To learn more about the case, watch The Forgotten West Memphis Three" now on Oxygen. VEGA, Texas (KFDA) - Two people were killed and two others were injured after a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 west of Vega. "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." Branch had 21 particular wounds, including a large gouge to the left side of his face, with Byers having 62 differing injuries. Like John Mark Byers, Hobbs was a wifebeater. ga('ads.send', { During questioning, Echols mentioned wounds to the genital that one of the victims suffered. 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. 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. Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. He was 62. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. He was 62.
of the West Memphis Three Meanwhile, at the Marion Police Department, Detective Don Bray was attempting to administer a polygraph test to Vicki Hutcheson, who had recently moved to the city. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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. }); "We have no vested interest in trying to withhold any evidence from anyone on either side. 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. Toggle dark mode He was interrogated for 12 hours with only two segments running to 46 minutes being recorded, and although he was read his Miranda rights, he later said that he hadn't understood them. 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." 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). Nine days later, Misskelley would confess again. 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. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. 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. Before the case could again reach the courts, Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were allowed to enter Alford plea deals. March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died.
West Memphis Three and "Do you know who killed those three boys?". 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. 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. 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. The boys were naked and tied up by their shoelaces. 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. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. Who Is The Real Killer Behind The 'West Memphis Three' Murders? Stating that he was "scared of the police," Misskelley confessed to murder. 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. 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. 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. Jul. Toggle dark mode One individual on the police radar was convicted pedophile James K. Martin. The documentary was filmed on 79 days over ten months up to the point of the West Memphis Three's conviction. Climber only named Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols. Three teenage boys convicted of the 1993 murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, Thailand's 'most beautiful transgender woman' and husband wear $580K in attire at extravagant wedding, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; 'We are coming,' sheriff says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh's new mugshot revealed after double life sentence, Rebel Wilson says she was banned from Disneyland for 30 days for taking a bathroom selfie, SoCal in for cool start to weekend, but light rain makes brief return, CHONK: State champion quartet prepping for show this weekend, Opinion: Fix loophole that increases copay costs for prescription drugs, Ambulancia para pacientes "posedos" lleva psiclogos y exorcistas en Bolivia. However, once again, Misskelley claimed Baldwin pulled out a knife, despite the evidence presented by experts that no knife had ever been used. Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. He has now resigned, and we know that none of the evidence was destroyed. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment. 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. 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. 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(), While the charges were expunged from his record, documents detailing them were found at the Crittenden County Court by journalist Mara Leveritt. Candy-Land idealism is quietly suffocated in the relentless humidity. eventAction: 'render' What came after the arrest is quite well-documented. The autopsy in full is harrowing reading, with Moore receiving 63 specific wounds, including ten skull fractures.
West Memphis Three Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. Steve Edward Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore were all good kids. It wouldn't be the only evidence that linked Hobbs to the murders, with his wife Pamela finding a knife that her son had carried with him in her husband's nightstand. 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. Workers at the Bojangles restaurant just a mile from the crime scene reported that at 8:42 p.m., a Black male had entered the premises and went into the women's bathroom. During the filming, Byers had given cameraman Doug Cooper a hunting knife which makers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky handed over to the police after discovering what appeared to be blood on it. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? 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 took them 18 years to clear their names. Their clothing was found tied to sticks implanted into the creek bed, with two pairs of underwear missing. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." They had a daughter together, Amanda Hobbs, who was 4 years old at the time of her brothers death. ADVERTISEMENT eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. While Morgan, Holland and "Mr. Bojangles" already seem to have more against them than Echols, the police were now focusing solely on the one angle and one suspect, getting Vicki Hutcheson to agree to have her home wired. All three pleaded innocent at the trial and maintained that innocence ever since. Talking with police and his lawyer present in the room, he would ignore advice from his counsel to remain silent and detailed how the West Memphis Three had abused and murdered the victims. There were even witnesses who placed Misskelley at his trailer until 6:30 p.m., the time the boys went missing, with one revealing he picked him up to go wrestling around 7:30 p.m.
