who killed the west memphis three
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. 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. 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 suffered from "grandiose and persecutory delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, disordered thought processes, substantial lack of insight, and chronic, incapacitating mood swings." 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. Right on the border of Tennessee, West Memphis was a bible belt city unaccustomed to much publicity. VEGA, Texas (KFDA) - Two people were killed and two others were injured after a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 west of Vega. The condition of the bodies led to the initial belief the three had been raped and then killed. This was a result of getting enraged, going too far, and then having to basically clean up the mess," he said. Stating that he was "scared of the police," Misskelley confessed to murder. Sometimes justice is neither pretty, nor is it perfect, but it was important to take this opportunity to be free.". You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. The West Memphis Three had trials in 1994, with Echols and Baldwin tried together and Misskelley tried separately. 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. 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," he told Ruff. Here's when clocks will 'spring forward' in 2023, Arkansas Supreme Court chief justice announces departure from WM3 case, West Memphis Three continue fight to get DNA tested. All three spent most of their days as any other mid-1990s teenagers - listening to rock music, watching pro wrestling on television, and either poking around under the hood of a car or simply hanging out and causing trouble. 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 That's mostly during the teenage years.". They were released on Aug. 19, 2011. "I can't understand why exactly people are glossing over the obvious when it comes to Byers and the death of Melissa Byers and all the things that Byers has said and done since this trial," he said. 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. 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. Jul. pg.acq.push(function() { Having once been adamant on the West Memphis Three's guilt, he accepted their innocence and, instead, pointed the finger at Terry Hobbs, Steve's stepfather. Both had histories of drug offenses, and Morgan claimed to police he suffered from memory loss and blackouts, stating he "might have" killed the three boys. Despite doubt over the way authorities handled the case, as well as a lack of substantial evidence, the West Memphis Three were found guilty. 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. But it seemed the story for the West Memphis Three was over. It took them 18 years to clear their names. "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.". But their innocence did leave investigators back at square one. 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. "We feel strongly that we are in the right. WebWest Memphis Three, three American men who in 1994, while teenagers, were found guilty of murdering three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, allegedly as part of devil worship. 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. 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. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of However, Aaron's story constantly changed, saying on one occasion he saw a victim bundled into a car by a Black man and on another stated that he witnessed the killings but didn't know who the killers were. Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. 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.". The documentary was filmed on 79 days over ten months up to the point of the West Memphis Three's conviction. 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. eventAction: 'click_ads' 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. Who killed Stevie 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. He took one of them I don't know which one cut him on I think it was on this side of his face.". The West Memphis Three were charged with the murder of three boys in 1994. 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. 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. 'Feels Like Home:' electrical failure from a light fixture caused December fire that killed 1, Shelby County reporting an increase in drug-related overdoses, largely due to fentanyl, Severe weather threat is over | Prepare for a sunny weekend, Daylight saving time starts soon. }); During the filming, cameraman Doug Cooper would be given a folding hunting knife by John Mark Byers, Christopher Byers' stepfather. The police contended the tapes couldn't confirm this, with interference masking conversations. 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. The state of Arkansas was hoping to do like they do in so many other cases with poor people, with people who are powerless to defend themselves. But in the process, the West Memphis Three get blamed for the crime they didn't commit. So if the West Memphis Three aren't the real killers, who is? eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview They'd first come into contact almost precisely a year before Echols was arrested alongside his then-girlfriend Deanna Holcomb. The story of the West Memphis Three traces back to 1993, set in the city of West Memphis, Arkansas. 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. "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. Moore. Despite claiming to know Echols well, she denied knowing his close friend Baldwin. All three boys were naked and hogtied using their shoelaces, each ankle tied with a wrist behind their backs. 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. With the new evidence in hand alongside expert testimony that suggested the knife wounds and mutilation had been animal predation, Echols petitioned for a retrial. It went too far, and because of that, he had to kill all three of them," he said. "Lawyers have to follow the law and when you file in the wrong place that's not my fault," said Attorney General Griffin. Was there a serial killer still on the loose in Arkansas? 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. The following afternoon, the bodies of Steve Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were found by a muddy ditch. gads_event = event; They still had the convictions, but the men would be free. 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview "We are pleased that the evidence is intact," Benca said, according to WREG. 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. Talking with police and his lawyer present in the room, he would ignore advice from his counsel to remain silent and detailed how the West Memphis Three had abused and murdered the victims. 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. The West Memphis Police Department denied any connection in a statement to ABC 24 Memphis. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Efforts to release the West Memphis Three would be aided in 2003 when Vicki Hutcheson ultimately recanted her testimony, telling the "Arkansas Times" that everything she told police was a lie. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. There is a strong Christian identity, and crime is an issue, but the behavior of Echols, in particular, would have drawn comment everywhere. 