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 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.'. }); Candy-Land idealism is quietly suffocated in the relentless humidity. Classmates at Weaver Elementary School, the three were active in their Cub Scout troop and responsible enough to be trusted to roam their neighborhood without Who Is The Real Killer Behind The 'West Memphis Three' Murders? It was rumor and innuendo, overheard gossip and allegations. 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. 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. }); },false) window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { Sometimes justice is neither pretty, nor is it perfect, but it was important to take this opportunity to be free.". 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. Adding that his client was "a mentally handicapped person who is quite suggestible. 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. WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. 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. Two of the boys' underwear, however, was missing. With John Mark Byers ruled out, revelations in 2007 would point in a new direction equally close to home. 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. Echols and Baldwin were best friends and shared a profound distaste for Bible Belt life in West Memphis, Arkansas and were drawn toward the rebellion of metal music and associated books and movies. Generation X was seen as cynical slackers, beholden to social-tribal identity and influenced by the likes of MTV and the ever-growing internet. 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. But in 2011, the West Memphis Three walked free. The child claimed they were committed by Spanish-speaking Satanists. 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.". 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 Due to marital problems stemming from Stevies death, the couple divorced in 2004, reported CNN. 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. Bike found near the "West Memphis Three" crime scene. It went too far, and because of that, he had to kill all three of them," he said. 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. Classmates at Weaver Elementary School, the three were active in their Cub Scout troop and responsible enough to be trusted to roam their neighborhood without if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ 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. 31 2021, Published 3:16 p.m. WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. The three men spent nearly 17 years in prison before being released in 2012 after entering an Alford plea, pleading guilty while maintaining their innocence. 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. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. 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 . VEGA, Texas (KFDA) - Two people were killed and two others were injured after a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 west of Vega. That changed on May 5, 1993, when three second-grade boys were reported missing. Police on the case felt that there were cult-like and satanic overtones to the murders. 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. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. 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. 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. 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview Branch and Moores bikes were discovered on either side of a pipe bridge not far from the crime scene. Everywhere you look, you see people with things that you do not have, and it has a profound mental effect. Stating that he was "scared of the police," Misskelley confessed to murder. All three boys were naked and hogtied using their shoelaces, each ankle tied with a wrist behind their backs. The plea deal was accepted. There are significant issues with the confession, with his claims not aligning with the autopsy and crime scene evidence, seemingly changing his story depending on who he was talking with. 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. From the murder of Shanda Sharer to the Columbine massacre, there was little that wasn't blamed on this new devilish culture. 1." Despite the defense stating that Echols' statements on Byers genitals and the boys being drowned could have been public knowledge locally, particularly considering known leaks had been made, both Echols and Baldwin were found guilty on three counts of murder. Then read about the woman who was convicted for locking her deaf sister in a room for seven years. pg.acq.push(function() { March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), He also initially claimed Echols had choked one victim until he was told that none of the boys had been strangled. 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. Meanwhile, patrons at the Blue Beacon, a truck wash close to the scene, all had their credit card receipts collected, and the first suspects brought in were transients, with information being sought about two "dirty-looking" hitchhikers. It was a fact, leading investigators to believe he had inside knowledge of the case. 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. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. All three were second-grade pupils at Weaver Elementary School, with Branch being an honor student. 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 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). "We are pleased that the evidence is intact," Benca said, according to WREG. "But I didn't wear hats back then; my hair could have blown around anywhere.". Every piece is still there https://t.co/8tzxOWjZLH, - Damien Echols (@damienechols) December 21, 2021. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ Therefore, Misskelley had to be tried alone. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Youtube Mugshots of the West Memphis Three. 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. "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.". 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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. 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." 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. How much of Echols reputation came down to his mental illness and how much teenage desire to shock is open to debate. Some believe the police immediately thought there was some level of occult involvement in the triple homicide, yet this isn't the case. Curiously, most of the injuries suffered by Byers were to the lower body, whereas the damage inflicted on Branch and Moore was primarily to the upper body. What came after the arrest is quite well-documented. ga('ads.send', { A roll of toilet paper was soaked through with blood. }); 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. A few years later, he was facing charges relating to the use of terroristic threats, grand theft, and drug use. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Echols, by most accounts, didn't even consider himself one. Speaking about Echols to The New York Times in 1993, high school teacher Jim Ferguson said, "he's like some wacko cult member.". 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 the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. Youtube Mugshots of the West Memphis Three. He tried to fight back and showed defensive injuries. Right on the border of Tennessee, West Memphis was a bible belt city unaccustomed to much publicity. But in the process, the West Memphis Three get blamed for the crime they didn't commit. Advances in DNA testing allowed forensics to be utilized on hairs found at the scene, with none again matching for the three imprisoned men. Jul. Clemente pointed out that the killer took his time to conceal the boys' bodies, clothing, and bikes. 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. Climber only named Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols. The condition of the bodies led to the initial belief the three had been raped and then killed. 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.