West Memphis Three However, her description of the boy she nearly hit was inconsistent with either Branch, Byers or Moore, and it was, in fact, a fourth boy by the name of George Taylor. How seriously anyone took the Mulder and Scully of West Memphis is uncertain, but they certainly took Echols seriously. 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. 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. Despite the alarming inconsistencies and recanting his confession, saying that he was fatigued, threatened and intimidated, police quickly arrested Echols and Baldwin. Advances in DNA testing allowed forensics to be utilized on hairs found at the scene, with none again matching for the three imprisoned men. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment. "I want to live and to continue to fight for our innocence. The state of Arkansas was hoping to do like they do in so many other cases with poor people, with people who are powerless to defend themselves. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." Their trial, which included Misskelley confessed during the interrogation but later took rescinded it, stating that he did it out our fear and intimidation. That's mostly during the teenage years.". This was a result of getting enraged, going too far, and then having to basically clean up the mess," he said. Ultimately, the judge will make a final ruling on whether to proceed. I developed an overwhelming sense of being excluded from everything. 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. 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. 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. Judge David Burnett, the original trial judge, disallowed the presentation of the new information in his court in 2008, citing the DNA tests as inconclusive. 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.
West Memphis Three 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. }); 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. His mother told him to be home by 4:45 p.m., and the two set off around 3:40 p.m. 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 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. },false) Echols, by most accounts, didn't even consider himself one. 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. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Terry Hobbs, meanwhile, still believes in the guilt of the West Memphis Three, telling Memphis ABC affiliate WATN in 2019 that "I still believe in my heart that Jessie, Jason, and Damion Echols are responsible for what happened to our children.". Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment. Now, the attorneys are responding in court. However, the matter was sent to appeal, and Burnett was elected to the Arkansas State Senate, with his replacement being David Laser. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. He was 62. Suspicion toward John Mark Byers would only increase when the bite marks on Steve Branch's forehead were discovered. 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. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were best friends. Over the nine years since their release, there have been dozens of theories that pointed to other suspects who could have been behind the deaths of Christopher, Michael, and Steve. He failed to recognize where the crime scene actually was, mixed up the timeline and confused the victims. While police initially suspected rape, there was no evidence for it. Yet, few could give details. gads_event = event; She was unable to say where this meeting was or who else was present. A few years later, he was facing charges relating to the use of terroristic threats, grand theft, and drug use. Due to marital problems stemming from Stevies death, the couple divorced in 2004, reported CNN. Terry Hobbs and Pamela Hicks. 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.". 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. Every piece is still there https://t.co/8tzxOWjZLH, - Damien Echols (@damienechols) December 21, 2021. If the offender came across the boys as they were doing something wrong or misbehaving, it would have been even easier to control and reprimand them, said Clemente. 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.
West Memphis Three released from prison after It was rumor and innuendo, overheard gossip and allegations. 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." The varying wounds included unrecognized bites, and possible stab wounds to his groin and castration, with some putting this down to animal predation. A subsequent search quickly found the bodies of Branch, Byers and 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 West Memphis Three were charged with the murder of three boys in 1994. 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 deals disappointed both those who still believed the three guilty and their supporters, with many feeling the bargain made them look guilty. Autopsies revealed that Byers died of multiple injuries, while the other two boys died of multiple injuries with drowning. It went too far, and because of that, he had to kill all three of them," he said. He was muddy, bleeding, and brushed against the walls, leaving behind blood stains and feces on the walls, stall, and floor. However, police thought they had their culprits and were willing to ignore Ricky Climer and Avis Bly's severe mental illnesses. However, that isn't quite the truth. 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. They were mutilated and bruised, and their clothes were in the nearby creek.
West Memphis Three | Background & Trial 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. They wouldn't be alone, and witness after witness would state they had heard there was a Satanic cult in the area. Who killed Stevie pg.acq.push(function() { Echols lawyer stated that new DNA evidence did not place him at the scene of the crime. 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
West Memphis Three