JESSIE: A friend of mine, he borrowed them. RIDGE: So, what do you think ought to be done to them for killing these boys? The counsel representing the men said they would continue to pursue full exoneration. Misskelley and Echols had dropped out of high school; however, Baldwin earned high grades and demonstrated a talent for drawing and sketching, and was encouraged by one of his teachers to study graphic design in college. 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? Also, my sister Jo Lynn told me that she saw Terry wash clothes, bed linens and curtains from Stevie's room at an odd time around the time of the Murders. RIDGE:Are you scared of Damien now? Arnold was accused of advocating for the guilt of the West Memphis Three and sharing knowledge of inadmissible evidence, like the Jessie Misskelley statements, with other jurors. [65] Ellington said that, although he still considered the men guilty, the three would likely be acquitted if a new trial were held because of the powerful legal counsel representing them now, the loss of evidence over time, and the change of heart among some of the witnesses. Officials failed to drain the creek in a timely manner and secure possible evidence in the water (the creek was sandbagged after the bodies were pulled from the water). To assist in the appeals process, Echols' appellate legal team retained a Berkeley, California-based forensic psychiatrist, Dr. George Woods, to make their case. 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. It is not yet known whether the jury had an accurate transcript that included the next, critical portion wherein Jessie is told they are correcting his statement ]]]. murder inquiry", "Help sought for memorial to victims in West Memphis 3 case", "3 Teen-Agers Accused in the Killings of 3 Boys", "collective paradise lost, revelations dvd", "WM3 Interview With Dan Stidham, Part 1 of 11", "Miscellaneous Essays and Interviews David Jauss", "Witnesses call boys deaths work of group with trappings of the occult", "West Memphis 3: Echols, Baldwin, Misskelley Speak", Lawyers file DNA motion in Cub Scout murder case, "KAIT: Mother of West Memphis 3 Victim Speaks About New DNA Evidence", Jury foreman in West Memphis Three trial of Damien Echols accused of misconduct, "Former lawyer supports effort for a new trial", Arkansas Blog: West Memphis 3 Press Conference, "Judge rejects request for new trial for 3 men convicted of 1993 slayings of 3 Arkansas boys", "New hearing ordered for 3 in Ark. The three were accused and convicted of a triple homicide in West Memphis, Arkansas. JESSIE:And I left and stuff, and walked home. Michael Moore was the son of Todd and Dana Moore. [citation needed]. JESSIE: No, they just hollered at them, they showed up. JESSIE: He choked him real bad and all. JESSIE:There was a group of pictures of all three of them. I strongly suggest listening along while reading this transcript. RIDGE: In the woods. JESSIE: Thats the one that I seen them cutting on. GITCHELL: Where did the boys put their bikes? (WMC-TV) - Jessie Misskelley is the lone member of the West Memphis 3, who shied away from the spotlight. They were released with 10-year suspended sentences, having served 18 years. After a reported 12 hours of interrogation by police, Misskelley, who has an IQ of 72, confessed to the murders, and implicated Baldwin and Echols. [9] During Echols' trial, Dr. George W. Woods testified (for the defense) that Echols suffered from: serious mental illness characterized by grandiose and persecutory delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, disordered thought processes, substantial lack of insight, and chronic, incapacitating mood swings. RIDGE: And what else, I think you said that he made the call from his house? RIDGE:Was anything on his shirt? RIDGE:Okay, you couldnt stand it. 0:49 Jessie Misskelley Jr., one of the "West Memphis Three" convicted of killing three boys in the 1990's, faces a court appearance Monday after a weekend arrest for driving without a license,. So they were there for a lot longer. I seen them going down right there real close to his penis and stuff and I saw some blood and thats when I took off. [9][pageneeded], A more thorough police search for the children began around 8:00am on May 6, led by the Crittenden County Search and Rescue personnel. 19. 5-10-102 (a) (2) (Repl. (Once again; there was no evidence of violent sodomy on any of the children. GITCHELL: Did you ever use, did anyone use a stick and hit the boys with? Present in the interview will be Inspector Gary Gitchell and Jessie Misskelley. RIDGE:Okay, Damians didnt come up that far? Byers agreed to and passed a polygraph test about the murders during the filming of Paradise Lost 2: Revelations, but the documentary indicated that Byers was under the influence of several psychoactive prescription medications that could have affected the test results. RIDGE:When he called you on the phone, did he say that he had just got in? View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. During subsequent questioning, Morgan claimed a long history of drug and alcohol use, along with blackouts and memory lapses. RIDGE: Has he ever had sex with them before? Theyre not even TRYING to make this look like a legitimate interrogation! JESSIE: Behind it, right back there behind it. Confession. (Gitchell plainly sounds like he knows hes talking to someone with a childs mind). Christopher Byers had lacerations to various parts of his body and mutilation of his scrotum and penis. Each had achieved the rank of "Wolf" in the local Cub Scout pack and were best friends.