three men convicted of the 1993 murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, United States
POPULARITY
8 episodes with stevie branch
8 episodes with stevie branch
5 episodes with stevie branch
9 episodes with stevie branch
11 episodes with stevie branch
4 episodes with stevie branch
3 episodes with stevie branch
2 episodes with stevie branch
3 episodes with stevie branch
In this episode of The Guilty Files Uncovered, Brian steps into dangerous territory — the West Memphis Three. But this isn't your typical Uncovered case. Here, the facts tell one story, but the deeper truth refuses to stay quiet.In 1993, three young boys — Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers — were found brutally murdered in a muddy ditch in West Memphis, Arkansas. It was a crime that stunned the town and shocked the nation. Within weeks, three teenagers — Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley — were arrested. They were different. They listened to heavy metal. They wore black. In the eyes of a panicked public, they fit the picture of evil.But what happens when fear outweighs evidence? When a confession is pulled from a vulnerable kid under hours of pressure? When juries are fed stories of Satanism instead of proof?Brian usually sticks to the cold, hard facts. But the West Memphis Three isn't just about facts — it's about the cracks in the system, the human cost of rushed judgment, and the haunting possibility that the real perpetrator, or perpetrators, are still out there.The three young men were eventually freed after spending nearly two decades behind bars — not exonerated by a clear confession or DNA match, but released through a complicated legal deal that left as many questions as answers.This case doesn't offer the neat closure we're used to. It challenges us to look past what we think we know and ask harder questions: Who failed? Who lied? And who's still getting away with it?Brian pulls back the curtain — no spin, no sugarcoating — to show how sometimes, getting to the truth means admitting how little we really know. The West Memphis Three. One of America's most haunting miscarriages of justice. Only on The Guilty Files.
Terry Hobbs and Vicky Edwards - Box Full of NightmaresIn 1993, three eight-year old boys, Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Chris Byers, were murdered; their naked, mutilated bodies found shoved into the mud at the bottom of a ditch. The information developed by investigators pointed to three teenagers as the murderers. The three teens were convicted after two separate trials. One was sentenced to life imprisonment, one was sentenced to life plus forty years, and the third was sentenced to death. The convictions of the three teens became one of the most controversial cases in the State of Arkansas. During the early years of their incarceration, the growth of the Internet connected people all over the world through discussion forums and websites. As a result, the three teens, who became known as the “West Memphis Three,” developed a cult following that included the support of high-profile celebrities, including Johnny Depp, Peter Jackson, and Eddie Vedder and others, who all bought into the myth that the three convicted murderers were innocent.Today, the three convicted murderers are free. They appear to have given up their quest for judicial exoneration. Once they exhausted all other potential “guilty” parties, (some joined their camp and others were obviously not guilty), they focused their attention on Terry Hobbs, step-father of Stevie Branch, in an effort to divert attention from the evidence proving their guilt. Terry Hobbs was never a suspect in the murders and the facts of the case do not support his guilt. Undeterred, the convicted killers and their supporters continue to point fingers at Terry Hobbs.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.
#243: Nur wenige Kilometer von der Metropole Memphis entfernt liegt der unscheinbare Vorort West Memphis – ein Ort, wie es ihn in den USA tausendfach gibt: geprägt von staubigen Straßen, der Arbeiterklasse und Trailerparks. Doch in den 1990er-Jahren erlangt dieser gewöhnliche Vorort weltweit traurige Berühmtheit. Am 5. Mai 1993 verschwinden drei Jungen. Kurze Zeit später werden die Leichen von Stevie Branch, Michael Moore und Christopher Byers in einem nahegelegenen Waldstück gefunden – nackt, gefesselt und verstümmelt. Die Polizei hat schnell einen Verdächtigen im Visier: Damien Echols, ein Außenseiter, der sich schwarz kleidet, Heavy Metal hört und dem nachgesagt wird, den Teufel anzubeten. Zusammen mit seinen Freunden Jason Baldwin und Jessie Misskelley wird er verhaftet. Die sogenannten „West Memphis Three“ sollen die Morde angeblich im Rahmen eines satanistischen Rituals begangen haben – ein Verdacht, für den es keinerlei Beweise gibt. Dies ist die zweite Folge zum Fall der West Memphis Three. Wenn dir der Name Damien Echols nichts sagt, hör dir zuerst die letzte Folge „Im Todestrakt“ an. In dieser Folge sprechen wir darüber, welche Rolle die damals weitverbreitete „Satanic Panic“ in diesem Fall spielte. Wir beleuchten die Tragödie der drei Jugendlichen, die fehlerhaften Ermittlungen und die Hexenjagd, die sie zu Sündenböcken machte. Und die Frage, die vielleicht für immer unbeantwortet bleibt: Was geschah wirklich in West Memphis? Quellen (Auswahl) Dokumentationen “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills”, “Paradise Lost 2: Revelations”, “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”, “West Of Memphis” Buch “A Harvest Of Innocent” von Dan Stidham und Tom Mccart Eine Produktion von Auf Ex Productions. Hosts: Leonie Bartsch, Linn Schütze Recherche: Leonie Bartsch, Aylin Mercan Redaktion: Antonia Fischer Produktion: Lorenz Schütze Mehr Informationen, Bilder und Videos zum Fall findet ihr auf Social Media unter @mordaufexpodcast Tickets zur Mord auf Ex Live Tour gibt es auf [mordaufex.de/shop](https://shop.aufex.de/tickets) Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? [**Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte!**] (https://linktr.ee/MordaufEx) Du möchtest Werbung in diesem Podcast schalten? [**Dann erfahre hier mehr über die Werbemöglichkeiten bei Seven.One Audio!**](https://www.seven.one/portfolio/sevenone-audio) Unsere Spendenaktion "Exis gegen Gewalt an Frauen" läuft weiterhin. Unser Ziel: Betroffenen helfen, Schutzräume schaffen und Hoffnung geben. Spenden könnt ihr über diesen Link: [mordaufex.betterplace.org](https://www.betterplace.org/de/fundraising-events/47956-exis-gegen-gewalt-an-frauen). Jede Spende geht direkt an die Organisationen. Egal, wie groß – jeder Beitrag macht einen Unterschied. Danke
**TW/CW: heavy and detailed discussion of child murder, abuse, sexual assault****Pre-recorded for Patreon**This month, Danielle and Zee go further into the West Memphis 3 case and discuss the aftermath, where everything stands today and theories about who really murdered Michael Moore, Stevie Branch and Christopher Byers.Support the show
Ep 110: Mini-Cast- DNA UPDATE- A Harvest of Innocence by Dan Stidham and Tom McCarthy Part 5 In this mini-cast update on the West Memphis 3, Jill tells you the exciting news about the new, modern DNA testing, approved by the Arkansas Supreme Court in April 2024! Need an update on the West Memphis 3 case, who murdered 8-year old Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers back in 1993. Happy New Year 2025 Buy A Harvest of Innocence by Dan Stidham & Tom McCarthy on Amazon- (highly recommended! Sources, photographs, recipes and drink information can be found on Jill's blog at www.murdershelfbookclub.com – Oct 2024. Contact: jill@murdershelfbookclub.com, or X, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. Join Jill on PATREON for $4 and help pick our next book! See you soon for my next Episode 111 on Silent Silhouette- Who Killed Deborah Sue Part 3
Is anybody really safe? You see the storyline in every form of entertainment, "Arrested for a crime they didn't commit", but what if it wasn't just a storyline? For Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley it's the story of their lives. The West Memphis Three, as they have come to be known, were convicted of the murders of three 8-year-old boys who were killed on May 5th, 1993. Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Stevie Branch were found in a creek the next day, and one thing was on everyone's minds. Satanic Panic. Beliefs of the boys being sacrificed to Satan led investigators to accused Satanist, Damien Echols. The only problem was Damien wasn't a Satanist. That didn't stop the Arkansas justice system from sentencing him to death, Jason to Life imprisonment, and Jessie to Life+ for a crime they didn't commit. Join us as we get Historically High on The West Memphis Three.Historically High is sponsored by Flintt's Mouth Watering Mints, purveyors of delicious, drymouth destroying little miracles. Get yours with 15% off by using code HISTORICALLYHIGHER at www.Flintts.com Support the show
Episode 105 “Exonerate the West Memphis 3” - An Interview with Dan Stidham, Defense Attorney and co-author of A Harvest of Innocence: The True Story of the West Memphis Murder Case Part 4: In a heartfelt interview, author Dan Stidham and Jill discuss the inside story of defending the West Memphis Three's Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin as a young, inexperienced attorney, caught up in mass hysteria. The malignant prosecution that conspired with a biased judge to convict three innocent teenagers for the 3 horrendous murders of 8-year-old boys, left a killer loose in Arkansas. Threatened, attacked, treated as a pariah, Dan suffers from PTSD, even as he receives new tips and information to this day. With Misskelley and Baldwin out of prison (along with Echols), today Dan pursues the exoneration of the West Memphis Three, and—long overdue justice for the victims, Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers, who's killer has never been identified-- but Dan and Jill both have theories on WHO committed these gruesome murders!. Buy A Harvest of Innocence by Dan Stidham & Tom McCarthy on Amazon- (highly recommended! Sources, photographs, recipes and drink information can be found on Jill's blog at www.murdershelfbookclub.com – Oct 2024. Contact: jill@murdershelfbookclub.com, or X, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. Join Jill on PATREON for $4 and help pick our next book!
Part 1: West Memphis, AR May 5, 1993: After riding their bikes around the neighborhood, three 8-year-old Cub Scouts went missing, Found the next day submerged in a drainage ditch in the woods, this heartbreaking triple homicide would ultimately leave 6 families utterly devastated. 30-year-old attorney, Dan Stidham, would agree to take on 16-year-old accused murderer, Jessie Misskelley, as a client, pro bono, working on a plea deal that would spare Jessie the death penalty. This choice that would propel him onto a professional path that would test his dedication to his client, his decision to become a lawyer, and his faith, while trampling his marriage and his mental health. Meet Dan Stidham, victims, Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore, their parents, and the 3 teenagers sucked into the judicial abyss- Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, with Dan Stidham struggling against the worst possible confluence of players in the judicial system of West Arkansas, as the Satanic Panic raged. Buy A Harvest of Innocence by Dan Stidham & Tom McCarthy on Amazon- (highly recommended! Sources, photographs, recipes and drink information can be found on Jill's blog at www.murdershelfbookclub.com – Oct 2024. Contact: jill@murdershelfbookclub.com, or X, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. Join Jill on PATREON for $4 and help pick our next book! See you in two weeks!
On the evening of May 5, 1993, three eight-year-old boys—Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers—went missing in West Memphis, Arkansas. The next day, in a nearby wooded area, the boys were found brutally murdered, bound, and submerged in a drainage ditch. The horrific nature of the crime shocked the community, and police quickly arrested three local teenagers—Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley—based on a coerced false confession, no solid evidence, and Satanic panic.This is the story of three innocent children whose lives were stolen in an unspeakable act of violence. It's also the story of three wrongfully convicted teenagers who spent 18 years in prison, one of them on death row, for a crime they didn't commit—the victims of a flawed justice system and a community in the grip of fear.In today's episode, I'm honored to discuss a case that has gripped me for many years with the one man who has been involved since the beginning: Jessie Misskelley's original defense attorney, case advocate, and author of the recent book, A Harvest of Innocence: Judge Dan Stidham.This is our discussion about his book and the tragic case of the West Memphis Three.A Harvest of Innocence by Dan Stidham on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Harvest-Innocence-Untold-Memphis-Murder/dp/B0CMYZ2BT7 Judge Stidham's website: https://www.danstidham.com Email Judge Stidham with information about the case: harvestofinnocence@outlook.comTruth & Justice with Bob Ruff podcast: https://www.truthandjusticepod.com Paradise Lost documentary series: https://www.max.com/shows/paradise-lost/d509d74f-3c01-4367-9a42-a3aece5de4c9 The Forgotten West Memphis Three docuseries: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12092348/ West of Memphis documentary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2130321/ Photos related to today's episode can be viewed on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sufferthelittlechildrenpod You can also follow the podcast on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sufferthelittlechildrenpodTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/STLCpodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@STLCpodMy Linktree is available here: https://linktr.ee/stlcpod Visit the podcast's web page at https://www.sufferthelittlechildrenpod.com. By supporting me on Patreon, you'll also access rewards, including a shout-out by name on the podcast and exclusive rewards. Visit www.patreon.com/STLCpod. You can also support the podcast on www.Ko-Fi.com/STLCpod. Join my Supporters' Club: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/suffer-the-little-children--4232884/support This podcast is researched, written, hosted, edited, and produced by Laine.Music for this episode is licensed from https://audiojungle.net. Subscribe to Suffer the Little Children:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/suffer-the-little-children/id1499010711Google Podcasts: https://playmusic.app.goo.gl/?ibi=com.google.PlayMusic&isi=691797987&ius=googleplaymusic&apn=com.google.android.music&link=https://play.google.com/music/m/I5mx3lacxpdkhssmk2n22csf32u?t%3DSuffer_the_Little_Children%26pcampaignid%3DMKT-na-all-co-pr-mu-pod-16Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/show/suffer-the-little-children Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/suffer-the-little-children/PC:61848?part=PC:61848&corr=podcast_organic_external_site&TID=Brand:POC:PC61848:podcast_organic_external_siteSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0w98Tpd3710BZ0u036T1KEiHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/77891101/ ...or on your favorite podcast listening platform.
