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. 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. All three boys were naked and hogtied using their shoelaces, each ankle tied with a wrist behind their backs. So if the West Memphis Three aren't the real killers, who is? Attempting to shelter from a storm, the two broke into a trailer and were charged with burglary and sexual misconduct. 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. Misskelley confessed during the interrogation but later took rescinded it, stating that he did it out our fear and intimidation. My attorney was in the evidence room this morning and saw it with his own eyes. The boys were naked and tied up by their shoelaces. So, this tells me that this offender was someone they know," Clemente said. During questioning, Echols mentioned wounds to the genital that one of the victims suffered. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. Despite the falsehoods in the testimony, Echols was pulled in for questioning two days after the bodies were discovered, denying any involvement. Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore. Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case, Timeline Of The West Memphis Three Victims. However, during his time at the station, Aaron mentioned that his three friends had been killed at "the playhouse.". 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. However, that isn't quite the truth. A second hair found at the scene was consistent with his friend, David Jacoby. },false) eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), }); 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. Yet, the moral panic would culturally define the decade for many youths, lingering as the remnants of the "Satanic Panic" that led to many wrongful convictions a decade earlier. 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 deals disappointed both those who still believed the three guilty and their supporters, with many feeling the bargain made them look guilty. While the documentary opened the public's eyes to the miscarriage of justice that had transpired to get Echols, Miskelley Jr., and Baldwin convicted for a crime they did not commit, it also threw doubt on Byers, a suspicious character who seemed to have a penchant for theatrics. After 18 years behind bars, they were freed. But in 2011, the West Memphis Three walked free. } 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. Was there a serial killer still on the loose in Arkansas? 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. 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. Public opinion against him would only grow more robust when the testimony of Aaron Hutcheson was leaked to the press. They seem to me to be more practical ligatures, Clemente said. Echols claimed that Pope's departure and the discovery of the evidence were connected. All three pleaded innocent at the trial and maintained that innocence ever since. The friends rode over to Bobby Posey's house, where they learned Christopher had been whipped by his adoptive father, John Mark Byers, and planned to run away. Who Is The Real Killer Behind The 'West Memphis Three' Murders? Clemente noted there was no indication, forensically, that theres more than one offender involved because what happened to each of the victims was consistent. 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. The police contended the tapes couldn't confirm this, with interference masking conversations. Well, it minimizes the package a little bit and makes it easier to control after they're dead.. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. 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. Get all the latest information on Events, Sales and Offers. Police on the case felt that there were cult-like and satanic overtones to the murders. }); 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. However, once again, Misskelley claimed Baldwin pulled out a knife, despite the evidence presented by experts that no knife had ever been used. She described a cult meeting involving Echols, Misskelley and about eight other youths. 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. He said the evidence, which he claims city officials previously told him was lost, destroyed or missing, was found intact and organized. He has devoted himself to writing, music and art. Jessie Misskelley was given two 20 year-sentences on top of life imprisonment, while Jason Baldwin also received life imprisonment. 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. 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. We will fully comply with any lawful request made regarding this case.". This is the world where fist meets face. March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died. }); Attorney General Griffin expects Echols' legal team to refile in Craighead County, but he said that it won't make a difference in the long run. 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. That changed on May 5, 1993, when three second-grade boys were reported missing. YoutubeMugshots of the West Memphis Three. They did not kill my son.. "He had to spend this time because if he didn't, he would get caught. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. Medical examiners were split on whether the three boys died the night they went missing or the morning after, and the bite marks wouldn't even be noticed until photographs were examined years later. Both knew Misskelley from school but were hardly considered friends, Misskelley having a reputation for violence. John Mark Byers was the stepdad of one of the victims and said before the hearing, Theyre innocent. }); 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. It was a fact, leading investigators to believe he had inside knowledge of the case. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. 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." Who killed Stevie Police noted he knew at least one of the victims by name and was on vacation the week the murders took place. Whose blood was on the knife was uncertain as it matched both Byers and the victim, both having the same HLA-DQ genotype. 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. gads_event = event; Meeting with Echols, Hutcheson reported that nothing incriminating was said. '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. Due to marital problems stemming from Stevies death, the couple divorced in 2004, reported CNN. VEGA, Texas (KFDA) - Two people were killed and two others were injured after a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 west of Vega. All three were second-grade pupils at Weaver Elementary School, with Branch being an honor student. Prosecutors argued that the three teenagers, with Echols as the lead, committed the murders as part of a satanic ritual. Offers may be subject to change without notice. She was unable to say where this meeting was or who else was present. And while both Michael and Steve had bruises across their body, Christopher had suffered the most gruesome injuries and had lacerations to various parts of his body, and mutilation to his scrotum and penis. He tried to fight back and showed defensive injuries. 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. Echols, by most accounts, didn't even consider himself one. 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. 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 Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. ", '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! Yet Misskelley kept talking, confessing again on Feb. 4. Sign up for newsletter today. There is a strong Christian identity, and crime is an issue, but the behavior of Echols, in particular, would have drawn comment everywhere. Branch and Moores bikes were discovered on either side of a pipe bridge not far from the crime scene. } window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { On May 5, 1993, that trouble for Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley, seemed to have got indescribably more severe. That's mostly during the teenage years.". 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. He admitted the crime on June 3, June 11 and Aug. 19 and implicated others. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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. 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. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. The hair would tie in with a reported sighting of a "disoriented" man on the night of the boys' disappearance. During the filming, cameraman Doug Cooper would be given a folding hunting knife by John Mark Byers, Christopher Byers' stepfather. 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. Their trial, which included 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. Benca and the West Memphis Police Department did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. 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. An investigation of the murders looked into several suspects, including the stepfather of Steve Branch as well as two teenage boys who had abruptly fled to California shortly after the bodies were discovered. 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. 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. 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. "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." 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. He failed to recognize where the crime scene actually was, mixed up the timeline and confused the victims. The elder Byers admitted he whipped Christopher with a belt shortly before he went missing. "We have no vested interest in trying to withhold any evidence from anyone on either side. It became humiliating, something I'd do everything I could to hide from the rest of the world. They wouldn't be alone, and witness after witness would state they had heard there was a Satanic cult in the area. But their innocence did leave investigators back at square one. The use of shoelaces had yet to be revealed to the public, yet Martin was eventually cleared of any involvement. Whether justice has been done in the case of the West Memphis Three depends on entirely who you ask. 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. Authorities figured Echols as a suspect because had shown an interest in occultism. He explained that the particular petition they filed is not up for interpretation and ultimately is not within their rights.