Memphis Fire Department emergency medical technician told a Tennessee board Friday that officers impeded patient care by refusing to remove Tyre Nichols ' handcuffs, which would have allowed EMTs to check his vital signs after he was brutally beaten by police. There was circumstantial evidence to suggest Byers knew more than he let on. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were best friends. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. Attorney Patrick Benca, who represents defendant Damien Echols, wrote in a Wednesday statement that he located evidence from the case after being granted access to the police department through an Arkansas state court order, according to WREG. gads_event = event; In contrast, others contend he remained severely mentally ill and an immature teenager. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. Get all the latest information on Events, Sales and Offers. Benca and the West Memphis Police Department did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. "I am innocent, as are Jason and Jessie, but I made this decision because I did not want to spend another day of my life behind those bars," Echols told the "Arkansas Times." Offers may be subject to change without notice. But in the process, the West Memphis Three get blamed for the crime they didn't commit. It wouldn't be the only evidence that linked Hobbs to the murders, with his wife Pamela finding a knife that her son had carried with him in her husband's nightstand. eventAction: 'click_ads' He had an extensive collection of animal skulls, including dogs and cats and local rumors said that he had killed a dog, while no evidence was ever provided. A polygraph indicated some level of deception in his statements to police, yet it should be noted that a heart condition may have affected the results. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of Terry Hobbs and Pamela Hicks. Meanwhile, at the Marion Police Department, Detective Don Bray was attempting to administer a polygraph test to Vicki Hutcheson, who had recently moved to the city. However, Aaron's story constantly changed, saying on one occasion he saw a victim bundled into a car by a Black man and on another stated that he witnessed the killings but didn't know who the killers were. However, the matter was sent to appeal, and Burnett was elected to the Arkansas State Senate, with his replacement being David Laser. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment. Toggle dark mode In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." However, Misskelley wouldn't only confess in that police interview room. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." It was just days before the trial of Echols and Baldwin. During the filming, cameraman Doug Cooper would be given a folding hunting knife by John Mark Byers, Christopher Byers' stepfather. WebDevil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three is a 2002 true crime book by Mara Leveritt, about the 1993 murders of three eight-year-old children and the subsequent trials of three teenagers charged with and convicted of the crimes.The names of the three teens convicted - Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley - would come to be However, the day afterward, Hutcheson would tell police that she, Echols and Misskelley had all attended a Wicca meeting in Turrell, Arkansas, where Echols became drunk and started to loudly brag about having committed the killings of Branch, Byers and Moore. Example video title will go here for this video. An attorney involved in the West Memphis Three case, in which three teenagers were convicted of killing three boys in 1993, is claiming that evidence related to the case that was believed to be lost or destroyed has been located at the West Memphis Police Department, local CBS affiliate WREG reported. Classmates at Weaver Elementary School, the three were active in their Cub Scout troop and responsible enough to be trusted to roam their neighborhood without All three boys were naked and hogtied using their shoelaces, each ankle tied with a wrist behind their backs. March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died. "We feel strongly that we are in the right. Sign up for newsletter today. Beyond his tales about Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols, Climber claimed to have beaten a police officer, hung a woman and sacrificed a second lady. "We are trying to find the real killers. 31 2021, Published 3:16 p.m. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." The Brotherhood group he identified himself as being associated with had committed multiple homicides. However, this approach was countered by other officers who believed firmly the occult must be involved at some level, looking immediately toward Damien Echols, who had built a reputation in the local community. hitType: 'event', The story of the West Memphis Three traces back to 1993, set in the city of West Memphis, Arkansas. }) My attorney was in the evidence room this morning and saw it with his own eyes. It became humiliating, something I'd do everything I could to hide from the rest of the world. }); Well, it minimizes the package a little bit and makes it easier to control after they're dead.. Trinocular Co-Axial 1500x Metallurgical Microscope with Top-Bottom Light with 2MP Camera, Trinocular Microscope with DIN Objective and Camera 40x - 2000x, Junior Medical Microscope with Wide Field Eyepiece & LED 100x - 1500x, Trinocular Inverted Metallurgical Microscope 100x - 1200x, Binocular Inverted Metallurgical Microscope 100x - 1200x. VEGA, Texas (KFDA) - Two people were killed and two others were injured after a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 west of Vega. Baldwin would later say that he had been resistant to the plea as a matter of principle, but turning it down would have kept Echols on death row. WebDevil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three is a 2002 true crime book by Mara Leveritt, about the 1993 murders of three eight-year-old children and the subsequent trials of three teenagers charged with and convicted of the crimes.The names of the three teens convicted - Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley - would come to be window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { "He had to spend this time because if he didn't, he would get caught. Pamela Hobbs gave numerous interviews to the press where she spoke about the knife, the DNA, and the events of May 5 and 6, 1994. hitType: 'event', All three pleaded innocent at the trial and maintained that innocence ever since. The inherent belief in that line of thought eventually led to the arrest of 18-year-old Damien Echols, 17-year-old Jessie Misskelley Jr., and 16-year-old Jason Baldwin, three out-of-sorts teens who became popularly known as "The West Memphis Three.". Therefore, Misskelley had to be tried alone. Efforts to release the West Memphis Three would be aided in 2003 when Vicki Hutcheson ultimately recanted her testimony, telling the "Arkansas Times" that everything she told police was a lie. eventAction: 'click_adunit' media-tech companies with hubs around the world. While the three, better known as the West Memphis Three, entered an Alford plea and are therefore not innocent in the eyes of the law, DNA evidence suggests someone else is responsible for the 1993 murders of James Michael Moore, Stephen Branch, and Christopher Byers. Byers had a long history of run-ins with the law and been accused of multiple violent crimes. Both knew Misskelley from school but were hardly considered friends, Misskelley having a reputation for violence. Everywhere you look, you see people with things that you do not have, and it has a profound mental effect. Workers at the Bojangles restaurant just a mile from the crime scene reported that at 8:42 p.m., a Black male had entered the premises and went into the women's bathroom. Jul. He was 62. So, this tells me that this offender was someone they know," Clemente said. How much of Echols reputation came down to his mental illness and how much teenage desire to shock is open to debate. ga('ads.send', { "Lawyers have to follow the law and when you file in the wrong place that's not my fault," said Attorney General Griffin. 