JESSIE: He didnt know nothin about that. The first report to the police was made by Byers' adoptive father, John Mark Byers, around 7:00pm. Aaron, a playmate of the murdered boys', mentioned to Bray that the boys had been killed at "the playhouse." RIDGE: Okay, how were they screwing them when you saw them? [8] Initial police searches made that night were limited. This isnotsomething only the police knew). [48], After an expert examined autopsy photos and noted what he thought might be the imprint of a belt buckle on Byers' corpse, the elder Byers revealed to the police that he had spanked his stepson shortly before the boy disappeared. GITCHELL: Now, did you say that the boys skipped school that day. The memorial is located in the playground of Weaver Elementary School in West Memphis, where all three victims were second graders at the time of the crime. [9], In October 2003, Vicki Hutcheson, who had played a part in the arrests of Misskelley, Echols, and Baldwin, gave an interview to the Arkansas Times in which she stated that every word she had given to the police was a fabrication. [9], Shortly after Misskelley's first confession, police arrested Echols and his close friend Baldwin. [citation needed], On or about June 1, 1993, Hutcheson agreed to police suggestions to place hidden microphones in her home during an encounter with Echols. [56] That ruling was appealed to the Arkansas Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in the case on September 30, 2010. Moore enjoyed wearing his scout uniform even when he was not at meetings. The record on appeal spells out a long history of Echols' mental health problems, including a May 5, 1992, Arkansas Department of Youth Services referral for possible mental illness, a year to the day before the murders. He had stayed the night at a friends house who had no phone. RIDGE: Alright, where did he cut him at? In his efforts to win a new trial, Echols, 27 at the time of the appeal, claimed he was incompetent to stand trial because of a history of mental illness. RIDGE:Holes in the knees. [61] As part of the plea deal, the three men cannot pursue civil action against the state for wrongful imprisonment. RIDGE: Alright, and you know where the little Creek is that goes out to the express way, and it doesnt have a lot of water in it, but its got some water in it, and its flowing through the, which side of that creek were you on, were you on the Memphis side of the creek or the Blue Beacon side of the creek? RIDGE:Were they in the houses or were they in the trees when they took those pictures? Their clothing was found in the creek, some of it twisted around sticks that had been thrust into the muddy ditch bed. JESSIE: Yeah, they seen them boys and then they hollered, Damien hollered said, hey, the little boys come up there. [94], On August 19, 2011, Echols, along with Baldwin and Misskelley, entered an Alford plea, while asserting their innocence. RIDGE:Light blonde, or like a sandy reddish type blonde, do you know the difference? JESSIE: Yes, he run out there and I caught him and brought him back, and then I took off, (This is the first of seven times that Jessie says he left and hes told and you came back.You dont need a PhD to see that this confession is utter crap. RIDGE:Why did you not come forward with this information? [9] On May 9, during a formal interview by Detective Bryn Ridge, Echols mentioned that one of the victims had wounds to the genitals; law enforcement viewed this knowledge as incriminating. (Impossible time; the boys were in school. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Jessie Misskelley Sr. of Marion, Arkansas, who passed away on February 21, 2021, at the age of 82, leaving to mourn family and friends. Would you do that? JESSIE: They beat them up so bad where they cant hardly move, they had their hands tied down and he sit on them. RIDGE:When you left from there, did you leave running? What did he say about that? Copyright 2012 WMC-TV. (They have to make sure again that Jessie knows what a penis is? JESSIE: Uh, like a regular knife blade. Police initially suspected the boys had been raped;[10] however, later expert testimony disputed this finding. HBO executives ordered them to return the knife to the West Memphis Police Department. [90] Hospital records for his treatment in Little Rock 11 months before the killings show a history of self-mutilation and assertions to hospital staff that he gained power by drinking blood, that he had inside him the spirit of a woman who had killed her husband, and that he was having hallucinations. MATTINGLY: On February 4th, 1994, Jessie Misskelley was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Misskelley was first questioned on June 3, 1993, a day after Hutcheson's purported confession. Jessie Misskelley Jessie Misskelley returned home to West Memphis after his release, the only one out of the WM3 who decided to stay in the area. RIDGE: okay, so he was choking him to the point where he actually went unconscious, so at that point, you felt like he was dead? RIDGE: Okay, the knives, was it one knife, two knives, was your knife there? GITCHELL: So, what else left is there, after that? GITCHELL: How long have you been involved in it? This is very, very important, now just tell us the truth. ", On March 23, 2016, Echols gave a presentation about his art processes at the, The transcript of Echols' spoken word performance in. [50] The prosecutors, while conceding that no DNA evidence tied the accused to the crime scene, said: "The State stands behind its convictions of Echols and his codefendants. JESSIE: Uh, I dont know what he done with it, cause after I left then they, I dont know what they done with, after I left I dont know what they done with it. She had a conversation with Misskelley, who was behind bars at the time, before he went to trial. RIDGE:Okay, what were you doing in the water? RIDGE:How was he actually killed? RIDGE:Wouldnt have any problem with that? His stated reasons for the removal are apparently contradictory. Digging for an answer when he doesnt know what response will please his questioner). RIDGE:Alright, Damien, what was Damien wearing. [10], After a month had passed with little progress in the case, police continued to focus their investigation upon Echols, interrogating him more frequently than any other person. Echols self-published the memoir, Almost Home: My Life Story Vol. JESSIE: They could run, they just had them tied, when they knocked them down and stuff, they could move (hold?) According to his mother, Christopher was a typical eight-year-old. In 2000, The album Free the West Memphis 3 was released by KOCH Records. Did you actually hit any of these boys? There was anal-dialation on two of the boys, which is most likely from the water. RIDGE: Okay, and when you came back a little bit later, and are all three boys are tied? Or had he just been watching them. JESSIE:I was close by the interstate. Michael Moore was the son of Todd and Dana Moore. JESSIE: Close to right where there before you come in and they laid them down right there, and after I left I dont know what they done with the bikes. RIDGE:The boots that Damien had on, are they army type boots too, or what kind of boots were they? (No one knew that the three boyus would be together; Steve Branch was told to be home in 15 minutes, Chris Byers was prohibited from being the RHH woods the idea that it was a targeted killing of these boys doesnt even come close to fitting). JESSIE:They, Jason stuck his in one thems mouth and Damien was screwing one of them up the ass and stuff. [70], John E. Douglas, a former longtime FBI agent and current criminal profiler, said that the murders were more indicative of a single murderer intent on degrading and punishing the victims, than of a trio of "unsophisticated" teenagers. JESSIE: They asked me how come I left so early and stuff, and I told them that I couldnt stay there watching it no more, so I had to do something to get out of there. And be truthful. JESSIE: No, they didnt get into the water with us. JESSIE:Yes, I think when we had that cult. GITCHELL:Have you ever seen them with a briefcase before? [66] In 2007, Pamela Hobbs, the mother of victim Stevie Branch, joined those who have publicly questioned the verdicts, calling for a reopening of the verdicts and further investigation of the evidence. (You dont have to be a doctor to know that when someone is hit child or adult it doesnt bruise them up until much later. [22], Police officers James Sudbury and Steve Jones felt that the crime had "cult" overtones, and that Damien Echols might be a suspect because he had an interest in occultism, and Jones felt Echols was capable of murdering children. [20] At the time of his arrest, Echols was working part-time with a roofing company and expecting a child with his girlfriend, Domini Teer.[9]. RIDGE:okay, which one did you see killed? .no . "This was not justice," he said of the deal. Stidham, who was later elected to a municipal judgeship, has written a detailed critique[citation needed] of what he asserts are major police errors and misconceptions during their investigation. Douglas served as FBI Unit Chief of the Investigative Support Unit of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime for 25 years. He testified that Judge Burnett responded, "You'll need food for when you come back for sentencing," and that the foreman asked in return what would happen if the defendant was acquitted. [3] Echols, ADC# 000931, entered the system on March 19, 1994. The plea deal did not technically result in a full exoneration; some of the convictions would stand, but the men would not admit guilt. RIDGE: okay, what occurred while you were there? [59], The families of the three victims are divided in their opinions as to the guilt or innocence of the West Memphis Three. He then realized, he has said, that his refusal would have meant that Echols stayed on death row. RIDGE: When he hits the first boy and then Jason hits another boy, and one takes off running. So, how much is Jessie Misskelley worth at the age of 47 years old? [4], In July 2007, new forensic evidence was presented. He stated in his report for Echols's legal team that there was no evidence the murders were linked to satanic rituals and that post-mortem animal predation could explain the alleged knife injuries. RIDGE:Okay, had somebody taken pictures of these boys? RIDGE: And what else, I think you said that he made the call from his house? Misskelley's confession eventually served as the basis for all three arrests. JESSIE: They had holes in them and the knees were cut. However, the confession was at odds with facts known by police, such as the time of the murders. Police said the recording was "inaudible", but Hutcheson claimed the recording was audible. RIDGE:What did they look like? RIDGE: okay, now when its going on, when this is taking place, you under you saw somebody with a knife, who had a knife? The song is about the West Memphis Three, with 100% of the proceeds going to their benefit foundation for their release. He is a producer, known for Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011), Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000). RIDGE: Beat them up real bad, and then they took their clothes off? JESSIE: By uh, Blue Beacon Truck Wash. (The location was widely reported in the media in May 1993), (Ridge might as well say: reat afte me A little patch of woods). RIDGE: He didnt tell you that he hid it somewhere? RIDGE:You went to the Robin Hood, explain to me where those woods are. RIDGE: At 9 oclock in the morning? Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? JESSIE:Everybody, and we have an orgee and stuff like that. JESSIE: No, they just hollered at them, they showed up. [29], During Misskelley's trial, Richard Ofshe, an expert on false confessions and police coercion, and Professor of Sociology at UC Berkeley, testified that the brief recording of Misskelley's interrogation was a "classic example" of police coercion. RIDGE: Im not saying when they called you. GITCHELL: Alright, thats uh the Byers boy. JESSIE: Not that I know of, I wouldnt. (Jessie does not state the location of the crime scene; Ridge tells him, and Jessie repeats it. In 2000, the biological father of Christopher Byers, Rick Murray, expressed his doubts about the guilty verdicts on the West Memphis Three website. Later that evening, their parents reported the boys missing. Did they take like one picture of one boy. GITCHELL: Is that when you first saw the pictures of the boys? (Again, Jessie says he arrived at 9 a.m., after stating just above that he arrived at 12 noon!). He is from 1975. After the documentary crew returned to New York, Berlinger and Sinofsky were reported to have discovered what appeared to be blood on the knife. No way did this happen; it is a straight-up invention said to tell Ridge what he wanted to hear. Jessie Misskelley is reluctant to talk, but his father ushis son is working and doing fine in West Memphis. Gitchell touched on a point, real close, now what clothes were Jason wearing that day? Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment. By then, the man had left, and police did not enter the restroom on that date. This ruling was in turn thrown out by the Arkansas Supreme Court as to all three defendants on November 4, 2010.[46]. A report jointly issued by the state and the defense team stated, "Although most of the genetic material recovered from the scene was attributable to the victims of the offenses, some of it cannot be attributed to either the victims or the defendants. RIDGE:To that particular place? RIDGE: This is Det. John Mark Byers, the adoptive father of victim Christopher Byers, gave a knife to cameraman Doug Cooper, who was working with documentary makers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky while filming the first Paradise Lost feature. RIDGE: Alright, Insp. Im saying what time was it that you were actually there in the park? JESSIE: They need to be put away for awhile. [citation needed], While in prison, Echols wrote letters to Gloria Shettles, an investigator for his defense team. Police believed the boys were assaulted and killed at the location where they were found; critics argued that the assault, at least, was unlikely to have occurred at the creek. JESSIE: They were sitting so far away, they were in the water, I would say about five to ten seconds, then come up and then the other one would go down. (Gitchell plainly sounds like he knows hes talking to someone with a childs mind). Jessie Misskelley maintains guilt to his lawyers - Summer 1993 . He was considered the leader of the three. RIDGE:Was it a knife that you fold up, or was it like a hunting knife? JESSIE: They hadnt they hadnt said nothing around me, when I was over to my friends house, they didnt say nothing. Byers was the only victim with drugs in his system; he was prescribed Ritalin (methylphenidate) in January 1993 as part of treatment of an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. When told the blood matched both his and Chris' blood type, Byers said he had no idea how that blood might have gotten on the knife. RIDGE:And, what kind of blade did it have on it? (*****During this statement Jessie says that the boys were beaten by Damien and Jason with their fists, then he is asked if they were hit with sticks, and he answers yes. Organized by Eddie Spaghetti of the band Supersuckers, the album featured a number of original songs about the case and other recordings by artists such as Steve Earle, Tom Waits, L7, and Joe Strummer. Each had achieved the rank of "Wolf" in the local Cub Scout pack and were best friends.[15]. And what did they tell you on the telephone? [74] A biography of John Mark Byers by Greg Day named Untying the Knot: John Mark Byers and the West Memphis Three was published in May 2012. Anal dialation CAN happen after sodomoy; however, it is unlikely that two boys were raped and BOTH of them only showed dialation and NO tearing, especially in light of the violent rape with fighting and struggling that Jessie alleges. I could not believe it was in Terry's things. JESSIE: I was just wearing regular blue jeans, my shoes. There is no way he could have received any call). Note:This is a transcription of the taped confession of Jessie Misskelley, Jr. regarding the murder of Chris Byers, Steve Branch and Michael Moore. is 5'2"(1.57m) . Byers initially claimed the knife had never been used. Not long after three teens were arrested, including Damien Echols, 18, Jason Baldwin, 16, and Jessie Misskelley, 17. JESSIE: Then they tied them up, tied their hands up, they started screwing them and stuff, cutting them and stuff, and I saw it and I turned around and looked, and then I took off running, I went home, then they called me and asked me, how come I didnt stay, I told them, I just couldnt. JESSIE: Right, we walked and then uh, JESSIE: We went up to Robin Hood. "He still believed in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus". During the trial, the prosecution asserted that the juveniles killed the children as part of a Satanic ritual. I had been shocked that the police did not find it with Stevie when they found his body. All three were released from prison that same day. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. JESSIE: I couldnt stand it to see what they were doing to them. He just said no and again we ask a question designed to ignore the last answer and give another, completely different response), JESSIE:Jason was screwing him while Damien stuck his in his mouth and then they both were. RIDGE: What time is it right now? RIDGE:Did you actually rape any of these boys? Charles Jason Baldwin was born April 11, 1977. RIDGE: Okay, did any of the other two boys, were you there when they were actually killed? "We were writing each other two years before he got out. When police speculated about the assailant, the juvenile probation officer assisting at the scene of the murders speculated that Echols was "capable" of committing the murders," stating: "it looks like Damien Echols finally killed someone. Stidham said the judge closed the door without answering. Echols, who had been tried as an adult, was sentenced to death. The knife was not received at the West Memphis Police Department until January 8, 1994. GITCHELL: You didnt see a briefcase? RIDGE: Okay, they killed the boys, you decided to go, you went home, how long after you got home before you received the phone call? Further testing of the knife produced inconclusive results about the source of the blood. RIDGE:Okay, how did he have sex with that one? His father said Byers may not have taken his prescription on May 5, 1993. Stidham overheard Judge Burnett discuss taking a lunch break with the jury foreman and heard the foreman reply that the jury was almost finished. [86] Until August 2011, he was incarcerated in the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) Varner Unit Supermax. RIDGE:hes going to Blue Beacon, is he going out towards the fields, wheres he running too? RIDGE: Okay, and when you left, did you hear any more hollering or anything? RIDGE: Alright, when did they take their clothes off? Damien Wayne Echols (born Michael Wayne Hutchison,[85] December 11, 1974) was on death row, locked-down 23 hours per day at the Varner Unit Supermax. "However, they're trying to kill Damien. JESSIE:There was a group of pictures of all three of them. . JESSIE: We were just sitting there, throwing stuff at each other. Echols is married, an author, and a movie producer who travels the world. RIDGE:Well, which one did he have? And what kind of a shirt, you know everybody wears a special shirt with different things, (Begging for an answer having to do with death), JESSIE: He was wearing a mega death shirt. [3][9] Misskelley's father gave permission for Misskelley to go with police but did not explicitly give permission for his son to be questioned or interrogated. Judge David Laser accepted the pleas and sentenced the three to time served. JESSIE: We usually you know, kill an animals, you know, so you have to know how to handle the meat and stuff, after we kill it to see if he knows, if he cant handle it, then he dont get in. The man reportedly wore a "blue cast type brace on his arm that had white Velcro on it", which would have made it difficult to tie up and murder three young boys. None was found to match DNA from Echols, Baldwin, or Misskelley. To call them disorderly would be putting it mildly. Boggan appeared in the first documentary of the Paradise Lost series about the murders. GITCHELL: Did they have a briefcase with them? Basically, when we went to trial the first time, they came in with ghost stories, rumors, "Arkansas Teen Found Guilty On Three Counts Of Murder,", Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three, "Youth Is Convicted In Slaying of 3 Boys In an Arkansas City", "Arguments conclude in 'West Memphis Three' appeals", "How Rockers Helped Free the West Memphis Three", "Fresh DNA evidence boosts defense in 1993 Arkansas slayings", "Damien Echols asks for new trial in West Memphis 3 murder case", "Pain tells how much life 3 slain boys had", "Police see progress in Ark. RIDGE: Alright, when did you go with them? RIDGE:Now these meetings, have they ever been violent, anybody gotten mad and got into a fight? JESSIE: Yeah, weve been in the water, we were in it that night, playing around in it. Under the "Bruton rule", Misskelley's confession could not be admitted against his co-defendants; thus he was tried separately. He has one daughter with his ex-wife Elizabeth Baldwin, and one son with his former girlfriend Isabella Hofmann. In 2005, Damien Echols completed his memoir, Almost Home, Vol 1, offering his perspective of the case. scout deaths", "New judge appointed for West Memphis appeals", "Deal Frees 'West Memphis Three' in Arkansas", "The Ropes & Gray Partner Who Helped Free the West Memphis Three", Prosecutor's statement on West Memphis 3 plea deal, "West Memphis Three Attorneys Discuss Alford Plea Details", "FLASH: West Memphis 3 freed in plea bargain", "West Memphis 3, locked up 18 years, together in NY", "Arkansas crime lab to study 'West Memphis 3' case DNA", "Father of Victim to Convicted Killer: "I'm Here for You", Victim's father wants West Memphis 3 set free, Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines Wins "West Memphis Three" Defamation Suit, "Professional profiler convinced of innocence of West Memphis Three", "Mindhunter: Former FBI unit chief recalls high-profile cases", "Metallica May Give Music To "Paradise Lost" Sequel", Untying The Knot: John Mark Byers and the West Memphis child murders, "Disturbed Release Benefit Single for West Memphis Three", "West Memphis Three 'Wrongully Convicted Episode Trailer White Light Productions' CNN iReport", "Decades without daylight: 'West Memphis Three' describe life in prison", "Johnny Depp Reveals Anguish Over West Memphis Three Injustice", "West Memphis Three drama 'Devil's Knot' with Reese Witherspoon sets release", "West Memphis 3 cases to receive hearing, possible new trial", "Q&A: Paradise Lost directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky", "Damien Echols may be troubled but he's not killer, some say", "Echols of West Memphis 3 talks about appeal, death row", "Defense Offers New Evidence in a Murder Case That Shocked Arkansas", "The Damien I Know The Architect and the Inmate", "CNN Larry King Live-Damien Echols Death Row Interview", Echols' Attorneys File New Motion Claiming Wrongful Conviction In 'West Memphis Three' Case, "Piers Morgan Damien Echols On The Death Penalty 02/08/2013", "Ex-Misfits Singer Rocks With West Memphis 3's Echols | Billboard.com", "Illusions Album: Michale Graves & Damien Echols", "L.A. Times article on Damien Echols art exhibit at Copro Gallery", "SALEM Exhibit of Echols' Artwork at the Copro Gallery", "DAMIEN ECHOLS ARTISTS ON ART MARCH 25 6:15 7:00 PM", "The Midnight Gospel: Damien Echols' appearance explained how the Netlfix voice actor escaped death row", The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry (The Butler Center for Arkansas Studies), Echols of West Memphis 3 talks about appeal, death row, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=West_Memphis_Three&oldid=1134318011, Echols co-wrote the lyrics to the song "Army Reserve", on, Echols and Michale Graves released an album titled, Echols began creating art while on death row as a "side effect of my spiritual, magical practice.
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