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. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. ga('ads.send', { 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. Standing 6-feet-5-inches tall and weighing 238 pounds, Byers was an imposing and threatening presence. },false) Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. Adding that his client was "a mentally handicapped person who is quite suggestible. 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. But it seemed the story for the West Memphis Three was over. 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. Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore. Ultimately, the judge will make a final ruling on whether to proceed. He also theorized that the killer knew the victims because he was able to control three victims without any help.. There is a strong Christian identity, and crime is an issue, but the behavior of Echols, in particular, would have drawn comment everywhere. Into this misunderstanding step Damien Echols, 18, Jessie Misskelley Jr., 17, and Jason Baldwin, 16. 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. 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 West Memphis Three were charged with the murder of three boys in 1994. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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). Stating that he was "scared of the police," Misskelley confessed to murder. Interested, police arrested both of them on May 17, placing them under a polygraph which indicated they were deceptive when denying involvement in the killings. 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. Starting in the weeks that followed the killings, documentary filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky began to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case for their film "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills," airing in June 1996 on HBO. 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 DNA of these three children is likely in that evidence," said Lonnie Soury, a member of Damien Echols' legal team. 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. VEGA, Texas (KFDA) - Two people were killed and two others were injured after a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 west of Vega. 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. Working at the crime scene, police made a series of errors that would significantly impede the case. He has devoted himself to writing, music and art. 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." All Rights Reserved. }); Youtube Mugshots of the West Memphis Three. 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. On one occasion, she said she was with her son all day; on another that he left home around 4 p.m. "I want to live and to continue to fight for our innocence. She also revealed that her ex-husband had once asked her sister point-blank if she suspected him in the killings. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ Nevertheless, this is a complete delaying tactic," Soury explained. 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. Yet Misskelley kept talking, confessing again on Feb. 4. The discovery comes after West Memphis Police Chief Michael Pope resigned Tuesday. With John Mark Byers ruled out, revelations in 2007 would point in a new direction equally close to home. 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. 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. He was 62. 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. March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died. The time spent to conceal them could have been skipped completely if there was no known relationship to the victims, Clemente told Ruff. Workers at the Bojangles restaurant just a mile from the crime scene reported that at 8:42 p.m., a Black male had entered the premises and went into the women's bathroom. 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. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of Echols was generally seen as the dominant personality where Baldwin was concerned. Christopher Byers' father, Rick Murray, was one of the early voices to speak out against the West Memphis Three's convictions, with Pamela Hobbs perhaps becoming the most vocal. Hutcheson was accused of settling from her employer and forced to bring her young son, Aaron Hutcheson, to the interview. }); VEGA, Texas (KFDA) - Two people were killed and two others were injured after a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 west of Vega. 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. 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. 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. }); In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal Clemente pointed out that the killer took his time to conceal the boys' bodies, clothing, and bikes. A few years later, he was facing charges relating to the use of terroristic threats, grand theft, and drug use. There is no mention of Santic overtones or symbolism in the early written reports by police, nor correspondence with the FBI. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. Now, the attorneys are responding in court. With the evidence mounting that all three accused had been innocent, the deal ensured that Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley would never be allowed to pursue civil action against the state of Arkansas for wrongful imprisonment. And while both Michael and Steve had bruises across their body, Christopher had suffered the most gruesome injuries and had lacerations to various parts of his body, and mutilation to his scrotum and penis. Morgan was an ice cream truck driver and would likely have been familiar with all three victims. hitType: 'event', Equally, Wiccans reject their beliefs are a form of Satanism, with the movement being closer to Neo-Paganism and nature religions and almost exclusively pacifistic in nature. They wanted to overwhelm us, convict us, condemn us and sweep us under the rug.". He was 62. ET. 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. One individual on the police radar was convicted pedophile James K. Martin. MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. She described a cult meeting involving Echols, Misskelley and about eight other youths. 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." They were mutilated and bruised, and their clothes were in the nearby creek. 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. 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. That changed on May 5, 1993, when three second-grade boys were reported missing. On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. 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. Police detective Bryn Ridge would later testify he somehow lost the samples from Bojangles' wall. When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. Terry Hobbs and Pamela Hicks. hitType: 'event', 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. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ However, he was far from the only person of intense interest with two other teenagers, Chris Morgan and Brian Holland, attracting early interest.
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