Despite suspicion eventually falling away from Byers, Jason Baldwin praised the "Paradise Lost" documentaries as essential to their case, telling the "National Podcast of Texas" in 2019 that "The documentary saved my life, saved Damien's life, and saved Jessie's life. Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. A new round of DNA testing later showed no genetic material linked the men to the crime scene evidence, and they were released from prison in 2011 after agreeing to an Alford plea. eventAction: 'click_adunit' Standing 6-feet-5-inches tall and weighing 238 pounds, Byers was an imposing and threatening presence. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { West Memphis Three | Background & Trial 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. Toggle dark mode There is a strong Christian identity, and crime is an issue, but the behavior of Echols, in particular, would have drawn comment everywhere. In contrast, others contend he remained severely mentally ill and an immature teenager. The Story Of The West Memphis Teens Wrongfully Imprisoned 18 Years For Satanic Murder. } They seem to me to be more practical ligatures, Clemente said. Morgan and Holland left town on May 10 and headed to Oceanside in California, their departure shocking many who knew them. To this day, it is still unclear who is responsible for the brutal murders, and in hopes of uncovering new potential leads, investigative podcaster Bob Ruff reexamined the case in The Forgotten West Memphis Three, streaming now on Oxygen. },false) With the new evidence in hand alongside expert testimony that suggested the knife wounds and mutilation had been animal predation, Echols petitioned for a retrial. "Chief Pope's resignation is completely unrelated to the West Memphis three rumors being sent out on social media," the statement reads. West Memphis Three With the addition of a 10-year suspended sentence, a probation type sentencing which meant if they did anything illegal they would be put back in jail, the West Memphis Three were sentenced to time served. Terry Hobbs and Pamela Hicks. Here's when clocks will 'spring forward' in 2023, Arkansas Supreme Court chief justice announces departure from WM3 case, West Memphis Three continue fight to get DNA tested. It went too far, and because of that, he had to kill all three of them," he said. Then, after determining the boys final movements, Bob meets with a DNA expert to discuss new technology that might break the case wide open. Trinocular Co-Axial 1500x Metallurgical Microscope with Top-Bottom Light with 2MP Camera, Trinocular Microscope with DIN Objective and Camera 40x - 2000x, Junior Medical Microscope with Wide Field Eyepiece & LED 100x - 1500x, Trinocular Inverted Metallurgical Microscope 100x - 1200x, Binocular Inverted Metallurgical Microscope 100x - 1200x. Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three "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. Terry Hobbs, meanwhile, still believes in the guilt of the West Memphis Three, telling Memphis ABC affiliate WATN in 2019 that "I still believe in my heart that Jessie, Jason, and Damion Echols are responsible for what happened to our children.". During questioning, Echols mentioned wounds to the genital that one of the victims suffered. }); 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. A prime example of the issues with the confession was that Misskelley was giving false information that was believed accurate by police at the time, stating that he saw Echols and Baldwin go into the woods with the three boys and rape them. Some believe the police immediately thought there was some level of occult involvement in the triple homicide, yet this isn't the case. West Memphis Three released from prison after 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. They wouldn't be alone, and witness after witness would state they had heard there was a Satanic cult in the area. 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. Entering a plea of not guilty, Richard Ofshe testified that Misskelley's confession had been a "classic example" of police coercion. West Memphis Three West Memphis Three Misskelley's confession couldn't be utilized if he had stood trial alongside Echols and Baldwin under what is known as the Bruton rule stemming from Bruton v. United States. However, a hair "not inconsistent with" Steve Branch's stepfather, Terry Hobbs, was found, and crucially it was tied into the knots of the bindings that had hogtied one of the children. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. He had an extensive collection of animal skulls, including dogs and cats and local rumors said that he had killed a dog, while no evidence was ever provided. Branch had 21 particular wounds, including a large gouge to the left side of his face, with Byers having 62 differing injuries. Judge Laser vacated all previous convictions and ordered a new trial where the West Memphis Three would be allowed to make the plea, sentencing them to time served. Nine days later, Misskelley would confess again. Bike found near the "West Memphis Three" crime scene. To this day, it is still unclear who is responsible for the brutal murders, and in hopes of uncovering new potential leads, investigative podcaster Bob Ruff reexamined the case in . West Memphis Three killed Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. hitType: 'event', Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Jones, the assistant juvenile probation officer, was one of the chief voices pushing the line alongside his supervisor Jerry Blackwood Driver. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Undertaking a polygraph, Martin seemingly showed deception when asked, "Do you know what was used to tie up those three boys?" To learn more about the case, watch The Forgotten West Memphis Three" now on Oxygen. The 'West Memphis Three' were exonerated following the advent of improved DNA technology (West Memphis Police Department) John Mark Byers, who was suspected in the deaths of three West Memphis children in 1993, died in a car crash earlier this week, officials in Tennessee revealed on Friday, June 19. Meanwhile, at the Marion Police Department, Detective Don Bray was attempting to administer a polygraph test to Vicki Hutcheson, who had recently moved to the city. They were released on Aug. 19, 2011. When West Memphis teens Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley Jr. were tried and convicted of the murders of three 8-year-old boys in 1994, many in the community felt confident that investigators had put the right men behind bars. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { Echols, by most accounts, didn't even consider himself one. While police initially suspected rape, there was no evidence for it. March 3, 2023, at 3:19 p.m. Video Shows Memphis Jailers Beating Black Inmate Who Died. Echols, 36, had been on death row, while Baldwin, 34, and Misskelley, 36, were serving life sentences. } She also revealed that her ex-husband had once asked her sister point-blank if she suspected him in the killings. Ultimately, the judge will make a final ruling on whether to proceed. Echols was from a poor background and struggled both with poverty and his mental health, having been institutionalized for several months after considering suicide. Steve Edward Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore were all good kids. During the weeks that followed, law enforcement would only state that Echols was a source of information, not officially designating him a suspect despite looking at him more than anyone else. Police detective Bryn Ridge would later testify he somehow lost the samples from Bojangles' wall. However, her description of the boy she nearly hit was inconsistent with either Branch, Byers or Moore, and it was, in fact, a fourth boy by the name of George Taylor. WebThe West Memphis Three are three men convicted as teenagers in 1994 of the 1993 murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, United States. YoutubeMugshots of the West Memphis Three. Attorney Patrick Benca, who represents defendant Damien Echols, wrote in a Wednesday statement that he located evidence from the case after being granted access to the police department through an Arkansas state court order, according to WREG. Byers submitted dental records that showed the marks on the body didn't match his original teeth and subsequently passed a polygraph during the documentary's filming. He admitted the crime on June 3, June 11 and Aug. 19 and implicated others. They'd first come into contact almost precisely a year before Echols was arrested alongside his then-girlfriend Deanna Holcomb. It was a fact, leading investigators to believe he had inside knowledge of the case. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { These three would come to be known as the West Memphis Three. No matter who committed those terrible crimes at Robin Hood Hills, they still walk free 28 years later, and until the culprits are found, the case is far from over. 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.

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