1." The first of that evidence emerged during the filming of HBO's 1996 documentary on the case: 'Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills.'. I developed an overwhelming sense of being excluded from everything. Jul. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), We will fully comply with any lawful request made regarding this case.". However, it wasn't just about the music with many embracing rebellious philosophies that were inherently offensive to the traditions of Christianity, respect and patriotism that have always defined small-town rural America. Baldwin meanwhile has ambitions to become a lawyer and began work for a construction company, with Misskelley getting engaged to his high school girlfriend and training as a mechanic. Misskelley confessed during the interrogation but later took rescinded it, stating that he did it out our fear and intimidation. Clemente noted there was no indication, forensically, that theres more than one offender involved because what happened to each of the victims was consistent. Echols, one of the West Memphis Three, and his legal team have hit another obstacle as they try to get the court's permission to test newly found evidence for DNA. The alert was assigned to Officer Regenia Meek, who filled out reports and, with Officer John Moore, did a brief search, but nothing more expansive. Never mentioned in the autopsy or at either trial, they didn't match for Echols, Misskelley or Baldwin. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. WebSeason 1 Episode 1 Preview: Host and investigator Bob Ruff explores the flaws from the original ""West Memphis Three"" case to lay the groundwork for his evidence-driven investigation. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. During part two of the documentary special, Ruff sat down with retired FBI Supervisory Agent Jim Clemente, who created a suspect profile to help narrow down the possible suspect pool. Echols was generally seen as the dominant personality where Baldwin was concerned. If they thought they could trust the person who was the actual threat, then that person could get close enough to them to control them so that they couldn't run away," retired FBI Supervisory Agent Jim Clemente saysin "The Forgotten West Memphis Three.". ADVERTISEMENT "I can't understand why exactly people are glossing over the obvious when it comes to Byers and the death of Melissa Byers and all the things that Byers has said and done since this trial," he said. Many pointed to the irony in that insult, since Byers himself was considered by many to be complicit in not just the boys' murder, and the death of his second wife as well, who had passed away three years after her son's killing. Jul. Echols was from a poor background and struggled both with poverty and his mental health, having been institutionalized for several months after considering suicide. Adding, "Then, uh, Jason pulled out a knife. Goths, punks and skaters were in the ascendency, and Middle America was horrified. Then read about the woman who was convicted for locking her deaf sister in a room for seven years. WebWest Memphis Three, three American men who in 1994, while teenagers, were found guilty of murdering three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, allegedly as part of devil worship. Both had histories of drug offenses, and Morgan claimed to police he suffered from memory loss and blackouts, stating he "might have" killed the three boys. During the trial, Echols blew kisses to the victim's family, a sign taken by many as a sure sign of guilt. One individual on the police radar was convicted pedophile James K. Martin. He quickly retracted the statement, and police aren't believed to have considered them suspects any longer than the period of their arrest. Residents talked of strange smells in the woods, painted children, and even alleged to have seen a baby sacrificed. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were best friends. } The documentary was filmed on 79 days over ten months up to the point of the West Memphis Three's conviction. To understand the story of the West Memphis Three, it's important to remember the cultural atmosphere that was prevalent throughout America in the mid-1990s. In 1994, in what was widely believed to be a miscarriage of justice, three teens, 18-year-old Damien Echols, 17-year-old Jessie Misskelley Jr., and 16-year-old Jason Baldwin, were convicted in connection to the deaths of Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Steve Branch the previous year. New evidence immediately began to come to light that cast even further doubts on the already shaky judgment and presented new and surprising suspects. }); One such suspect was none other than Byers. 'West Memphis Three' case: John Byers, suspect and stepfather of one of the slain boys, dies in car crash. Echols, one of the West Memphis Three, and his legal team have hit another obstacle as they try to get the court's permission to test newly found evidence for DNA. Yet, the moral panic would culturally define the decade for many youths, lingering as the remnants of the "Satanic Panic" that led to many wrongful convictions a decade earlier. West Memphis police brought Terry Hobbs in for questioning in June 2007, and coverage soon led to a widespread examination of the original verdict, with Hobbs even telling police that some of his relatives suspected him in the killings. No ritual paraphernalia or markings were found at the scene, and many in the police believed those responsible had been sexual predators or strangers from outside the town. According to her new story, police had threatened to take her child if she didn't "cooperate." He was 62. } 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview The deals disappointed both those who still believed the three guilty and their supporters, with many feeling the bargain made them look guilty. Prosecutors in the case argued that Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley had killed three boys the prior year as part of Satanic rituals. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. However, police thought they had their culprits and were willing to ignore Ricky Climer and Avis Bly's severe mental illnesses. They would have been local and have a violent history, be familiar with the victims, and were engaging in a personal cause when they killed the boys. Initially a suspect himself amongst some people, John Mark Byers added his voice to those doubts before being killed in a car crash last year. This was a result of getting enraged, going too far, and then having to basically clean up the mess," he said. It was a fact, leading investigators to believe he had inside knowledge of the case. ET. Their clothing was found tied to sticks implanted into the creek bed, with two pairs of underwear missing. and "Do you know who killed those three boys?". WebWest Memphis Three, three American men who in 1994, while teenagers, were found guilty of murdering three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, allegedly as part of devil worship.