} During the trial, Echols blew kisses to the victim's family, a sign taken by many as a sure sign of guilt. 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. 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. All three were second-grade pupils at Weaver Elementary School, with Branch being an honor student. 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. Standing 6-feet-5-inches tall and weighing 238 pounds, Byers was an imposing and threatening presence. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were best friends. The deals disappointed both those who still believed the three guilty and their supporters, with many feeling the bargain made them look guilty. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { 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. How seriously anyone took the Mulder and Scully of West Memphis is uncertain, but they certainly took Echols seriously. 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. 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. 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 . Yet Misskelley kept talking, confessing again on Feb. 4. hitType: 'event', Echols claimed that Pope's departure and the discovery of the evidence were connected. 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. 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. However, the day afterward, Hutcheson would tell police that she, Echols and Misskelley had all attended a Wicca meeting in Turrell, Arkansas, where Echols became drunk and started to loudly brag about having committed the killings of Branch, Byers and Moore. Police detective Bryn Ridge would later testify he somehow lost the samples from Bojangles' wall. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? Stating that he was "scared of the police," Misskelley confessed to murder. March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died. The documentary was filmed on 79 days over ten months up to the point of the West Memphis Three's conviction. Morgan and Holland left town on May 10 and headed to Oceanside in California, their departure shocking many who knew them. Toggle dark mode Some believe the police immediately thought there was some level of occult involvement in the triple homicide, yet this isn't the case. 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). The assailant is also prone to violent outbursts, likely has a history of domestic violence, and places a high importance on punishment. Hutcheson was accused of settling from her employer and forced to bring her young son, Aaron Hutcheson, to the interview. He also theorized that the killer knew the victims because he was able to control three victims without any help.. However, it wasn't just about the music with many embracing rebellious philosophies that were inherently offensive to the traditions of Christianity, respect and patriotism that have always defined small-town rural America. 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," retired FBI Supervisory Agent Jim Clemente saysin "The Forgotten West Memphis Three.". All three bodies were immediately removed from the water before the coroner arrived, meaning that they were exposed to sunlight and insects before judgments could be made surrounding rigor mortis and the time of death. They were 17, 16, and 18 years old respectively. He was 62. But it seemed the story for the West Memphis Three was over. However, the matter was sent to appeal, and Burnett was elected to the Arkansas State Senate, with his replacement being David Laser. While the stepfather initially denied it had ever been used, he later changed his story and said he had used it just once, to cut deer meat. 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 would be happy to talk, with Bly saying that Misskelley was the leader of a Satanic cult that also involved Baldwin, Echols, his girlfriend Domini Teer, and others 20 in all. 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. "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. Sometimes justice is neither pretty, nor is it perfect, but it was important to take this opportunity to be free.". }); Devastating Photos Of Hiroshima Before And After The Atomic Bombing That Changed History Forever, Jury Finds Man Guilty Of Teaching Pug Nazi Salute [VIDEO], What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, black Americans are wrongfully convicted at a far greater rate, woman who was convicted for locking her deaf sister in a room for seven years. When they didn't, the first phone call would be made to police not long afterward, John Mark Byers raising the alarm with police close to 8 p.m. "I want to live and to continue to fight for our innocence. 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. Undertaking a polygraph, Martin seemingly showed deception when asked, "Do you know what was used to tie up those three boys?" There was circumstantial evidence to suggest Byers knew more than he let on. He suffered from "grandiose and persecutory delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, disordered thought processes, substantial lack of insight, and chronic, incapacitating mood swings." ET. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. It can now be tested, to see who left DNA at the crime scene. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. For the state, the Alford pleas were a face-saving exercise. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a Both Echols and Misskelley had dropped out of high school, while Baldwin continued to achieve high grades, making the pair something of an odd couple, known for their involvement in petty crimes such as vandalism. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ 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. So if the West Memphis Three aren't the real killers, who is? One such suspect was none other than Byers. After being told that she was questioning his involvement, Hobbs is alleged to have replied, "I could skin a man alive, I could cut him up.". 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. Judge Laser vacated all previous convictions and ordered a new trial where the West Memphis Three would be allowed to make the plea, sentencing them to time served. The story of the West Memphis Three traces back to 1993, set in the city of West Memphis, Arkansas. It took them 18 years to clear their names. But in the process, the West Memphis Three get blamed for the crime they didn't commit. The elder Byers admitted he whipped Christopher with a belt shortly before he went missing. }); window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { Despite the alarming inconsistencies and recanting his confession, saying that he was fatigued, threatened and intimidated, police quickly arrested Echols and Baldwin. Candy-Land idealism is quietly suffocated in the relentless humidity. 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. 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. Despite the falsehoods in the testimony, Echols was pulled in for questioning two days after the bodies were discovered, denying any involvement. Working at the crime scene, police made a series of errors that would significantly impede the case. Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? 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. 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. Every piece is still there https://t.co/8tzxOWjZLH, - Damien Echols (@damienechols) December 21, 2021. The Brotherhood group he identified himself as being associated with had committed multiple homicides. The truth is, the ongoing debate over whether Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were guilty has often clouded the undoubted fact that justice remains elusive for the other West Memphis Three, Steve Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. 'West Memphis Three' case: John Byers, suspect and stepfather of one of the slain boys, dies in car crash. 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. Increasingly alarmed, searchers saw a black shoe floating in a muddy creek that afternoon. eventAction: 'load' 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. 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 When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. The West Memphis Three were charged with the murder of three boys in 1994. In 2000, Berlinger and Sinofsky would produce "Paradise Lost 2: Revelations," a sequel to their 1996 film. Authorities figured Echols as a suspect because had shown an interest in occultism. In addition to the offender being a male who had a relationship with one or more of the victims, Clemente thinks the suspect was from the neighborhood, theorizing that he hid the bodies in order to give himself enough time to establish an alibi. Then, perhaps, the punishment went too far, and it resulted in the triple homicide. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment.

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