Send us a Text Message.Experience the unsettling case of the West Memphis Three like never before. What could a single black tennis shoe found floating in a ditch reveal about a harrowing 1993 mystery? This episode of Murder and Mimosas takes you straight to the heart of West Memphis, Arkansas, on May 5th, where the disappearance of three young boys, Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and Chris Byers, sets off a haunting chain of events. As darkness falls and families report the boys missing, the early search efforts are thwarted, only for a juvenile officer to make a chilling discovery the next day. Tune in as we unravel the initial investigation and dive into the troubling mishandling of evidence that only deepened the tragedy.We'll also uncover more disturbing details, such as the heart-wrenching task faced by police notifying the bereaved families and the significant yet puzzling tip about a disoriented, blood-covered man seen at a Bojangles restaurant the night the boys vanished. Our discussion isn't just about piecing together facts; it's about understanding the profound impact of the early investigative missteps and the emotional toll on the community. Stay engaged for upcoming episodes where a special guest will bring previously unheard insights to light, offering a fresh perspective on this decades-old mystery.Sources:Paradise Lost DocumentariesThe Devil's Knot by Mara LeverittDark Spell by Mara Leveritt and Jason BaldwinLife After Death by Damien EcholsSupport the Show.Book a cruise with Murder and Mimosas:https://saltykissestravel.com/truecrimehalloweenhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/1336304093519465https://twitter.com/Murder_Mimosashttps://www.instagram.com/murder.mimosas/murder.mimosas@gmail.comhttps://uppbeat.io/t/the-wayward-hearts/a-calm-hellfire License code: ZJZ99QK39IWFF0FB
Send us a Text Message.Experience the unsettling case of the West Memphis Three like never before. What could a single black tennis shoe found floating in a ditch reveal about a harrowing 1993 mystery? This episode of Murder and Mimosas takes you straight to the heart of West Memphis, Arkansas, on May 5th, where the disappearance of three young boys, Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and Chris Byers, sets off a haunting chain of events. As darkness falls and families report the boys missing, the early search efforts are thwarted, only for a juvenile officer to make a chilling discovery the next day. Tune in as we unravel the initial investigation and dive into the troubling mishandling of evidence that only deepened the tragedy.We'll also uncover more disturbing details, such as the heart-wrenching task faced by police notifying the bereaved families and the significant yet puzzling tip about a disoriented, blood-covered man seen at a Bojangles restaurant the night the boys vanished. Our discussion isn't just about piecing together facts; it's about understanding the profound impact of the early investigative missteps and the emotional toll on the community. Stay engaged for upcoming episodes where a special guest will bring previously unheard insights to light, offering a fresh perspective on this decades-old mystery.Sources:Paradise Lost DocumentariesThe Devil's Knot by Mara LeverittDark Spell by Mara Leveritt and Jason BaldwinLife After Death by Damien EcholsSupport the Show.Book a cruise with Murder and Mimosas:https://saltykissestravel.com/truecrimehalloweenhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/1336304093519465https://twitter.com/Murder_Mimosashttps://www.instagram.com/murder.mimosas/murder.mimosas@gmail.comhttps://uppbeat.io/t/the-wayward-hearts/a-calm-hellfire License code: ZJZ99QK39IWFF0FB
True Creeps: True Crime, Ghost Stories, Cryptids, Horrors in History & Spooky Stories
Join us while we provide updates on some of the cases we've already covered. We'll touch on the previously discussed disappearances of Taylor Johnson, Daniel Robinson, and Kimberly Avila as well as updates for the Cecil Hotel and Lake Lanier. We will also provide updates for the death of Dr. John Forsyth and the unsolved murders of both Mercedes Vega and Brian Egg.Additionally, there are updates relating to the investigation against Anthony Robinson, who has been dubbed the Shopping Cart Killer. We will also talk about Robin Murphy, who pled guilty in relation to the murder Karen Marsden. There was an important court win for Damien Echols of the West Memphis 3, who is seeking justice for three young boys, Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers. Echols, along with Jessie Misskelley Jr. and Jason Baldwin were suspected of murdering the young boy and spent 18 years in prison in relation to the crimes. If you have information relating to Mercedes Vega's murder, please reach out to the Silent Witness line at 480-WITNESS (for English) or 480-TESTIGO (for Spanish).If you have information on any of the missing persons cases we've covered, please reach out to the number listed on the missing person's flyer (see below as well).Kimberly Avila - (956)548-7060Printable Flyer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K-gqrvg8l27KLjF1IzoRU3hjBGoEG-8L/view?usp=drive_linkTaylor Johnson - (410) 307-2020Printable Flyer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12ULtRflRARcZD9XVBDENlU_746Ai2GvD/view?usp=drive_linkDaniel Robinson - (803) 200-7994 Printable Flyers: https://cdn.pleasehelpfinddaniel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/400910-David-Robinson-help_find-1UP-wBleeds-1.pdfhttps://pleasehelpfinddaniel.com/You can view printable missing persons flyers at: www.truecreeps.com/missingEpisodes introducing today's casesEpisode # 179 - The Unsolved Murder of Mercedes VegaEpisode # 145 - True Crime Digest 16 (includes case introduction for the suspicious death of Dr. John Forsyth)Episode # 118 - The Bizarre Murder of Brian EggEpisode # 102 - The Murders of Barbara Raposa, Karen Marsden, & Doreen Levesque (Fall River Cult Killings): Bridgewater Triangle & Satanic PanicEpisode #85 - Satanic Panic Injustice: The Murders of Steven Branch, Christopher Byers & Michael Moore and the West Memphis Three (Jason Baldwin, Jessie Misskelley, & Damien Echols)Episode # 72 - The Disappearance of Daniel Robinson Episode # 93 - Lake LanierEpisode # 19 - Hotels That Kill: Cecil Hotel, H.H. Holmes' Castle, & Hotel San CarlosJoin our Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/449439969638764A special thank you to our jam thief, Mary Quiton!https://www.patreon.com/truecreepshttps://www.truecreeps.com/shop
The first installment of our 3 parter on the West Memphis Three. In this episode, we dive deep into the tragic murders of three young boys – Christopher Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. These murders shook the tight-knit community of West Memphis, Arkansas to its core. As details emerged, whispers of a Satanic cult swirled around town. The scene of the crime seemed to bear the marks of a ritualistic killing, leaving residents terrified and searching for answers. Enter 18-year-old Damien Echolls. Law enforcement quickly became convinced that he was behind these murders, but it wasn't a thorough investigation or good old fashioned police work that brought them to that conclusion. So how did they get there? Sponsors: Prose! Get 50% off your first subscription and FREE consultation at Prose.com/creepers EarnIn Download EarnIn today in the Google Play or Apple App Store! ● When you download the EarnIn app type in creepers under PODCAST when you sign up BetterHelp Visit Betterhelp.com/CREEPERS today to get 10% off your first month Acorns Head to acorns.com/creepers or download the Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future today! June's Journey Download and play TODAY on the Apple App store or Google Play store. Sources: Documentaries: Watch West Memphis Three: An ID Murder Mystery - Season 1 | Prime Video Books: Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three by Mara Leveritt Podcast: Truth and Justice Season 5 West Memphis Three Trials: The Transcripts Complete fabrication - Arkansas Times Polygraph results in West Memphis Three case Devilish questions - Arkansas Times The Accusations of Aaron Hutcheson, Age 8 Murder Mystery: The West Memphis Child Murders, Part 3 - AY Magazine Dr. Dale W. Griffis Declaration of John Mark Byers Echols/Baldwin Trial - Testimony of Regenia Meek - February 28, 1994 Robin Hood Hills | West Memphis 3 murders Wiki What Caused Victims' Injuries In West Memphis Three Case? | Crime News Experts search for bleeding man in West Memphis 3 case Why Is the Occult So Associated with Satanism? The West Memphis Three Trials: An Account. Episode 20: The physical evidence against the WM3 -- "It is Our opinion the crime had taken place where the bodies of the victims were recovered." The Investigation Into The West Memphis Three Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Terry Hobbs and Vicky Edwards - Box Full of NightmaresJuly 28In 1993, three eight-year old boys, Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Chris Byers, were murdered; their naked, mutilated bodies found shoved into the mud at the bottom of a ditch. The information developed by investigators pointed to three teenagers as the murderers. The three teens were convicted after two separate trials. One was sentenced to life imprisonment, one was sentenced to life plus forty years, and the third was sentenced to death. The convictions of the three teens became one of the most controversial cases in the State of Arkansas. During the early years of their incarceration, the growth of the Internet connected people all over the world through discussion forums and websites. As a result, the three teens, who became known as the “West Memphis Three,” developed a cult following that included the support of high-profile celebrities, including Johnny Depp, Peter Jackson, and Eddie Vedder and others, who all bought into the myth that the three convicted murderers were innocent.Today, the three convicted murderers are free. They appear to have given up their quest for judicial exoneration. Once they exhausted all other potential “guilty” parties, (some joined their camp and others were obviously not guilty), they focused their attention on Terry Hobbs, step-father of Stevie Branch, in an effort to divert attention from the evidence proving their guilt. Terry Hobbs was never a suspect in the murders and the facts of the case do not support his guilt. Undeterred, the convicted killers and their supporters continue to point fingers at Terry Hobbs.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/1198501/advertisement
Jennifer Carlson returns to the podcast to discuss The West Memphis Three's long history with DNA testing. Starting in 1993, the convicted killers of Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers have fought to prove their innocence with DNA. After pleading guilty in 2011 via an Alford plea, the killers closed the case. Today, they are fighting to test the evidence for DNA. What is this DNA testing all about and what is the WM3's ultimate aim?Thank you, Patrons! Laura, Pavla Reznicek, Lorraine Reid, Sandra Guse Van Zeeland, Isa, Krissy G927, Michelle B, T. B., Maria m, Natalye T, Erin Faesen, Regan Johnson, AJ Foster, Hugh Ashman, Blythe, Melissa V, Victoria Gray Bross, Kay Be, Toni Woodland, Danbrit, Evan Scott, Holly from Dallas, Kenny Haines, Jon, Maureen P and Toni Natalie. Get access to exclusive podcasts & other cool stuff by becoming a patron today! https://Patreon.com/RobertaGlassTrueCrimeReport Or throw a tip in the tip jar! https://buymeacoffee.com/RobertaGlassThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/2774335/advertisement
This week we look at the events of May 5th, 1993, when Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and Christopher Byers went missing.Merch StoreJoin the Coffee ClubFacebookPlease check out this weeks sponsors:BlendJet 2:Use my special link https://zen.ai/deathcast to save 12% at blendjet.com. The discount will be applied at checkoutChinese Teacher Jessica: https://tinyurl.com/tcjessicaThe Deathcast is a production of Corpse Creek Publishing and Big Pond Podcasts#truecrime #TheDeathcast #Truecrimepodcast #WESTMEMPHISTHREE #WM3
Summer vacation is over!! And we're coming at you with a huge one. Madison delves into a three part series on the West Memphis Three. In 1993 three boys, Christopher Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore, were found murdered in the woods. What happens after that can only be described as a modern day witch hunt. Part one will focus on the crime and the investigation that led them to the West Memphis three. Part two will be all about the trial, and part three will be a wrap up on everything after. If you're on the patreon head over for part two right now!! - - https://linktr.ee/bitchpackmedia - Content: 00:00 - Intro - Intro by the amazing Rux Ton - Logo by Sloane of The Sophisticated Crayon - SOURCES: The Devils Knot by Mara Leveritt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Memphis_Three https://web.archive.org/web/20130522225152/http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/1993/may/09/pain-tells-how-much-life-3-slain-boys-had/ https://archive.ph/2012.09.13-182412/http://www.nesting.com/news/national/131401/Judge-rejects-request-for-new-trial-for-3-men-convicted-of-1993-slayings-of-3-Arkansas-boys.html#selection-507.0-519.216 https://web.archive.org/web/20101114070356/http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARKANSAS_BOYS_SLAIN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Terry Hobbs and Vicky Edwards - Box Full of NightmaresIn 1993, three eight-year old boys, Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Chris Byers, were murdered; their naked, mutilated bodies found shoved into the mud at the bottom of a ditch. The information developed by investigators pointed to three teenagers as the murderers. The three teens were convicted after two separate trials. One was sentenced to life imprisonment, one was sentenced to life plus forty years, and the third was sentenced to death. The convictions of the three teens became one of the most controversial cases in the State of Arkansas. During the early years of their incarceration, the growth of the Internet connected people all over the world through discussion forums and websites. As a result, the three teens, who became known as the “West Memphis Three,” developed a cult following that included the support of high-profile celebrities, including Johnny Depp, Peter Jackson, and Eddie Vedder and others, who all bought into the myth that the three convicted murderers were innocent.Today, the three convicted murderers are free. They appear to have given up their quest for judicial exoneration. Once they exhausted all other potential “guilty” parties, (some joined their camp and others were obviously not guilty), they focused their attention on Terry Hobbs, step-father of Stevie Branch, in an effort to divert attention from the evidence proving their guilt. Terry Hobbs was never a suspect in the murders and the facts of the case do not support his guilt. Undeterred, the convicted killers and their supporters continue to point fingers at Terry Hobbs.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/1198501/advertisement
Episode 25 The West Memphis ThreeIn this episode, the team is joined by Bob Ruff of the Truth and Justice Podcast to explore one of the biggest unsolved cases in the true crime world; The West Memphis Three.On May 5, 1993, Eight year olds Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Stevie Branch went out on their bikes in West Memphis, Arkansas, and didn't come home. A search led to the discovery of their bodies in a creek area known as Robin Hood Hills. All 3 had been murdered; the victims of blunt force trauma, and drowning. They were nude, and bound, and it appeared to investigators that at least one of them had been mutilated. In an era of 'Satanic Panic', police quickly focused their attention on 3 local young men, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley Jr. They apparently were suspected because of their goth like appearance, and because they believed that that at least one of them, Damien Echols, was a Satanist. With no physical evidence connecting any of the 3 men to the crimes, it was a false confession, and lying witnesses that led to them being convicted for the murders. The 3 men served 18 years in prison before being released after the trio signed Alford Pleas in which they maintained their innocence but acknowledged that prosecutors have evidence to convict them. As part of a plea deal, they were given time served as their sentences.Now that the 3 are out of prison, they maintain their innocence, and want their names cleared once and for all, and for the real killer to be brought to justice. They have pushed to have physical evidence in the case tested for DNA that might clear them, but the state has refused to allow that to happen.30 years later, the case remains at a stand still. Did the police arrest the right men, or did the real killer get away with the brutal murders of 3 little boys? In this episode, the team sifts thru the details and evidence in the case, to figure out what happened, and who might be responsible. Bob Ruff worked on the documentary The Forgotten West Memphis Three that focuses on this case, and he shared his expertise and insights with the team.To find out how to join us live as we record each new episode of Citizen Detective, follow us on Social Media.Twitter- https://twitter.com/CitizenDPodFacebook Home Page- https://www.facebook.com/CitizenDetectivePodcastFacebook Discussion group- https://www.facebook.com/groups/233261280919915Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/citizendpod/?hl=enYoutube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSgvqIuf4-sEF2aDdNGip2wVisit our homepage: Citizendetectivepodcast.comTo support this podcast on Patreon and gain access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, and our after-show 'The Scrum' visit Patreon.com/CitizenDetective Continue the conversation about this case with fellow Citizen Detectives over at Websleuths: https://www.websleuths.com/forums/forums/citizen-detective-true-crime-podcast.719/The Citizen Detective team includes:Co-Hosts- Mike Morford, Alex Ralph, and Dr. Lee MellorWriting and Research- Alex RalphTechnical Producer- Andrew GrayProduction Assistant- Ashley MonroeSuzanna Ryan- DNA ExpertCloyd Steiger- Retired Seattle PD Homicide DetectiveThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4610024/advertisement
Lisa O'Brien from "Based in Fact: A True Crime Podcast" and Josh Diaz of the YouTube channel The Lab join Roberta for this special live episode commemorating the thirty year anniversary of the murder of Christopher Byers, Stevie Branch and Michael Moore. We discuss the facts of the case & explain why Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelly were rightfully convicted and wrongfully released. Subscribe to Based in Fact - https://based-in-fact.captivate.fmSubscribe to The Lab - https://youtube.com/@the_labRoberta would like to thank her patrons for making this episode possible! Get access to more podcasts and bonus material here: https://patreon.com/RobertaGlassTrueCrimeReportor throw a tip in the tip jarhttps://buymeacoffee.com/RobertaGlass
On May 5th, 1993 Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers went out for a bike ride and never came home.In 1994 three teenagers, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley were convicted of the crimes. The case gathered widespread media attention which was only amplified by the 1996 release of HBO's Paradise Lost. For nearly two decades “The West Memphis Three,” fought for their innocence eventually entering an Alford plea that led to their release in 2011. With new evidence and technology, thirty years later this is a case that may finally be solved.In part one of this series we're going to look at things the way they initially seemed and try and get to know Stevie, Michael and Chris while we try and gain a broader understanding of the murders that happened on May 5th, 1993 in West Memphis, Arkansas, and why things aren't always what they seem to be.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5803223/advertisement
West Memphis, Arkansas is located in Crittenden County and is directly across the Mississippi River from Memphis Tennessee, but in 1993, West Memphis and Memphis were worlds apart. Memphis boasted a healthy and growing population of over 620 thousand, while West Memphis had just over 28 thousand residents. But Memphis, TN struggled with high crime rates, with 1993 setting a record for the most homicides in one year, a record that wasn't broken until 2016. West Memphis Arkansas had a more small town, laid back feel, and as cliche as it sounds, people felt safe leaving their doors unlocked and letting their young children play outside all day with no supervision. That was until May 5th, 1993, when three eight year old boys rode away on their bikes, eager to expel the energy they had built up all day while sitting in their second grade classrooms at Weaver Elementary School, but they never came home. It wouldn't be long before the residents of West Memphis and then the world found out what happened to Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers. Their battered and mutilated bodies were found the next day in a swampy wooded area known to locals as Robin Hood Hills, and the community of West Memphis felt a shockwave hit their community that they would not recover from for some time. Within a month three teenagers were arrested and charged with capital murder, and it wasn't long before whispers of witchcraft, devil worship and occult killings rippled throught the homes and businesses of West Memphis, and those whispers eventually turned into a loud roar, a roar that might accompany an angry mob looking for someone to blame for an unimaginable tragedy, akin to the infamous witch hunts that are dotted throughout history. This is the story of six boys from West Memphis, Arkansas; three were brutally murdered and stolen from this world far before their time, the other three were marched to the proverbial gallows, guilty in the court of public opinion, and found guilty in an actual court of law. Six lives destroyed, six lives forever changed, six lives eternally tied together. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. StoryWorth Right now, for a limited time, you'll save $10 on your first purchase when you go to StoryWorth.com/crimeweekly. 2. ZocDoc Go to Zocdoc.com/CRIMEWEEKLY and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Then find and book a top-rated doctor today. Many are available within 24 hours. 3. HelloFresh Go to HelloFresh.com/crimeweekly50 and use code crimeweekly50 for 50% off, plus your first box ships free. 4. Honey Get PayPal Honey for FREE at JoinHoney.com/crimeweekly.
West Memphis, Arkansas is located in Crittenden County and is directly across the Mississippi River from Memphis Tennessee, but in 1993, West Memphis and Memphis were worlds apart. Memphis boasted a healthy and growing population of over 620 thousand, while West Memphis had just over 28 thousand residents. But Memphis, TN struggled with high crime rates, with 1993 setting a record for the most homicides in one year, a record that wasn't broken until 2016. West Memphis Arkansas had a more small town, laid back feel, and as cliche as it sounds, people felt safe leaving their doors unlocked and letting their young children play outside all day with no supervision. That was until May 5th, 1993, when three eight year old boys rode away on their bikes, eager to expel the energy they had built up all day while sitting in their second grade classrooms at Weaver Elementary School, but they never came home. It wouldn't be long before the residents of West Memphis and then the world found out what happened to Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers. Their battered and mutilated bodies were found the next day in a swampy wooded area known to locals as Robin Hood Hills, and the community of West Memphis felt a shockwave hit their community that they would not recover from for some time. Within a month three teenagers were arrested and charged with capital murder, and it wasn't long before whispers of witchcraft, devil worship and occult killings rippled throught the homes and businesses of West Memphis, and those whispers eventually turned into a loud roar, a roar that might accompany an angry mob looking for someone to blame for an unimaginable tragedy, akin to the infamous witch hunts that are dotted throughout history. This is the story of six boys from West Memphis, Arkansas; three were brutally murdered and stolen from this world far before their time, the other three were marched to the proverbial gallows, guilty in the court of public opinion, and found guilty in an actual court of law. Six lives destroyed, six lives forever changed, six lives eternally tied together. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. ZipRecruiter Go to this exclusive web address to try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE: ZipRecruiter.com/crimeweekly. 2. Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CRIMEWEEKLY for $20 off your first purchase. 3. DailyHarvest Stop settling with your next meal and try Daily Harvest. Go to DAILYHARVEST.com/crimeweekly to get up to sixty-five dollars off your first box. 4. PrettyLitter Go to PrettyLitter.com/crimeweekly and use code crimeweekly to save twenty percent on your FIRST order. 5. PDS Debt PDS DEBT is offering free debt analysis to our listeners just for completing the quick and easy debt assessment at www.PDSDebt.com/crime. That's P-D-S-D-E-B-T.com/crime.
West Memphis, Arkansas is located in Crittenden County and is directly across the Mississippi River from Memphis Tennessee, but in 1993, West Memphis and Memphis were worlds apart. Memphis boasted a healthy and growing population of over 620 thousand, while West Memphis had just over 28 thousand residents. But Memphis, TN struggled with high crime rates, with 1993 setting a record for the most homicides in one year, a record that wasn't broken until 2016. West Memphis Arkansas had a more small town, laid back feel, and as cliche as it sounds, people felt safe leaving their doors unlocked and letting their young children play outside all day with no supervision. That was until May 5th, 1993, when three eight year old boys rode away on their bikes, eager to expel the energy they had built up all day while sitting in their second grade classrooms at Weaver Elementary School, but they never came home. It wouldn't be long before the residents of West Memphis and then the world found out what happened to Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers. Their battered and mutilated bodies were found the next day in a swampy wooded area known to locals as Robin Hood Hills, and the community of West Memphis felt a shockwave hit their community that they would not recover from for some time. Within a month three teenagers were arrested and charged with capital murder, and it wasn't long before whispers of witchcraft, devil worship and occult killings rippled throught the homes and businesses of West Memphis, and those whispers eventually turned into a loud roar, a roar that might accompany an angry mob looking for someone to blame for an unimaginable tragedy, akin to the infamous witch hunts that are dotted throughout history. This is the story of six boys from West Memphis, Arkansas; three were brutally murdered and stolen from this world far before their time, the other three were marched to the proverbial gallows, guilty in the court of public opinion, and found guilty in an actual court of law. Six lives destroyed, six lives forever changed, six lives eternally tied together. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. HelloFresh Go to HelloFresh.com/crimeweekly50 and use code crimeweekly50 for 50% off, plus your first box ships free! 2. SimpliSafe Customize the perfect system for your home in just a few minutes at SIMPLISAFE.com/crimeweekly. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off your order with Interactive Monitoring.
West Memphis, Arkansas is located in Crittenden County and is directly across the Mississippi River from Memphis Tennessee, but in 1993, West Memphis and Memphis were worlds apart. Memphis boasted a healthy and growing population of over 620 thousand, while West Memphis had just over 28 thousand residents. But Memphis, TN struggled with high crime rates, with 1993 setting a record for the most homicides in one year, a record that wasn't broken until 2016. West Memphis Arkansas had a more small town, laid back feel, and as cliche as it sounds, people felt safe leaving their doors unlocked and letting their young children play outside all day with no supervision. That was until May 5th, 1993, when three eight year old boys rode away on their bikes, eager to expel the energy they had built up all day while sitting in their second grade classrooms at Weaver Elementary School, but they never came home. It wouldn't be long before the residents of West Memphis and then the world found out what happened to Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers. Their battered and mutilated bodies were found the next day in a swampy wooded area known to locals as Robin Hood Hills, and the community of West Memphis felt a shockwave hit their community that they would not recover from for some time. Within a month three teenagers were arrested and charged with capital murder, and it wasn't long before whispers of witchcraft, devil worship and occult killings rippled throught the homes and businesses of West Memphis, and those whispers eventually turned into a loud roar, a roar that might accompany an angry mob looking for someone to blame for an unimaginable tragedy, akin to the infamous witch hunts that are dotted throughout history. This is the story of six boys from West Memphis, Arkansas; three were brutally murdered and stolen from this world far before their time, the other three were marched to the proverbial gallows, guilty in the court of public opinion, and found guilty in an actual court of law. Six lives destroyed, six lives forever changed, six lives eternally tied together. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. Vessi Click the vessi.com/CRIMEWEEKLY and use code CRIMEWEEKLY for 15% off your entire order! Free shipping to CA, US, AU,JP, TW, KR, SGP 2. BetterHelp Visit BetterHelp.com/crimeweekly today to get 10% off your first month. 3. Helix Helix is offering 20% off all mattress orders including the Helix Kids mattress AND two free pillows for our listeners! Go to HelixSleep.com/CrimeWeekly. 4. Prose Custom, made-to-order haircare from Prose has your name all over it. Take your FREE in-depth hair consultation and get 15% off your first order today! Go to Prose.com/crimeweekly. 5. Alo Moves For a limited time, Alo Moves is offering my listeners, a free 30-day trial PLUS – get this - 50% off an annual membership. But you can only get it by going to ALOMOVES.com and use code CRIMEWEEKLY in all caps.
West Memphis, Arkansas is located in Crittenden County and is directly across the Mississippi River from Memphis Tennessee, but in 1993, West Memphis and Memphis were worlds apart. Memphis boasted a healthy and growing population of over 620 thousand, while West Memphis had just over 28 thousand residents. But Memphis, TN struggled with high crime rates, with 1993 setting a record for the most homicides in one year, a record that wasn't broken until 2016. West Memphis Arkansas had a more small town, laid back feel, and as cliche as it sounds, people felt safe leaving their doors unlocked and letting their young children play outside all day with no supervision. That was until May 5th, 1993, when three eight year old boys rode away on their bikes, eager to expel the energy they had built up all day while sitting in their second grade classrooms at Weaver Elementary School, but they never came home. It wouldn't be long before the residents of West Memphis and then the world found out what happened to Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers. Their battered and mutilated bodies were found the next day in a swampy wooded area known to locals as Robin Hood Hills, and the community of West Memphis felt a shockwave hit their community that they would not recover from for some time. Within a month three teenagers were arrested and charged with capital murder, and it wasn't long before whispers of witchcraft, devil worship and occult killings rippled throught the homes and businesses of West Memphis, and those whispers eventually turned into a loud roar, a roar that might accompany an angry mob looking for someone to blame for an unimaginable tragedy, akin to the infamous witch hunts that are dotted throughout history. This is the story of six boys from West Memphis, Arkansas; three were brutally murdered and stolen from this world far before their time, the other three were marched to the proverbial gallows, guilty in the court of public opinion, and found guilty in an actual court of law. Six lives destroyed, six lives forever changed, six lives eternally tied together. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: Thuma Create that feeling of checking in to your favorite boutique hotel suite, but at home, with The Bed, by Thuma. And now go to Thuma.co/WEEKLY to receive a twenty-five dollar credit towards your purchase of The Bed plus free shipping in the continental U.S. Babbel Right now, get up to 55% off your subscription when you go to BABBEL.com/ CRIMEWEEKLY ZocDoc Go to Zocdoc.com/CRIMEWEEKLY and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Then find and book a top-rated doctor today. Many are available within 24 hours Vessi Click the vessi.com/CRIMEWEEKLY and use code CRIMEWEEKLY for 15% off your entire order! Free shipping to CA, US, AU,JP, TW, KR, SGP GameTime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CRIMEWEEKLY for $20 off your first purchase.
West Memphis, Arkansas is located in Crittenden County and is directly across the Mississippi River from Memphis Tennessee, but in 1993, West Memphis and Memphis were worlds apart. Memphis boasted a healthy and growing population of over 620 thousand, while West Memphis had just over 28 thousand residents. But Memphis, TN struggled with high crime rates, with 1993 setting a record for the most homicides in one year, a record that wasn't broken until 2016. West Memphis Arkansas had a more small town, laid back feel, and as cliche as it sounds, people felt safe leaving their doors unlocked and letting their young children play outside all day with no supervision. That was until May 5th, 1993, when three eight year old boys rode away on their bikes, eager to expel the energy they had built up all day while sitting in their second grade classrooms at Weaver Elementary School, but they never came home. It wouldn't be long before the residents of West Memphis and then the world found out what happened to Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers. Their battered and mutilated bodies were found the next day in a swampy wooded area known to locals as Robin Hood Hills, and the community of West Memphis felt a shockwave hit their community that they would not recover from for some time. Within a month three teenagers were arrested and charged with capital murder, and it wasn't long before whispers of witchcraft, devil worship and occult killings rippled throught the homes and businesses of West Memphis, and those whispers eventually turned into a loud roar, a roar that might accompany an angry mob looking for someone to blame for an unimaginable tragedy, akin to the infamous witch hunts that are dotted throughout history. This is the story of six boys from West Memphis, Arkansas; three were brutally murdered and stolen from this world far before their time, the other three were marched to the proverbial gallows, guilty in the court of public opinion, and found guilty in an actual court of law. Six lives destroyed, six lives forever changed, six lives eternally tied together. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. HelloFresh Go to HelloFresh.com/crimeweekly60 and use code crimeweekly60 for 60% off plus free shipping! 2. ZipRecruiter Go to this exclusive web address to try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE: ZipRecruiter.com/CRIMEWEEKLY 3. Beis Go to BEISTRAVEL.com/CRIMEWEEKLY for 15% off your first purchase. 4. Honey Get PayPal Honey for FREE at JoinHoney.com/crimeweekly 5. PDS Debt PDS DEBT is offering free debt analysis to our listeners just for completing the quick and easy debt assessment at www.PDSDebt.com/crime.
William Ramsey of the William Ramsey Investigates podcast returns to the show to discuss convicted child killer Damien Echols' appearance on the Timcast YouTube channel. Echols was convicted of killing three eight year old boys, Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers in West Memphis Arkansas in 1993. Intro by Tuesday MoneyGraphic Design by Ati Abdo MacDonald The Roberta Glass True Crime report is made possible by Roberta's patrons! Support the podcast and get access to bonus content here:https://patreon.com/RobertaGlassTrueCrimeReportOr throw a tip in the tip jar-https://buymeacoffee.com/RobertaGlass
West Memphis, Arkansas is located in Crittenden County and is directly across the Mississippi River from Memphis Tennessee, but in 1993, West Memphis and Memphis were worlds apart. Memphis boasted a healthy and growing population of over 620 thousand, while West Memphis had just over 28 thousand residents. But Memphis, TN struggled with high crime rates, with 1993 setting a record for the most homicides in one year, a record that wasn't broken until 2016. West Memphis Arkansas had a more small town, laid back feel, and as cliche as it sounds, people felt safe leaving their doors unlocked and letting their young children play outside all day with no supervision. That was until May 5th, 1993, when three eight year old boys rode away on their bikes, eager to expel the energy they had built up all day while sitting in their second grade classrooms at Weaver Elementary School, but they never came home. It wouldn't be long before the residents of West Memphis and then the world found out what happened to Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers. Their battered and mutilated bodies were found the next day in a swampy wooded area known to locals as Robin Hood Hills, and the community of West Memphis felt a shockwave hit their community that they would not recover from for some time. Within a month three teenagers were arrested and charged with capital murder, and it wasn't long before whispers of witchcraft, devil worship and occult killings rippled throught the homes and businesses of West Memphis, and those whispers eventually turned into a loud roar, a roar that might accompany an angry mob looking for someone to blame for an unimaginable tragedy, akin to the infamous witch hunts that are dotted throughout history. This is the story of six boys from West Memphis, Arkansas; three were brutally murdered and stolen from this world far before their time, the other three were marched to the proverbial gallows, guilty in the court of public opinion, and found guilty in an actual court of law. Six lives destroyed, six lives forever changed, six lives eternally tied together. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. SurfShark Go to https://Surfshark.deals/crimeweekly and use code crimeweekly to get 83% off a 2 year plan plus 3 extra months for free! 2. Daily Harvest Let Daily Harvest do more so you can do less. Go to DAILYHARVEST.com/crimeweekly to get up to forty dollars off your first box. 3. PrettyLitter You don't want people coming into your home and being hit with a nose full of “cat stink” - get PrettyLitter today! Go to PrettyLitter.com/crimeweekly to save twenty percent on your FIRST order. 4. Thuma Create that feeling of checking in to your favorite boutique hotel suite, but at home, with The Bed, by Thuma. And now go to Thuma.co/WEEKLY to receive a twenty-five dollar credit towards your purchase of The Bed plus free shipping in the continental U.S.
