The documentary was filmed on 79 days over ten months up to the point of the West Memphis Three's conviction. Jones, the assistant juvenile probation officer, was one of the chief voices pushing the line alongside his supervisor Jerry Blackwood Driver. Their trial, which included 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. 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 }); We are one of the worlds fastest growing The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. Neither Climer nor Bly would be considered competent witnesses at the eventual trial. Kara Goldfarb is a writer living in New York City. New evidence immediately began to come to light that cast even further doubts on the already shaky judgment and presented new and surprising suspects. Both men were increasingly concerned about the potential for human sacrifices when it was a full moon. 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 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. 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. Everywhere you look, you see people with things that you do not have, and it has a profound mental effect. Soon after, witness, Narlene Hollingsworth, reported she saw three boys riding bikes, almost hitting one when he rode out in front of her car. }); 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. It took them 18 years to clear their names. "Even if he files within the right court, there is no body that's required under habeas corpus because he's released," said Attorney General Griffin. During the trial, Echols blew kisses to the victim's family, a sign taken by many as a sure sign of guilt. Standing 6-feet-5-inches tall and weighing 238 pounds, Byers was an imposing and threatening presence. 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. His mother told him to be home by 4:45 p.m., and the two set off around 3:40 p.m. 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. March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died. 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. Grandmother with dementia died from face wound neglected by staff for days. 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. All three appealed the convictions. Branch and Moores bikes were discovered on either side of a pipe bridge not far from the crime scene. 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. 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview There's absolutely no indication of that in this case. While he was on medication that may have affected the outcome, including Xanax, it seems that his suspected involvement in the killings was a complete dead end. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." Then, perhaps, the punishment went too far, and it resulted in the triple homicide. 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview Meanwhile, Byers himself had a long history of drug use and violent criminal behavior, including domestic violence and threats to kill. Their trial, which included With the addition of a 10-year suspended sentence, a probation type sentencing which meant if they did anything illegal they would be put back in jail, the West Memphis Three were sentenced to time served. Whose blood was on the knife was uncertain as it matched both Byers and the victim, both having the same HLA-DQ genotype. eventAction: 'click_adunit' Jul. The autopsy in full is harrowing reading, with Moore receiving 63 specific wounds, including ten skull fractures. They seem to me to be more practical ligatures, Clemente said. Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case, Timeline Of The West Memphis Three Victims. 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. 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. 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. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. 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. Due to marital problems stemming from Stevies death, the couple divorced in 2004, reported CNN. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Morgan and Holland left town on May 10 and headed to Oceanside in California, their departure shocking many who knew them. ADVERTISEMENT The belief in a Satanic aspect to the crime was aided by Vicki Hutcheson and her son, when after discovering the bodies, Aaron claimed he'd witnessed the killings. }); This is the world where fist meets face. While police initially suspected rape, there was no evidence for it. Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore. 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. Byers had a long history of run-ins with the law and been accused of multiple violent crimes. 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. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were best friends. "The chief of police was not truthful," Echols tweeted on Wednesday. However, that isn't quite the truth. 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. The Brotherhood group he identified himself as being associated with had committed multiple homicides. Speaking about Echols to The New York Times in 1993, high school teacher Jim Ferguson said, "he's like some wacko cult member.". However, once again, Misskelley claimed Baldwin pulled out a knife, despite the evidence presented by experts that no knife had ever been used. He was 62. The alert was assigned to Officer Regenia Meek, who filled out reports and, with Officer John Moore, did a brief search, but nothing more expansive. 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. 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. So if the West Memphis Three aren't the real killers, who is? My attorney was in the evidence room this morning and saw it with his own eyes. Was there a serial killer still on the loose in Arkansas? On one occasion, she said she was with her son all day; on another that he left home around 4 p.m. 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. It took them 18 years to clear their names. Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. 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. Despite the falsehoods in the testimony, Echols was pulled in for questioning two days after the bodies were discovered, denying any involvement. 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. Who killed Stevie Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. So if the West Memphis Three aren't the real killers, who is? },false) This was a result of getting enraged, going too far, and then having to basically clean up the mess," he said. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); The deal is a plea whereby a defendant maintains their innocence but recognizes that the evidence presented would be enough to convict them. 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. He tried to fight back and showed defensive injuries. The West Memphis Three were charged with the murder of three boys in 1994. 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. One of the charges of making terroristic threats was connected to a domestic dispute between him and his first wife, Sandra Byers, who accused him of threatening her life and assaulting her with an electronic stunning device. 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. She also revealed that her ex-husband had once asked her sister point-blank if she suspected him in the killings. No matter who committed those terrible crimes at Robin Hood Hills, they still walk free 28 years later, and until the culprits are found, the case is far from over. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a town. The blade had blood on the hinge, and HBO ordered Berlinger and Sinofsky to hand the knife to West Memphis police. let gads_event; He said the evidence, which he claims city officials previously told him was lost, destroyed or missing, was found intact and organized. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? Jul. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Echols' legal team has filed a response to the Attorney General's request, where they are asking the court to deny it. 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. 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.'. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. 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. Jul. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. During one visit to the station, officers used photographs of Echols, Misskelley and Baldwin for dart practice, having made their minds up about their guilt long before their arrests. hitType: 'event', hitType: 'event', On May 5, 1993, that trouble for Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley, seemed to have got indescribably more severe. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? 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. How seriously anyone took the Mulder and Scully of West Memphis is uncertain, but they certainly took Echols seriously. But it seemed the story for the West Memphis Three was over. He has now resigned, and we know that none of the evidence was destroyed. He also initially claimed Echols had choked one victim until he was told that none of the boys had been strangled. VEGA, Texas (KFDA) - Two people were killed and two others were injured after a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 west of Vega. Subsequent interviews with Vicki Hutcheson were just as contradictory. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ Terry Hobbs and Pamela Hicks. 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. 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.". During the filming, Byers had given cameraman Doug Cooper a hunting knife which makers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky handed over to the police after discovering what appeared to be blood on it. He admitted the crime on June 3, June 11 and Aug. 19 and implicated others. 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 He was sentenced to life plus 40 years. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. 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. 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. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { With the evidence mounting that all three accused had been innocent, the deal ensured that Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley would never be allowed to pursue civil action against the state of Arkansas for wrongful imprisonment. Police on the case felt that there were cult-like and satanic overtones to the murders. That changed on May 5, 1993, when three second-grade boys were reported missing. 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. However, this approach was countered by other officers who believed firmly the occult must be involved at some level, looking immediately toward Damien Echols, who had built a reputation in the local community. 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. 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. But their innocence did leave investigators back at square one. On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. 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.". There is no mention of Santic overtones or symbolism in the early written reports by police, nor correspondence with the FBI. 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. 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. Writing in his future memoir, "Life After Death," Echols would say, "Down here in the deep, dark South we know and live with the real world. Friends and family tried in vain to find the missing boys. Yet, it is a giant leap toward murder. Echols unwisely began to tell the fanatical Driver tall tales about local cults and animal sacrifices when Driver became his parole officer, telling him that he followed Wicca. The varying wounds included unrecognized bites, and possible stab wounds to his groin and castration, with some putting this down to animal predation. 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. }) Like John Mark Byers, Hobbs was a wifebeater. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. There were even witnesses who placed Misskelley at his trailer until 6:30 p.m., the time the boys went missing, with one revealing he picked him up to go wrestling around 7:30 p.m. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. 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. 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 Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment.