To prove his innocence, he agreed and passed a polygraph test during the filming of 'Paradise Lost 2: Revelations,' only for the documentary to throw doubts on the results by revealing he was under the influence of several psychoactive prescription medications that could have affected the test results. Youtube Mugshots of the West Memphis Three. 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. 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. During the filming, cameraman Doug Cooper would be given a folding hunting knife by John Mark Byers, Christopher Byers' stepfather. "Lawyers have to follow the law and when you file in the wrong place that's not my fault," said Attorney General Griffin. 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. ga('ads.send', { 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.". Their trial, which included 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. }) But what is the purpose of that? 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. The West Memphis Police Department denied any connection in a statement to ABC 24 Memphis. One of the few pieces of forensic evidence recovered at the scene was a hair belonging to a Black male found on a sheet that had been used to wrap one of the victims. 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. }); pg.acq.push(function() { Now, the attorneys are responding in court. },false) The documentary was filmed on 79 days over ten months up to the point of the West Memphis Three's conviction. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { 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. Police noted he knew at least one of the victims by name and was on vacation the week the murders took place. The police were called, but he had left by the time they arrived, and nobody from law enforcement entered the bathroom until the next day after the discovery of the bodies. pg.acq.push(function() { 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). On May 5, 1993, that trouble for Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley, seemed to have got indescribably more severe. Their clothing was found tied to sticks implanted into the creek bed, with two pairs of underwear missing. 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. Goths, punks and skaters were in the ascendency, and Middle America was horrified. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Steve Edward Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore were all good kids. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment. 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. 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. Police on the case felt that there were cult-like and satanic overtones to the murders. 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. As the rumors increased throughout the community, a Salem-like air descended as names continued to be associated with the alleged cult. Echols was generally seen as the dominant personality where Baldwin was concerned. Jul. The following morning, May 6, a far more thorough search throughout West Memphis began, Crittenden County Search and Rescue personnel leading the effort, including the use of a helicopter. 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. Ultimately, the judge will make a final ruling on whether to proceed. He failed to recognize where the crime scene actually was, mixed up the timeline and confused the victims. 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. 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 Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. }); } let gads_event; Branch and Moores bikes were discovered on either side of a pipe bridge not far from the crime scene. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ A second hair found at the scene was consistent with his friend, David Jacoby. 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. 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. Echols' legal team has filed a response to the Attorney General's request, where they are asking the court to deny it. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a eventAction: 'click_ads' reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. Another story claimed Aaron saw a mass of "The Dragons," an alleged coven with five members, spoke Spanish and sang about Satan. The varying wounds included unrecognized bites, and possible stab wounds to his groin and castration, with some putting this down to animal predation. 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. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Christopher Byers' father, Rick Murray, was one of the early voices to speak out against the West Memphis Three's convictions, with Pamela Hobbs perhaps becoming the most vocal. All three had been stripped naked and shackled with their shoelaces their right ankles had been tied to their right wrists behind their backs, with their left ankles to their left wrists behind their backs as well. Grandmother with dementia died from face wound neglected by staff for days. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Hutcheson was accused of settling from her employer and forced to bring her young son, Aaron Hutcheson, to the interview. 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. 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. 'West Memphis Three' case: John Byers, suspect and stepfather of one of the slain boys, dies in car crash. Adding, "Then, uh, Jason pulled out a knife. LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas After three years of fighting to get new evidence tested for DNA, the state is saying the West Memphis Three petition should be tossed out. He quickly retracted the statement, and police aren't believed to have considered them suspects any longer than the period of their arrest. So, this tells me that this offender was someone they know," Clemente said. 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." How seriously anyone took the Mulder and Scully of West Memphis is uncertain, but they certainly took Echols seriously. 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. 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. Bike found near the "West Memphis Three" crime scene. Branch had 21 particular wounds, including a large gouge to the left side of his face, with Byers having 62 differing injuries. 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. 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. Taylor's presence suggests that at 4:30 p.m., Branch and Moore had not yet found their friend Byers. Who, then, was responsible for the brutal murders and mutilations of three young children? There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal 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. hitType: 'event', Candy-Land idealism is quietly suffocated in the relentless humidity. There is a vast difference between what most Satanists believe Satanism is and the popular perception of Satanism. Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. They had a daughter together, Amanda Hobbs, who was 4 years old at the time of her brothers death. What came after the arrest is quite well-documented. 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. 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. Misskelley was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder. But in the process, the West Memphis Three get blamed for the crime they didn't commit. 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. She also revealed that her ex-husband had once asked her sister point-blank if she suspected him in the killings. Beyond his tales about Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols, Climber claimed to have beaten a police officer, hung a woman and sacrificed a second lady. My attorney was in the evidence room this morning and saw it with his own eyes. Toggle dark mode 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 To learn more about the case, watch The Forgotten West Memphis Three" now on Oxygen. Benca said he hopes the evidence can be tested for DNA to help clear the name of his client, who along with Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelley Jr. was convicted of murder as a teenager in 1994. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. However, police thought they had their culprits and were willing to ignore Ricky Climer and Avis Bly's severe mental illnesses. Well, it minimizes the package a little bit and makes it easier to control after they're dead.. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were best friends. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." 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. Local community members also rallied in support of the three, believing that their initial trial was unfair and handled incorrectly. 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. 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. }); "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. 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. 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. Prosecutors in the case argued that Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley had killed three boys the prior year as part of Satanic rituals. 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). 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. The story of the West Memphis Three traces back to 1993, set in the city of West Memphis, Arkansas. 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. Whether justice has been done in the case of the West Memphis Three depends on entirely who you ask. 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. After 3 years of fighting to get new evidence tested for DNA, the state says the WM3 petition should be tossed out and now, the attorneys are responding in court. 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. 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. His prior history of domestic violence didn't reflect well either. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. The chief of police was not truthful. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were best friends. 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.

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