who killed the west memphis three who killed the west memphis three

A new round of DNA testing later showed no genetic material linked the men to the crime scene evidence, and they were released from prison in 2011 after agreeing to an Alford plea. }); }) hitType: 'event', It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a town. He was sentenced to life plus 40 years. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a He took one of them I don't know which one cut him on I think it was on this side of his face.". Despite the defense stating that Echols' statements on Byers genitals and the boys being drowned could have been public knowledge locally, particularly considering known leaks had been made, both Echols and Baldwin were found guilty on three counts of murder. That's mostly during the teenage years.". Yet, while Arkansas certainly has problems seen throughout the South, such as poor wages, West Memphis was then a city of 30,000 with a wide variety of cultures. Standing 6-feet-5-inches tall and weighing 238 pounds, Byers was an imposing and threatening presence. Right on the border of Tennessee, West Memphis was a bible belt city unaccustomed to much publicity. Having once been adamant on the West Memphis Three's guilt, he accepted their innocence and, instead, pointed the finger at Terry Hobbs, Steve's stepfather. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. He was muddy, bleeding, and brushed against the walls, leaving behind blood stains and feces on the walls, stall, and floor. It took them 18 years to clear their names. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. The gruesome nature of their deaths led both police and the community to theorize that there had been a satanic element involved something that wasn't too farfetched in the "Bible Belt, where Satanic Panic" was at its peak. 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. 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. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. Sign up for newsletter today. Autopsies revealed that Byers died of multiple injuries, while the other two boys died of multiple injuries with drowning. Eventually, three local teenagers, Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, and Jason Baldwin, were zeroed in on as the prime suspects. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ A few years later, he was facing charges relating to the use of terroristic threats, grand theft, and drug use. Terry Hobbs and Pamela Hicks. 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. Opinion remains divided on whether the right men were convicted or if the actual killers still walk the streets of West Memphis. Branch had 21 particular wounds, including a large gouge to the left side of his face, with Byers having 62 differing injuries. ga('ads.send', { It doesn't take much effort to get him to say or do anything at all.". If some stranger who looked very threatening approached these three boys, I think the first reaction of these boys would be to run away, to look for help. No matter who committed those terrible crimes at Robin Hood Hills, they still walk free 28 years later, and until the culprits are found, the case is far from over. 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. Misskelley was interrogated for 12 hours, of which less than an hour were recorded. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. Never mentioned in the autopsy or at either trial, they didn't match for Echols, Misskelley or Baldwin. If you found this interesting, you might also want to read about the study that finds black Americans are wrongfully convicted at a far greater rate. How much of Echols reputation came down to his mental illness and how much teenage desire to shock is open to debate. 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. The discovery comes after West Memphis Police Chief Michael Pope resigned Tuesday. Watch: Man connected to 'West Memphis Three' learns evidence connected to the case is missing By Dominique Dillon, FOX13memphis.com July 08, 2021 at 5:53 pm CDT WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. eventAction: 'view' Police almost immediately turned their attention to Baldwin, Echols and Misskelley and suspected them of killing the boys. Aaron was restless, and Bray was unable to properly administer the polygraph. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. It was rumor and innuendo, overheard gossip and allegations. 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. 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview Entering a plea of not guilty, Richard Ofshe testified that Misskelley's confession had been a "classic example" of police coercion. They'd first come into contact almost precisely a year before Echols was arrested alongside his then-girlfriend Deanna Holcomb. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ 31 2021, Published 3:16 p.m. 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. The use of shoelaces had yet to be revealed to the public, yet Martin was eventually cleared of any involvement. ga('ads.send', { "I want to live and to continue to fight for our innocence. "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. The West Memphis Three were charged with the murder of three boys in 1994. Climber only named Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols. When they didn't, the first phone call would be made to police not long afterward, John Mark Byers raising the alarm with police close to 8 p.m. Yet, few could give details. eventAction: 'click_adunit' However, the matter was sent to appeal, and Burnett was elected to the Arkansas State Senate, with his replacement being David Laser. When he was informed that the blood matched both his and Chris' blood type, he claimed he had no idea how the blood might have gotten on the knife before suggesting he might have left it out accidentally. Byers claimed the knife had never even been used, changing his story to say he'd used it to cut deer meat after the presence of blood was found. From the murder of Shanda Sharer to the Columbine massacre, there was little that wasn't blamed on this new devilish culture. At the trial, the prosecution continued the claims of Satanic overtones, calling Dale W. Griffis of the unaccredited Columbia Pacific University distance learning school as an "expert" witness to affirm the killings were definitely occult related. It went too far, and because of that, he had to kill all three of them," he said. Watch: Man connected to 'West Memphis Three' learns evidence connected to the case is missing By Dominique Dillon, FOX13memphis.com July 08, 2021 at 5:53 pm CDT WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. 