All three spent most of their days as any other mid-1990s teenagers - listening to rock music, watching pro wrestling on television, and either poking around under the hood of a car or simply hanging out and causing trouble. A second hair found at the scene was consistent with his friend, David Jacoby. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a ga('ads.send', { 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. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' However, during his time at the station, Aaron mentioned that his three friends had been killed at "the playhouse.". 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. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. That changed on May 5, 1993, when three second-grade boys were reported missing. Despite the alarming inconsistencies and recanting his confession, saying that he was fatigued, threatened and intimidated, police quickly arrested Echols and Baldwin. The West Memphis Three were charged with the murder of three boys in 1994. Speaking about Echols to The New York Times in 1993, high school teacher Jim Ferguson said, "he's like some wacko cult member.". Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. Driver's comments surrounding the case raised troubling questions over his competence to serve, stating he believed Echols and his girlfriend intended to sacrifice their expectant child to Satan. 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. hitType: 'event', After being told that she was questioning his involvement, Hobbs is alleged to have replied, "I could skin a man alive, I could cut him up.". 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. Example video title will go here for this video. 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 They'd first come into contact almost precisely a year before Echols was arrested alongside his then-girlfriend Deanna Holcomb. Eventually, three local teenagers, Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, and Jason Baldwin, were zeroed in on as the prime suspects. Whose blood was on the knife was uncertain as it matched both Byers and the victim, both having the same HLA-DQ genotype. Youtube Mugshots of the West Memphis Three. He said the evidence, which he claims city officials previously told him was lost, destroyed or missing, was found intact and organized. The West Memphis Three were charged with the murder of three boys in 1994. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Who killed Stevie One of those people would be Pamela Hobbs. hitType: 'event', How seriously anyone took the Mulder and Scully of West Memphis is uncertain, but they certainly took Echols seriously. 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. The chief of police was not truthful. She was unable to say where this meeting was or who else was present. Taylor's presence suggests that at 4:30 p.m., Branch and Moore had not yet found their friend Byers. 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. Devastating Photos Of Hiroshima Before And After The Atomic Bombing That Changed History Forever, Jury Finds Man Guilty Of Teaching Pug Nazi Salute [VIDEO], What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, black Americans are wrongfully convicted at a far greater rate, woman who was convicted for locking her deaf sister in a room for seven years. WebThe West Memphis Three are three men convicted as teenagers in 1994 of the 1993 murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, United States. Two of the boys' underwear, however, was missing. Goths, punks and skaters were in the ascendency, and Middle America was horrified. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), He quickly retracted the statement, and police aren't believed to have considered them suspects any longer than the period of their arrest. Benca and the West Memphis Police Department did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. Meanwhile, police questioned Misskelley alone, despite the suspect only having an IQ of 72. Until 2007, when the discovery of new forensic evidence reopened the case and a new statute permitting post-conviction testing of DNA evidence came about. The story will be familiar to many working-class American youths, with Echols' poverty and mental health struggles disconnecting him from society, writing that "As I grew older I learned to be ashamed of being poor, too. }) Toggle dark mode They were released on Aug. 19, 2011. They wanted to overwhelm us, convict us, condemn us and sweep us under the rug.". "We have no vested interest in trying to withhold any evidence from anyone on either side. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a He also theorized that the killer knew the victims because he was able to control three victims without any help.. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? Both men were increasingly concerned about the potential for human sacrifices when it was a full moon. So if the West Memphis Three aren't the real killers, who is? She described a cult meeting involving Echols, Misskelley and about eight other youths. He was also charged in 1990 for stealing $65,000 in jewelry from a store where he previously worked, and in 1992 for "conspiring to sell cocaine and with carrying a dangerous weapon.". 'Feels Like Home:' electrical failure from a light fixture caused December fire that killed 1, Shelby County reporting an increase in drug-related overdoses, largely due to fentanyl, Severe weather threat is over | Prepare for a sunny weekend, Daylight saving time starts soon. 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. Aaron was restless, and Bray was unable to properly administer the polygraph. So, this tells me that this offender was someone they know," Clemente said. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. There are significant issues with the confession, with his claims not aligning with the autopsy and crime scene evidence, seemingly changing his story depending on who he was talking with. In 2000, Berlinger and Sinofsky would produce "Paradise Lost 2: Revelations," a sequel to their 1996 film. VEGA, Texas (KFDA) - Two people were killed and two others were injured after a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 west of Vega. Quoted by WMC-TV in 2013, Jacoby said, "They said close to the crime scene because at one time I did walk near where they had found the kids with Terry Hobbs, his father-in-law, his wife," adding. 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. 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. I think he spent more time on concealing the bodies and the clothing and the bikes than he did on the actual murders. The elder Byers admitted he whipped Christopher with a belt shortly before he went missing. The Brotherhood group he identified himself as being associated with had committed multiple homicides. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { Explaining why the test may have indicated this, Martin suggested he believed "the father of Steve Branch killed the boys" and that he suspected shoelaces would have been used to tie up the victims, as "logic tells him that the killer would use something already there." Interested, police arrested both of them on May 17, placing them under a polygraph which indicated they were deceptive when denying involvement in the killings. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. pg.acq.push(function() { When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ To learn more about the case, watch The Forgotten West Memphis Three" now on Oxygen. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment. 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. Echols claimed that Pope's departure and the discovery of the evidence were connected. But what is the purpose of that? Every piece is still there https://t.co/8tzxOWjZLH, - Damien Echols (@damienechols) December 21, 2021. However, he was far from the only person of intense interest with two other teenagers, Chris Morgan and Brian Holland, attracting early interest. Increasingly alarmed, searchers saw a black shoe floating in a muddy creek that afternoon. The men garnered national attention due to a series of documentaries and books that questioned their convictions as well as the vocal support of numerous celebrities. Hobbs, who had previously been under the police scanner for the murders because of inconsistencies in his story, had later been cleared of any wrongdoing but found himself being verbally abused by Byers in front of cameras outside a courtroom. There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal 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. In many respects, the reaction to these new youth movements was nothing new, with the metal bands of the 1970s and 80s having faced similar condemnation as "the Devil's music." In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." eventAction: 'click_ads' There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal Martin molested both of his stepchildren a son and a daughter over four years, serving just three years in the Colorado State Penitentiary. Who Is The Real Killer Behind The 'West Memphis Three' Murders? 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. 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. },false) hitType: 'event', Byers had a long history of run-ins with the law and been accused of multiple violent crimes. He suffered from "grandiose and persecutory delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, disordered thought processes, substantial lack of insight, and chronic, incapacitating mood swings." Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. 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. But it seemed the story for the West Memphis Three was over. Judge Laser vacated all previous convictions and ordered a new trial where the West Memphis Three would be allowed to make the plea, sentencing them to time served. Byers submitted dental records that showed the marks on the body didn't match his original teeth and subsequently passed a polygraph during the documentary's filming. "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." 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. }); It took them 18 years to clear their names. Copyright 2023 Empire Media Group, Inc. Front Page Detectives is a registered trademark. Entering a plea of not guilty, Richard Ofshe testified that Misskelley's confession had been a "classic example" of police coercion. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { ga('ads.send', { Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. Misskelley's confession couldn't be utilized if he had stood trial alongside Echols and Baldwin under what is known as the Bruton rule stemming from Bruton v. United States. Prosecutors would only give up harassing Misskelley for his testimony when I threatened to hold a press conference and disclose their efforts to entice his testimony." "Lawyers have to follow the law and when you file in the wrong place that's not my fault," said Attorney General Griffin. On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. Terry Hobbs and Pamela Hicks. March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a town. } 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. They wouldn't be alone, and witness after witness would state they had heard there was a Satanic cult in the area. John Mark Byers was the stepdad of one of the victims and said before the hearing, Theyre innocent. Despite suspicion eventually falling away from Byers, Jason Baldwin praised the "Paradise Lost" documentaries as essential to their case, telling the "National Podcast of Texas" in 2019 that "The documentary saved my life, saved Damien's life, and saved Jessie's life. eventAction: 'render' 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 ga('ads.send', { It was a fact, leading investigators to believe he had inside knowledge of the case. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. One such suspect was none other than Byers. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. During questioning, Echols mentioned wounds to the genital that one of the victims suffered. Meanwhile, Byers himself had a long history of drug use and violent criminal behavior, including domestic violence and threats to kill. }); People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. With the addition of a 10-year suspended sentence, a probation type sentencing which meant if they did anything illegal they would be put back in jail, the West Memphis Three were sentenced to time served. But, those were far from the only three suspects in the case. He kept a calendar of the lunar cycle so he and Jones could patrol the county and check for covens. 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. It doesn't take much effort to get him to say or do anything at all.". 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. 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. LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas After three years of fighting to get new evidence tested for DNA, the state is saying the West Memphis Three petition should be tossed out. 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," he told Ruff. Police noted he knew at least one of the victims by name and was on vacation the week the murders took place. 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. However, once again, Misskelley claimed Baldwin pulled out a knife, despite the evidence presented by experts that no knife had ever been used. When investigators found the boys bodies on May 6, 1993, they had been jammed into the muddy ground of the bayou, and their clothes had been submerged in the water with sticks.

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