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Offers may be subject to change without notice. Beyond his tales about Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols, Climber claimed to have beaten a police officer, hung a woman and sacrificed a second lady. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { }) 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. "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.". All three were second-grade pupils at Weaver Elementary School, with Branch being an honor student. Moore. Martin molested both of his stepchildren a son and a daughter over four years, serving just three years in the Colorado State Penitentiary. Police on the case felt that there were cult-like and satanic overtones to the murders. They still had the convictions, but the men would be free. 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. Autopsies revealed that Byers died of multiple injuries, while the other two boys died of multiple injuries with drowning. 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.'. I think he spent more time on concealing the bodies and the clothing and the bikes than he did on the actual murders. 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. 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. Echols, by most accounts, didn't even consider himself one. He suffered from "grandiose and persecutory delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, disordered thought processes, substantial lack of insight, and chronic, incapacitating mood swings." 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." This is the world where fist meets face. 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." Was there a serial killer still on the loose in Arkansas? Meeting with Echols, Hutcheson reported that nothing incriminating was said. It went too far, and because of that, he had to kill all three of them," he said. But their innocence did leave investigators back at square one. Friends and family tried in vain to find the missing boys. 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. 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. At the trial, the prosecution continued the claims of Satanic overtones, calling Dale W. Griffis of the unaccredited Columbia Pacific University distance learning school as an "expert" witness to affirm the killings were definitely occult related. All Rights Reserved. They'd first come into contact almost precisely a year before Echols was arrested alongside his then-girlfriend Deanna Holcomb. The child claimed they were committed by Spanish-speaking Satanists. 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. Back with the search, the main focus was Robin Hood Hills near where witnesses last saw the trio, and that morning Branch andMoore's bikes were found next to a pipe bridge that crossed the bayou. There is a strong Christian identity, and crime is an issue, but the behavior of Echols, in particular, would have drawn comment everywhere. Now, the attorneys are responding in court. However, once again, Misskelley claimed Baldwin pulled out a knife, despite the evidence presented by experts that no knife had ever been used. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Grandmother with dementia died from face wound neglected by staff for days. 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. 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. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. Both knew Misskelley from school but were hardly considered friends, Misskelley having a reputation for violence. He was 62. It took them 18 years to clear their names. 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. One of those people would be Pamela Hobbs. The West Memphis Three had trials in 1994, with Echols and Baldwin tried together and Misskelley tried separately. The following afternoon, the bodies of Steve Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were found by a muddy ditch. } Their clothing was found in the same creek, and some of it had been twisted around sticks that had been fixed into the muddy ditch bed. },false) 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. Both had histories of drug offenses, and Morgan claimed to police he suffered from memory loss and blackouts, stating he "might have" killed the three boys. Undertaking a polygraph, Martin seemingly showed deception when asked, "Do you know what was used to tie up those three boys?" window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { Meanwhile, Byers himself had a long history of drug use and violent criminal behavior, including domestic violence and threats to kill. 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. }); 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. He explained that the particular petition they filed is not up for interpretation and ultimately is not within their rights. 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. 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.". Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. 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. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. That's mostly during the teenage years.". 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview ", 'Very open to the idea': Julia Wandelt takes DNA test to verify if she is missing Swiss girl Livia Schepp, Kayla Lemieux: Teacher with prosthetic Z-cup breasts suspended WITH PAY after pics show her dressed as man, 'We have lots to reveal': Madeleine McCann lookalike Julia Wandelt posts footage of meeting with PI probing claims, Lindsay Clancy case: Psychologist reveals psychosis red flags family members could have spotted, Horror at Larchwood Care! Many pointed to the irony in that insult, since Byers himself was considered by many to be complicit in not just the boys' murder, and the death of his second wife as well, who had passed away three years after her son's killing. Their clothing was found tied to sticks implanted into the creek bed, with two pairs of underwear missing. On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. 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." 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. There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal 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. It took them 18 years to clear their names. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. They were mutilated and bruised, and their clothes were in the nearby creek. Neither Climer nor Bly would be considered competent witnesses at the eventual trial. Attorney Patrick Benca, who represents defendant Damien Echols, wrote in a Wednesday statement that he located evidence from the case after being granted access to the police department through an Arkansas state court order, according to WREG. 