West Memphis, Arkansas is located in Crittenden County and is directly across the Mississippi River from Memphis Tennessee, but in 1993, West Memphis and Memphis were worlds apart. Memphis boasted a healthy and growing population of over 620 thousand, while West Memphis had just over 28 thousand residents. But Memphis, TN struggled with high crime rates, with 1993 setting a record for the most homicides in one year, a record that wasn't broken until 2016. West Memphis Arkansas had a more small town, laid back feel, and as cliche as it sounds, people felt safe leaving their doors unlocked and letting their young children play outside all day with no supervision. That was until May 5th, 1993, when three eight year old boys rode away on their bikes, eager to expel the energy they had built up all day while sitting in their second grade classrooms at Weaver Elementary School, but they never came home. It wouldn't be long before the residents of West Memphis and then the world found out what happened to Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers. Their battered and mutilated bodies were found the next day in a swampy wooded area known to locals as Robin Hood Hills, and the community of West Memphis felt a shockwave hit their community that they would not recover from for some time. Within a month three teenagers were arrested and charged with capital murder, and it wasn't long before whispers of witchcraft, devil worship and occult killings rippled throught the homes and businesses of West Memphis, and those whispers eventually turned into a loud roar, a roar that might accompany an angry mob looking for someone to blame for an unimaginable tragedy, akin to the infamous witch hunts that are dotted throughout history. This is the story of six boys from West Memphis, Arkansas; three were brutally murdered and stolen from this world far before their time, the other three were marched to the proverbial gallows, guilty in the court of public opinion, and found guilty in an actual court of law. Six lives destroyed, six lives forever changed, six lives eternally tied together. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. Magellan TV Claim your SPECIAL OFFER for MagellanTV here:https://try.magellantv.com/crimeweekly. Start your free trial TODAY so you can watch 'Britain's Child Drug Runners', and all of MagellanTV's other exclusive true crime content. 2. Helix Helix is offering up to 20% off all mattress orders AND two free pillows for our listeners! Go to HelixSleep.com/CrimeWeekly. This is their best offer yet and it won't last long! With Helix, better sleep starts now. 3. Prose Go to Prose.com/crimeweekly for your FREE in-depth hair consultation and 15% off. 4. Beis Go to BEISTRAVEL.com/CRIMEWEEKLYfor 15% off your first purchase. 5. HelloFresh Go to HelloFresh.com/crimeweekly60 and use code crimeweekly60 for 60% off plus free shipping!
Being convicted and freed from prison for the crime of murdering Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers made the West Memphis Three famous. In this episode we explore the background and character of each of the convicted child killers. William Ramsey of the "William Ramsey Investigates" podcast takes on Damien Echols. True crime researcher Jennifer Carlson discusses Jessie Misskelley and Rick Mullenax of the "Burn After Reading" YouTube channel discusses Jason Baldwin.This episode is dedicated to Gary Meece. The Roberta Glass True Crime Report is produced by Ati Abdo MacDonald. Many thanks to Roberta's patrons who made this episode possible: Jon, Kay Be, Una, Maureen P., Devon Ann, Toni Woodland, Melissa, Happy Jack, Evan Scott, Kenny Haines, Danbit, Holly from Dallas, Victoria and Toni Natalie. Support the channel & get access to bonus cotent by becoming a patron: https://patreon.com/robertaglasstruecrimereport Throw a tip in the tip jar: htttps://buymeacoffee.com/robertaglass
Andrew & Joey speak about the documentary they've been working on with Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of Stevie Branch. Included as a bonus, is a song Terry recorded for the film which is titled, 'In a small town'.www.unforbiddentruthpodcast.com
Andrew & Joey speak with Terry & Cynthia Hobbs about the documentary we are working on, 'Vindication: Hobbs vs. the people'. Terry Hobbs is the stepfather of Stevie Branch, one of three boys who were brutally murdered on May 5, 1993 in West Memphis, Arkansas. We speak with Terry and his wife about the project, why Terry feels it's important to be heard almost 30 years later and both him and his wife's stance on the death penalty, 1993 vs now.www.unforbiddentruthpodcast.com
I'm your host Kate and today I'm covering a real heavy case, The West Memphis Three. This case covers the deaths of three young boys and the murder convictions of the three teenagers said to have been responsible. Part One is a real bummer (but it's necessary to tell the whole story) and will focus on the disappearance and murders of Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore. Thank you to my sources: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/catfish-sex-toy-ohio-river_n_62a36b03e4b0cf43c848ba6f (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/catfish-sex-toy-ohio-river_n_62a36b03e4b0cf43c848ba6f) https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/disorder-in-the-court-cockroaches-released-during-hearing/2022/06/07/a15143f0-e6a4-11ec-a422-11bbb91db30b_story.html (https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/disorder-in-the-court-cockroaches-released-during-hearing/2022/06/07/a15143f0-e6a4-11ec-a422-11bbb91db30b_story.html) https://www.oxygen.com/the-forgotten-west-memphis-three/crime-news/west-memphis-three-murders-day-disappearance (https://www.oxygen.com/the-forgotten-west-memphis-three/crime-news/west-memphis-three-murders-day-disappearance) https://www.crimeonline.com/2022/05/02/west-memphis-three-crimecon-experts-analyze-never-before-seen-terry-hobbs-interview/ (https://www.crimeonline.com/2022/05/02/west-memphis-three-crimecon-experts-analyze-never-before-seen-terry-hobbs-interview/) http://callahan.mysite.com/wm3/jmb_declaration.html (http://callahan.mysite.com/wm3/jmb_declaration.html) http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/memphis3/WestMemphis3Account.html (http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/memphis3/WestMemphis3Account.html) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Memphis_Three#:~:text=Around%201%3A45%20pm%2C%20juvenile,the%20bodies%20of%20three%20boys (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Memphis_Three#:~:text=Around%201%3A45%20pm%2C%20juvenile,the%20bodies%20of%20three%20boys). http://callahan.mysite.com/wm3/b_turvey_profile.html (http://callahan.mysite.com/wm3/b_turvey_profile.html) http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/memphis3/arksct2appellate.html (http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/memphis3/arksct2appellate.html)
I'm your host Kate and this is the 2nd part of the West Memphis Three case. Part one covered the heartbreaking murders of Stevie Branch, Chris Byers, and Michael Moore. Today will focus on those accused and convicted of the murders, teenagers Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley. Thank you to my sources: https://www.twincities.com/2022/06/15/47-cats-rescued-from-owners-car-at-rest-area-in-chisago-county/ (https://www.twincities.com/2022/06/15/47-cats-rescued-from-owners-car-at-rest-area-in-chisago-county/) https://apnews.com/article/oddities-technology-massachusetts-boston-transportation-1115e72d5a201648727deeaa8615253e (https://apnews.com/article/oddities-technology-massachusetts-boston-transportation-1115e72d5a201648727deeaa8615253e) https://www.jivepuppi.com/damien_echols.html (https://www.jivepuppi.com/damien_echols.html) https://www.jivepuppi.com/damien_echols_2.html (https://www.jivepuppi.com/damien_echols_2.html) https://www.jivepuppi.com/damien_echols_4.html (https://www.jivepuppi.com/damien_echols_4.html) https://www.memphisflyer.com/life-after-death (https://www.memphisflyer.com/life-after-death) https://arktimes.com/news/cover-stories/2004/10/07/complete-fabrication (https://arktimes.com/news/cover-stories/2004/10/07/complete-fabrication) https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/may/26/damien-echols-i-survived-death-row (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/may/26/damien-echols-i-survived-death-row) https://www.reuters.com/article/us-crime-westmemphis3-arkansas/after-18-years-west-memphis-3-go-free-on-plea-deal-idUSTRE77I54A20110819 (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-crime-westmemphis3-arkansas/after-18-years-west-memphis-3-go-free-on-plea-deal-idUSTRE77I54A20110819) https://www.oxygen.com/the-forgotten-west-memphis-three/true-crime-buzz/celebrities-advocated-release-west-memphis-three (https://www.oxygen.com/the-forgotten-west-memphis-three/true-crime-buzz/celebrities-advocated-release-west-memphis-three) https://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/then-now-the-west-memphis-three (https://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/then-now-the-west-memphis-three)
May 5th, 1993 was a tragic day for so many people in West Memphis Arkansas as three eight-year-old boys (Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore) went missing . By the next morning, instead of panic, the town felt palpable fear with the discover that the young second-graders had been brutally and senselessly murdered. By 1994, three local teens were in prison, convicted of the murders; but the story hasn't ended there. This is part 3 of our series in which we examine the trials and convictions as well as explore various theories concerning who might be the perpetrator(s). In this week's episode, we speak with Terry Hobbs, step-father of Stevie Branch, who is currently the focus of guilt in the court of public opinion. Want to create your own podcast but don't know where to start? Give Zencastr a try. Recording is as easy as clicking “New” and sharing a link with cohosts or guests. Plus you'll get crisp, clear audio every single time! Simply go to http://zen.ai/coffeeandcasespod0 and enter promo code coffeeandcasespod0 for 30% off your first three months. It's the only platform Maggie and so trust for recording remotely and we know you'll love it as much as we do.
May 5th, 1993 was a tragic day for so many people in West Memphis Arkansas as three eight-year-old boys (Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore) went missing . By the next morning, instead of panic, the town felt palpable fear with the discover that the young second-graders had been brutally and senselessly murdered. By 1994, three local teens were in prison, convicted of the murders; but the story hasn't ended there. This is part 2 of our series in which we examine the trials and convictions as well as explore various theories concerning who might be the perpetrator(s). Want to create your own podcast but don't know where to start? Give Zencastr a try. Recording is as easy as clicking “New” and sharing a link with cohosts or guests. Plus you'll get crisp, clear audio every single time! Simply go to http://zen.ai/coffeeandcasespod0 and enter promo code coffeeandcasespod0 for 30% off your first three months. It's the only platform Maggie and so trust for recording remotely and we know you'll love it as much as we do.
May 5th, 1993 was a tragic day for so many people in West Memphis Arkansas as three eight-year-old boys (Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore) went missing . By the next morning, instead of panic, the town felt palpable fear with the discover that the young second-graders had been brutally and senselessly murdered. By 1994, three local teens were in prison, convicted of the murders; but the story hasn't ended there. This is part one of our coverage on the case, with a special focus this week on the crime itself as well as the discovery of the bodies and evidence. Want to create your own podcast but don't know where to start? Give Zencastr a try. Recording is as easy as clicking “New” and sharing a link with cohosts or guests. Plus you'll get crisp, clear audio every single time! Simply go to http://zen.ai/coffeeandcasespod0 and enter promo code coffeeandcasespod0 for 30% off your first three months. It's the only platform Maggie and so trust for recording remotely and we know you'll love it as much as we do.
On May 5th, 1993 three 8 year old boys were reported missing by their parents. An initial search that night didn't find the boys, but the following day, a more thorough search of areas that the boys were known to play and hang out was carried out and the bodies of Stevie Branch, Chris Byers, and Michael Moore were discovered. With very little actual evidence, three teens were arrested and found guilty of the murders. They spent years in prison before being released, and are still fighting to this day to clear their names. The state of Arkansas refuses to acknowledge any wrongdoing, and lets the true killer or killers walk free. Want access to our first 45 episodes? Grab em here! We've made them available for free to anyone who signs up! Remember, these episodes were recorded when we had no idea what we were doing, so just keep that in mind. The audio isn't the quality we would want to put out now, but the cases are on point! Visit killerqueens.link/og to download and binge all the archived episodes today! Hang with us: Follow Us on Instagram Like Us on Facebook Join our Case Discussion Group on Facebook Get Killer Queens Merch Bonus Episodes Support Our AMAZING Sponsors: Rothy's - When you're wearing Rothy's, your footprint feels lighter than ever. Get $20 off your first purchase today at rothys.com/QUEENS. Credit Karma - Ready to find the card for you? Head to Credit Karma and check out your personalized mix of offers today. Go to CreditKarma.com or the Credit Karma app to find the card for you. Hello Fresh - Go to HelloFresh.com/killerqueens16 and use code killerqueens16 for up to 16 free meals AND 3 free gifts! Betterhelp - Killer Queens listeners get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/queens. © 2021 Killer Queens Podcast. All Rights Reserved Audio Production by Wayfare Recording Music provided by Steven Tobi Logo designed by Sloane Williams of The Sophisticated Crayon
Today we get on the Crime Express and travel to Arkansas, where we meet up with no one who actually did these crimes. Welcome to West Memphis, Arkansas. WARNING: This story covers child rape, mutilation, murder and a lot of horrific things. XOXOPage + JennEmail us at StatesPod@gmail.com*********************************************Jolly Old St Nick The True Story Robin Hood Hills HEREThe other victims HERE
All of the West Memphis 3 killers had recorded episodes of violence prior to the killing of Michael Moore, Stevie Branch and Christopher Byers. Misskelley, in particular, bullied young children. I also offer an update on the burning questions surrounding the handling of the evidence.
From "Occult Crime: Detection, Investigation and Verification" by William Edward Lee Dubois, a standard police text used by the West Memphis Police Department in investigating the deaths of Michael Moore, Stevie Branch and Christopher Byers on May 5, 1993. I also talk about the latest court actions in the West Memphis 3 case. My books, "Blood on Black," "Where the Monsters Go," and "The Case Against the West Memphis 3 Killers," continue to be available on Amazon in Kindle and print formats. I also have a Patreon account.
Prior to reading a chapter in my book about Damien Echols' habit of stalking children, I discuss deaths in the WM3 case, the "Ultimate Evil" Netflix series, and the May 5 anniversary of the killings of Michael Moore, Christopher Byers and Stevie Branch.