[15]. He is not dating anyone. "[93] Advanced DNA and other scientific evidence combined with additional evidence from several different witnesses and experts released in October 2007 had cast strong doubts on the original convictions. "He still believed in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus". JESSIE: And then Damien, I heard Damien in the background saying we done it, we done it, what we gonna do now what about if somebody saw us. If you will look at John Mark Byers statement of 5-19-93 he describes Todd Moore becoming confused that all boys were castrated and John finding out it was only his son; so there was dicussion between the families and possibly those who knew them. Although Jason Baldwin has been out of the spotlight for the past . [5] On August 19, 2011, they entered Alford pleas, which allowed them to assert their innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict them. GITCHELL: Where was the little boy actually at? Misskelley ignored this advice and went on to detail how the boys were abused and murdered. He lived with his mother, Pamela Hobbs, his stepfather, Terry Hobbs, and a four-year-old half-sister, Amanda. (Jessie was never taken to the woods with a video camera for this purpose.). [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. All rights reserved. RIDGE: Okay, let me ask you something, now this is real serious and I want you to be real truthful, and I want you to think about it before you answer it, dont just say yes or no, real quick. On May 15, 1993, Jessie Misskelley, and his older friend David Sims, who was 22-years-old at the time, and his younger friend, Dennis Carter, who was 15, had called the police from a bowling Alley stating they had seen three little boys, who were around 8 or 9 years old fleeing from a man near some train tracks. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment. The polygraph examiner claimed that Echols' chart indicated deception. Bryn Ridge of the West Memphis Police Department, currently in the detective division of the West Memphis Police Department conducting an investigation of the Triple Homicide, Case File # 93-05-0666. [60], Under the deal, Judge David Laser vacated the previous convictions, including the capital murder convictions for Echols and Baldwin, and ordered a new trial. Statement of Jessie L. Misskelley, Jr. 6/3/93. On April 28, 2011, the band Disturbed released a song entitled "3" as a download on their website. RIDGE:Put away for a while. I had always assumed that my son's murderer had taken the knife during the crime. RIDGE:You say that you got sick, so thats what you were saying, did you throw up or anything? JESSIE: I went down there and sit there, and after what they did to the boys, I just sit there. [59], Echols relocated to Salem, Massachusetts with his wife and has no intentions of returning to Arkansas. their arms and stuff, and hold them down like, where they couldnt raise up and the other one stick his legs up. JESSIE: They laid the knife down beside them and I saw them tying them up and then thats when I left, RIDGE: Were the boys conscious or were they, JESSIE: They were unconscious then. [59] Since his release, Misskelley has become engaged to his high school girlfriend and enrolled in a community college to train as an auto mechanic. RIDGE:About the size of a baseball bat, maybe just a little bit bigger round? (Aisde from conflicting with the five times he says and then I left, it also conflicts with the claim that he saw the boys pulled into the water). There has been widespread criticism of the handling of the crime scene by the police. Under the "Bruton rule", Misskelley's confession could not be admitted against his co-defendants; thus he was tried separately. The song is about the West Memphis Three, with 100% of the proceeds going to their benefit foundation for their release. JESSIE: I was looking down, and after I seen all of that, I took off, (Were going to correct that??? JESSIE: They were going to catch their bus and stuff, and they was on their bikes and so, (If the children were catching the bus, why would they be riding their bikes? Now we have a briefcase there that night whereas seconds ago, they didnt. Regardless of your opinion on his behavior, it is safe to say that Jason Baldwin is one of the richest film producers in the world. Alright, another boy was cut I understand, where was he cut at? Video 4: An animated map of the 1993 West Memphis Murders showing the conflicts & corroborations in Jessie Misskelley's first confession on 3rd June 1993.Ind. Stidham testified under oath that during the trial, Judge David Burnett erred by making an improper communication with the jury during its deliberations. [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: And started doing the same thing, then the other one took off, Michael uhhMooretook off running, so I chased him and grabbed him and held him, cause they got there and then I