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.". His prior history of domestic violence didn't reflect well either. Driver's comments surrounding the case raised troubling questions over his competence to serve, stating he believed Echols and his girlfriend intended to sacrifice their expectant child to Satan. 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. 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. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." 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. All three boys were naked and hogtied using their shoelaces, each ankle tied with a wrist behind their backs. "But I didn't wear hats back then; my hair could have blown around anywhere.". The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. Then, perhaps, the punishment went too far, and it resulted in the triple homicide. Writing under penalty of perjury to the United States District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas, Pamela would say that he ex-husband kept dentures in a lock-box. 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. "I want to live and to continue to fight for our innocence. Goths, punks and skaters were in the ascendency, and Middle America was horrified. Jessie Misskelley was given two 20 year-sentences on top of life imprisonment, while Jason Baldwin also received life imprisonment. 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. In contrast, others contend he remained severely mentally ill and an immature teenager. Neither Climer nor Bly would be considered competent witnesses at the eventual trial. ga('ads.send', { He suffered from "grandiose and persecutory delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, disordered thought processes, substantial lack of insight, and chronic, incapacitating mood swings." document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ The elder Byers admitted he whipped Christopher with a belt shortly before he went missing. If the offender came across the boys as they were doing something wrong or misbehaving, it would have been even easier to control and reprimand them, said Clemente. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a }); 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. How seriously anyone took the Mulder and Scully of West Memphis is uncertain, but they certainly took Echols seriously. Entering a plea of not guilty, Richard Ofshe testified that Misskelley's confession had been a "classic example" of police coercion. }); Youtube Mugshots of the West Memphis Three. Morgan and Holland left town on May 10 and headed to Oceanside in California, their departure shocking many who knew them. }) With continuing advances in DNA testing, that day may finally be around the corner. 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. 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. Opinion remains divided on whether the right men were convicted or if the actual killers still walk the streets of West Memphis. Friends and family tried in vain to find the missing boys. Trinocular Co-Axial 1500x Metallurgical Microscope with Top-Bottom Light with 2MP Camera, Trinocular Microscope with DIN Objective and Camera 40x - 2000x, Junior Medical Microscope with Wide Field Eyepiece & LED 100x - 1500x, Trinocular Inverted Metallurgical Microscope 100x - 1200x, Binocular Inverted Metallurgical Microscope 100x - 1200x. VEGA, Texas (KFDA) - Two people were killed and two others were injured after a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 west of Vega. 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. The assailant is also prone to violent outbursts, likely has a history of domestic violence, and places a high importance on punishment. 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. Investigators found the bottle exactly where he said it would be. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Jones, the assistant juvenile probation officer, was one of the chief voices pushing the line alongside his supervisor Jerry Blackwood Driver. 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. On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. They wanted to overwhelm us, convict us, condemn us and sweep us under the rug.". "We feel strongly that we are in the right. }); On May 5, 1993, that trouble for Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley, seemed to have got indescribably more severe. Their trial, which included media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Working at the crime scene, police made a series of errors that would significantly impede the case. They were released on Aug. 19, 2011. The varying wounds included unrecognized bites, and possible stab wounds to his groin and castration, with some putting this down to animal predation. Who killed Stevie She was unable to say where this meeting was or who else was present. The time spent to conceal them could have been skipped completely if there was no known relationship to the victims, Clemente told Ruff. After 18 years behind bars, they were freed. From the murder of Shanda Sharer to the Columbine massacre, there was little that wasn't blamed on this new devilish culture. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." However, he was far from the only person of intense interest with two other teenagers, Chris Morgan and Brian Holland, attracting early interest. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), pg.acq.push(function() { 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. All three appealed the convictions. She would state that her son had strangely said "I love you, mom" repeatedly on the way home from school on the day he vanished. Climber only named Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols. The Brotherhood group he identified himself as being associated with had committed multiple homicides. ADVERTISEMENT ga('ads.send', { Example video title will go here for this video. 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. 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. }); 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). window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { "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.". Medical examiners were split on whether the three boys died the night they went missing or the morning after, and the bite marks wouldn't even be noticed until photographs were examined years later. Taylor's presence suggests that at 4:30 p.m., Branch and Moore had not yet found their friend Byers. However, the matter was sent to appeal, and Burnett was elected to the Arkansas State Senate, with his replacement being David Laser. Prosecutors argued that the three teenagers, with Echols as the lead, committed the murders as part of a satanic ritual. It was rumor and innuendo, overheard gossip and allegations. "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. ET. 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 police contended the tapes couldn't confirm this, with interference masking conversations. The documentary was filmed on 79 days over ten months up to the point of the West Memphis Three's conviction. He failed to recognize where the crime scene actually was, mixed up the timeline and confused the victims. 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. 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. Driver was the kind of individual who saw Satanism in every corner, blaming campfires, dead animal carcasses and pentagram graffiti on the dark arts. 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. Speaking about Echols to The New York Times in 1993, high school teacher Jim Ferguson said, "he's like some wacko cult member.". eventAction: 'render' 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. Their clothing was found tied to sticks implanted into the creek bed, with two pairs of underwear missing. "We are trying to find the real killers. Toggle dark mode 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. The discovery comes after West Memphis Police Chief Michael Pope resigned Tuesday. Was there a serial killer still on the loose in Arkansas? There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal This is the world where fist meets face. 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. But in the process, the West Memphis Three get blamed for the crime they didn't commit. 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. ga('ads.send', { Adding that his client was "a mentally handicapped person who is quite suggestible. "The chief of police was not truthful," Echols tweeted on Wednesday. Branch had 21 particular wounds, including a large gouge to the left side of his face, with Byers having 62 differing injuries. The West Memphis Police Department denied any connection in a statement to ABC 24 Memphis. 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. Both men were increasingly concerned about the potential for human sacrifices when it was a full moon. During questioning, Echols mentioned wounds to the genital that one of the victims suffered. This is where the calluses on a man's hand are bigger than his conscience, and dreams get drowned in sweat and tears.". 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. Kara Goldfarb is a writer living in New York City. This was a result of getting enraged, going too far, and then having to basically clean up the mess," he said. But what is the purpose of that? pg.acq.push(function() { Ultimately, the judge will make a final ruling on whether to proceed. Terry Hobbs and Pamela Hicks. Prosecutors in the case argued that Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley had killed three boys the prior year as part of Satanic rituals. Echols lawyer stated that new DNA evidence did not place him at the scene of the crime. 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. Attempting to shelter from a storm, the two broke into a trailer and were charged with burglary and sexual misconduct. Yet, few could give details. Soon after, witness, Narlene Hollingsworth, reported she saw three boys riding bikes, almost hitting one when he rode out in front of her car. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. 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. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. But in the process, the West Memphis Three get blamed for the crime they didn't commit. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' Residents talked of strange smells in the woods, painted children, and even alleged to have seen a baby sacrificed.