Disclaimer: Damien Echols not Jessie Misskelley was described as ejaculating into Stevie Branch's pants, offering a rich field for DNA analysis. I misspoke.
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Black-Against-Memphis-Killers-ebook/dp/B06XVT2976/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=blood+on+black&qid=1559059428&s=gateway&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/Where-Monsters-Go-Against-Memphis-ebook/dp/B06XVNXCJV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=XNLYB8QUIQ7F&keywords=where+the+monsters+go&qid=1559059470&s=gateway&sprefix=where+the+monsters+go%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/Case-Against-West-Memphis-Killers-ebook/dp/B07C7C4DCH/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=gary+meece&qid=1559059536&s=gateway&sr=8-3 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0753HJZ1P/?ie=UTF8&keywords=gary%20meece&qid=1559059573&ref_=sr_1_6&s=gateway&sr=8-6 https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Black-Against-Memphis-Killers-ebook/dp/B06XVT2976/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=gary+meece&qid=1559059573&s=gateway&sr=8-2 Prologue There is the myth of the West Memphis 3 -- innocent teenagers railroaded by malicious police and prosecutors into murder convictions because of the way they dressed and the music they listened to, there being no evidence against them except the prejudices of Southern white Christians. And then there is the reality --- three criminally inclined young thugs involved in occultism who gleefully tortured three 8-year-old boys and then brought the justice system down upon them based on multiple factors, including a series of confessions, failed lie detector tests, failed alibis, eyewitness sightings and a history of violence. The second volume in this series, following "Blood on Black," continues to examine the evidence against Jessie Misskelley Jr., Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols in the murders of Christopher Byers, Michael Moore and Stevie Branch on May 5, 1993. Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols met up that afternoon just outside Lakeshore Estates Trailer Park, according to the multiple confessions of Misskelley. Echols and Baldwin were drinking beer. Misskelley had a bottle of whiskey jammed down into his pants. Misskelley had been told the plan was to go to West Memphis and beat up some boys. They walked about two miles into woods known as Robin Hood or Robin Hood Hills, just behind the Blue Beacon truck wash located on one of the network of service roads in West Memphis, Ark., where east-west Interstate 40 and north-south Interstate 55 briefly merged. Echols knew the woods well, having lived in the nearby Mayfair Apartments, frequently walking through the area as a shortcut between his home in West Memphis and his friends in the trailer parks and having been spotted in the woods recently by an acquaintance. Michael, Stevie and Christopher Byers, all second graders at Weaver Elementary School, lived south of the woods and, like other children in the area, visited the woods frequently to play. That afternoon they were spotted heading toward Robin Hood around 6, close to the time their killers entered from the north. When Echols heard the children approaching, he began making sounds to lure them in, while Misskelley and Baldwin hid. Then, according to the confessions of Misskelley, and indicated by the blood patterns at the scene and other evidence, the teens jumped the 8-year-olds, beat them viciously, stripped them of their clothes, mutilated Stevie's face, castrated Christopher, sexually molested them, hogtied them and dumped them in a muddy ditch, where Michael and Stevie drowned. Christopher already had bled out from his wounds. Misskelley quickly left the scene, which was scrupulously cleaned up. Echols was spotted walking along the service road near the crime scene later that evening in muddy clothes. After frantic parents sparked an extensive search for the missing children, their bodies were discovered the next afternoon by law enforcement officers. Tales of strange rituals held in the woods by mysterious strangers spread quickly among the crowd gathered near the crime scene. As detectives and other officers gathered information and talked to witnesses or potential suspects, Echols quickly drew the scrutiny of officers. Besides the talk among the boys' neighbors, the ritualistic aspects of the murder -- including the way the boys were bound, and timing possibly influenced by setting, proximity to a pagan holiday and celestial events -- furthered suggested occultism as an impetus for the killings. Local officers were familiar with Echols as a dangerous, mentally ill teenager immersed in witchcraft. Among the many tips coming into police were reports that Echols had been seen near the crime scene that night and that he was heavily involved in a cult. A series of police interviews with an all-too-knowing Echols did nothing but deepen suspicions. Echols failed a lie detector test, thereafter refusing to talk. Police heard that Echols had been telling friends about his involvement in the murders. Vicki Hutcheson, an acquaintance of Misskelley who also was friends with the Byers family, decided to "play detective. As a result of her investigation, and statements from her son, Aaron, who had been a playmate of the dead boys, the West Memphis police brought in Misskelley for routine question about his acquaintance with Echols. After he, too, failed a lie detector test, he gave the first of a number of confessions about his involvement, along with Echols and Baldwin, in the murders. Arrests quickly followed. Baldwin never offered an alibi at trial; after a series of conflicting statements about his activities that day, Echols admitted in testimony that his description of his alibi changed to meet circumstances; Misskelley tried out several alibis, in between his confessions, none of which were sufficient to convince jurors that he had nothing to do with the murders. The real-life horror story continues to play out in the second volume of this series, with Echols' background and mental illness extensively documented in the first book, "Blood on Black," along with incriminating details on the other two killers. Baldwin and Echols have been given an opportunity to respond to questions regarding the case but gave no comment, blocking contact via social media. Contact via social media with the reclusive Jessie Misskelley was blocked. Questions posed via social media to Matt Baldwin, Stacy Sanders-Specht, Pamela Metcalf (Pam Echols/Hutchison), Angela Gail Grinnell, Constance Echols Mount (Michelle Echols), Garrett Schwarting, Kenneth “Lilbit” Watkins, Stephanie Dollar, Holly George Thorpe, Jennifer Bearden and John E. Douglas were not answered. The former Deanna Holcomb, who still lives in Arkansas under another name, gave no answer to a Facebook query on an account that otherwise appears active. Heather Dawn (Cliett) Hollis threatened legal action to prevent her name from being used (an empty threat on a number of legal grounds) and otherwise refused to explain the many discrepancies in her stories. Domini Ferris (Domini Teer) graciously and freely gave a phone interview. Susie Brewer responded with a forthright, honest update on her troubled relationship with Misskelley. Much of the following was drawn from the official record in the words of actual witnesses, friends and neighbors of the killers and their victims. Some misspellings, etc., in the transcripts have been corrected to facilitate comprehension; obvious transcription errors or lack of punctuation have been addressed, if not completely resolved. Excerpts from transcripts have been minimally edited for readability, sense and flow of narrative. Some information, such as the multiple confessions, has been repeated to set forth as complete a record as feasible. Quotes represent evidence as recorded, as well as common usage in the Arkansas Delta. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Fogleman once said that it would take a book of 1,000 pages to tell the story of the case. These two volumes by no means exhaust the topic. If the case was not so controversial, the story could be told in a standard true-crime format of some 300 pages or so. Given the one-sided narrative that has dominated this case, these two volumes have the stated purpose of showing the case against the West Memphis 3 killers. No attempt was made to offer the many counter-arguments made by defense attorneys and others benefiting materially from the case or explore the views of the many virtue-signaling "supporters" of the West Memphis 3 killers, since the overwhelming bias of Hollywood, the media and academe has been generously aired for many years. Other than those already noted, any errors are the author's.
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Black-Against-Memphis-Killers-ebook/dp/B06XVT2976/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=blood+on+black&qid=1559059428&s=gateway&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/Where-Monsters-Go-Against-Memphis-ebook/dp/B06XVNXCJV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=XNLYB8QUIQ7F&keywords=where+the+monsters+go&qid=1559059470&s=gateway&sprefix=where+the+monsters+go%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/Case-Against-West-Memphis-Killers-ebook/dp/B07C7C4DCH/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=gary+meece&qid=1559059536&s=gateway&sr=8-3 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0753HJZ1P/?ie=UTF8&keywords=gary%20meece&qid=1559059573&ref_=sr_1_6&s=gateway&sr=8-6 https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Black-Against-Memphis-Killers-ebook/dp/B06XVT2976/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=gary+meece&qid=1559059573&s=gateway&sr=8-2 "It is Our opinion the crime had taken place where the bodies of the victims were recovered." Despite fake news that authorities had no evidence against the WM3, investigators found physical evidence at the scene that linked the murders to the murderers. Other physical evidence pointed to the West Memphis 3. None of the evidence was conclusive, but none offered grounds for exoneration. Other evidence, such as inadmissible Luminol testing and a blood-spattered pendant discovered too late to be entered into evidence, didn't make it to the courtrooms for various reasons. The killers did not leave a great number of forensic clues. Because of submersion in water, no fingerprints were found of anyone, including the victims. Similarly, clothing items tested negative for traces of blood. Virtually all of the DNA recovered and tested matched the boys. Several imprints from tennis shoes were found, but none matched the killers and may have been left by searchers or others walking through the woods. By the time the bodies were found, a number of searchers had been over the woods, where the gumbo soil was muddy from several inches of rain earlier in the week. The crime scene itself had been cleaned up, with the banks washed and smoothed over. The killers had gone to great lengths to obscure the location of the bodies, which were found only when a boy's tennis shoe (a Scout cap in some versions of the story; two shoes, according to Allen's testimony in the Misskelley trial) was spotted floating in the water. The West Memphis case has been influenced by the “CSI effect,” in which the public has come to expect a higher level of forensic evidence than often exists at crime scenes. As a corollary to the effect, the value of circumstantial evidence has been discounted. Television shows focusing on DNA and other forensics in investigations necessarily rely on such evidence to figure into the plot. Consequently the public is largely unaware that DNA from killers is found in a relatively small fraction of all murders, with latent fingerprints or any kind of biological trace found in much fewer than half of cases. Further contributing to the relative lack of forensic evidence in the West Memphis case were the cleanup at the scene, the submersion of the bodies in dirty water over an extended time and their exposure to heat and insects in the open air for about an hour, contamination by search efforts and subsequent recovery of the bodies, etc. As a result, for example, two samples of apparent bodily tissues found in the ligatures of the shoelace bindings on Christopher and Michael were too small and degraded to yield DNA results. “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” the prototype of the forensics-based crime shows, premiered in October 2000, so the series and its many offshoots and imitators would have had no effect on the original juries. Even the O.J. Simpson murder case in 1994-1995, the breakthrough case for public awareness of DNA testing, followed the WM3 trials. Even so, forensic science played a role in perceptions about the case from the beginnings. The initial “Paradise Lost” film, while leaving out much about evidence against the killers, included the strange episode of a knife that Mark Byers gave one of the “Paradise Lost” cameramen as a gesture of goodwill. Remnants of blood were found in the knife. Testing revealed the blood could have been a match for either Byers or his stepson — an example of the ambiguous results often obtained from DNA testing. Byers had told police, “I don't have any idea how it could be on there.” Byers ended up giving testimony during the defense portion of the Echols/Baldwin trial about his fold-back Kershaw knife. Byers testified he could not say for sure that Christopher had never played with the knife. He testified he had used it to trim his toenails. He recalled cutting his thumb with the knife while trimming venison for Thanksgiving 1993. During a Jan. 26, 1994, interview, he told Chief Inspector Gitchell that he had not used the knife at all but had said he had used it to cut venison. He also told Gitchell he might have used it to trim his fingernails. He told Gitchell he did not remember cutting himself with the knife but recalled during testimony that he cut his thumb. The inconsistencies were mostly the consequences of not answering questions carefully, along with an apparent slip of the memory about cutting his thumb. Much of the second film, produced in 2000, again focused on Byers, with a new angle in supposed bite marks, implying that Byers left the imprint of his teeth in the face of Stevie Branch. Byers had had his teeth pulled since the murders, a commonplace necessity framed as suspicious. A check of the supposed bite mark against his dental records found no match; the state's medical examiners thought the mark may have left by a belt buckle. The mark also could have been left by a blow from the end of a survival knife such as the “lake knife,” a type of knife commonly carried by Echols. Though long viewed by adamant “supporters” as the primary alternative suspect, with much of the “Devil's Knot” book casting suspicion, Byers' place as the imagined “real killer” has been supplanted by Terry Hobbs. All that was required for the change was DNA in a single hair that might have come from Hobbs found in one of the boys' shoelaces. Stevie's stepfather has acknowledged that the hair could be his, with the commonsense explanation that his stepson or one of the other boys could have picked up the hair during Hobbs' interactions with the kids. That possible DNA match quickly took the heat off Byers and set 2011's “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” and 2012's “West of Memphis” on the scent of Hobbs. Coupled with a dearth of ironclad DNA evidence linking Echols, Misskelley and Baldwin to the crimes, that hair has been the slender thread holding together the case against Hobbs. On the other hand, the considerable circumstantial evidence against Echols has been ignored, with an increasing focus on the supposed lack of physical evidence. One of the most telling pieces of evidence has been routinely discounted or explained away. In his May 10 report, Ridge noted about a statement from Echols: “Steve Jones told that testicles had been cut off and someone had urinated in mouths and the bodies had been placed in water to flush out.” Gitchell did not find out until May 16 that urine was present in the stomachs of two victims. Jones could not have revealed that information to Echols because he did not have that information; only a killer would have known about the urine. The urine finding was one of the mostly closely held secrets in the investigation, with references to the stomach liquids deliberately obscured in written communications between Little Rock and West Memphis. Gitchell had been informed of the findings over the phone, with no mention of the urine in autopsy documentation received long after Echols' May 10 revelations. Further clouding most of the evidence are media misrepresentations, the cult of victimhood surrounding the killers and second and third opinions disputing original investigative findings. Experts hired by the defense even claimed the mutilations were the result of animal predators, particularly snapping turtles, though Christopher bled to death before being placed in the water. While it is possible, even likely, that small fish or turtles left superficial wounds, it is not possible that a team of highly trained snapping turtles killed Chris. The ditch was drained immediately after the bodies were found; there were no snapping turtles. Stains found