eventAction: 'click_adunit' 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. Prosecutors argued that the three teenagers, with Echols as the lead, committed the murders as part of a satanic ritual. 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. Both men were increasingly concerned about the potential for human sacrifices when it was a full moon. 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. 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. Meeting with Echols, Hutcheson reported that nothing incriminating was said. 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 Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. During the trial, Echols blew kisses to the victim's family, a sign taken by many as a sure sign of guilt. West Memphis Three He also initially claimed Echols had choked one victim until he was told that none of the boys had been strangled. They still had the convictions, but the men would be free. Goths, punks and skaters were in the ascendency, and Middle America was horrified. The story of the West Memphis Three traces back to 1993, set in the city of West Memphis, Arkansas. One of those people would be Pamela Hobbs. 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. One individual on the police radar was convicted pedophile James K. Martin. 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. 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. 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. West Memphis Three 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. 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 The Forgotten West Memphis Three, streaming now on Oxygen. 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. Friends and family tried in vain to find the missing boys. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. During part two of the documentary special, Ruff sat down with retired FBI Supervisory Agent Jim Clemente, who created a suspect profile to help narrow down the possible suspect pool. West Memphis Three This was a result of getting enraged, going too far, and then having to basically clean up the mess," he said. On one occasion, she said she was with her son all day; on another that he left home around 4 p.m. }) } media-tech companies with hubs around the world. According to her new story, police had threatened to take her child if she didn't "cooperate." hitType: 'event', 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. Driver was the kind of individual who saw Satanism in every corner, blaming campfires, dead animal carcasses and pentagram graffiti on the dark arts. Memphis The West Memphis Three had trials in 1994, with Echols and Baldwin tried together and Misskelley tried separately. 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. Everywhere you look, you see people with things that you do not have, and it has a profound mental effect. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. Judge David Burnett, the original trial judge, disallowed the presentation of the new information in his court in 2008, citing the DNA tests as inconclusive. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. A second hair found at the scene was consistent with his friend, David Jacoby. Byers had been a step-father to Christopher Byers, who along with his two eight-year-old friends Michael Moore and Steve Branch, had been killed in West Memphis on May 5, 1993, and whose murders remain unsolved to this day, almost three decades later. Yet, while Arkansas certainly has problems seen throughout the South, such as poor wages, West Memphis was then a city of 30,000 with a wide variety of cultures. Serving as professor emeritus of sociology at the University of California, it was expert testimony. }); 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 has now resigned, and we know that none of the evidence was destroyed. WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. One such suspect was none other than Byers. Police almost immediately turned their attention to Baldwin, Echols and Misskelley and suspected them of killing the boys. 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. 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. 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. 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). 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. New evidence immediately began to come to light that cast even further doubts on the already shaky judgment and presented new and surprising suspects. 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.". 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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.'. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." It is easy for many to look at the South as hillbilly central, full of prejudice and backward attitudes, with somewhat elitist attitudes often prevalent when discussing the case. His mother told him to be home by 4:45 p.m., and the two set off around 3:40 p.m. Both knew Misskelley from school but were hardly considered friends, Misskelley having a reputation for violence. 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview They had a daughter together, Amanda Hobbs, who was 4 years old at the time of her brothers death. He was 62. To learn more about the case, watch The Forgotten West Memphis Three" now on Oxygen. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a town. That changed on May 5, 1993, when three second-grade boys were reported missing. "Chief Pope's resignation is completely unrelated to the West Memphis three rumors being sent out on social media," the statement reads. At one point, he told locals he obtained superpowers from consuming human blood and was often seen to have sharpened his fingernails and drawn deliberately provocative tattoos on himself. These three would come to be known as the West Memphis Three. Another story claimed Aaron saw a mass of "The Dragons," an alleged coven with five members, spoke Spanish and sang about Satan. 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. let gads_event; Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. 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. 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. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of Who killed Stevie 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. 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. 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. West Memphis Three Clemente noted there was no indication, forensically, that theres more than one offender involved because what happened to each of the victims was consistent. On May 5, 1993, Branch was at home with his mother, Pamela Hobbs, and shortly after the end of school, Moore rode over on his bike and asked if his friend could take a ride with him. Nine days later, Misskelley would confess again. It was a fact, leading investigators to believe he had inside knowledge of the case. Quoted by WMC-TV in 2013, Jacoby said, "They said close to the crime scene because at one time I did walk near where they had found the kids with Terry Hobbs, his father-in-law, his wife," adding. There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal The deal is a plea whereby a defendant maintains their innocence but recognizes that the evidence presented would be enough to convict them. Every piece is still there https://t.co/8tzxOWjZLH, - Damien Echols (@damienechols) December 21, 2021. The autopsy in full is harrowing reading, with Moore receiving 63 specific wounds, including ten skull fractures. 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. Yet, few could give details. While the charges were expunged from his record, documents detailing them were found at the Crittenden County Court by journalist Mara Leveritt. 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. Hobbs retrieved a .357 magnum pistol from his truck and shot Jackie Hicks, Pamela Hobbs' brother. hitType: 'event', }); "I think maybe for the general public it's not quite as scary to believe that blood-thirsty Satanists were out murdering children as it is to believe that parents are actually murdering their own children. All three appealed the convictions. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Echols was from a poor background and struggled both with poverty and his mental health, having been institutionalized for several months after considering suicide. Some believe the police immediately thought there was some level of occult involvement in the triple homicide, yet this isn't the case. It wouldn't be the only evidence that linked Hobbs to the murders, with his wife Pamela finding a knife that her son had carried with him in her husband's nightstand. 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. '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. It went too far, and because of that, he had to kill all three of them," he said. He explained that the particular petition they filed is not up for interpretation and ultimately is not within their rights. 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. The blade had blood on the hinge, and HBO ordered Berlinger and Sinofsky to hand the knife to West Memphis police. While Morgan, Holland and "Mr. Bojangles" already seem to have more against them than Echols, the police were now focusing solely on the one angle and one suspect, getting Vicki Hutcheson to agree to have her home wired. All Rights Reserved. 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. hitType: 'event', In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." Echols claimed that Pope's departure and the discovery of the evidence were connected. During questioning, Echols mentioned wounds to the genital that one of the victims suffered. But, those were far from the only three suspects in the case. 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. Entering a plea of not guilty, Richard Ofshe testified that Misskelley's confession had been a "classic example" of police coercion. },false) He took one of them I don't know which one cut him on I think it was on this side of his face.". West Memphis Three However, during his time at the station, Aaron mentioned that his three friends had been killed at "the playhouse.". However, that isn't quite the truth. Toggle dark mode His prior history of domestic violence didn't reflect well either. of the West Memphis Three }); "We are trying to find the real killers. West Memphis Three released from prison after The plea deal was accepted. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. West Memphis Three 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. Toggle dark mode 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 child claimed they were committed by Spanish-speaking Satanists. 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.". 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. He was 62. However, Misskelley wouldn't only confess in that police interview room. West Memphis Three 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. They'd first come into contact almost precisely a year before Echols was arrested alongside his then-girlfriend Deanna Holcomb. There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal of Rob Zombie, Korn, Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. of the West Memphis Three 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('ads.send', { West Memphis Three released from prison after Jones, the assistant juvenile probation officer, was one of the chief voices pushing the line alongside his supervisor Jerry Blackwood Driver. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { Memphis 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. ga('ads.send', { document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ 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. 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. pg.acq.push(function() { So, this tells me that this offender was someone they know," Clemente said. Police detective Bryn Ridge would later testify he somehow lost the samples from Bojangles' wall. Messed Up Truth About The West Memphis Three A popular perception is that in New York or Los Angeles, is the lifestyles of the West Memphis Three wouldn't have drawn comment, but in Arkansas, it was a different story. After 18 years behind bars, they were freed. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died. West Memphis Three Neighbors would recall that the abuse suffered by the boy was horrific, describing the whippings as a regular occurrence. 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. But in the process, the West Memphis Three get blamed for the crime they didn't commit. West Memphis Three if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ and "Do you know who killed those three boys?". There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." The West Memphis Three 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. Jul. Public opinion against him would only grow more robust when the testimony of Aaron Hutcheson was leaked to the press. The discovery comes after West Memphis Police Chief Michael Pope resigned Tuesday. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! West Memphis Three With continuing advances in DNA testing, that day may finally be around the corner. 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. The time spent to conceal them could have been skipped completely if there was no known relationship to the victims, Clemente told Ruff. 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.