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. Nevertheless, this is a complete delaying tactic," Soury explained. They seem to me to be more practical ligatures, Clemente said. The boys were naked and tied up by their shoelaces. 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. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. Martin molested both of his stepchildren a son and a daughter over four years, serving just three years in the Colorado State Penitentiary. Sign up for newsletter today. ga('ads.send', { WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. Equally, Pamela's sister Jo Lynn McCaughey saw Hobbs washing clothes, bed linens, and curtains from Steve's room around the time of the killings. Before the case could again reach the courts, Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were allowed to enter Alford plea deals. With John Mark Byers ruled out, revelations in 2007 would point in a new direction equally close to home. Suspicion toward John Mark Byers would only increase when the bite marks on Steve Branch's forehead were discovered. He has devoted himself to writing, music and art. hitType: 'event', if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ It was rumor and innuendo, overheard gossip and allegations. 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. 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. ga('ads.send', { No matter who committed those terrible crimes at Robin Hood Hills, they still walk free 28 years later, and until the culprits are found, the case is far from over. Attempting to shelter from a storm, the two broke into a trailer and were charged with burglary and sexual misconduct. Who Is The Real Killer Behind The 'West Memphis Three' Murders? When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. 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. 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. Their trial, which included He also theorized that the killer knew the victims because he was able to control three victims without any help.. In many respects, the reaction to these new youth movements was nothing new, with the metal bands of the 1970s and 80s having faced similar condemnation as "the Devil's music." 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 In contrast, others contend he remained severely mentally ill and an immature teenager. pg.acq.push(function() { He suffered from "grandiose and persecutory delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, disordered thought processes, substantial lack of insight, and chronic, incapacitating mood swings." Who killed Stevie 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. Yet Misskelley kept talking, confessing again on Feb. 4. I think he spent more time on concealing the bodies and the clothing and the bikes than he did on the actual murders. pg.acq.push(function() { YoutubeMugshots of the West Memphis Three. }); While he was on medication that may have affected the outcome, including Xanax, it seems that his suspected involvement in the killings was a complete dead end. }); 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. It took them 18 years to clear their names. Prosecutors argued that the three teenagers, with Echols as the lead, committed the murders as part of a satanic ritual. 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. Baldwin meanwhile has ambitions to become a lawyer and began work for a construction company, with Misskelley getting engaged to his high school girlfriend and training as a mechanic. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. 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. 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. ET. 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. 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. Police detective Bryn Ridge would later testify he somehow lost the samples from Bojangles' wall. }); Youtube Mugshots of the West Memphis Three. He said the evidence, which he claims city officials previously told him was lost, destroyed or missing, was found intact and organized. 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. Despite the continuing doubts over the testimony, police pulled in Misskelley on June 3 alongside two other alleged cult members, Ricky Climer and Alvis Bly. Branch had 21 particular wounds, including a large gouge to the left side of his face, with Byers having 62 differing injuries. The blade had blood on the hinge, and HBO ordered Berlinger and Sinofsky to hand the knife to West Memphis police. But in the process, the West Memphis Three get blamed for the crime they didn't commit. While Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley may have begun to rebuild their lives, there is still no solace or closure for the families of Steve Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. The bodies of the three boys had been found in Robin Hood Hills, a stretch of forested land in the city that was popular with children and where Christopher, Michael and Steve were last seen together. If the judge makes the decision to deny the state's request for dismissal, then Attorney General Tim Griffin will get a chance to respond to that decision. 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. On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. 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. Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case, Timeline Of The West Memphis Three Victims. "The chief of police was not truthful," Echols tweeted on Wednesday. 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. 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. On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. Advances in DNA testing allowed forensics to be utilized on hairs found at the scene, with none again matching for the three imprisoned men. 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. So if the West Memphis Three aren't the real killers, who is? 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. 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. There was circumstantial evidence to suggest Byers knew more than he let on. So if the West Memphis Three aren't the real killers, who is? window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { One individual on the police radar was convicted pedophile James K. Martin. 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. They allowed police and other workers to walk through the creek, trampling possible evidence such as footprints, and equally failed to drain the water quickly to preserve other evidence. Working at the crime scene, police made a series of errors that would significantly impede the case. Despite the alarming inconsistencies and recanting his confession, saying that he was fatigued, threatened and intimidated, police quickly arrested Echols and Baldwin. 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. WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. A subsequent search quickly found the bodies of Branch, Byers and 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. 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. 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. 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. I believe there was an incident of over-disciplining one of the boys. According to her new story, police had threatened to take her child if she didn't "cooperate." Then read about the woman who was convicted for locking her deaf sister in a room for seven years. The child claimed they were committed by Spanish-speaking Satanists. 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. But in the process, the West Memphis Three get blamed for the crime they didn't commit. }) No ritual paraphernalia or markings were found at the scene, and many in the police believed those responsible had been sexual predators or strangers from outside the town. Speaking about Echols to The New York Times in 1993, high school teacher Jim Ferguson said, "he's like some wacko cult member.". A few years later, he was facing charges relating to the use of terroristic threats, grand theft, and drug use. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a town. They had a daughter together, Amanda Hobbs, who was 4 years old at the time of her brothers death. It became humiliating, something I'd do everything I could to hide from the rest of the world. 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. There is no mention of Santic overtones or symbolism in the early written reports by police, nor correspondence with the FBI. It took them 18 years to clear their names. 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.