Baldwin got life behind bars, and Echols was sentenced to death by lethal injection. Steve had taken this knife everywhere and was never without it, with Pamela believing the killer had stolen it when it wasn't found at the scene. During the trial, Echols blew kisses to the victim's family, a sign taken by many as a sure sign of guilt. 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. However, the matter was sent to appeal, and Burnett was elected to the Arkansas State Senate, with his replacement being David Laser. }); 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Police noted he knew at least one of the victims by name and was on vacation the week the murders took place. This is where the calluses on a man's hand are bigger than his conscience, and dreams get drowned in sweat and tears.". She described a cult meeting involving Echols, Misskelley and about eight other youths. It became humiliating, something I'd do everything I could to hide from the rest of the world. A formal interview on May 9 led to further suspicion against the young man when he mentioned the damage to Byer's genitals, something seen as incriminating. Therefore, Misskelley had to be tried alone. The autopsy in full is harrowing reading, with Moore receiving 63 specific wounds, including ten skull fractures. Despite the falsehoods in the testimony, Echols was pulled in for questioning two days after the bodies were discovered, denying any involvement. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. He also initially claimed Echols had choked one victim until he was told that none of the boys had been strangled. 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. Who killed Stevie Moore. 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. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were best friends. That changed on May 5, 1993, when three second-grade boys were reported missing. This was a result of getting enraged, going too far, and then having to basically clean up the mess," he said. 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. "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. Driver was the kind of individual who saw Satanism in every corner, blaming campfires, dead animal carcasses and pentagram graffiti on the dark arts. Terry Hobbs and Pamela Hicks. New evidence immediately began to come to light that cast even further doubts on the already shaky judgment and presented new and surprising suspects. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. It can now be tested, to see who left DNA at the crime scene. Misskelley confessed during the interrogation but later took rescinded it, stating that he did it out our fear and intimidation. }); He was 62. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment. The hair would tie in with a reported sighting of a "disoriented" man on the night of the boys' disappearance. Climber only named Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols. They were released on Aug. 19, 2011. 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. 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.". Tape recorded, Misskelley would claim that "When the boys came up, Damien grabbed one of them, I don't know which one and the other two tried to get Damien to stop, and then me and Jason come out and started grabbing them, started hitting them." The case for his guilt was put forward by Echols himself in Peter Jackson's 'West of Memphis.' Now, Attorney General Tim Griffin has requested the Arkansas Supreme Court to dismiss the case based on the fact that the petition was filed in Crittenden County but Echols was convicted in Craighead County. It is easy for many to look at the South as hillbilly central, full of prejudice and backward attitudes, with somewhat elitist attitudes often prevalent when discussing the case. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { After 3 years of fighting to get new evidence tested for DNA, the state says the WM3 petition should be tossed out and now, the attorneys are responding in court. 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. 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 . 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. Branch and Moores bikes were discovered on either side of a pipe bridge not far from the crime scene. The Supreme Court ruled that a defendant would be deprived of his rights if a confession was introduced in a joint trial under the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment, stating that "in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the rightto be confronted with the witnesses against him." } "But I didn't wear hats back then; my hair could have blown around anywhere.". ga('ads.send', { The chief of police was not truthful. Everywhere you look, you see people with things that you do not have, and it has a profound mental effect. 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. 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 There is no mention of Santic overtones or symbolism in the early written reports by police, nor correspondence with the FBI. One such suspect was none other than Byers. Morgan was an ice cream truck driver and would likely have been familiar with all three victims. 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. 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. The West Memphis Three were charged with the murder of three boys in 1994. Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. 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. Toggle dark mode Starting in the weeks that followed the killings, documentary filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky began to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case for their film "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills," airing in June 1996 on HBO. 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. hitType: 'event', 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview }); There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal The use of shoelaces had yet to be revealed to the public, yet Martin was eventually cleared of any involvement. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." Prosecutors in the case argued that Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley had killed three boys the prior year as part of Satanic rituals. 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. Based on the new information, the three men asked for an Alford plea, in which the defendant maintains their innocence, but acknowledge that prosecutors have evidence to convict them. 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. 31 2021, Published 3:16 p.m. They were 17, 16, and 18 years old respectively. He kept a calendar of the lunar cycle so he and Jones could patrol the county and check for covens. Never mentioned in the autopsy or at either trial, they didn't match for Echols, Misskelley or Baldwin. }); WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. }); The documentary was filmed on 79 days over ten months up to the point of the West Memphis Three's conviction. In 1997 Byers had all his teeth removed, claiming both that medication he was taking caused gum disease and he'd planned to remove them as he had suffered dental problems for years. 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. Product was successfully added to your shopping cart. "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 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. Yet, few could give details. 31 2021, Published 3:16 p.m. I believe there was an incident of over-disciplining one of the boys. Standing 6-feet-5-inches tall and weighing 238 pounds, Byers was an imposing and threatening presence. The plea deal was accepted. By Benjamin H. Smith 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. 