on one of the boys' jeans were analyzed by Genetic Design. Michael DeGuglielmo, the DNA testing company's director of forensic analysis, testified they were able to recover a small amount of DNA. DeGuglielmo said the sample was most likely sperm cells, though he could not confirm that. Misskelley in his later confessions described Echols masturbating over the body of a victim and wiping his penis on the boy's pants. There has been no other explanation offered for how sperm wound up on jeans owned by a prepubescent boy. Some fibers retrieved from the scene were found to be microscopically similar to items taken as evidence from the Baldwin and Echols homes. Green fibers found on a pair of blue jeans and on Michael's Cub Scout hat were microscopically similar to fibers found in a shirt from the Echols home. One polyester fiber was found on the hat. The fiber found on the pants was cotton and polyester. The shirt from the Echols home was a child's shirt. Lisa Sakevicius, a criminalist with the state crime laboratory, testified that the presence of the fibers suggested a secondary transfer, as the blue size 6 Garanimals shirt, which belonged to Echols' half-brother Tim Hutchison, was much too small for Echols. In an “O.J.” style tactic, defense attorney Val Price asked Echols to attempt to put on the shirt, which he was not able to do. Three red cotton fibers similar to those found in another T-shirt from the Echols home were recovered from Michael's Scout shirt, a pair of blue pants and a bag of items found at the crime scene. The fibers were also a match for a red shirt found at Michael's home. Items from the bag recovered from a pipe, where it had been either discarded or cached near the crime scene, included a pair of Jordache size 33-34 blue jeans, a black medium-size thermal undershirt, a pair of white socks, two Bic razors, a plastic bag and a tan short sleeve shirt. The items were wet and moldy. There was no clear evidence linking the bag and its contents to the crime, other than its presence. Despite a similar red thread potentially linking Michael, Echols and the bag, investigators were not able to establish a positive link. The bag was from Road Runner Petro, where Echols's father was employed and that shared parking space with Alderson Roofing & Metal. Echols told police he worked as a roofer for Anderson. The businesses were not near the crime scene. A red Rayon fiber matched a bathrobe owned by Baldwin's mother. That fiber was found on a black and white polka dot shirt, which, like the blue pants, was found turned inside out. Sakevicius again suggested secondary transfer, and later explained that such transferences commonly occur when clothes are washed together. The polka dot shirt worn by Stevie was the source of residue of blue wax similar to candle wax. A small blue candle was found on a table in Domini Teer's bedroom, and similar wax was found on a witchcraft book, “Never on a Broomstick,” from Echols' bedroom. Similar wax was also found in a bar of soap from the Baldwin bathroom. Jurors cited the wax as evidence against Echols. Candles are routinely used in occult ceremonies. Sakevicius also testified that submersion in water was “very detrimental” to the recovery of trace evidence. Sakevicius testified that a Negroid hair had been recovered from the sheet covering Christopher. The presence of that hair was never explained. One obvious and irresistible theory attributed the hair to “Mr. Bojangles,” the bleeding black man who commandeered the restroom of a local restaurant shortly after the probable time of the killings. The hair could have been from a police officer or other searcher, but no hairs from officers were submitted for comparison. Bolstering the idea that more than one assailant was involved were the varying knots used on the shoelaces to tie arms to legs. The text used by local witches, “Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft,” contained a section on knot magic and how knots were used to bind magical spells. The magic number for knots was nine. Michael, Stevie and Christopher were tied with eight, 10 and four knots respectively. The knots used on Michael: Square knot on the left wrist and ankle, three half hitches on the right wrist, four half hitches on the right ankle. Only one shoestring was used to bind Michael, by contrast with both shoelaces used on the other boys, in another deviation in the patterns of bindings. In a later confession, Misskelley described helping pull shoestrings from the shoes; his involvement would explain not only the single strand but the variance in knots used to bind Michael. The knots used on Stevie Branch: three half hitches on both the left ankle and left wrist, three half hitches with the loop tied twice around the right leg, half hitch with figure eight on the right wrist. On Chris Byers: double half hitches on all four knots. The knots used were square knots, half hitches and double half hitches, with one knot being looped twice and a figure eight thrown on top of a half hitch —- at least three different knots, suggesting that three people tied up the boys. It is extremely unlikely that one person would have used three different knots to tie up the boys, particularly in a high-stress situation such as a murder scene. The forensic evidence showed that Chris and Stevie struggled against their bindings, while Michael, with deep and traumatic wounds to the head, had no such signs of struggle. Michael also showed few if any signs of sexual molestation, fitting with Misskelley's description of a quick, violent pounding of the face and head but subsequent protection from further predation by Baldwin and Echols. A pagan “ax” necklace belonging to Echols was discovered to be speckled with blood from two DNA sources as the Echols/Baldwin trial neared the end. The prosecution had already rested its case when questions arose about the blood spots. The prosecution weighed the implications of entering the necklace as trial evidence. Judge David Burnett made it clear that the prosecution would be dealing with “two basic remedies, either a mistrial or a continuance.” At the least, the new evidence would have resulted in a continuance while the defense was allowed to examine the evidence. Besides the possibility of a mistrial, prosecutors were concerned that it could result in a possible severance of the Echols and Baldwin cases. One DNA source was compatible with Echols, while the second was compatible with both Stevie and Baldwin. The prosecution was prepared to argue that Stevie was the source, seeing little benefit from arguing for a match with Baldwin. The necklace, taken from Echols at the time of his arrest, prompted a hearing on March 17, 1994, out of the presence of the jury, while the case was on continuance as the result of the discovery. Prosecuting Attorney Brent Davis explained to Judge Burnett that “questionable” red spots had been found as Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Fogleman and some police officers were reviewing evidence. Fogleman first noticed the spots. A deleted scene from “Paradise Lost” footage available on DVD and YouTube showed a meeting between Fogleman and the Baldwin attorneys concerning the necklace. Though marked by jovial banter, the conference illuminated the difficulties posed by the “blood necklace” for both defense and prosecution. The necklace had been sent to the crime lab, where the red spots were discovered to be blood, and then was sent to Genetic Design in North Carolina. The prosecution learned late on the afternoon of March 15, just as preparations for closing arguments were under way, about the two DNA sources. The lab attempted an “amplification process” to further differentiate the DNA, which was successful on the larger sample from Echols, to not much effect, but was unsuccessful on differentiating Baldwin and Stevie. The prosecution learned of that in late afternoon on the 16th. The prosecution hoped to present to the jury the DQ-Alpha match with Stevie Branch, consistent with about 11 percent of the white population. Because Baldwin was also a match, Echols attorney Val Price explained in a court conference: “Part of our defense in this matter would be that sometime during the time period approximately a month or two before the arrest that besides my client having access to this pendant that also Jason Baldwin had access to this pendant. If that is indeed Jason Baldwin's blood on this pendant and not Stevie Branch's then this evidence is of no value at all and not relevant, it should be excluded and not considered by the jury at all.” Baldwin attorney Paul Ford argued that the evidence should apply to Echols alone since he wore the necklace and presumably there could be no proof of a link to Baldwin. Prosecutor Davis said his understanding was that a mistrial for Baldwin would result from entering the necklace into evidence but the case could proceed against Echols. Without a counter-ruling, Davis did not plan to enter the new evidence. Judge Burnett pointed out that among the potential complications was that Echols and Baldwin could cross-implicate each other, rather than engage in a common defense, if the necklace was introduced. Because the matches were so common, the blood spots could not have been definitively linked to either Baldwin or Stevie. The spots did raise the question of why Echols' necklace would be splattered by two or more sources of blood. Years later, Baldwin testified, “The necklace that had been acquired by Damien Echols at the time of his arrest was one that I believe my girlfriend Heather had given me. … I don't recall specifically how the necklace had come into Echols' possession.” As with all things in the West Memphis 3 case, facts about the necklace were disputed. Echols had more than one necklace: Ridge noted in his May 10 report that “Damien was wearing a necklace that he claimed that he had just bought at the Mall of Memphis on the Saturday before the interview. The necklace had a pentagram as a pendant that Damien explained meant some type of good symbol for the Wicca magic that he was in.” The blood-spattered pendant was a tiny axe, not a pentagram. Echols had the axe pendant before the trip to the mall on May 8. Echols routinely wore this necklace. For example, Echols was filmed wearing the necklace at Skateland on May 7, two days after the killings. He continued to wear the axe pendant after purchasing the pentagram pendant. He was photographed wearing the axe necklace on May 9. Because testing used up the original sample, retesting was not possible, giving the defense another possible objection since they would not be able to order tests. A blood stain found on a shirt gathered as evidence at the Misskelley home similarly showed a possible match for both Misskelley and Michael. The HLA-DQ alleles had an expected frequency of 7.9 percent in the general population. Misskelley said he gotten the blood on the T-shirt by throwing a Coke bottle into the air and smashing it with his fist, showing off his toughness. The shirt was not entered into evidence at trial. Besides the hair commonly linked to Hobbs and the Negroid hair, about four other hairs from the site were determined not to have originated with the victims. Because the DNA sampling from Hobbs was obtained by stealth via three discarded cigarette butts and a Q-tip, resulting in three variances after DNA testing, the link between Hobbs and the hair was even more questionable. Another hair found in a tree trunk was a near-match for David Jacoby, a friend of Hobbs. There was no conclusive evidence that Jacoby was the source, that the hair dated from the time of the crime or that Jacoby or someone else did not leave a hair during the search. Jacoby said he was not in the area, but his memory was spotty. Other hair included a dyed hair recovered from the sheet used to cover Stevie, a hair recovered from the Cub Scout cap and a hair from beneath Chris' ligature. It's possible, given the imperfections of the testing procedures, that the same person was the source of all three hairs. There was no DNA testing on a number of items from the site, including other hair and tissues. Among the many misconceptions about the case is that no blood was found. Since Stevie and Chris bled extensively —- Chris bled to death — the seeming lack of blood generated theories that the crime scene was a dump site, that the boys had been stashed down a manhole before being placed in the water, etc. Blood was spotted in the water after the initial discovery but the site, which had been washed down, seemed surprisingly clean. Subsequent testing with Luminol revealed areas where blood had been spilled. There was little testimony about blood. The jury did not hear the results of Luminol testing. Since such testing was not considered valid as evidence, the defense teams successfully sought motions to suppress Luminol results. Kermit Channel and Donald Smith of the Arkansas crime lab, in the company of Mike Allen and Bryn Ridge, spent two days studying the effects of spraying Luminol, working in the dark, running a black light over the sprayed area to pick up glowing traces of iron in blood residue. Testing May 12 yielded traces of blood on both sides of a tree near the ditch bank with more blood on the right side of the tree, facing the stream bed; in the areas where the bodies were placed; in a concentrated area on the east side of the ditch in a pile of sticks and a depressed area in the soil, and in a large area of concentration near tree roots. Other traces were visible where the victims were placed on the bank. The areas with the pile of sticks and the tree roots were cited as likely locations of attack. “There were no visible signs or indication of blood at any of the locations we investigated,” their report said. The testing was begun a full week after the bodies were found. It had rained at least once. The testing was in less than optimal conditions as any light sources, such as stars and ambient light, compromised results. Some evidence would have been compromised in the search, recovery and investigation, the report noted, citing numerous reasons why investigators were unable to document findings with photographs. Nonetheless, “It is our opinion the crime had taken place where the bodies of the victims were recovered.” On May 13, with tenting using plastic over canvas, Luminol was freshly applied, and a “less than perfect” photograph became possible. “These photographs still documented the areas of interest, showing luminol reaction in respective areas,” reported Smith. Soil samples were taken May 14; tested four months later, no Luminol reaction was noted, a result considered inconclusive given the age of the sample. At the time of the Luminol report, investigators did not have the Misskelley confession. His descriptions of the attacks accord with the blood evidence. A tree near the crime scene had the initials “ME” carved into it. Echols was sometimes known as “Michael Echols”; while in Oregon, he went by “Michael,” and was in the process of changing his name to Michael Damien Wayne Hutchison. His family called him “Michael.” Much of the second-guessing of investigative findings by defense “experts” began with the hiring of Brent Turvey of Knowledge Solutions LLC in 1998, as Misskelley attorney Dan Stidham sought a new trial and as the second “Paradise Lost” was filming. In his book, “The Unknown Darkness: Profiling the Predators Among Us,” former FBI profiler Gregg O. McCrary characterized Turvey as a “self-proclaimed profiler.” McCrary wrote: “Not only has Turvey never completed any recognized training programs, such as those run by the BFI or the International Criminal Investigative Fellowship (ICIAF), he doesn't even have the basic qualifications to apply for those programs. As a matter of fact, he has never even completed even a basic policy academy training program anywhere. He had, however, authored a flawed textbook on ‘profiling.'” Turvey, working pro bono, examined photos of the bodies and other evidence and determined that the ditch was a dump site. He claimed at least four crime sites: abduction site, attack site, dump site and the vehicle used to transport the bodies, based on his contention that the attack would have required light, time and privacy. He based this claim on darkness in the woods, lack of blood and the screaming of the boys. (The attack occurred before sunset in woods well away from any homes and in an irrigation ditch depression that would have muffled sound. The crime scene was not far from busy interstates and service roads. Echols told police how background noise obscured the screaming. The boys were quickly subdued and gagged.) Turvey also formulated the “bite marks” theory featured in “Revelations: Paradise Lost 2,” continuing to fuel baseless suspicions about Mark Byers. Despite how Turvey was presented in the film, he testified he was not an expert on human bite marks. The “new evidence” uncritically presented in the movie consisted of no evidence. The huge amounts of money pouring into the defense fund — estimated between $10 million and $20 million — yielded nothing of value. The fibers from the crime scene matching items from the killers' homes, Echols' statement about urine in the stomachs, the blood necklace, the knots used on the shoelace bindings, the semen stain on the pants, blood traces matching Misskelley's descriptions of the attack and blue wax residue all pointed to the West Memphis 3.
