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. Jul. We are one of the worlds fastest growing Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. Adding that his client was "a mentally handicapped person who is quite suggestible. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { Terry Hobbs and Pamela Hicks. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. 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. All three appealed the convictions. 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." 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. 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." 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. 31 2021, Published 3:16 p.m. However, it wasn't just about the music with many embracing rebellious philosophies that were inherently offensive to the traditions of Christianity, respect and patriotism that have always defined small-town rural America. ADVERTISEMENT 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. Jessie Misskelley was given two 20 year-sentences on top of life imprisonment, while Jason Baldwin also received life imprisonment. He suffered from "grandiose and persecutory delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, disordered thought processes, substantial lack of insight, and chronic, incapacitating mood swings." With continuing advances in DNA testing, that day may finally be around the corner. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), As the rumors increased throughout the community, a Salem-like air descended as names continued to be associated with the alleged cult. 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. 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 elder Byers admitted he whipped Christopher with a belt shortly before he went missing. 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 The boys were naked and tied up by their shoelaces. Police on the case felt that there were cult-like and satanic overtones to the murders. 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. But their innocence did leave investigators back at square one. After 18 years behind bars, they were freed. Both men were increasingly concerned about the potential for human sacrifices when it was a full moon. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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. }); } He even said that he saw John Mark Byers assisting in the killings. 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. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ Despite doubt over the way authorities handled the case, as well as a lack of substantial evidence, the West Memphis Three were found guilty. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { Yet, few could give details. This would give him no time to meet his Echols and Baldwin, get drunk as he claimed, and then kill three children in an extended attack in the woods. 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, 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. With John Mark Byers ruled out, revelations in 2007 would point in a new direction equally close to home. '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. 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.". 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview Who killed Stevie 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. 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. I believe there was an incident of over-disciplining one of the boys. 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. He explained that the particular petition they filed is not up for interpretation and ultimately is not within their rights. Into this misunderstanding step Damien Echols, 18, Jessie Misskelley Jr., 17, and Jason Baldwin, 16. "Lawyers have to follow the law and when you file in the wrong place that's not my fault," said Attorney General Griffin. They seem to me to be more practical ligatures, Clemente said. The plea deal was accepted. 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. He tried to fight back and showed defensive injuries. Neither Climer nor Bly would be considered competent witnesses at the eventual trial. ga('ads.send', { He took one of them I don't know which one cut him on I think it was on this side of his face.". Speaking about Echols to The New York Times in 1993, high school teacher Jim Ferguson said, "he's like some wacko cult member.". 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. 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. Get all the latest information on Events, Sales and Offers. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. They did not kill my son.. All three boys were naked and hogtied using their shoelaces, each ankle tied with a wrist behind their backs. Product was successfully added to your shopping cart. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. ga('ads.send', { The chief of police was not truthful. 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. He has now resigned, and we know that none of the evidence was destroyed. This was a result of getting enraged, going too far, and then having to basically clean up the mess," he said. The hair would tie in with a reported sighting of a "disoriented" man on the night of the boys' disappearance. Both knew Misskelley from school but were hardly considered friends, Misskelley having a reputation for violence. 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview 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. 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. 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 They had a daughter together, Amanda Hobbs, who was 4 years old at the time of her brothers death. hitType: 'event', WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. 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 DNA of these three children is likely in that evidence," said Lonnie Soury, a member of Damien Echols' legal team. Their trial, which included 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. 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. Driver was the kind of individual who saw Satanism in every corner, blaming campfires, dead animal carcasses and pentagram graffiti on the dark arts. Another story claimed Aaron saw a mass of "The Dragons," an alleged coven with five members, spoke Spanish and sang about Satan. Sign up to receive breakingFront Page Detectivesnews and exclusive investigations. But, those were far from the only three suspects in the case. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. 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. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. 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. Increasingly alarmed, searchers saw a black shoe floating in a muddy creek that afternoon. Stating that he was "scared of the police," Misskelley confessed to murder. Over the years, however, the West Memphis Three continued to maintain their innocence, claiming they had nothing to do with the slayings of Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers, who were each found nude, hogtied, and mutilated in a bayou. }); On one occasion, she said she was with her son all day; on another that he left home around 4 p.m. hitType: 'event', We will fully comply with any lawful request made regarding this case.". The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? 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." What came after the arrest is quite well-documented. 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. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. 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. For the state, the Alford pleas were a face-saving exercise. Misskelley was interrogated for 12 hours, of which less than an hour were recorded. Initially a suspect himself amongst some people, John Mark Byers added his voice to those doubts before being killed in a car crash last year. So if the West Memphis Three aren't the real killers, who is? Then, perhaps, the punishment went too far, and it resulted in the triple homicide. Suspicion toward John Mark Byers would only increase when the bite marks on Steve Branch's forehead were discovered. Toggle dark mode Entering a plea of not guilty, Richard Ofshe testified that Misskelley's confession had been a "classic example" of police coercion. Byers had a long history of run-ins with the law and been accused of multiple violent crimes. During the filming, cameraman Doug Cooper would be given a folding hunting knife by John Mark Byers, Christopher Byers' stepfather. However, Misskelley wouldn't only confess in that police interview room. 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. pg.acq.push(function() { I think he spent more time on concealing the bodies and the clothing and the bikes than he did on the actual murders. Toggle dark mode 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. Hutcheson was accused of settling from her employer and forced to bring her young son, Aaron Hutcheson, to the interview. 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. 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 time spent to conceal them could have been skipped completely if there was no known relationship to the victims, Clemente told Ruff. Their clothing was found tied to sticks implanted into the creek bed, with two pairs of underwear missing. They allowed police and other workers to walk through the creek, trampling possible evidence such as footprints, and equally failed to drain the water quickly to preserve other evidence. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. Prosecutors argued that the three teenagers, with Echols as the lead, committed the murders as part of a satanic ritual. Toggle dark mode 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. "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. Whose blood was on the knife was uncertain as it matched both Byers and the victim, both having the same HLA-DQ genotype. In 2010, the West Memphis Three were granted to appear before the Arkansas Supreme Court based on the new DNA evidence and potential misconduct by the jury. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ How much of Echols reputation came down to his mental illness and how much teenage desire to shock is open to debate. However, during his time at the station, Aaron mentioned that his three friends had been killed at "the playhouse.". There is no mention of Santic overtones or symbolism in the early written reports by police, nor correspondence with the FBI. He was 62. 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. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. 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.". Example video title will go here for this video. A subsequent search quickly found the bodies of Branch, Byers and I developed an overwhelming sense of being excluded from everything. 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. 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. They were released on Aug. 19, 2011. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. Youtube Mugshots of the West Memphis Three. 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.". The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a town. 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. 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. 1." Meeting with Echols, Hutcheson reported that nothing incriminating was said. eventAction: 'render' 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. }); 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. Friends and family tried in vain to find the missing boys. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), It became humiliating, something I'd do everything I could to hide from the rest of the world. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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 Sign up for newsletter today. There is a vast difference between what most Satanists believe Satanism is and the popular perception of Satanism. March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died. He also initially claimed Echols had choked one victim until he was told that none of the boys had been strangled. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 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. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a 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('ads.send', { 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. 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. Climber only named Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. Who Is The Real Killer Behind The 'West Memphis Three' Murders? 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.