Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. They were both found guilty on three counts of capital murder, according to the Arkansas Times. This is the true story of the West Memphis Three murders. In the articles I read back in December 2021, all the evidence was intact after being believed to have been lost in a fire and Echols was pushing for the hair and shoelaces to be submitted for testing because the shoelaces were used as ligatures. Christophers cause of death was from "multiple injuries, and both Michael and Stevie died from "multiple injuries with drowning, according to local newspaper the, Christopher had a fractured skull, and his genitals had been mutilated, which authorities believed was done by his killer. Over two decades after the murders, what really happened to Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore on the evening of May 5, 1993, remains a mystery. Terry did not tell me who he was calling until hed completed the phone call and came out to the car. Baldwin lives in Austin, Texas, where in 2017 he founded the non-profit group Proclaim Justice, which advocates for victims of wrongful convictions. It also suggested that The West Memphis Three were victims of lingering Satanic Panic, a widespread fear in the 1980s that Satanism would infect society. [1]. On the surface, 18-year-old Damien Echols, an intelligent, but psychologically troubled teen with interests in Wicca and extreme music, fit the profile. Nevertheless, Echols made no incriminating statements. The manuscript was finalized yesterday! (They neglect to point out, however, that much of the most potentially persuasive evidence that defense attorneys hoped to introduce in those trials was excluded by Judge Burnett.) Its a case built on a shoddy confession and community bias, and includes allegations of Satanism, sexual abuse and mutilation. People in West Memphis are going to tell their kids stories. It'll be sort of like I'm the West Memphis boogeyman. Terry Hobbs would later state that he shot Jackie Jr. in self-defense. Lying in the open air in near 80-degree temperatures accelerated the decomposition of the bodies. To date, no DNA evidence from the crime scene can be linked to Damien Echols, Baldwin, or Jessie Misskelley. After hours of questioning, a frustrated Morgan blurted out that he had been hospitalized for drug and alcohol abuse and might have committed the murders. [2] Judge Brian S. Miller dismissed the case and subsequently ordered Hobbs to pay legal fees incurred by the singer in the amount of $17,590. Hobbs says his book is 25 years in the making, adding it is called "Boxful of . West Memphis is pretty much like a second Salem," Echols stated in the 1996 documentary Paradise Lost: The Murders at Robin Hood Hills. High Magick: A Guide to the Spiritual Practices That Saved My Life on Death Row. The kind of men who do these things are, uh. [Feature Photo: Murder victims Chris Byers, Michael Moore and Stevie Branch/UMKC School of Law], DEVELOPING: Homeowner Charged With Shooting Black Teen Who Went to Wrong House to Pick up Siblings, She would backhand me, to my face: Daughter Didnt Confront Accused Killer About Gannon Stauch, Afraid of Punishment for Talking Back, Body Found in Quarry Amid Search for 10-Year-Old Autistic Girl. Baldwin, 34, Echols and Misskelley, both 36, pleaded guilty to first- and second-degree murder charges while proclaiming their innocence, according to The New York Times. I still believe in my heart that Jessie, Jason, and Damion Echols [sic] are responsible for what happened to our children, Hobbs told Memphis ABC affiliate WATN in June 2019. In the Echols/Baldwin murder trial, prosecutor John Fogleman argued that it was "a complete absurdity" to think the criminals who took pains to hide bodies, clothing, and bicycles would, immediately thereafter, go "into a public place all covered in blood." I hear you. Clemente said the first place a child would likely return to is home. Yup. After all, it's the south. Christophers cause of death was from "multiple injuries, and both Michael and Stevie died from "multiple injuries with drowning, according to local newspaper the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. That the slain boys were each 8 years-old was important because eight was a "witch's number." After 18 years in prison, the West Memphis Three were finally free, but not exonerated. The affidavit and other records came out Wednesday during a hearing in Arkansas about whether Hicks could see evidence from the investigation of the 1993 killings of her son Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers, the Associated Press reported. It's affected a lot of lives, but for some reason it keeps being brought up," said Hobbs. "The reason I made the West Memphis boogeyman comment during the first film was because I was making light of the situation," Echols says in Paradise Lost 2: Revelations. Michele Hobbs Construction has a $12,500 bond with American Contractors Indemnity Company. Polygraph tests revealed deception in the answers of both men in regard to the crimes. All three had been submerged face down in the mud, stripped naked, and bound with their shoelaces. The only person whose DNA would be in that ligature isthe person who tied the knots, Echols said. '", In 1999, a more mature Echols explained the comment. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Currently, Hobbs has not been charged with anything related to the murders. of 72 and that his mental capacity rendered his confession involuntary, according to court documents obtained by Oxygen.com. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Produced and directed by filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, the film and its two sequels, Paradise Lost 2: Revelations and Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, gave audiences a unique and detailed look into the case, the accused, and the families of victims. The next day, Detective Byrn Ridge and Sergeant Mike Allen return to Bojangles to collect blood scrapings from the rest room wall. Not only ONE victim but THREE. Although the Alford Plea set the West Memphis Three free, they are, at least in the eyes of the law, guilty, and therefore, the state of Arkansas is under no obligation to continue investigating the crimes at this time. At the time of the West Memphis Three trial, Griffis claimed to have given seminars to 38,000 police officers all over the globe. On the evening of May 5, 1993, 8-year-olds Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore went missing in West Memphis, Arkansas. [5], In 2003, Hobbs was arrested for possession of marijuana and found guilty.