"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. What came after the arrest is quite well-documented. The following afternoon, the bodies of Steve Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were found by a muddy ditch. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? 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. One such suspect was none other than Byers. 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. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 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. }); When investigators found the boys bodies on May 6, 1993, they had been jammed into the muddy ground of the bayou, and their clothes had been submerged in the water with sticks. She described a cult meeting involving Echols, Misskelley and about eight other youths. 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. Who Killed 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. By Benjamin H. Smith Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? West Memphis Three 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. Local community members also rallied in support of the three, believing that their initial trial was unfair and handled incorrectly. 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. 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. Before the case could again reach the courts, Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were allowed to enter Alford plea deals. West Memphis Three 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." 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. Meanwhile, police questioned Misskelley alone, despite the suspect only having an IQ of 72. The West Memphis Three were charged with the murder of three boys in 1994. On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. A roll of toilet paper was soaked through with blood. hitType: 'event', "We feel strongly that we are in the right. West Memphis Three Morgan was an ice cream truck driver and would likely have been familiar with all three victims. 31 2021, Published 3:16 p.m. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. They still had the convictions, but the men would be free. Climber only named Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols. He suffered from "grandiose and persecutory delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, disordered thought processes, substantial lack of insight, and chronic, incapacitating mood swings." Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! All three had been stripped naked and shackled with their shoelaces their right ankles had been tied to their right wrists behind their backs, with their left ankles to their left wrists behind their backs as well. He was muddy, bleeding, and brushed against the walls, leaving behind blood stains and feces on the walls, stall, and floor. However, police thought they had their culprits and were willing to ignore Ricky Climer and Avis Bly's severe mental illnesses. West Memphis Three She also revealed that her ex-husband had once asked her sister point-blank if she suspected him in the killings. 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. West Memphis Three killed This would give him no time to meet his Echols and Baldwin, get drunk as he claimed, and then kill three children in an extended attack in the woods. Adding, "Then, uh, Jason pulled out a knife. When he was informed that the blood matched both his and Chris' blood type, he claimed he had no idea how the blood might have gotten on the knife before suggesting he might have left it out accidentally. Subsequent interviews with Vicki Hutcheson were just as contradictory. With continuing advances in DNA testing, that day may finally be around the corner. 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. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. 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. Meeting with Echols, Hutcheson reported that nothing incriminating was said. 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). It doesn't take much effort to get him to say or do anything at all.". Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment. 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 So if the West Memphis Three aren't the real killers, who is? Product was successfully added to your shopping cart. 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. The 'West Memphis Three' Murders Yet, it is a giant leap toward murder. 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. There was circumstantial evidence to suggest Byers knew more than he let on. It became humiliating, something I'd do everything I could to hide from the rest of the world. We will fully comply with any lawful request made regarding this case.". 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." On May 5, 1993, that trouble for Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley, seemed to have got indescribably more severe. 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. 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. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. 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. Nevertheless, this is a complete delaying tactic," Soury explained. 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. John Mark Byers was the stepdad of one of the victims and said before the hearing, Theyre innocent. 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. and "Do you know who killed those three boys?". 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.". 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. 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. 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. They wanted to overwhelm us, convict us, condemn us and sweep us under the rug.". "We have no vested interest in trying to withhold any evidence from anyone on either side. Hutcheson was accused of settling from her employer and forced to bring her young son, Aaron Hutcheson, to the interview. The 'West Memphis Three' Murders Echols unwisely began to tell the fanatical Driver tall tales about local cults and animal sacrifices when Driver became his parole officer, telling him that he followed Wicca. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore. 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. Despite the falsehoods in the testimony, Echols was pulled in for questioning two days after the bodies were discovered, denying any involvement. The chief of police was not truthful. He even said that he saw John Mark Byers assisting in the killings. 1." 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.

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