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a ga('ads.send', { Whose blood was on the knife was uncertain as it matched both Byers and the victim, both having the same HLA-DQ genotype. 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. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. He showed several old scars from prior injuries. Like John Mark Byers, Hobbs was a wifebeater. Yet, it is a giant leap toward murder. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Echols claimed that Pope's departure and the discovery of the evidence were connected. Working at the crime scene, police made a series of errors that would significantly impede the case. His behavior as it became apparent Echols, Misskelley, and Baldwin would be cleared of the murders, was questioned as well. Authorities figured Echols as a suspect because had shown an interest in occultism. The boys were naked and tied up by their shoelaces. With John Mark Byers ruled out, revelations in 2007 would point in a new direction equally close to home. 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. Both knew Misskelley from school but were hardly considered friends, Misskelley having a reputation for violence. While police initially suspected rape, there was no evidence for it. This is the world where fist meets face. Their trial, which included With continuing advances in DNA testing, that day may finally be around the corner. The bodies of the three boys had been found in Robin Hood Hills, a stretch of forested land in the city that was popular with children and where Christopher, Michael and Steve were last seen together. "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. While he remained immature, he was on an early road to adulthood as he worked part-time as a roofer and expecting a baby with his girlfriend, Domini Teer. He even said that he saw John Mark Byers assisting in the killings. But in 2011, the West Memphis Three walked free. 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. 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. WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. Toggle dark mode The West Memphis Three were charged with the murder of three boys in 1994. 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. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. 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. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. Their trial, which included Candy-Land idealism is quietly suffocated in the relentless humidity. Police almost immediately turned their attention to Baldwin, Echols and Misskelley and suspected them of killing the boys. },false) At one point, he told locals he obtained superpowers from consuming human blood and was often seen to have sharpened his fingernails and drawn deliberately provocative tattoos on himself. } While the stepfather initially denied it had ever been used, he later changed his story and said he had used it just once, to cut deer meat. 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 My attorney was in the evidence room this morning and saw it with his own eyes. WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. Sign up to receive breakingFront Page Detectivesnews and exclusive investigations. eventAction: 'click_adunit' Opinion remains divided on whether the right men were convicted or if the actual killers still walk the streets of West Memphis. 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. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. It went too far, and because of that, he had to kill all three of them," he said. Autopsies revealed that Byers died of multiple injuries, while the other two boys died of multiple injuries with drowning. He quickly retracted the statement, and police aren't believed to have considered them suspects any longer than the period of their arrest. "We have no vested interest in trying to withhold any evidence from anyone on either side. 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. Hobbs retrieved a .357 magnum pistol from his truck and shot Jackie Hicks, Pamela Hobbs' brother. 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. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. 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. From the murder of Shanda Sharer to the Columbine massacre, there was little that wasn't blamed on this new devilish culture. On Feb. 8, Misskelley claimed he had been drunk at the time of the killings and was drinking Evan Williams whiskey, claiming that he had thrown a bottle away under a bridge in West Memphis, swearing on the Bible as to the truth of his latest claims. However, Misskelley wouldn't only confess in that police interview room. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. 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. The condition of the bodies led to the initial belief the three had been raped and then killed. A subsequent search quickly found the bodies of Branch, Byers and To learn more about the case, watch The Forgotten West Memphis Three" now on Oxygen. 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.'. hitType: 'event', Echols unwisely began to tell the fanatical Driver tall tales about local cults and animal sacrifices when Driver became his parole officer, telling him that he followed Wicca. Meeting with Echols, Hutcheson reported that nothing incriminating was said. 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. The police contended the tapes couldn't confirm this, with interference masking conversations. Adding that his client was "a mentally handicapped person who is quite suggestible. During the weeks that followed, law enforcement would only state that Echols was a source of information, not officially designating him a suspect despite looking at him more than anyone else. 31 2021, Published 3:16 p.m. hitType: 'event', 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. Then, perhaps, the punishment went too far, and it resulted in the triple homicide. Neighbors would recall that the abuse suffered by the boy was horrific, describing the whippings as a regular occurrence. All three were charged and accused of committing a Satanic murder. },false) 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.". 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 1." document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ 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. 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. He said the evidence, which he claims city officials previously told him was lost, destroyed or missing, was found intact and organized. 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. The story of the West Memphis Three traces back to 1993, set in the city of West Memphis, Arkansas. All three would be happy to talk, with Bly saying that Misskelley was the leader of a Satanic cult that also involved Baldwin, Echols, his girlfriend Domini Teer, and others 20 in all. What came after the arrest is quite well-documented. 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. On one occasion after the killings at Robin Hood Hills, he had beaten Pamela so severely that she told the family that she thought her jaw was broken, prompting them to drive to the Hobbs home to confront him. 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. So if the West Memphis Three aren't the real killers, who is? Who killed Stevie These three would come to be known as the West Memphis Three. "We are trying to find the real killers. Misskelley was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder. 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.