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. 31 2021, Published 3:16 p.m. The assailant is also prone to violent outbursts, likely has a history of domestic violence, and places a high importance on punishment. His mother told him to be home by 4:45 p.m., and the two set off around 3:40 p.m. It was just days before the trial of Echols and Baldwin. She was unable to say where this meeting was or who else was present. }) However, Misskelley wouldn't only confess in that police interview room. 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When he was informed that the blood matched both his and Chris' blood type, he claimed he had no idea how the blood might have gotten on the knife before suggesting he might have left it out accidentally. March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." Now, the attorneys are responding in court. Never mentioned in the autopsy or at either trial, they didn't match for Echols, Misskelley or Baldwin. That changed on May 5, 1993, when three second-grade boys were reported missing. This is the world where fist meets face. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. A formal interview on May 9 led to further suspicion against the young man when he mentioned the damage to Byer's genitals, something seen as incriminating. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); He was sentenced to life plus 40 years. 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. 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. During questioning, Echols mentioned wounds to the genital that one of the victims suffered. Baldwin got life behind bars, and Echols was sentenced to death by lethal injection. 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. 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. Who killed Stevie Then, perhaps, the punishment went too far, and it resulted in the triple homicide. ET. Prosecutors argued that the three teenagers, with Echols as the lead, committed the murders as part of a satanic ritual. 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. 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. He admitted the crime on June 3, June 11 and Aug. 19 and implicated others. They were 17, 16, and 18 years old respectively. Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. An investigation of the murders looked into several suspects, including the stepfather of Steve Branch as well as two teenage boys who had abruptly fled to California shortly after the bodies were discovered. Their clothing was found in the same creek, and some of it had been twisted around sticks that had been fixed into the muddy ditch bed. One of those people would be Pamela Hobbs. 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. Jessie Misskelley was given two 20 year-sentences on top of life imprisonment, while Jason Baldwin also received life imprisonment. He also initially claimed Echols had choked one victim until he was told that none of the boys had been strangled. Due to marital problems stemming from Stevies death, the couple divorced in 2004, reported CNN. There is a vast difference between what most Satanists believe Satanism is and the popular perception of Satanism. His behavior as it became apparent Echols, Misskelley, and Baldwin would be cleared of the murders, was questioned as well. 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. 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.'. Speaking about Echols to The New York Times in 1993, high school teacher Jim Ferguson said, "he's like some wacko cult member.". The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. Hobbs retrieved a .357 magnum pistol from his truck and shot Jackie Hicks, Pamela Hobbs' brother. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. Indiana man accused of murdering motorist after accident in Illinois now facing charges in separate murder, Man shot, killed after crash on highway, suspect charged with murder, police say, Woman Started Firing At Pool Party, Killing One And Injuring Two, Police Say, Subscribe to Front Page Detectives Newsletter. 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. 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.". MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) A former Memphis Fire Department emergency medical technician told a Tennessee board Friday that officers impeded patient care by refusing to remove Tyre Nichols ' handcuffs, which would have allowed EMTs to check his vital signs after he was brutally beaten by police. 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. The case for his guilt was put forward by Echols himself in Peter Jackson's 'West of Memphis.' 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. WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. Get all the latest information on Events, Sales and Offers. But in 2011, the West Memphis Three walked free. However, police thought they had their culprits and were willing to ignore Ricky Climer and Avis Bly's severe mental illnesses. They had a daughter together, Amanda Hobbs, who was 4 years old at the time of her brothers death. All three pleaded innocent at the trial and maintained that innocence ever since. He was 62. He kept a calendar of the lunar cycle so he and Jones could patrol the county and check for covens. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. ET. All three were charged and accused of committing a Satanic murder. They seem to me to be more practical ligatures, Clemente said. We will fully comply with any lawful request made regarding this case.". While police initially suspected rape, there was no evidence for it. Both knew Misskelley from school but were hardly considered friends, Misskelley having a reputation for violence. Advances in DNA testing allowed forensics to be utilized on hairs found at the scene, with none again matching for the three imprisoned men. 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. 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 has now resigned, and we know that none of the evidence was destroyed. Misskelley was interrogated for 12 hours, of which less than an hour were recorded. Climber only named Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols. Nine days later, Misskelley would confess again. WebWest Memphis Three, three American men who in 1994, while teenagers, were found guilty of murdering three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, allegedly as part of devil worship. 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. 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 Echols' legal team has filed a response to the Attorney General's request, where they are asking the court to deny it. Morgan was an ice cream truck driver and would likely have been familiar with all three victims. 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. On May 5, 1993, that trouble for Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley, seemed to have got indescribably more severe. 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. 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. let gads_event; "I want to live and to continue to fight for our innocence. In 1994, in what was widely believed to be a miscarriage of justice, three teens, 18-year-old Damien Echols, 17-year-old Jessie Misskelley Jr., and 16-year-old Jason Baldwin, were convicted in connection to the deaths of Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Steve Branch the previous year.
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