When three boys turn up murdered, a small town is desperate to find the killer. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) A former Memphis Fire Department emergency medical technician told a Tennessee board Friday that officers impeded patient care by refusing to remove Tyre Nichols ' handcuffs, which would have allowed EMTs to check his vital signs after he was brutally beaten by police. What came after the arrest is quite well-documented. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment. If they thought they could trust the person who was the actual threat, then that person could get close enough to them to control them so that they couldn't run away," retired FBI Supervisory Agent Jim Clemente saysin "The Forgotten West Memphis Three.". He even said that he saw John Mark Byers assisting in the killings. Now, the attorneys are responding in court. Despite the falsehoods in the testimony, Echols was pulled in for questioning two days after the bodies were discovered, denying any involvement. That's mostly during the teenage years.". Serving as professor emeritus of sociology at the University of California, it was expert testimony. Yet, it is a giant leap toward murder. There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal WebDevil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three is a 2002 true crime book by Mara Leveritt, about the 1993 murders of three eight-year-old children and the subsequent trials of three teenagers charged with and convicted of the crimes.The names of the three teens convicted - Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley - would come to be Both Echols and Misskelley had dropped out of high school, while Baldwin continued to achieve high grades, making the pair something of an odd couple, known for their involvement in petty crimes such as vandalism. A few years later, he was facing charges relating to the use of terroristic threats, grand theft, and drug use. During the filming, cameraman Doug Cooper would be given a folding hunting knife by John Mark Byers, Christopher Byers' stepfather. }) March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died. All three appealed the convictions. Terry Hobbs and Pamela Hicks. Classmates at Weaver Elementary School, the three were active in their Cub Scout troop and responsible enough to be trusted to roam their neighborhood without Residents talked of strange smells in the woods, painted children, and even alleged to have seen a baby sacrificed. YoutubeMugshots of the West Memphis Three. Jul. There's absolutely no indication of that in this case. He took one of them I don't know which one cut him on I think it was on this side of his face.". Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were accused of killing three eight-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { Equally, it was widely known he threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend's father, yet those who had taken against him left out that this was through a fear that the father was going to assault his daughter. The discovery comes after West Memphis Police Chief Michael Pope resigned Tuesday. Police detective Bryn Ridge would later testify he somehow lost the samples from Bojangles' wall. With John Mark Byers ruled out, revelations in 2007 would point in a new direction equally close to home. All three were second-grade pupils at Weaver Elementary School, with Branch being an honor student. In 2000, Berlinger and Sinofsky would produce "Paradise Lost 2: Revelations," a sequel to their 1996 film. Morgan and Holland left town on May 10 and headed to Oceanside in California, their departure shocking many who knew them. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { Echols filed a petition, which was not granted, but then the decision was overturned by the Arkansas Supreme Court. It became humiliating, something I'd do everything I could to hide from the rest of the world. }); John Mark Byers, who was suspected in the deaths of three West Memphis children in 1993, died in a car crash earlier this week, officials in Tennessee revealed on Friday, June 19. Youtube Mugshots of the West Memphis Three. Echols' legal team has filed a response to the Attorney General's request, where they are asking the court to deny it. The inherent belief in that line of thought eventually led to the arrest of 18-year-old Damien Echols, 17-year-old Jessie Misskelley Jr., and 16-year-old Jason Baldwin, three out-of-sorts teens who became popularly known as "The West Memphis Three.". Christopher Byers' father, Rick Murray, was one of the early voices to speak out against the West Memphis Three's convictions, with Pamela Hobbs perhaps becoming the most vocal. Moore was the group leader and, like his best friends, a proud cub scout, wearing his uniform even when not at meetings. He was 62. All three spent most of their days as any other mid-1990s teenagers - listening to rock music, watching pro wrestling on television, and either poking around under the hood of a car or simply hanging out and causing trouble. }); Hobbs, who had previously been under the police scanner for the murders because of inconsistencies in his story, had later been cleared of any wrongdoing but found himself being verbally abused by Byers in front of cameras outside a courtroom. ADVERTISEMENT An attorney involved in the West Memphis Three case, in which three teenagers were convicted of killing three boys in 1993, is claiming that evidence related to the case that was believed to be lost or destroyed has been located at the West Memphis Police Department, local CBS affiliate WREG reported. eventAction: 'load' 1." While his repeated confessions may seem incriminating, Lawyer Dan Stidman would say in a 1999 letter to the court that "Absolutely nothing Misskelley told the officers or prosecutors would ever be admissible against him. 'West Memphis Three' case: John Byers, suspect and stepfather of one of the slain boys, dies in car crash. An investigation of the murders looked into several suspects, including the stepfather of Steve Branch as well as two teenage boys who had abruptly fled to California shortly after the bodies were discovered. Nevertheless, this is a complete delaying tactic," Soury explained. John Mark Byers, stepfather of Chris Byers and initially the subject of considerable suspicion himself, is shown calling Terry Hobbs a "baby killer" outside an Arkansas courtroom. At one point, he told locals he obtained superpowers from consuming human blood and was often seen to have sharpened his fingernails and drawn deliberately provocative tattoos on himself. He again repeated the incorrect police suspicion that Echols had sexually violated one of the boys, claiming this time his friend had ejaculated on the victim's trousers. Moore. window.adsContainer = {"positionAfterTitle":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle5_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position2":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_After_Title_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position3":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Below_Next_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle1_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle2_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position7":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle3_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle4_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle5_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position10":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle6_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position11":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle7_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position12":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle8_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position13":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle9_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position14":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle10_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position15":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle11_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position16":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle12_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"positionTop":{"code":"Article_Desktop_970x250_Header_Rel","isOrganicUserAd":false,"max_width":970,"max_height":250},"positionBottom":{"code":"Article_Desktop_Sidebar_Bottom_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":300,"max_height":600},"positionBottomRight":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_After_Title_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":336,"max_height":280}} A polygraph indicated some level of deception in his statements to police, yet it should be noted that a heart condition may have affected the results. Judge David Burnett, the original trial judge, disallowed the presentation of the new information in his court in 2008, citing the DNA tests as inconclusive. There was a sense of disconnect from society amongst many young people, with the counter-culture that produced grunge giving way to the metal of Rob Zombie, Korn, Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails. It took 18 years, a deep probe into the criminal justice system, and the rallying of a hitType: 'event', Before the case could again reach the courts, Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were allowed to enter Alford plea deals. Then read about the woman who was convicted for locking her deaf sister in a room for seven years. They had a daughter together, Amanda Hobbs, who was 4 years old at the time of her brothers death. Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. Echols unwisely began to tell the fanatical Driver tall tales about local cults and animal sacrifices when Driver became his parole officer, telling him that he followed Wicca. eventAction: 'render' } "We are trying to find the real killers. Due to marital problems stemming from Stevies death, the couple divorced in 2004, reported CNN. "We are pleased that the evidence is intact," Benca said, according to WREG. But it seemed the story for the West Memphis Three was over. However, Misskelley wouldn't only confess in that police interview room. }) They allowed police and other workers to walk through the creek, trampling possible evidence such as footprints, and equally failed to drain the water quickly to preserve other evidence. A formal interview on May 9 led to further suspicion against the young man when he mentioned the damage to Byer's genitals, something seen as incriminating. For the state, the Alford pleas were a face-saving exercise. WebSeason 1 Episode 1 Preview: Host and investigator Bob Ruff explores the flaws from the original ""West Memphis Three"" case to lay the groundwork for his evidence-driven investigation. The following afternoon, the bodies of Steve Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were found by a muddy ditch. In many respects, the reaction to these new youth movements was nothing new, with the metal bands of the 1970s and 80s having faced similar condemnation as "the Devil's music." How the three died wasn't the same, with Moore and Branch being killed by multiple injuries and then drowning, with Byers dying of blood loss and not being drowned. In 1994, in what was widely believed to be a miscarriage of justice, three teens, 18-year-old Damien Echols, 17-year-old Jessie Misskelley Jr., and 16-year-old Jason Baldwin, were convicted in connection to the deaths of Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Steve Branch the previous year. Sometimes justice is neither pretty, nor is it perfect, but it was important to take this opportunity to be free.". Yet Misskelley kept talking, confessing again on Feb. 4. }); The hair would tie in with a reported sighting of a "disoriented" man on the night of the boys' disappearance. They were 17, 16, and 18 years old respectively. ", 'Very open to the idea': Julia Wandelt takes DNA test to verify if she is missing Swiss girl Livia Schepp, Kayla Lemieux: Teacher with prosthetic Z-cup breasts suspended WITH PAY after pics show her dressed as man, 'We have lots to reveal': Madeleine McCann lookalike Julia Wandelt posts footage of meeting with PI probing claims, Lindsay Clancy case: Psychologist reveals psychosis red flags family members could have spotted, Horror at Larchwood Care! An attorney involved in the West Memphis Three case, in which three teenagers were convicted of killing three boys in 1993, is claiming that evidence related to the case that was believed to be lost or destroyed has been located at the West Memphis Police Department, local CBS affiliate WREG reported.Attorney Patrick Benca, who represents Who killed Stevie But in the process, the West Memphis Three get blamed for the crime they didn't commit. Police almost immediately turned their attention to Baldwin, Echols and Misskelley and suspected them of killing the boys. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. 1:53 Digital Original Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case 1:05 Preview The gruesome nature of their deaths led both police and the community to theorize that there had been a satanic element involved something that wasn't too farfetched in the "Bible Belt, where Satanic Panic" was at its peak. Terry Hobbs and Pamela Hicks. The documentary was filmed on 79 days over ten months up to the point of the West Memphis Three's conviction. But their innocence did leave investigators back at square one. One of the few pieces of forensic evidence recovered at the scene was a hair belonging to a Black male found on a sheet that had been used to wrap one of the victims. Clemente pointed out that the killer took his time to conceal the boys' bodies, clothing, and bikes. His prior history of domestic violence didn't reflect well either. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." Suspicion toward John Mark Byers would only increase when the bite marks on Steve Branch's forehead were discovered. To understand the story of the West Memphis Three, it's important to remember the cultural atmosphere that was prevalent throughout America in the mid-1990s. Medical examiners were split on whether the three boys died the night they went missing or the morning after, and the bite marks wouldn't even be noticed until photographs were examined years later. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' When investigators found the boys bodies on May 6, 1993, they had been jammed into the muddy ground of the bayou, and their clothes had been submerged in the water with sticks. Writing under penalty of perjury to the United States District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas, Pamela would say that he ex-husband kept dentures in a lock-box. "I think maybe for the general public it's not quite as scary to believe that blood-thirsty Satanists were out murdering children as it is to believe that parents are actually murdering their own children. The bodies of the three boys had been found in Robin Hood Hills, a stretch of forested land in the city that was popular with children and where Christopher, Michael and Steve were last seen together.