From "Blood on Black" "I'LL GET YOU, I'M GONNA KILL YOU. YOU'RE GONNA DIE." Echols was notorious around West Memphis and Marion for walking everywhere, often in a black trenchcoat. He testified that he walked around areas of West Memphis frequently, and was in the area where his victims lived “probably an average of two or three times a week” over “probably at least two years.” Echols would testify that he often had to walk through the neighborhood of the victims to make his way between Lakeshore and his parents' trailer on South Broadway. Despite having lived in the neighboring Mayfair Apartments, he testified that he had never been in Robin Hood. That claim had no credibility, since the pipe over 10 Mile Bayou offered one of the few pedes- trian shortcuts between the Echols/Hutchison trailer and Lakeshore — a route Echols testified he regularly used. When he moved to Salem, Mass., briefly, after his release from prison, the Lurker in Black quickly gained notoriety as the convicted child killer who was constantly walking around the town. Now apparently based in New York City's Harlem, he is just one amid a vast throng of black-clad hipsters trudging around the big city. Echols has described this lifelong pattern of obsessive walking in interviews. He told Justin M. Norton of www.metalsucks.net that “When I first got out, I would go and walk and walk for hours, just looking in shop windows and feeling the wind and the rain. I would be exhausted to the core and want to go lay down, but as soon as I'd get back in, I would want to go right back out.” Echols in his 2012 memoir, “Life After Death,” described, without a lot of specifics, his dissatisfaction in his relationship in 1993 with Domini and how he sought out his old girlfriend: “I thought of Deanna frequently, wondering what had happened. Through sheer coincidence (I use that word but don't believe there's any such thing) I found out Deanna's family had started attending church. The possibility of seeing her again plagued me. I couldn't get it out of my head. I constantly wondered what would happen, how she would react, what I would see in her eyes, and I had a plethora of questions I needed answers to. I couldn't understand how she had so thoroughly and completely severed our connection. I needed an explanation ... “Sunday morning found me preparing to descend into the hellish realm of fundamentalism. ... I knew I didn't belong there but I had to do it or I would get no rest. .... “Scanning the rows, I saw Deanna sitting in the dead center of the room with her family. ... I couldn't breathe. She looked at me ... and looked away. I didn't even see a flicker of recognition. What did that mean? “I had been expecting something — anything — but her eyes passed over me as if I were not even there. ... “When it was over, I walked outside and stood on the sidewalk. I was trying to figure out what this meant as I watched her family get in their car and drive away.” Echols did not give a date for this attempted encounter, but the stalking incident closed a chapter in the book that then opened on news of the May 5 killings. After his arrest, reports surfaced about Echols, or someone closely resembling him, observing children in an obsessive and secretive manner. Some reports predated the killings. On March 1, 1993, Jennifer Ball, who lived at Lakeshore, reported to police that she had been threatened by Michael “Beshears” (Beshires), 14, on several occasions. On March 1, she said, someone had threatened to kill her by shouting through her window. The police report de- scribed “Suspect B,” who was not Beshires, as a slim white male about 18 dressed in a black T-shirt, black jeans and a black jacket. Jennifer saw him make the threats, then enter the fenced-in backyard. On June 10, she gave police this hand-written statement: “The first contact I had with Damien Echols was when he was at my window (March 1 93). I had heard about him and heard that he was into devil worshipping. So was Michael & Amanda Lancaster. Well Michael had told her that he was going to blow my house up & stay away from me. Well she didn't believe him & we continued to be friends. Well he called her one day & told her to watch out that he had Mark Beshires & Damien Echols watching us all this was happening in March. About March 1 I was on three-way with Amanda Lancaster & Jack Held. It was storming that day. I kept on hearing something but I thought that it was just the rain. Well I was in the kitchen. I was look- ing out the window & somebody jumped in front of it shouting ‘you bitch, I'll get you, I'm gonna kill you. You're gonna die' I started screaming & hollering I didn't know what to do. I dropped down in the corner of the kitchen. Amanda was hollering at me ‘Jennifer what is wrong. Jennifer what is going on.' I told her that someone was at my window & it looked like Damien. She told me stay where I was & she was going to call me right back. I hung up the phone. I looked out the window to see if he (Damien) was still there. He was. He just glared at me & said ‘you're dead bitch' & ran off. I was so scared. Amanda called me back & I was crying. I told her what Damien had said. She just sat their like, ‘oh my god.' About 5 minutes later she said ‘Jennifer, Jennifer was Damien wearing pure black & a black trench coat?' I said ‘Yes. Why?' she said ‘He's walking down the street and eyeing my house.' She got really scared & started crying & then her house alarm went off. She was screaming & crying. I didn't know what to do. I had a feeling that Damien was going to be watching us & after us. When my mom, Teresa Wood- son, got home from work that day, I told her what hap- pened. She didn't know what to do. She waited for my stepdad, Don Woodson, to get home. She told him about it. He really didn't know what to do either. Me & my mom were talking & she asked me to describe Damien. I told her that he had black hair. & these eyes that looked black. He was dressed in a black shirt, black jeans & a black trench coat. She asked me if he was tall. I told her yes. She said she remembers seeing him in Wal- Mart. This was about 10 minutes after he had done passed by Amanda's house & came up to mine. She decided to call the police. Officer Reese came to our house. She asked me to describe Damien. I did she (Officer Reese) asked me if I was sure it was Damien. I told her no. I was scared that if Damien found out I told, he would definitely kill me. So the person at my window was left blank. Well about a month ago I was in Kroger. I had left my mother to go get something. While I was looking I noticed that somebody kept passing by & looking at me. When I looked up, I discovered that it was Damien. I just ran off. I didn't tell my mom because I didn't want her to worry so I let it slide by. About 3 weekends ago I went skating with Amanda Lancaster. We were having a good ol time until Damien walked in. I looked at Amanda & pointed. She just said oh my god. I told her I was going to go call my mom. She told me to just ignore him. (She had told Amy Allison when the 3 boys first got murdered that Damien & some boy named Jason had murdered them. Amy just ignored her.) Well me & Amanda were walking around the skat- ing rink. We decided to sit down & get something to drink. We were about 2 tables over from Damien, Jason Baldwin & his girlfriend Heather. I don't know her last name. Well we were all singing & having a good time. I noticed that Damien kept on staring at me. I just ignored it or at least I tried to. I looked up & noticed that him & Jason were whispering to each other & Pointing at me. Damien whispered something to Jason & Jason looked over at me & said I don't know. Then Jason whispered something to Damien & Damien looked at me. He looked me up & down & said Yep. Then Damien started saying something & Jason kept on saying ‘No man. No' Well, we finally left that table & went walking around. We went to the back of the skating rink. I noticed that Damien had followed us. Not w/his body w/ his eyes. It was really starting to freak me out! My best friend Shannon Sanders was up there. She noticed that I had been acting paranoyed. She kept on asking me what was wrong. I told her I was just tired. (Finally on Sunday I told her what was the matter). I had lost Amanda & was trying to find her. I went to the bathroom to see if she had walked in there. When I came out Damien was standing there against the wall. I bumped into him. I didn't realize who it was until I looked up. When I looked into his eyes its like I froze. I just stood there. ... I ran off. His eyes followed me all the way to the back. I didn't really say anything to Amanda because I didn't want to get her scared. We stayed at the back for about 10 minutes & decided to go back up to the front. Well some girl, I can't remember her name I really didn't know her, asked me to go buy her some candy & a coke. When I went to give it to her, I noticed she was at Damien's table. I just ran over there handed it to her & walked off. I could feel his eyes following me. Well I lat- er found out that he was asking some people who I was. Some girl that I don't know told him I was Jennifer Ball. He sat there for a minute & then said ‘Jennifer Ball, Jennifer Ball, I know her, I really really know her' & had this evil look on his face. Then he started asking around what Amanda's phone number was & where she lived. No one would tell him. While we were walking out of the blue Amanda started saying shut up shut up. I looked at her & asked her what was wrong. She said that she could hear Damien in her mind saying ‘Bitch you're gonna die, you know to much.' (Last year Amanda had P.E. w/Damien. She said he would sit there & enter her mind. It really freaked her out.) Well it was finally time for us to leave & I was glad. Damien watched us as we went out the building. Ever since then it feels like someone is watching me. Friday after everyone had found out who murdered the little boys I got a phone call. I answered the phone & someone asked who this was. I said Jennifer They said well you & your friend Amanda were the next to die by Damien. & Hung up. I was really freaked. I didn't say anything to Amanda about the phone call. I had heard that Damien was going to kill 2 more girls his girlfriend & Jason Baldwin's girlfriend. Well Jason's girlfriend is a girl named Heather whom is Amanda Lancaster's cousin. I don't know her last name. Amanda kept on saying Friday I know those two girls were me & you I knew they were. I just told her not to jump to conclusions - even though after the phone call I was certain it was us. After Amanda read that statement in the Commercial Appeal she kept on saying, ‘I have a feeling our picture is in that briefcase. I have the weirdest feeling.' I just wish somebody would find out. Then yesterday some woman that had come swimming w/my aunt told my mom that she heard Damien was going to sacrafice 2 virgins next. I told my mom about the mysterious phone call. She asked me how come I hadn't told her. I told her I thought it was a prank, but now I'm really not for sure. It's just really scary. Know I feel like every where I go I'm being followed. I haven't had any phone calls since Friday.” That was just one example of Echols' curious practice of getting his kicks by intimidating the impressionable. Her friend, Amanda Lancaster, gave police this handwritten statement on June 10, beginning with information passed on to her by Jason Baldwin's girlfriend: “Heather Clite had told me that Damean had been asking me question's about me, about where I live & my phone number. “Jennifer Harrison had said that she thought Damean had done it cause he new way to much, and he went around Horseshoe the same day the murders had happened, and had dog intestents around his neck. “At the skating rink, he watched me and stuff. He would follow me around, he would like just watch me. “He would really scare me, and someone had told me that I was next, me and Jennifer Ball were next. “I was on the phone with Jennifer Ball when Damean apparently was at her window.” Police notes from her interview stated that she thought Echols had a camera, that she felt people in a cult were watching her and that she felt that Echols knew too much about the murders. Jennifer Ball's mother, Teresa Woodson, gave a handwritten statement to police on June 10: “On March of 93 When I came home from work my daughter told me that Damin Echols was at our window in the back yard yelling he was going to kill her. When her stepfather came home from work I talked to him & we called the police. Officer Reese came and took our statement. Jennifer was also told that when her stepfather & Mom went to Calif. she better kiss me goodby for good because she would never see me again. She would come home from school and be terrified that something was going to happen to her. And friends would tell her that Amanda & her were going to be killed & sacerficed. The day he was in the back yard on my way home from work I saw Damin walking down Balfour. Amanda & Jennifer went to the skating ring May of 93 and Damin was there he followed Jennifer and Amanda to the Restroom & would just watch them. And Friday June 5 we had a phone call that Jen- nifer was told you & Amanda will be the next to die. A boy that lives two doors down would tell Jennifer I will have Damin to kill you Because he Damin is a member of a cult. And Jennifer would come home they are going to kill me and she was always afraid that people were watching her. She would get werd phone calls all hours of the night.” Also on June 10, Karen Beshires McAteer told police that, about two months before, her daughter, Jes- sica Bryant, 11, and a friend, Heather Smith, had been waiting outside to go to church at about 10 a.m. on a Sunday. The girls came into the house and told her that a man was taking their picture. McAteer gave a hand-written statement on June 11: “On a Sunday morning approximately 2 to 3 weeks before the triple murder occurred my daughter & a friend were outside playing in my front yard at 515 Belvedere. They came into the house & said there was a man watching them from a bush one house away. I immediately went to the door & when I opened it he got up from a squatting position & started to run toward Balfour Rd. I called my husband & he & I immediately started looking for the man. We looked all over the neighborhood & the Bayou behind Balfour. He just disappeared & we could not see him. The guy behind the bush was Damion Echols. I saw him clearly & there is no doubt. I was told later that at that time he was staying with a family on Balfour. My daughter said the guy had something in his hand. My daughter believed that he was taking pictures of her & her friend at that time.” She said Echols was wearing a long black trench coat. Jessica Bryant told police: “It was a Sunday and we were just, we were just running around talking to each other and this boy just came up walking down the street and he was dressed in all black and so we were just playing and we looked over there and we saw him. He was behind the bush, and so we went, and so we weren't playing any attention to him we didn't think anything was going to happen, so we continued playing and he was still there so went over and hid behind the car for a few minutes and we thought he won't come out, so he will go away and leave us alone. And we went back and he was still there and so he was looking out of the corner of his eye at us. And so we didn't know what to do, so we went inside and told my mama and he started running off and then we don't know what happened to him. ... “He had sort of long hair, and dressed in all black and he real black long over coat on, with some black shoes on. And he had something on his face, I didn't get that close to him. He was pretty good in front of me and he had something on his hair I don't know what it was but, it was something weird in his hair. It looked like rabbits feet. ... “He was just looking out of the corner of his eyes and with his hands like this against him. He was like digging in his pockets, he had his hands in his pocket, but I don't know what he was doing. ... “It looked like black stuff on his face, I don't know what it was. Its just black stuff on his face ... “He was squatting down behind the bush. ... “He was doing something in his pockets. ... “He was like getting something out of his pockets, or putting something back in.” On May 18, 1993, before the arrests, Laura Maxwell, who had dated Echols, gave a handwritten statement to police in which she described Echols' bizarre personality, including his propensity to issue death threats, stalking and his hatred of small children. “Dated Damien Summer of 1991. … After we stopped dating my best friend Ashley Smith told me about Damien talking to her … He told he used to be a knight in his past life that killed all these people and he has written some books on witchcraft. He told me that he liked to get raw steak meat and suck the blood out. This one boy told me one time Jason Baldwin busted his nose & blood was all over the ground so Damien got down on the ground & started licking the blood up. He used to say that if he was out walking or something & he got thirsty that he would just like to take a baseball ball bat & knock somebody out & take a bite out of their neck & drink their blood. I'm not sure if he ever did this, that's just what he told me. He never liked my brother ... he told my friend he was going to kill him ... he had it all planned out what was going to happen. And he told my friend & I that if we told Donnie about this that he would kill us too, if that's what he had to do. And if our parents found out & they tried to get involved that he would just kill them too. He told my friend that he used to watch my house overnight & he knew everything that happened in my house every night. He also told one of his friends that one night while I was asleep he snuck in my house & came in my room & did all this stuff to me. I'm not sure if any of thats true though. He used to always talk about how much he hated little kids & he used to always say this saying about cutting all of your fingers & toes off one by one. We still talked alot after we broke up but when school started he started going out with this other girl Deanna Holcomb. And when she broke up with him he went to her house & kept saying he was going to kill her if she didn't go back out with him. … “Garrett told Jason Frazier that Damien & Jason (Baldwin) always have their devil-worshiping meetings in that park & those little kids were riding over there & they saw something they were supposed to of seen so Damien killed them. Garrett said he heard this from Jason Baldwin who was supposed to of been there.” Garrett Schwarting was a mutual friend of Max- well, Baldwin and Echols. Jason Frazier was a 16-year- old acquaintance of Schwarting's. Both Schwarting and Frazier were questioned by police —- with confusing results —- about Schwarting's statements to Frazier that Echols and Baldwin had killed the boys. On June 14, 1993, Barbara Deatteart of Lakeshore told police that two white youths had tried to steal her dog in March. She identified them as Baldwin and Echols from newspaper photos. She had seen an old Pontiac drive by her home, stopping several times, so she asked the two boys inside what they wanted, and they drove off. When they returned, a blond youth got out, looked around and tried to get his hand and arm over the fence to grab her dog's chain. She ran out and yelled at them. They took off again. On Oct. 5, 1993, Mark Byers, adoptive father of Christopher Byers, gave this statement to police: “Sometime between end of February 1993 & 1st half of March of 1993. My wife Melissa & myself went to grocery store at Flash Market on Ingram around 4:00. We were gone about 15 to 20 minutes. “When we returned home Christopher was inside. When we came in he started telling us about a man taking his picture. We asked what did he look like Chris said he was wearing a black coat & black pants & shoes black & had sort of long black hair. He said the man was driving a green car. Chris was playing under car port when man drove up. He said that he ran out into the yard because the man scared him and we asked what happened and Chris said he just took my picture then got in his car and left.” Melissa Byers, mother of Chris, repeated the information in a statement Oct. 5 and testified to the same set of facts in the Misskelley trial. In his confessions, Jessie Misskelley Jr. described how a photo of his three victims was passed around at Satanic cult meetings led by Echols. Investigators never found the photo or the brief- case in which it was kept along with weapons and drugs. In the Misskelley trial, because they had access to Misskelley's confessions mentioning the photo, the prosecution argued that the stalking indicated premeditated murder. The description of the photo, along with other evidence such as blue candle wax found on the shirt of Stevie Branch, added credence to the theory that not only were the the time and setting part of an occult scheme but the victims were hand-picked. https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Black-Against-Memphis-Killers/dp/0692802843/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=gary+meece&qid=1557710855&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull https://www.amazon.com/Case-Against-West-Memphis-Killers-ebook/dp/B07C7C4DCH/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_2?keywords=gary+meece&qid=1557710880&s=gateway&sr=8-2-fkmrnull https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Black-Against-Memphis-Killers-ebook/dp/B06XVT2976/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_3?keywords=gary+meece&qid=1557710880&s=gateway&sr=8-3-fkmrnull https://www.amazon.com/Where-Monsters-Go-Against-Memphis-ebook/dp/B06XVNXCJV/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_4?keywords=gary+meece&qid=1557710880&s=gateway&sr=8-4-fkmrnull https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0753HJZ1P/?ie=UTF8&keywords=gary%20meece&qid=1557710880&ref_=sr_1_fkmrnull_6&s=gateway&sr=8-6-fkmrnull https://eastofwestmemphis.wordpress.com https://www.facebook.com/WestMemphis3Killers/