[6]. 100 meter utendrs p 11,75 i 2011 og 60 meter innendrs p 6,96 i 2012. If the cop has power, it's easy. Really?? Little kids will be looking under their bed 'Damien might be under there! Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Terry Hobbs to show support. If this allegation is true--and it certainly rings so--readers can debate whether that decision, which meant the continued incarceration of three almost certainly innocent young men for another sixteen years, or the murders in the Blue Beacon Wood, was the greater tragedy. Doesn't make sense how they disappeared, then got back in there without a soul seeing them. In statements under oath, the three witnesses say that Michael Hobbs told them, "My uncle killed three boys in West Memphis." They also question the alibi given by Hobbs, that he spent the evening of the murders with his friend, David Jacoby. The following day revealed the unthinkable, when the bloodied and bruised bodies of the three boys were found submerged in a muddy creek in a wooded area called Robin Hood Hills. The West Memphis Police Department interviewed Hobbs, who was dismissive of the findings, claiming the hair could have been picked up during a visit to his home since the victim "played with our little boy regularly," according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. With the area secured, Detective Bryn Ridge volunteered to search the ditch. the tying up is part of what frames this as a punishment that crossed the line. Terry Hobbs in California 29 people named Terry Hobbs found in Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, Sacramento-Yolo and 10 other cities. Three teenagers were arrested and convicted for the crimes. Jackie Jr. Hicks came to the Hobbs' residence after he was informed of the encounter. Making his way through the muck on his hands and knees, Ridge soon discovered clothing twisted around sticks and thrust into the ditch's bottom. He noted that his son spent a lot of time in the home of Terry Hobbs and could easily have picked up the hair (with DNA matching that of Terry Hobbs) found in his shoelaces on one of those occasions. Certain that, under what he felt were ridiculous circumstances, Echols' confidence and, on occasion, flippant attitude during the trial was often misinterpreted as evidence of his coldness toward the victims and their families. Testimony of Marty King, restaurant manager, in the Echols/Baldwin Trial, West Memphis Police Department Station Log for the evening of May 5, 1993. As reported by the Arkansas Times, examination of the shoe laces used to bind Michael Moore contained hair "not inconsistent" with that of Stevie Branch's stepfather, Terry Hobbs. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Sandra K. Bean: Hon. In 2010 the state Supreme Court ordered a state trial judge to determine whether the DNA evidence invalidated their . And that 1 cop will know that a member of that community being subjected to questioning for a crime of this nature could lead down all sorts of paths: one of those paths being that Terry likes dick and is part of a small community that likes dick and that that 1 cop likes dick. Misskelley, who had entered the West Memphis police station that morning with hopes of reward money he might use to purchase a new truck for his father found himself instead charged with murder and facing life plus 40 years in prison. Terry Hobbs, Todd Moore, and Dana Moore still maintain that Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley murdered their sons. The group also stated that Echols submitted a FOIA request over 18 months ago, but the request went unanswered, which is a violation of Arkansas state law. Echols ultimately ended filing a lawsuit against the police department. In a last ditch effort, they entered an Alford Plea, a complex and seldom used legal maneuver that would see them plead guilty while still asserting their innocence. Minutes later, Sgt. Among those active in the cause were singer Eddie Vedder of the band Pearl Jam, the country music trio The Dixie Chicks, punk rock icon and poet Henry Rollins, and actor Johnny Depp. According to Clemente, suspects who have something to hide, such as evidence, or signs of abuse at the home, will not want police to search their residence and will attempt to put distance between themselves and where the abuse took place. " (Detective Allen) told me if I knew anything, that there was a $35,000 reward, and if I could help them out, we'd get the money," said Misskelley, as quoted by Mara Leveritt in Devil's Knot. In the film, Jacoby doubts whether he spent as much time with Hobbs that night as Hobbs suggests. Christopher had a fractured skull, and his genitals had been mutilated, which authorities believed was done by his killer. and apparently to Pam too, iirc discovering this is what lead to her statement that she believes he was involved in the murder of her son. Branded the, What has never been definitively answered, however, is who committed the 1993 murders, and , Due to marital problems stemming from Stevies death, the couple divorced in 2004, reported, The test results showed that no genetic material on the crime scene evidence was a match to Echols, Baldwin or Misskelley, reported the, The West Memphis Police Department interviewed Hobbs, who was dismissive of the findings, claiming the hair could have been picked up during a visit to his home since the victim "played with our little boy regularly," according to the, "They said close to the crime scene because at one time I did walk near where they had found the kids with Terry Hobbs But I didn't