It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a Meanwhile, Byers himself had a long history of drug use and violent criminal behavior, including domestic violence and threats to kill. If the judge makes the decision to deny the state's request for dismissal, then Attorney General Tim Griffin will get a chance to respond to that decision. 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. } Grandmother with dementia died from face wound neglected by staff for days. 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. killed By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? Like John Mark Byers, Hobbs was a wifebeater. Well, it minimizes the package a little bit and makes it easier to control after they're dead.. Public opinion against him would only grow more robust when the testimony of Aaron Hutcheson was leaked to the press. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. Before the case could again reach the courts, Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were allowed to enter Alford plea deals. Police noted he knew at least one of the victims by name and was on vacation the week the murders took place. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The 'West Memphis Three' were exonerated following the advent of improved DNA technology (West Memphis Police Department) 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. ga('ads.send', { He was 62. 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. }); 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. Friends and family tried in vain to find the missing boys. All three were charged and accused of committing a Satanic murder. But in 2011, the West Memphis Three walked free. WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. No semen was found at the scene, and there was no evidence of molestation. Since his release, Echols has forged a career in the arts, moving to the infamous Salem, Massachusetts and publishing a memoir, "Almost Home: My Life Story Vol. Morgan was an ice cream truck driver and would likely have been familiar with all three victims. Stating that he was "scared of the police," Misskelley confessed to murder. The child claimed they were committed by Spanish-speaking Satanists. West Memphis Three Who killed Stevie West Memphis Three 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.". West Memphis Three 1." She also revealed that her ex-husband had once asked her sister point-blank if she suspected him in the killings. 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. It was a fact, leading investigators to believe he had inside knowledge of the case. 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. 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. On May 5, 1993, that trouble for Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley, seemed to have got indescribably more severe. 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. Investigators found the bottle exactly where he said it would be. However, once again, Misskelley claimed Baldwin pulled out a knife, despite the evidence presented by experts that no knife had ever been used. 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. West Memphis Three 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview Who Killed Standing 6-feet-5-inches tall and weighing 238 pounds, Byers was an imposing and threatening presence. He explained that the particular petition they filed is not up for interpretation and ultimately is not within their rights. 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 Youtube Mugshots of the West Memphis Three. 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. Hutcheson was accused of settling from her employer and forced to bring her young son, Aaron Hutcheson, to the interview. I think he spent more time on concealing the bodies and the clothing and the bikes than he did on the actual murders. eventAction: 'view' 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. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. connection to West Memphis Three Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Candy-Land idealism is quietly suffocated in the relentless humidity. Benca and the West Memphis Police Department did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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." Jul. West Memphis Three The following morning, May 6, a far more thorough search throughout West Memphis began, Crittenden County Search and Rescue personnel leading the effort, including the use of a helicopter. 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). Jones, the assistant juvenile probation officer, was one of the chief voices pushing the line alongside his supervisor Jerry Blackwood Driver. This is the world where fist meets face. The autopsy in full is harrowing reading, with Moore receiving 63 specific wounds, including ten skull fractures. 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). 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. 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. Example video title will go here for this video. window.adsContainer = {"positionAfterTitle":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle5_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position2":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_After_Title_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position3":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Below_Next_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle1_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle2_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position7":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle3_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle4_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle5_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position10":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle6_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position11":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle7_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position12":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle8_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position13":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle9_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position14":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle10_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position15":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle11_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position16":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle12_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"positionTop":{"code":"Article_Desktop_970x250_Header_Rel","isOrganicUserAd":false,"max_width":970,"max_height":250},"positionBottom":{"code":"Article_Desktop_Sidebar_Bottom_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":300,"max_height":600},"positionBottomRight":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_After_Title_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":336,"max_height":280}} Then, perhaps, the punishment went too far, and it resulted in the triple homicide. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ 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 Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. They were mutilated and bruised, and their clothes were in the nearby creek. of the West Memphis Three 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.'. 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 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. 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. 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. }); 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. "Chief Pope's resignation is completely unrelated to the West Memphis three rumors being sent out on social media," the statement reads. So, this tells me that this offender was someone they know," Clemente said. 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 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. 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. But their innocence did leave investigators back at square one. 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. Clemente noted there was no indication, forensically, that theres more than one offender involved because what happened to each of the victims was consistent. With the new evidence in hand alongside expert testimony that suggested the knife wounds and mutilation had been animal predation, Echols petitioned for a retrial. The West Memphis Three were charged with the murder of three boys in 1994. 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. They'd first come into contact almost precisely a year before Echols was arrested alongside his then-girlfriend Deanna Holcomb. All three boys were naked and hogtied using their shoelaces, each ankle tied with a wrist behind their backs. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Echols was from a poor background and struggled both with poverty and his mental health, having been institutionalized for several months after considering suicide. hitType: 'event', 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. However, that isn't quite the truth. 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. "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. 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. That changed on May 5, 1993, when three second-grade boys were reported missing. hitType: 'event', 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. 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. 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. They had a daughter together, Amanda Hobbs, who was 4 years old at the time of her brothers death. "We are trying to find the real killers. 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. Two of the boys' underwear, however, was missing. 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. Get all the latest information on Events, Sales and Offers. 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. The truth is, the ongoing debate over whether Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were guilty has often clouded the undoubted fact that justice remains elusive for the other West Memphis Three, Steve Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. He was 62. 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. Byers had a long history of run-ins with the law and been accused of multiple violent crimes. Yet, few could give details. It took them 18 years to clear their names. killed There is a vast difference between what most Satanists believe Satanism is and the popular perception of Satanism. They wouldn't be alone, and witness after witness would state they had heard there was a Satanic cult in the area. Jul. On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. ET. 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. Memphis 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 "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." Kara Goldfarb is a writer living in New York City. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { There is no mention of Santic overtones or symbolism in the early written reports by police, nor correspondence with the FBI. Toggle dark mode While the charges were expunged from his record, documents detailing them were found at the Crittenden County Court by journalist Mara Leveritt. VEGA, Texas (KFDA) - Two people were killed and two others were injured after a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 west of Vega. However, he was far from the only person of intense interest with two other teenagers, Chris Morgan and Brian Holland, attracting early interest. A self-identified white supremacist and freemason, his personality and affiliations led many to suspect that he was the kind of man who may have been involved in the killings. It can now be tested, to see who left DNA at the crime scene. With continuing advances in DNA testing, that day may finally be around the corner. Here's when clocks will 'spring forward' in 2023, Arkansas Supreme Court chief justice announces departure from WM3 case, West Memphis Three continue fight to get DNA tested. It was just days before the trial of Echols and Baldwin. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. Misskelley confessed during the interrogation but later took rescinded it, stating that he did it out our fear and intimidation. }); 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. 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. True crime: The tragedy of the West Memphis Three One individual on the police radar was convicted pedophile James K. Martin. The West Memphis Three Never mentioned in the autopsy or at either trial, they didn't match for Echols, Misskelley or Baldwin. All Rights Reserved. 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.". Echols filed a petition, which was not granted, but then the decision was overturned by the Arkansas Supreme Court. 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. 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. A few years later, he was facing charges relating to the use of terroristic threats, grand theft, and drug use. 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. and "Do you know who killed those three boys?". 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. }); A roll of toilet paper was soaked through with blood. Now, the attorneys are responding in court. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. He quickly retracted the statement, and police aren't believed to have considered them suspects any longer than the period of their arrest. 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. I developed an overwhelming sense of being excluded from everything. Misskelley was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder. Meanwhile, police questioned Misskelley alone, despite the suspect only having an IQ of 72. Bike found near the "West Memphis Three" crime scene.