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 had to spend this time because if he didn't, he would get caught. She described a cult meeting involving Echols, Misskelley and about eight other youths. Having once been adamant on the West Memphis Three's guilt, he accepted their innocence and, instead, pointed the finger at Terry Hobbs, Steve's stepfather. From the murder of Shanda Sharer to the Columbine massacre, there was little that wasn't blamed on this new devilish culture. 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. 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 }); Climber only named Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols. They seem to me to be more practical ligatures, Clemente said. }); Never mentioned in the autopsy or at either trial, they didn't match for Echols, Misskelley or Baldwin. So if the West Memphis Three aren't the real killers, who is? Two of the boys' underwear, however, was missing. In 2000, Berlinger and Sinofsky would produce "Paradise Lost 2: Revelations," a sequel to their 1996 film. For the state, the Alford pleas were a face-saving exercise. While the charges were expunged from his record, documents detailing them were found at the Crittenden County Court by journalist Mara Leveritt. 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. The West Memphis Police Department denied any connection in a statement to ABC 24 Memphis. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. They had a daughter together, Amanda Hobbs, who was 4 years old at the time of her brothers death. He was muddy, bleeding, and brushed against the walls, leaving behind blood stains and feces on the walls, stall, and floor. Everywhere you look, you see people with things that you do not have, and it has a profound mental effect. hitType: 'event', The documentary was filmed on 79 days over ten months up to the point of the West Memphis Three's conviction. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. 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. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Yet, few could give details. Despite claiming to know Echols well, she denied knowing his close friend Baldwin. 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). 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. 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. Morgan and Holland left town on May 10 and headed to Oceanside in California, their departure shocking many who knew them. 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. "We are trying to find the real killers. 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. On one occasion, she said she was with her son all day; on another that he left home around 4 p.m. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. He has now resigned, and we know that none of the evidence was destroyed. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. 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. "The chief of police was not truthful," Echols tweeted on Wednesday. She also revealed that her ex-husband had once asked her sister point-blank if she suspected him in the killings. A prime example of the issues with the confession was that Misskelley was giving false information that was believed accurate by police at the time, stating that he saw Echols and Baldwin go into the woods with the three boys and rape them. All three pleaded innocent at the trial and maintained that innocence ever since. They did not kill my son.. "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." But it seemed the story for the West Memphis Three was over. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. However, it wouldn't only be many of the victims' families who were dissatisfied, with former FBI criminal profiler John E. Douglas saying the killings were likely the work of one individual whose intent was to degrade the victims. He admitted the crime on June 3, June 11 and Aug. 19 and implicated others. 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. One such suspect was none other than Byers. } But, those were far from the only three suspects in the case. He was 62. 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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. However, the matter was sent to appeal, and Burnett was elected to the Arkansas State Senate, with his replacement being David Laser. 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. His mother told him to be home by 4:45 p.m., and the two set off around 3:40 p.m. He kept a calendar of the lunar cycle so he and Jones could patrol the county and check for covens. Hobbs retrieved a .357 magnum pistol from his truck and shot Jackie Hicks, Pamela Hobbs' brother. 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. His behavior as it became apparent Echols, Misskelley, and Baldwin would be cleared of the murders, was questioned as well. hitType: 'event', 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. 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. While they showed the bravado and sense of adventure associated with many scouts, they were still innocent, with Byers said by his mother to still "[believe] in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.". He tried to fight back and showed defensive injuries. Based on the way the boys were tied up hands bound on either side of the body to the same side ankle Clemente theorized the suspect is somebody who works with animal carcasses, a butcher or a hunter., [T]he ligatures are not restraining ligatures. 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. The chief of police was not truthful. 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. Right on the border of Tennessee, West Memphis was a bible belt city unaccustomed to much publicity. How the three died wasn't the same, with Moore and Branch being killed by multiple injuries and then drowning, with Byers dying of blood loss and not being drowned. This is where the calluses on a man's hand are bigger than his conscience, and dreams get drowned in sweat and tears.". In contrast, others contend he remained severely mentally ill and an immature teenager. 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. Who killed Stevie Generation X was seen as cynical slackers, beholden to social-tribal identity and influenced by the likes of MTV and the ever-growing internet. 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. Echols' legal team has filed a response to the Attorney General's request, where they are asking the court to deny it. }); Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were best friends. 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.