wear hats back then, my hair could have blown around anywhere, Jacoby told Memphis NBC affiliate, A year after the DNA results were released, Hobbs sued Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines for defamation, claiming she implied he was a murderer on the bands website and at a 2007 rally, according to, In 2009, three witnesses filed affidavits claiming they saw Hobbs with the murdered boys the night they disappeared, contradicting Hobbs previous statements to police, according to. It would explain SO MUCH about how Hobbs flew under the radar. French reported that prior to the incident she had gone to the Hobbs' home after hearing what she believed to be a domestic dispute. Documents from attorneys for Pam Hicks contend that her son and two friends were rounded up and stabbed to death with a pocket knife by her ex-husband Terry Hobbs and his companions, who saw the children spying on them as they drank and smoked marijuana, WKEG reported. During Misskelley's trial, Hutcheson testified that she had attended an "an occult Satanic meeting" she referred to as an "esbat." The suit names all three members of . They also contend that the fact that three different knots were used to hogtie the young victims points to the involvement of three killers, not one or two. Hobbs denied the accusation, saying that his family does have secrets, but none of them have to do with murder. During a special presentation at CrimeCon 2022 Las Vegas, former New York State prosecutor Jim Clemente joined Truth & Justice podcast host, Bob Ruff, and investigative journalist, George Jared, to take a deep dive into a conversation Jared previously had with Terry Hobbs. Misskelly, who has a low IQ, reportedly gave detectives a false confession which helped a jury convict the three of murder. Misskelley and Baldwin got life sentences while Echols received the death penalty. I've no doubt he killed Stevie to "get even" with Pam. In March 2022,Damien Echols said in a tweet that hell be back in court on June 23 with his law team as they try to get access to DNA, found in the case evidence, to a lab for testing. Hobbs and Jacoby have denied involvement in the murders and have never been named as suspects or arrested in connection with the case. Although the appeals were repeatedly denied, a new batch of DNA testing done in 2007 reignited the investigation. the Black male appeared to be mental / + disorientated (Not intoxicated or under influence of drugs) Police were called Subject left out on foot + Walked East toward the back dumpster then [inserted here: Black males clothing was denim sleeveless shirt, Black shoes, look like tennis shoes. In late 2008, Hobbs entered into litigation with Natalie Maines Pasdar over alleged libelous comments. He was home during the evenings when his wife worked a four-hour shift at Catfish Island. Branded the West Memphis Three, the mens case was featured in multiple documentaries, earning them support from an array of high-profile musicians, celebrities and activists. Terry Hobbs says he is a church member, a father, and working man and in no way a killer. The Arkansas Supreme Court ordered a new evidentiary hearing for Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley in the fall of 2010. Hobbs hit the boy in the head and shouted, "I am going to teach your fucking ass." In 2013, what seems likely to be close to the true story of the West Memphis murders finally emerged in separate affidavits signed by Billy Wayne Stewart and Bennie Guy. JMB is a freaking nut but I think he loved Michelle so much that when Chris died, she did, too. The Hobbses are the mother and stepfather of Steve Branch, who. McCaughey says her sister is very upset. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Echols lived in a trailer park and stood out in the conservative small town. Its population was 40,508 at the 2020 census, [4] increasing from 34,122 in 2010. Supporters contended that the confession of Misskelley was coerced and that the young men were unfairly targeted because they stood out as misfits, who wore black and listened to heavy metal. Michael Bishay: Hon. The level of detail and overall plausibility of the stories told in the affidavits make it seem highly credible, even if they do come from an admitted drug dealer and a convicted felon. That 1 cop will have bumped into everyone in that southern, 90s, dick-liking community. Furthermore, a hair found in one of the ligaturesused to bind the boys was found to be consistent with the DNA of Terry Hobbs, Stevies stepfather, according to court documents obtained by Oxygen.com. Wouldn't a normal person say "embarrassed", maybe? Terry Hobbs absolutely killed the boys and the neighbor girl said he had seen them right before the boys died. 2410771 [1] Website. On top of Terry possibly molesting Stevie and being very jealous of him, I've no doubt Pam kissing another man and then the subsequent murders is just glaring motive. How is that a way to describe sex? Despite being the parent of one of the murdered boys, he was never officially interviewed by the police at the time the murders took place. The type of DNA testing utilized pertains to mtDNA. That makes sense to me. Im not sure if that rumor is true or not, but I do believe TH may have done it & DJ knew about it. Terry Hobbs absolutely killed the boys and the neighbor girl said he had seen them right before the boys died. The bodies had been removed from the water and placed on the adjacent embankment, possibly disturbing physical evidence or otherwise contaminating the scene. Now, I see they can. Misskelley was brought in for questioning on June 3, 1993. And, of course, they believe that much of the evidence produced in the Echols/Baldwin trial was quite probative, including the testimony of two twelve-year old girls who say they heard Damien confess to the murders at a softball park, and blue candle wax found on Chris Byers' shirt that was "consistent" with candle wax found in the bedroom of Echols. 'Ll be sort of like I 'm the West Memphis are going to teach your fucking ass. he Stevie... 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