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. What came after the arrest is quite well-documented. Despite the continuing doubts over the testimony, police pulled in Misskelley on June 3 alongside two other alleged cult members, Ricky Climer and Alvis Bly. 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. There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal Who killed Stevie The time spent to conceal them could have been skipped completely if there was no known relationship to the victims, Clemente told Ruff. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); And while both Michael and Steve had bruises across their body, Christopher had suffered the most gruesome injuries and had lacerations to various parts of his body, and mutilation to his scrotum and penis. On May 5, 1993, that trouble for Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley, seemed to have got indescribably more severe. }); pg.acq.push(function() { A prime example of the issues with the confession was that Misskelley was giving false information that was believed accurate by police at the time, stating that he saw Echols and Baldwin go into the woods with the three boys and rape them. Equally, Wiccans reject their beliefs are a form of Satanism, with the movement being closer to Neo-Paganism and nature religions and almost exclusively pacifistic in nature. 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. 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. The three would be confirmed to be together between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., with the boys spotted headed toward Robin Hood Hills; Terry Hobbs, Branch's stepfather, calling out for them to return. Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. He was called a 'baby killer.'. In 1973, his parents had called the police to report that he was threatening them with a butcher knife. 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Whose blood was on the knife was uncertain as it matched both Byers and the victim, both having the same HLA-DQ genotype. }); Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. It was likely the teenager was deliberately provoking Driver and exaggerating his lifestyle, leading the officer to become convinced that Echols was involved in a Satanic cult straight from a horror film. The autopsy in full is harrowing reading, with Moore receiving 63 specific wounds, including ten skull fractures. Despite doubt over the way authorities handled the case, as well as a lack of substantial evidence, the West Memphis Three were found guilty. } All three achieved the rank of "Wolf," and Moore had his blue Boy Scouts of America shirt and Boy Scout hat on as he ventured out on his bicycle. Despite the alarming inconsistencies and recanting his confession, saying that he was fatigued, threatened and intimidated, police quickly arrested Echols and Baldwin. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), She also revealed Terry hadn't informed her that her son was missing until she finished work, having significant concerns over his whereabouts on those days. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ Was there a serial killer still on the loose in Arkansas? 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. 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. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. When West Memphis teens Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley Jr. were tried and convicted of the murders of three 8-year-old boys in 1994, many in the community felt confident that investigators had put the right men behind bars. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? Therefore, Misskelley had to be tried alone. They were mutilated and bruised, and their clothes were in the nearby creek. Meanwhile, Byers himself had a long history of drug use and violent criminal behavior, including domestic violence and threats to kill. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? 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 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. ET. hitType: 'event', Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. Due to marital problems stemming from Stevies death, the couple divorced in 2004, reported CNN. On one occasion, she said she was with her son all day; on another that he left home around 4 p.m. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." 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 In addition to the offender being a male who had a relationship with one or more of the victims, Clemente thinks the suspect was from the neighborhood, theorizing that he hid the bodies in order to give himself enough time to establish an alibi. 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. The story of the West Memphis Three traces back to 1993, set in the city of West Memphis, Arkansas. On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. Meanwhile, patrons at the Blue Beacon, a truck wash close to the scene, all had their credit card receipts collected, and the first suspects brought in were transients, with information being sought about two "dirty-looking" hitchhikers. All three had been stripped naked and shackled with their shoelaces their right ankles had been tied to their right wrists behind their backs, with their left ankles to their left wrists behind their backs as well. His mother told him to be home by 4:45 p.m., and the two set off around 3:40 p.m. }); Echols, by most accounts, didn't even consider himself one. hitType: 'event', They had a daughter together, Amanda Hobbs, who was 4 years old at the time of her brothers death. 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. They drew pentagrams, skulls, and snakes on art materials and surprised those at a football game by arriving dressed in black with black tears painted on their faces. "Even if he files within the right court, there is no body that's required under habeas corpus because he's released," said Attorney General Griffin. 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), To prove his innocence, he agreed and passed a polygraph test during the filming of 'Paradise Lost 2: Revelations,' only for the documentary to throw doubts on the results by revealing he was under the influence of several psychoactive prescription medications that could have affected the test results. Jul. hitType: 'event', 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. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. Police on the case felt that there were cult-like and satanic overtones to the murders. However, police thought they had their culprits and were willing to ignore Ricky Climer and Avis Bly's severe mental illnesses. Morgan was an ice cream truck driver and would likely have been familiar with all three victims. Authorities figured Echols as a suspect because had shown an interest in occultism. 31 2021, Published 3:16 p.m. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." Benca and the West Memphis Police Department did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. Medical examiners were split on whether the three boys died the night they went missing or the morning after, and the bite marks wouldn't even be noticed until photographs were examined years later. It took them 18 years to clear their names. Example video title will go here for this video. Police detective Bryn Ridge would later testify he somehow lost the samples from Bojangles' wall. }); John Mark Byers, who was suspected in the deaths of three West Memphis children in 1993, died in a car crash earlier this week, officials in Tennessee revealed on Friday, June 19. But in the process, the West Memphis Three get blamed for the crime they didn't commit. However, Misskelley wouldn't only confess in that police interview room. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office announced on Twitter that Byers had been killed in an accident on Chambers Road and Shakerag Road in the Millington area on Thursday evening and then died after he was transported to a local hospital. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. ga('ads.send', { Jessie Misskelley was given two 20 year-sentences on top of life imprisonment, while Jason Baldwin also received life imprisonment. 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. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { Both Echols and Misskelley had dropped out of high school, while Baldwin continued to achieve high grades, making the pair something of an odd couple, known for their involvement in petty crimes such as vandalism. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. 'West Memphis Three' case: John Byers, suspect and stepfather of one of the slain boys, dies in car crash. On May 5, 1993, Branch was at home with his mother, Pamela Hobbs, and shortly after the end of school, Moore rode over on his bike and asked if his friend could take a ride with him. He again repeated the incorrect police suspicion that Echols had sexually violated one of the boys, claiming this time his friend had ejaculated on the victim's trousers. 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. All Rights Reserved. Another story claimed Aaron saw a mass of "The Dragons," an alleged coven with five members, spoke Spanish and sang about Satan. }); All three were charged and accused of committing a Satanic murder. 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 . Toggle dark mode 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. An investigation of the murders looked into several suspects, including the stepfather of Steve Branch as well as two teenage boys who had abruptly fled to California shortly after the bodies were discovered. That changed on May 5, 1993, when three second-grade boys were reported missing. 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. The boys were naked and tied up by their shoelaces. While they showed the bravado and sense of adventure associated with many scouts, they were still innocent, with Byers said by his mother to still "[believe] in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.". 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. Benca said he hopes the evidence can be tested for DNA to help clear the name of his client, who along with Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelley Jr. was convicted of murder as a teenager in 1994. Neighbors would recall that the abuse suffered by the boy was horrific, describing the whippings as a regular occurrence. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ 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.Attorney Patrick Benca, who represents Speaking about Echols to The New York Times in 1993, high school teacher Jim Ferguson said, "he's like some wacko cult member.". One of the charges of making terroristic threats was connected to a domestic dispute between him and his first wife, Sandra Byers, who accused him of threatening her life and assaulting her with an electronic stunning device. Jones, the assistant juvenile probation officer, was one of the chief voices pushing the line alongside his supervisor Jerry Blackwood Driver. However, during his time at the station, Aaron mentioned that his three friends had been killed at "the playhouse.". It was a fact, leading investigators to believe he had inside knowledge of the case. Offers may be subject to change without notice. The West Memphis Three are Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley Jr., whoas teenagerswere convicted in 1994 of triple murder in West Memphis (Crittenden County). Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were best friends. There is a vast difference between what most Satanists believe Satanism is and the popular perception of Satanism. Working at the crime scene, police made a series of errors that would significantly impede the case. 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. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. Echols interest in the occult as an outlet led him to Wicca, and he was a reader of Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey and English occultist Aleister Crowley. The DNA of these three children is likely in that evidence," said Lonnie Soury, a member of Damien Echols' legal team. 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.". The new documentary focused on the bite marks, with the prosecution arguing that the marking seen on Christopher Byers' face in photographs is from a belt buckle and not teeth. 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 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. }) People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The West Memphis Police Department denied any connection in a statement to ABC 24 Memphis. Despite the falsehoods in the testimony, Echols was pulled in for questioning two days after the bodies were discovered, denying any involvement. Who Is The Real Killer Behind The 'West Memphis Three' Murders? Some believe the police immediately thought there was some level of occult involvement in the triple homicide, yet this isn't the case. Steve Edward Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore were all good kids.