who killed the west memphis three

Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. 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. He said the evidence, which he claims city officials previously told him was lost, destroyed or missing, was found intact and organized. Taylor's presence suggests that at 4:30 p.m., Branch and Moore had not yet found their friend Byers. 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. 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). }); They still had the convictions, but the men would be free. It became humiliating, something I'd do everything I could to hide from the rest of the world. A subsequent search quickly found the bodies of Branch, Byers and eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a pg.acq.push(function() { By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? 'West Memphis Three' case: John Byers, suspect and stepfather of one of the slain boys, dies in car crash. 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. ET. 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. Copyright 2023 Empire Media Group, Inc. Front Page Detectives is a registered trademark. 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. Therefore, Misskelley had to be tried alone. }); If you found this interesting, you might also want to read about the study that finds black Americans are wrongfully convicted at a far greater rate. hitType: 'event', So if the West Memphis Three aren't the real killers, who is? Prosecutors in the case argued that Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley had killed three boys the prior year as part of Satanic rituals. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. Who Is The Real Killer Behind The 'West Memphis Three' Murders? Get all the latest information on Events, Sales and Offers. "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. However, the matter was sent to appeal, and Burnett was elected to the Arkansas State Senate, with his replacement being David Laser. Who Is The Real Killer Behind The 'West Memphis Three' Murders? document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ 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. Some believe the police immediately thought there was some level of occult involvement in the triple homicide, yet this isn't the case. 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). Their trial, which included The discovery comes after West Memphis Police Chief Michael Pope resigned Tuesday. While police initially suspected rape, there was no evidence for it. Undertaking a polygraph, Martin seemingly showed deception when asked, "Do you know what was used to tie up those three boys?" There is a vast difference between what most Satanists believe Satanism is and the popular perception of Satanism. }); All three boys were naked and hogtied using their shoelaces, each ankle tied with a wrist behind their backs. He suffered from "grandiose and persecutory delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, disordered thought processes, substantial lack of insight, and chronic, incapacitating mood swings." The police contended the tapes couldn't confirm this, with interference masking conversations. Who killed Stevie He explained that the particular petition they filed is not up for interpretation and ultimately is not within their rights. ga('ads.send', { On May 5, 1993, that trouble for Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley, seemed to have got indescribably more severe. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. Like John Mark Byers, Hobbs was a wifebeater. Morgan was an ice cream truck driver and would likely have been familiar with all three victims. 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. Clemente noted there was no indication, forensically, that theres more than one offender involved because what happened to each of the victims was consistent. Nine days later, Misskelley would confess again. 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 pg.acq.push(function() { 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. That changed on May 5, 1993, when three second-grade boys were reported missing. Yet Misskelley kept talking, confessing again on Feb. 4. Attorney Patrick Benca, who represents defendant Damien Echols, wrote in a Wednesday statement that he located evidence from the case after being granted access to the police department through an Arkansas state court order, according to WREG. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. There was circumstantial evidence to suggest Byers knew more than he let on. 31 2021, Published 3:16 p.m. 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. Martin molested both of his stepchildren a son and a daughter over four years, serving just three years in the Colorado State Penitentiary. 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. However, it wasn't just about the music with many embracing rebellious philosophies that were inherently offensive to the traditions of Christianity, respect and patriotism that have always defined small-town rural America. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. The use of shoelaces had yet to be revealed to the public, yet Martin was eventually cleared of any involvement. Who, then, was responsible for the brutal murders and mutilations of three young children? They did not kill my son.. 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. 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. Over the nine years since their release, there have been dozens of theories that pointed to other suspects who could have been behind the deaths of Christopher, Michael, and Steve. He kept a calendar of the lunar cycle so he and Jones could patrol the county and check for covens. 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. On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. Echols was from a poor background and struggled both with poverty and his mental health, having been institutionalized for several months after considering suicide. He again repeated the incorrect police suspicion that Echols had sexually violated one of the boys, claiming this time his friend had ejaculated on the victim's trousers. 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. Clemente pointed out that the killer took his time to conceal the boys' bodies, clothing, and bikes. 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 media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Sign up to receive breakingFront Page Detectivesnews and exclusive investigations. The boys were naked and tied up by their shoelaces. Investigators found the bottle exactly where he said it would be. 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. Echols, by most accounts, didn't even consider himself one. Offers may be subject to change without notice. For the state, the Alford pleas were a face-saving exercise. The deal is a plea whereby a defendant maintains their innocence but recognizes that the evidence presented would be enough to convict them. 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. Misskelley confessed during the interrogation but later took rescinded it, stating that he did it out our fear and intimidation. 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. MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. 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. Public opinion against him would only grow more robust when the testimony of Aaron Hutcheson was leaked to the press. On Feb. 8, Misskelley claimed he had been drunk at the time of the killings and was drinking Evan Williams whiskey, claiming that he had thrown a bottle away under a bridge in West Memphis, swearing on the Bible as to the truth of his latest claims. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were best friends. 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. 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. 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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. They had a daughter together, Amanda Hobbs, who was 4 years old at the time of her brothers death. 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. hitType: 'event', 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview