Toggle dark mode } He also theorized that the killer knew the victims because he was able to control three victims without any help.. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a Adding that his client was "a mentally handicapped person who is quite suggestible. Offers may be subject to change without notice. eventAction: 'click_ads' "But I didn't wear hats back then; my hair could have blown around anywhere.". gads_event = event; Echols and Baldwin were best friends and shared a profound distaste for Bible Belt life in West Memphis, Arkansas and were drawn toward the rebellion of metal music and associated books and movies. window.adsContainer = {"positionAfterTitle":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle5_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position2":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_After_Title_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position3":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Below_Next_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle1_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle2_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position7":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle3_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle4_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle5_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position10":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle6_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position11":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle7_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position12":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle8_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position13":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle9_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position14":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle10_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position15":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle11_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position16":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle12_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"positionTop":{"code":"Article_Desktop_970x250_Header_Rel","isOrganicUserAd":false,"max_width":970,"max_height":250},"positionBottom":{"code":"Article_Desktop_Sidebar_Bottom_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":300,"max_height":600},"positionBottomRight":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_After_Title_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":336,"max_height":280}} Jul. Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. 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. As the rumors increased throughout the community, a Salem-like air descended as names continued to be associated with the alleged cult. Serving as professor emeritus of sociology at the University of California, it was expert testimony. 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. It was just days before the trial of Echols and Baldwin. }) However, that isn't quite the truth. 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. The story of the West Memphis Three traces back to 1993, set in the city of West Memphis, Arkansas. 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. 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. Example video title will go here for this video. Nine days later, Misskelley would confess again. In 2010, the West Memphis Three were granted to appear before the Arkansas Supreme Court based on the new DNA evidence and potential misconduct by the jury. 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. Yet, it is a giant leap toward murder. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Product was successfully added to your shopping cart. But, those were far from the only three suspects in the case. 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.". Devastating Photos Of Hiroshima Before And After The Atomic Bombing That Changed History Forever, Jury Finds Man Guilty Of Teaching Pug Nazi Salute [VIDEO], What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, black Americans are wrongfully convicted at a far greater rate, woman who was convicted for locking her deaf sister in a room for seven years. 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." Attempting to shelter from a storm, the two broke into a trailer and were charged with burglary and sexual misconduct. 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. The West Memphis Three were charged with the murder of three boys in 1994. On one occasion, she said she was with her son all day; on another that he left home around 4 p.m. 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. 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. }); Stating that he was "scared of the police," Misskelley confessed to murder. "We are pleased that the evidence is intact," Benca said, according to WREG. There's absolutely no indication of that in this case. 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. 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. 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. Well, it minimizes the package a little bit and makes it easier to control after they're dead.. Their trial, which included Youtube Mugshots of the West Memphis Three. However, he was far from the only person of intense interest with two other teenagers, Chris Morgan and Brian Holland, attracting early interest. Moore. 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. To learn more about the case, watch The Forgotten West Memphis Three" now on Oxygen. Despite suspicion eventually falling away from Byers, Jason Baldwin praised the "Paradise Lost" documentaries as essential to their case, telling the "National Podcast of Texas" in 2019 that "The documentary saved my life, saved Damien's life, and saved Jessie's life. Residents talked of strange smells in the woods, painted children, and even alleged to have seen a baby sacrificed. hitType: 'event', Kara Goldfarb is a writer living in New York City. ET. 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. }); } 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. 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. ADVERTISEMENT 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 62. He was called a 'baby killer.'. Terry Hobbs and Pamela Hicks. The Brotherhood group he identified himself as being associated with had committed multiple homicides. 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. 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. 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. Beyond his tales about Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols, Climber claimed to have beaten a police officer, hung a woman and sacrificed a second lady. 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. 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. It took them 18 years to clear their names. 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. 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. 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. 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. ADVERTISEMENT 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. Suspicion toward John Mark Byers would only increase when the bite marks on Steve Branch's forehead were discovered. To prove his innocence, he agreed and passed a polygraph test during the filming of 'Paradise Lost 2: Revelations,' only for the documentary to throw doubts on the results by revealing he was under the influence of several psychoactive prescription medications that could have affected the test results. 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. Increasingly alarmed, searchers saw a black shoe floating in a muddy creek that afternoon. Neither Climer nor Bly would be considered competent witnesses at the eventual trial. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a Investigators found the bottle exactly where he said it would be. During the filming, cameraman Doug Cooper would be given a folding hunting knife by John Mark Byers, Christopher Byers' stepfather. But it seemed the story for the West Memphis Three was over. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. However, during his time at the station, Aaron mentioned that his three friends had been killed at "the playhouse.". A second hair found at the scene was consistent with his friend, David Jacoby. 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. No semen was found at the scene, and there was no evidence of molestation. eventAction: 'click_adunit' Clemente pointed out that the killer took his time to conceal the boys' bodies, clothing, and bikes. ET. Who killed Stevie Baldwin got life behind bars, and Echols was sentenced to death by lethal injection. All three were charged and accused of committing a Satanic murder. }); The blade had blood on the hinge, and HBO ordered Berlinger and Sinofsky to hand the knife to West Memphis police. Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. VEGA, Texas (KFDA) - Two people were killed and two others were injured after a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 west of Vega. So if the West Memphis Three aren't the real killers, who is? It took them 18 years to clear their names. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. 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. 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. 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. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' },false) 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. The inherent belief in that line of thought eventually led to the arrest of 18-year-old Damien Echols, 17-year-old Jessie Misskelley Jr., and 16-year-old Jason Baldwin, three out-of-sorts teens who became popularly known as "The West Memphis Three.".

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