who killed the west memphis three

ga('ads.send', { }) "We are pleased that the evidence is intact," Benca said, according to WREG. But in the process, the West Memphis Three get blamed for the crime they didn't commit. eventAction: 'click_adunit' window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { The friends rode over to Bobby Posey's house, where they learned Christopher had been whipped by his adoptive father, John Mark Byers, and planned to run away. Misskelley confessed during the interrogation but later took rescinded it, stating that he did it out our fear and intimidation. A prime example of the issues with the confession was that Misskelley was giving false information that was believed accurate by police at the time, stating that he saw Echols and Baldwin go into the woods with the three boys and rape them. 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. He was interrogated for 12 hours with only two segments running to 46 minutes being recorded, and although he was read his Miranda rights, he later said that he hadn't understood them. A polygraph indicated some level of deception in his statements to police, yet it should be noted that a heart condition may have affected the results. 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. The Supreme Court ruled that a defendant would be deprived of his rights if a confession was introduced in a joint trial under the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment, stating that "in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the rightto be confronted with the witnesses against him." pg.acq.push(function() { 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). The condition of the bodies led to the initial belief the three had been raped and then killed. Morgan was an ice cream truck driver and would likely have been familiar with all three victims. How the three died wasn't the same, with Moore and Branch being killed by multiple injuries and then drowning, with Byers dying of blood loss and not being drowned. 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. Goths, punks and skaters were in the ascendency, and Middle America was horrified. With continuing advances in DNA testing, that day may finally be around the corner. Clemente pointed out that the killer took his time to conceal the boys' bodies, clothing, and bikes. 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. Echols filed a petition, which was not granted, but then the decision was overturned by the Arkansas Supreme Court. 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. 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. Autopsies revealed that Byers died of multiple injuries, while the other two boys died of multiple injuries with drowning. }); The deal is a plea whereby a defendant maintains their innocence but recognizes that the evidence presented would be enough to convict them. "He had to spend this time because if he didn't, he would get caught. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. In contrast, others contend he remained severely mentally ill and an immature teenager. In 1973, his parents had called the police to report that he was threatening them with a butcher knife. His behavior as it became apparent Echols, Misskelley, and Baldwin would be cleared of the murders, was questioned as well. Advances in DNA testing allowed forensics to be utilized on hairs found at the scene, with none again matching for the three imprisoned men. Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore. These three would come to be known as the West Memphis Three. The new documentary focused on the bite marks, with the prosecution arguing that the marking seen on Christopher Byers' face in photographs is from a belt buckle and not teeth. The following afternoon, the bodies of Steve Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were found by a muddy ditch. Explaining why the test may have indicated this, Martin suggested he believed "the father of Steve Branch killed the boys" and that he suspected shoelaces would have been used to tie up the victims, as "logic tells him that the killer would use something already there." Yet Misskelley kept talking, confessing again on Feb. 4. }); 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. The blade had blood on the hinge, and HBO ordered Berlinger and Sinofsky to hand the knife to West Memphis police. 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. Whose blood was on the knife was uncertain as it matched both Byers and the victim, both having the same HLA-DQ genotype. Echols' legal team has filed a response to the Attorney General's request, where they are asking the court to deny it. Moore. 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 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.'. Public opinion against him would only grow more robust when the testimony of Aaron Hutcheson was leaked to the press. 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. Jul. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { However, police thought they had their culprits and were willing to ignore Ricky Climer and Avis Bly's severe mental illnesses. 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. He also theorized that the killer knew the victims because he was able to control three victims without any help.. 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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 was muddy, bleeding, and brushed against the walls, leaving behind blood stains and feces on the walls, stall, and floor. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ 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. Adding, "Then, uh, Jason pulled out a knife. Pamela Hobbs gave numerous interviews to the press where she spoke about the knife, the DNA, and the events of May 5 and 6, 1994. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ On one occasion after the killings at Robin Hood Hills, he had beaten Pamela so severely that she told the family that she thought her jaw was broken, prompting them to drive to the Hobbs home to confront him. Benca and the West Memphis Police Department did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. There's absolutely no indication of that in this case. }); 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. Benca said he hopes the evidence can be tested for DNA to help clear the name of his client, who along with Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelley Jr. was convicted of murder as a teenager in 1994. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. He said the evidence, which he claims city officials previously told him was lost, destroyed or missing, was found intact and organized. Prosecutors would only give up harassing Misskelley for his testimony when I threatened to hold a press conference and disclose their efforts to entice his testimony." Despite doubt over the way authorities handled the case, as well as a lack of substantial evidence, the West Memphis Three were found guilty. WebThe West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. 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. He was sentenced to life plus 40 years. So, this tells me that this offender was someone they know," Clemente said. He quickly retracted the statement, and police aren't believed to have considered them suspects any longer than the period of their arrest. The case for his guilt was put forward by Echols himself in Peter Jackson's 'West of Memphis.' 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. Yet, none of this makes a murderer, and Echols, like most readers of LaVey and Crowley, believed that their work had been unfairly maligned as evil, instead calling to libertarian freedom away from the confines of Christian morality. "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. 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. pg.acq.push(function() { Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. In 1997 Byers had all his teeth removed, claiming both that medication he was taking caused gum disease and he'd planned to remove them as he had suffered dental problems for years. 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. It took them 18 years to clear their names. eventAction: 'load' 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. With the addition of a 10-year suspended sentence, a probation type sentencing which meant if they did anything illegal they would be put back in jail, the West Memphis Three were sentenced to time served. No semen was found at the scene, and there was no evidence of molestation. Equally, it was widely known he threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend's father, yet those who had taken against him left out that this was through a fear that the father was going to assault his daughter. A self-identified white supremacist and freemason, his personality and affiliations led many to suspect that he was the kind of man who may have been involved in the killings. 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. But, those were far from the only three suspects in the case. His prior history of domestic violence didn't reflect well either. Opinion remains divided on whether the right men were convicted or if the actual killers still walk the streets of West Memphis. 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. The plea deal was accepted. 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. March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died. Undertaking a polygraph, Martin seemingly showed deception when asked, "Do you know what was used to tie up those three boys?" Then, perhaps, the punishment went too far, and it resulted in the triple homicide. The following morning, May 6, a far more thorough search throughout West Memphis began, Crittenden County Search and Rescue personnel leading the effort, including the use of a helicopter. They wanted to overwhelm us, convict us, condemn us and sweep us under the rug.". One of those people would be Pamela Hobbs. } Well, it minimizes the package a little bit and makes it easier to control after they're dead.. Both men were increasingly concerned about the potential for human sacrifices when it was a full moon. Toggle dark mode He was also charged in 1990 for stealing $65,000 in jewelry from a store where he previously worked, and in 1992 for "conspiring to sell cocaine and with carrying a dangerous weapon.". 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. It took them 18 years to clear their names. 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." Bike found near the "West Memphis Three" crime scene. They were 17, 16, and 18 years old respectively. 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. It became humiliating, something I'd do everything I could to hide from the rest of the world. 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). On May 5, 1993, that trouble for Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley, seemed to have got indescribably more severe. The DNA of these three children is likely in that evidence," said Lonnie Soury, a member of Damien Echols' legal team. }); 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.