In the preface to "Blood on Black," I wrote that one of the untold stories about the West Memphis 3 case worthy of a book treatment was "how the victims' families were devastated first by the loss of the boys and then by a series of betrayals and accusations that still dog them over 20 years later." There already had been a book about Mark Byers, father of Chris Byers, by Greg Day, "Untying the Knot: John Mark Byers and the West Memphis 3." The book was a sympathetic, balanced look at a troubled man, obviously deeply grieving the loss of his son, but it was not a book written from the heart. At long last, after many years of talk about his prospective book, the story of Terry Hobbs has finally been told. "Boxful of Nightmares," which is Hobbs' story as told to his cousin, Vicky Edwards, is the straightforward, deeply felt testament of a man who, after many harrowing years living in the aftermath of the murder of stepson Stevie Branch, was blindsided by a string of high-profile accusations based on the flimsiest of evidence. Evidence doesn't get much thinner than a single hair that may or may not have been from Hobbs and is perfectly explainable as a secondary transfer of evidence. The hair evidence was found in the laces that bound Michael Moore when he was murdered by drowning in the ditch that also took the life of Stevie, and where the body of their friend, Christopher Byers, was also dumped in the late afternoon of May 5, 1993, in West Memphis, Ark. The bodies of the three boys, all 8-year-old second-graders, were found the next day after an extensive search. Eventually three local teens, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, were arrested after Misskelley confessed to the crimes. The three were convicted of the murders in 1994 but eventually released in 2011 after pleading guilty in exchange for release for time served. The impetus for the plea deal came from a groundswell of public opinion after two documentaries on HBO misled the public into thinking the case had been mishandled by the police and the courts. Various rock stars and Hollywood celebrities took the "Free the West Memphis 3" cause to heart. Until 2007, the public was led to believe that the likeliest suspect was Mark Byers based not on evidence but mostly on his wild demeanor, which was largely an act for the benefit of the cameras paid for by filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky. A book, "Devil's Knot," by an Arkansas writer devoted much of its text to Byers' life while minimizing the deeply troubling records of the convicted killers. The name of Terry Hobbs appears just four times in the index, while a whole column of indexed references cite Mark Byers. Such was the state of the case in 2002, the date of the copyright. All that changed after defense investigators used deception to gather cigarette butts probably left by Terry Hobbs and found that his DNA could not be ruled out as a source for the crime scene hair, with about 1.5 percent of the public being possible sources. Suddenly the media bought into the idea that Hobbs was a viable suspect, despite the obvious flimsiness of the "evidence." Hobbs and David Jacoby were interviewed by the West Memphis Police Department on June 21, 2007, about their recollections of May 5 and 6, 1993. Both men admitted to having difficulty recalling the exact sequence of events from a stressful time some 14 years earlier, and their stories were not consistent on details. Still, Hobbs, and Jacoby, a friend of Hobbs, described a series of events that, combined with other documented facts, effectively gave Hobbs an alibi, if one was needed. In 2009, Jacoby gave another statement describing Hobbs searching extensively for his stepson that evening, often with Jacoby and with a number of contacts with Jacoby during the time the boys were believed to have been murdered. In an online letter to fans in November 2007, Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines posted about her then-recent involvement in the West Memphis 3 cause, based on seeing the documentaries and subsequent close contact with Echols' wife, Lorri Davis. Maines claimed that DNA evidence linked to Hobbs and Jacoby was found at the crime scene. She also cited various other tenuous claims against Hobbs. Maines followed up with similar statements at a Little Rock rally for the killers in 2007. This drew a defamation lawsuit in 2008 from Hobbs, who alleged the statements were false. He sought compensation for damages to his reputation. The suit allowed her attorneys to depose Hobbs extensively and then query him on a variety of unproven allegations, with the videos then posted in public media. While the depositions provided no proof that Hobbs was in any way a viable suspect, they provided further fuel for Hobbs' attackers. As Hobbs says in the book, "The questioning was brutal and most of it was designed to implicate me in a crime I didn't commit." The lawsuit was dismissed by the courts in 2009, with the judge ruling that "actual malice" (a criteria for establishing defamation of a public figure) could not be established nor could Hobbs prove that the statements were made with "reckless disregard" for the truth. The court ruled that Hobbs had established himself as a "limited public figure" through his own actions, including announced plans to publish a book and so, absent actual malice or reckless disregard for the truth, he had no case for defamation. The statement has since been scrubbed from the Dixie Chicks Web site along with most references to Maines' activism in the West Memphis case. Dubious assertions about a "Hobbs family secret," with the sources being two young criminals with a grudge against a Hobbs family member, aired in "West of Memphis," a fourth documentary, this one co-produced by one of the killers, Damien Echols, with the support of "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson. In 2013, a court action seeking access for family members to the murder evidence was used as a pretext for filing statements intended to implicate Hobbs as well as three others who had already figured in the case. The sworn statements came from two career criminals serving long sentences for rape in the Arkansas prison system. Though completely unsubstantiated and often contradicted by case evidence, those statements again got media play and brought more attention to Hobbs. The smear campaign brought death threats and harassment, with strangers showing up at Hobbs' workplace in attempts to compromise his employment. Essentially, though he has never been a suspect, Hobbs has been treated as such by many followers of the case and members of the poorly informed public. The book sets the record clear, though those already convinced are unlikely to be changing their minds. Lisa O'Brien, a co-host of the ""Behind the Curtain" and "Clear And Convincing" podcasts, gives some enlightening background information in the book's foreward. The book's title, "Boxful of Nightmares," not only doesn't work. It's creepy -- "box" inevitably draws thoughts of a coffin. Still, the subtitle actually tells prospective readers what the book actually is -- Terry's story. The box in title refers to a box holding the journals Hobbs has kept since May 1993, a chronicle of personal struggle against the devastation wrought not only by Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley but by irresponsible media figures and former acquaintances and family members who will go to any lengths on the basis of a grudge. Hobbs admits "some of the details are foggy" in his chronicle of the evening of May 5, writing from the standpoint of 18 years later (it's now 25 years later). No doubt his detractors will point out discrepancies with earlier statements and complain about the lack of specific detail on times, etc. Despite the admitted fogginess, a clear picture emerges. At one point he explains "I didn't call Pam at work, because I didn't want to alarm her and I still thought the three boys were playing and we would find them, scold them for scaring us, and get home for the evening." Pam Hobbs, the mother of Stevie Branch and now Terry's former wife, has often described her anger and resentment over Terry not informing her about their son's continued disappearance until after her work shift ended at 9. His explanation, while likely still unsatisfactory to her and many others, exemplifies a hopeful and common sense attitude --- in a more innocent time, it was not unusual for boys to wander off and lose track of time, worrying parents. The horror of his stepson's murder was well beyond Terry's comprehension that evening. The story is told in Hobbs' own words, to the point and heartfelt, with occasional interjections from Vicky Edwards, a sympathetic voice in her own right. It's a relatively short, easy read, told in the downhome vernacular of a regular guy from the Mid-South. If anything, it's often too honest about the many trials and tribulations Hobbs has faced -- some he acknowledges he brought upon himself, some he was able to overcome, much of which he has simply endured. His on-again, off-again relationship with Pam obviously weighs heavily on him, as he sees what might have been and what it became. As for his daughter Amanda, who was just 4 when her brother was killed, he continues to be her protector, her loving father, while grieving over the traumas and family dramas that have drastically affected her life, including trips to rehab and drug court. While Hobbs obviously has deep dislikes for certain folks, attempting to even the score with his most personal attackers, it seems, unlike some others, he has been able to move on from the events of May 1993 while never losing sight of what was lost. Some of what was lost was the assumption of innocence that most of us would simply take for granted. While celebrities with deep pockets and an unsympathetic court system are arrayed against him, he seems most troubled by everyday encounters gone wrong. Describing an encounter with a sympathetic member of the public at a local Subway shop, he says, "It was a humbling experience to meet someone who didn't hate me." Still, he expresses gratitude for those who have stood by him. And always, there is the son who is now just a memory. As he says, "There were many things that his mother and I, his father and his sister never got to see, because somebody took him from us. We didn't get to see him play in little league, have his first girlfriend, teach him to drive or buy him a car. We miss his first dance, his first day of high school, his first football game and his graduation. We missed Stevie." "Boxful of Nightmares" is an often eloquent testament of fortitude from a victim who refuses to let injustice, disappointment and loss define his life. https://www.amazon.com/Boxful-Nightmares-personal-memoirs-Memphis/dp/0578490374/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=221LSZODWO6UZ&keywords=boxful+of+nightmares&qid=1557084616&s=gateway&sprefix=boxful%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-1-fkmrnull
Where The Monsters Go: The Case Against the West Memphis 3 KillersThere is the myth of the West Memphis 3 -- innocent teenagers railroaded by malicious police and prosecutors into murder convictions because of the way they dressed and the music they listened to, there being no evidence against them except the prejudices of Southern white Christians.And then there is the reality --- three criminally inclined young thugs involved in occultism who gleefully tortured three 8-year-old boys and then brought the justice system down upon them based on multiple factors, including a series of confessions, failed lie detector tests, failed alibis, eyewitness sightings and a history of violence.The second volume in this series, following "Blood on Black," continues to examine the evidence against Jessie Misskelley Jr., Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols in the murders of Christopher Byers, Michael Moore and Stevie Branch on May 5, 1993.Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols met up that afternoon just outside Lakeshore Estates Trailer Park, according to the multiple confessions of Misskelley.Echols and Baldwin were drinking beer. The plan was to go to West Memphis and beat up some boys.They walked about two miles into woods known as Robin Hood or Robin Hood Hills.Echols knew the woods well, having lived in the nearby Mayfair Apartments, frequently walking through the area as a shortcut between his home in West Memphis and his friends in the trailer parks and having been spotted in the woods recently by an acquaintance.Michael, Stevie and Christopher Byers, all second graders at Weaver Elementary School, lived south of the woods and visited the woods frequently to play. That afternoon they were spotted heading toward Robin Hood around 6, close to the time their killers entered from the north.When Echols heard the children approaching, he began making sounds to lure them in, while Misskelley and Baldwin hid. Then, according to the confessions of Misskelley, and indicated by the blood patterns at the scene and other evidence, the teens jumped the 8-year-olds, beat them viciously, stripped them of their clothes, mutilated Stevie's face, castrated Christopher, sexually molested them, hogtied them and dumped them in a muddy ditch, where Michael and Stevie drowned. Christopher already had bled out from his wounds.Misskelley quickly left the scene, which was scrupulously cleaned up. Echols was spotted walking along the service road near the crime scene later that evening in muddy clothes.After frantic parents sparked an extensive search for the missing children, their bodies were discovered the next afternoon by law enforcement officers.Tales of strange rituals held in the woods by mysterious strangers spread quickly among the crowd gathered near the crime scene.As detectives and other officers gathered information and talked to witnesses or potential suspects, Echols quickly drew the scrutiny of officers.Besides the talk among the boys' neighbors, the ritualistic aspects of the murder -- including the way the boys were bound, and timing possibly influenced by setting, proximity to a pagan holiday and celestial events -- furthered suggested occultism as an impetus for the killings.Local officers were familiar with Echols as a dangerous, mentally ill teenager immersed in witchcraft. Among the many tips coming into police were reports that Echols had been seen near the crime scene that night and that he was heavily involved in a cult.A series of police interviews with an all-too-knowing Echols did nothing but deepen suspicions. Echols failed a lie detector test, thereafter refusing to talk.Police heard that Echols had been telling friends about his involvement in the murders.Vicki Hutcheson, an acquaintance of Misskelley, decided to "play detective." Soon police brought in Misskelley for routine questioning.After he, too, failed a lie detector test, he gave the first of a number of confessions.The case was solved, but the questions continue.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/1198501/advertisement
Gary Meece : Blood on Black: The Case Against the West Memphis 3 KillersThey did it. The West Memphis 3 are guilty. They are guilty despite what the documentaries, books and news stories have said over and over. Guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr. killed three 8-year-olds, Christopher Byers, Michael Moore and Stevie Branch, on May 5, 1993, in a wooded area in West Memphis, Ark. The murders were thrill kills, according to Echols himself. But they were much more than that. Police were struck by the ritualistic aspects. Local dabblers in the occult immediately came under suspicion. Under questioning, Echols, already acknowledged as a witch, flaunted his knowledge of the occult, his theories of how the killings could have “magickal” implications and his insights into how the killer would think and feel. He demonstrated special knowledge about the case beyond the little publicly known. He gave out signals that he was a prime suspect; a series of witnesses further implicated him. A confession broke open the case. The widely accepted WM3 storyline is that inept police and prosecutors, with a howling mob of religious fanatics to placate, somewhat arbitrarily picked out three innocent boys to blame for horrific murders because Damien and his best pal Jason wore black T-shirts, listened to heavy metal music and had funny haircuts and because the third boy, Little Jessie, was practically retarded and thus easily manipulated. Almost every element in that storyline has little relation to reality. The weirdness that drew the attention of authorities stemmed from bad choices by the suspects rather than clothing, haircuts or rocking out to Megadeth. The West Memphis police did their duty in a diligent if imperfect manner. The investigation was professional and painstaking. Detectives took many statements, followed strange and unpromising leads and administered the polygraph dozens of times. All three of the teens from the trailer parks were convicted. The convictions held up on appeal. Eventually, thanks to Hollywood celebrities and misleading documentaries that left out crucial evidence, the killers who became the West Memphis 3 walked free. No exonerating evidence, despite many years of investigation and a defense fund in the millions of dollars, has been produced. None of the three has a credible alibi. The mainstream media bought into the premise that “those boys were innocent.” By putting the focus on mullet-headed rednecks, drawling overweight cops and righteously angry Christians, the media played upon the most egregious stereotypes of Southern whites, while positioning a murdering sociopath as a hip kid who was just too cool for the uptight hometown idiots. The West Memphis 3 myth was made to order for the familiar narrative of the perceptive young outsider that every hipster and aspiring artist imagines himself to have been. Among the sensitive souls who found a doppelgänger of their teen selves in Echols were professional outsiders — such as Johnny Depp and Henry Rollins. In Aleister Crowley's “magickal” system, which Echols embraced in his preteen years, orgasm and ecstasy are equated with death and sacrifice and the sexual fluids are often represented as blood or water. Echols felt he was in transition to a state of being a god, something other than human; he believed that drinking blood invested him with spiritual energy. Echols and “blood brother” Jason formed a pathological dyad, cultivating elaborate violent fantasies. Via the ritual torture, killing and eating of dogs, cats and other animals, they educated themselves in the curriculum of occult murder. The lurking allure of a “thrill kill” finally became irresistible when the killing time coincided with sunset, the rise of a full moon and the pagan holiday of Beltane.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/1198501/advertisement
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
