Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment. eventAction: 'load' 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 He was 62. She also revealed that her ex-husband had once asked her sister point-blank if she suspected him in the killings. We will fully comply with any lawful request made regarding this case.". 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 Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. 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. Attempting to shelter from a storm, the two broke into a trailer and were charged with burglary and sexual misconduct. This is the world where fist meets face. 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. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. 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. Prosecutors argued that the three teenagers, with Echols as the lead, committed the murders as part of a satanic ritual. They wouldn't be alone, and witness after witness would state they had heard there was a Satanic cult in the area. Beyond his tales about Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols, Climber claimed to have beaten a police officer, hung a woman and sacrificed a second lady. Kara Goldfarb is a writer living in New York City. Misskelley was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder. Echols claimed that Pope's departure and the discovery of the evidence were connected. Like John Mark Byers, Hobbs was a wifebeater. Serving as professor emeritus of sociology at the University of California, it was expert testimony. Terry Hobbs and Pamela Hicks. 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. Who Is The Real Killer Behind The 'West Memphis Three' Murders? The 'West Memphis Three' Murders West Memphis Three } Eventually, three local teenagers, Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, and Jason Baldwin, were zeroed in on as the prime suspects. Byers had a long history of run-ins with the law and been accused of multiple violent crimes. West Memphis Three Before the case could again reach the courts, Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were allowed to enter Alford plea deals. 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. Memphis In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of ET. With John Mark Byers ruled out, revelations in 2007 would point in a new direction equally close to home. There's absolutely no indication of that in this case. 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. Furthermore, Clemente believes the assailant was a male in his 30s who is either biologically related to one or more of the victims, a family member, or a very close community member. It was a fact, leading investigators to believe he had inside knowledge of the case. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Driver was the kind of individual who saw Satanism in every corner, blaming campfires, dead animal carcasses and pentagram graffiti on the dark arts. 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. 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 kept a calendar of the lunar cycle so he and Jones could patrol the county and check for covens. 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. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. However, the matter was sent to appeal, and Burnett was elected to the Arkansas State Senate, with his replacement being David Laser. Get all the latest information on Events, Sales and Offers. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were best friends. 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. He explained that the particular petition they filed is not up for interpretation and ultimately is not within their rights. The West Memphis Three document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ He has now resigned, and we know that none of the evidence was destroyed. let gads_event; 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. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. The police contended the tapes couldn't confirm this, with interference masking conversations. 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. It became humiliating, something I'd do everything I could to hide from the rest of the world. His prior history of domestic violence didn't reflect well either. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? YoutubeMugshots of the West Memphis Three. A second hair found at the scene was consistent with his friend, David Jacoby. 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. gads_event = event; MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. hitType: 'event', The West Memphis Three had trials in 1994, with Echols and Baldwin tried together and Misskelley tried separately. 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 gruesome nature of their deaths led both police and the community to theorize that there had been a satanic element involved something that wasn't too farfetched in the "Bible Belt, where Satanic Panic" was at its peak. The child claimed they were committed by Spanish-speaking Satanists. So, this tells me that this offender was someone they know," Clemente said. Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. West Memphis Three Who killed Stevie 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. West Memphis Three | Background & Trial Speaking about Echols to The New York Times in 1993, high school teacher Jim Ferguson said, "he's like some wacko cult member.". 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. He tried to fight back and showed defensive injuries. Tape recorded, Misskelley would claim that "When the boys came up, Damien grabbed one of them, I don't know which one and the other two tried to get Damien to stop, and then me and Jason come out and started grabbing them, started hitting them." However, that isn't quite the truth. I developed an overwhelming sense of being excluded from everything. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? 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 Hutcheson was accused of settling from her employer and forced to bring her young son, Aaron Hutcheson, to the interview. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Example video title will go here for this video. killed Echols' legal team has filed a response to the Attorney General's request, where they are asking the court to deny it. 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), "But I didn't wear hats back then; my hair could have blown around anywhere.". West Memphis Three Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three There is a strong Christian identity, and crime is an issue, but the behavior of Echols, in particular, would have drawn comment everywhere. West Memphis Three 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. ga('ads.send', { Jul. }); "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. 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. "We have no vested interest in trying to withhold any evidence from anyone on either side. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. Messed Up Truth About The West Memphis Three While he remained immature, he was on an early road to adulthood as he worked part-time as a roofer and expecting a baby with his girlfriend, Domini Teer. When investigators found the boys bodies on May 6, 1993, they had been jammed into the muddy ground of the bayou, and their clothes had been submerged in the water with sticks.