left. GITCHELL: But, you saw them cutting on the boys, JESSIE: I saw them cutting on them, and then. RIDGE: At 9 oclock in the morning? JESSIE:We usually skin it, then make a bon fire and eat it and stuff. RIDGE:when you kill a dog, what do you do with that? [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. JESSIE: Yeah, thats where he was cut at. RIDGE: All three of them would generally be together? Judge David Laser accepted the pleas and sentenced the three to time served. RIDGE:Alright I am going to conclude this interview, the time is 3:18PM. GITCHELL:Were your clothes wet still? RIDGE:Was it a knife that you fold up, or was it like a hunting knife? JESSIE: I got a little bit ways out of there and got half a mile up the road, is when I threw up, and couldnt hardly run and I just threw up. After the documentary crew returned to New York, Berlinger and Sinofsky were reported to have discovered what appeared to be blood on the knife. Also, Matthew states Jason came in around 7:30. This is very, very important, now just tell us the truth. RIDGE:Doesnt get into the club? Up there behind the Goodyear place? There was nothing of the kind on Chris neck. The police did not telephone the coroner until almost two hours after the discovery of the floating shoe, resulting in a late appearance by the coroner. [4], In July 2007, new forensic evidence was presented. He claimed that he "might have" killed the victims but quickly recanted this part of his statement. [53], In September 2008, attorney (now judge) Daniel Stidham, who represented Misskelley in 1994, testified at a postconviction relief hearing. The Alford plea is a legal mechanism that allows defendants to plead guilty while still asserting their actual innocence, in cases where defendants concede that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to secure a conviction. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. 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. Jessie Misskelley was born on July 10, 1975 as Jessie Loyd Misskelly Jr. Damien first came into my life in 1996, when my friend and I watched a documentary called Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills. In 2011, Echols would reflect that, should investigators attempt to proceed to trial with the same evidence compiled in 1993 and with the external scrutiny which had not then existed, he and his co defendants would not have been brought to trial, stating: "They knew that there would be more people watching this, more attention on this case. RIDGE:And one of them was being cut on his penis? RIDGE:Metalica shirt, alright, was he wearing a cap, anything like that? He also opted to stay out of spotlight, so he remains an enigma in many aspects. He is a member of famous Producer with the age 47 years old group. (Listen to the inflection in his voice obviously suggesting an answer). Wouldnt any reasonable questioner ask about the contradiction? (Hello? Echols testified that Detective Ridge's description of their earlier conversation (which was not recorded) regarding those particular details was inaccurate (and indeed that some other claims by Ridge were "lies"). 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:He was holding him down like, and Jason had his legs up in the air and that little boy was kicking, saying, dont, no like that. Byers initially claimed the knife had never been used. [9], Shortly after Misskelley's first confession, police arrested Echols and his close friend Baldwin. He was predeceased by : his wife Kathy . JESSIE: I was just wearing regular blue jeans, my shoes. Hutcheson was unable to recall the Wiccan meeting location and did not name any other participants in the purported meeting. Mara Leveritt, an investigative journalist and the author of Devil's Knot, argues that Echols' information may have come from police leaks, such as Detective Gitchell's comments to Mark Byers, that circulated amongst the local public. [94], On August 19, 2011, Echols, along with Baldwin and Misskelley, entered an Alford plea, while asserting their innocence. RIDGE: Alright, were going to correct that even further, thats the east side, Memphis side is the east side and you were standing at the top of the bank on the west side, were you looking down at what was going on? JESSIE: Well after, all of this stuff happened that night, that they done it, I went home about noon, then they called me at 9 oclock that night, they called me. 3:30 PM - 7:00 PM - Jessie with Susie Brewer. 2:00 PM - Ricky Deese's wife sees Jessie in Highland Trailer park. The prosecution claimed that Echols' knowledge was nonetheless too close to the facts, since there was no public reporting of drowning or that one victim had been mutilated more than the others. RIDGE:The boots that Damien had on, are they army type boots too, or what kind of boots were they? Misskelley, 42, is . Code Ann. Baldwin and Echols were acquainted with Misskelley from school, but were not close friends with him. They were known for wearing black and listening to heavy metal. Naw, no psych or IQ issue here). He and a girlfriend had run off and later broken into a trailer during a rain storm; they were arrested, though only Echols was charged with burglary.[9]. No marks of any kind to his body in that region, nor did he die of asphyxia). [16] Christopher Mark Byers is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery East in Memphis, Tennessee.[17]. 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. The West Memphis Three are three men convicted as teenagers in 1994 of the 1993 murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, United States. He is currently single. Damien was one of the most watched charectars in West Memphis, no one ever mentioned seeing him with a briefcase? And, AGAIN, Jessie leaves #4 and again his statement that he left at that point is ignored.). RIDGE OR GITCHELL? 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Roofing with Ricky Deese and Josh Darby. [49] She further asserted that the police had implied that if she did not cooperate with them they would take away her child. Circuit Court Judge David Laser was selected to replace David Burnett and preside in the evidentiary hearings mandated by the successful appeal. RIDGE:How was he actually killed? After a 12-hour police interrogation, one of the teenagers, Jessie Misskelley Jr., implicated the other two, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin. 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: Beat them up real bad, and then they took their clothes off? [91], Echols' lawyers claimed that his condition worsened during the trial, when he developed a "psychotic euphoria that caused him to believe he would evolve into a superior entity" and eventually be transported to a different world. In 2000, The album Free the West Memphis 3 was released by KOCH Records. The man was bleeding and had brushed against the restroom walls. From left, Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin, the West Memphis Three, after their 1993 arrests in the murder of three boys. Even if they were notinthe park at 9 a.m. it would not take three hours to walk from their homesorLakeshore, which is where, JESSIE: No . This more accurately describes the14thStreetWoods, which are normally known as the RHH woods by locals, not the site where the bodies were found (The Blue Beacon Woods). GITCHELL: When did you go back there? JESSIE:He didnt have one that night. This is consistent with the language ofArk. For other uses, see, "Jason Baldwin" redirects here. [6] The judge sentenced them to 18 years and 78 days, the amount of time they had served, and levied a suspended sentence of 10 years. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. RIDGE: Alright, they were on their bikes, where were the bikes at? Several rounds of DNA testing in recent years have failed to turn up any physical evidence connecting the three men to the . [64] Prosecutor Scott Ellington said the Arkansas state crime laboratory would help seek other suspects by running searches on any DNA evidence produced in private laboratory tests during the defense team's investigation. [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. [54], On October 29, 2007, papers were filed in federal court by Echols's defense lawyers seeking a retrial or his immediate release from prison. "I said, 'Look, you get mad because they're living a good life but they're earning. Following their convictions, Echols, Misskelley, and Baldwin submitted imprints of their teeth. RIDGE:Why did you not come forward with this information? RIDGE: Jason had a knife, what did he cut with the knife. None was found to match DNA from Echols, Baldwin, or Misskelley. Did they get into the water with you all? He testified that his own failure to put this incident on the court record and his failure to meet the minimum requirements in state law to represent a defendant in a capital murder case was evidence of ineffective assistance of counsel and that Misskelley's conviction should therefore be vacated. There was anal-dialation on two of the boys, which is most likely from the water. A police officer leaked portions of Aaron's statements to the press contributing to the growing belief that the murders were part of a Satanic rite. What did he say about that? GITCHELL: So, what else left is there, after that? Uncertainty remained due to the small amount of blood[9] and because both John Mark Byers and Chris Byers had the same HLA-DQ genotype. How could Damien be in the background if he was not there? RIDGE:Does that involve eating part of the penis of the animal? Second, Dennis Dent stated he was having a phone conversation with Angela (Jasons mother) between 9:00 and 9:30 pm, during her break at work. The film followed the true story of three young men, Damien Echols, then 18, Jessie Misskelley Jr, 17, and Jason Baldwin, 16. [32] The court sentenced him to life plus 40 years in prison. On September 10, 2008, Circuit Court Judge David Burnett denied the request for a retrial, citing the DNA tests as inconclusive. [9] Misskelley was questioned for roughly 12 hours. Only two segments, totaling 46 minutes, were recorded. RIDGE: Alright, now you know where the bayou is? [8] Initial police searches made that night were limited. They were transferred to the hearing with their possessions. [72], Three films, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, Paradise Lost 2: Revelations, and Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, have documented this case and are strongly critical of the verdict. . 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. [18], At the time of their arrests, Jessie Misskelley, Jr. was 17 years old, Jason Baldwin was 16 years old, and Damien Echols was 18 years old. RIDGE:Besides just playing, the little boys, had they been in the water? RIDGE:They had already gotten them off. [10] The police interviewed Echols on May 7, two days after the bodies were discovered. JESSIE: He didnt know nothin about that. GITCHELL: Now youre talking about bottom, do you mean right here? JESSIE:Ive been in it for about three months. He confessed to the murders, which inculpated the other two accused. RIDGE: Alright, have they got their clothes on when you saw them tied? [53] At the time, legal experts agreed that this issue could result in the reversal of the convictions of Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols. Even if they were notinthe park at 9 a.m. it would not take three hours to walk from their homesorLakeshore, which is where he will claim they met in alaterstatement.). 9:00 AM - Jessie Sr. wakes up Jessie Jr. to go to work with Ricky Deese and Josh Darby. ), RIDGE: Alright, you got in front of you a picture, that was taken out of the newspaper I believe, its got three boys and these are the three boys that were killed on that date in Robin Hood Woods, okay, which one of those three boys is it you say Damien hit? Echols, who had been tried as an adult, was sentenced to death. "[9], Brent Turvey, a forensic scientist and criminal profiler, stated in the film Paradise Lost 2 that human bite marks could have been left on at least one of the victims. The prosecution called Dale W. Griffis, a graduate of the unaccredited Columbia Pacific University, as an expert in the occult to testify the murders were a Satanic ritual. On June 2, 1993, Hutcheson told police that about two weeks after the murders were committed, she, Echols, and Misskelley attended a Wiccan meeting in Turrell, Arkansas. JESSIE: They could run, they just had them tied, when they knocked them down and stuff, they could move (hold?) That's right, the man I was about to pledge my life to was a convicted murderer. Damien Echols told Action News 5's Janice Broach that he worries about Misskelley. All three were released from prison that same day. RIDGE: Alright, Insp. Currently in the office we have Jessie Lloyd Misskelley, Jr., birthdate: 7-10 of 75, education at the 9th grade, the place, we're in the Detectives Division, today's date is 6-3 of 93, the time now is 2:44 pm. And what did they tell you on the telephone? [27], Vicki Hutcheson, a new resident of West Memphis, would play an important role in the investigation, though she would later recant her testimony, claiming her statements were fabricated due in part to coercion from police. All money raised from sales of the album are donated to the legal funds of the West Memphis Three. On May 5, 1993, Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Stevie Branchall of whom were eight years oldwent bike riding in West Memphis. Or had he just been watching them. RIDGE:These blue jeans that Jason was wearing, designer jeans, or were they old jeans, wore out, holes. [77], Investigative journalist Aphrodite Jones undertook an exploration of the case on her Discovery Network show True Crime with Aphrodite Jones following the DNA discoveries. RIDGE:okay, uh does Damien have a knife? However, the confession was at odds with facts known by police, such as the time of the murders. GITCHELL: okay, now you have participated in this cult, right? (It is also confirmed that Jason was in school on 5/5/93; hecouldnot have been in the woods at 9 AM.). [76], A website by Martin David Hill, containing approximately 160,000 words and intending to be a "thorough investigation", collates and discusses many details surrounding the murders and investigation, including some anecdotal information. [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. RIDGE: Okay. [81], Jessie Misskelley Jr. (born July 10, 1975) was arrested in connection to the murders of May 5, 1993. "Jason sends him texts and stuff all the time asking him why don't he come to this. RIDGE: Okay, so they were just messing around in the water. RIDGE: Has he done things with them before? Jessie Misskelley said in a short interview a few months ago that he is happy staying out of the limelight, as he lives and works in West Memphis. GITCHELL: Okay, what is, tell me some of the things that you all do typically in the woods, in being in this cult. Not long after three teens were arrested, including Damien Echols, 18, Jason Baldwin, 16, and Jessie Misskelley, 17. Jessie Misskelley was born on July 10, 1975. There was additional new evidence discovered in 2007 that I cannot now recall. JESSIE: He made the call from his house and Damien was hollering in the background saying, we done it, we done it, what are going to do if somebody saw us, what are we going to do? [3][9] Misskelley specifically said he was "scared of the police" during this confession. [82], On August 19, 2011, Misskelley, along with Baldwin and Echols, entered an Alford plea. RIDGE:Didnt you go there with some more boys once? After the West Memphis 3 were convicted, Susie Brewer Boggan went on with her life. Dating & Relationship status He is currently single. RIDGE:Are you scared of the police now? He also told mental health workers that he was "going to influence the world. director of photography Film Editing by Susan Shipton Casting By Production Design by Phillip Barker Art Direction by Thomas Minton Set Decoration by Melinda Sanders Costume Design by Kari Perkins [59], The families of the three victims are divided in their opinions as to the guilt or innocence of the West Memphis Three. JESSIE: Right after I they beat up all three of them, and beat them up real bad. [9], On February 5, 1994, Misskelley was convicted by a jury of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder. Was he faced down and he was cutting on him, or. Directed by Atom Egoyan Writing Credits ( WGA) Cast (in credits order) Produced by Music by Mychael Danna Cinematography by Paul Sarossy . Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Jessie's first taped confession to West Memphis Police in June, 1993. Police refused an unsolicited offer of aid and consultation from the violent crimes experts of the Arkansas State Police, and critics suggested this was due to the WMPD's being under investigation by the Arkansas State Police for suspected theft from the Crittenden County drug task force. But Jessie's life did not go the same direction as Echols and Baldwin. [6], On May 5, 1993, three eight-year-old boys (Steve Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers) were reported missing in West Memphis, Arkansas. Later that evening, their parents reported the boys missing. (Jessie just said noon, it is now beingsuggestedto him to use a new time), Above Jessie has stated they met at 9 a.m., not 12 noon. (The crime scene was blocked off for over a month and guarded by WMPD precisely to see if the criminal would return to the scene of the crime.No reports of Jessie appearing were made.). 30 minutes or an hour? What color is Jasons hair? He told me that he had to go toWest Memphisso, him and Damien with and then I went with them. The films marked the first time Metallica allowed their music to be used in a movie, which drew attention to the case. All three defendants pleaded not guilty. JESSIE: I was just wearing a regular one of my old greasy up t-shirt. 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. Miller dismissed a suit Hobbs filed over Maines' remarks and writings implying that he was involved in killing his stepson. Charles Jason Baldwin[83] (born April 11, 1977) along with Misskelley and Echols, entered an Alford plea on August 19, 2011. RIDGE:Light blonde, or like a sandy reddish type blonde, do you know the difference? He was last seen wearing blue pants, a blue Boy Scouts of America shirt, and an orange and blue Boy Scout hat, and riding a light green bicycle. [44], In 2007, Echols petitioned for a retrial, based on a statute permitting post-conviction testing of DNA evidence due to technological advances made since 1994 which might provide exoneration for the wrongfully convicted. (Jessie Misskelly did not have access to a phone at this time. RIDGE:Scared of Damien? GITCHELL: Now, where you in a car? RIDGE:Okay, the night you were in these woods, uh had you all been in the water? 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. 18. According to our Database, He has no children. These were compared to the alleged bite marks on Stevie Branch's forehead that had not been mentioned in the original autopsy or trial. They did college in jail. RIDGE:No kind of design or anything? GITCHELL: Ive got a feeling here, youre not quite telling me everything, now you know that were recording everything, so this is very, very important to tell us the entire truth. He named Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols . Jessie Misskelley lives life out of the spotlight, Jessie Misskelley Lives Life Out Of The Spotlight, Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley report to prison, This has been the worst Ive ever been through: 97-year-old woman attacked by granddaughter, drunk, police say. JESSIE: He was cutting him in the face. 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. [40][n 1], In May 1994, the three defendants appealed their convictions;[42] the convictions were upheld on direct appeal. [9], At his death penalty sentencing hearing, Echols' psychologist reported that months before the murders, Echols had claimed that he obtained super powers by drinking human blood. JESSIE: It leads out there close to the uhh field, close to the interstate. Searchers canvassed all of West Memphis but focused primarily on Robin Hood Hills, where the boys were reported last seen. [90] Echols's mental state while in prison awaiting trial was also called into question by his appellate team. The knife was a folding hunting knife manufactured by Kershaw. During interrogation, West Memphis police suggested to Byers that he might have left the knife out accidentally, and Byers agreed with this. JESSIE:Ive seen them once that night, I seen them with it that night. JESSIE: They laid their bikes down when they come out to the, when they hollered for them to come out there, (When they hollered for them to come out there conflicts with claim that Jessie and Jason were hiding and Damien [singular] called the boys over). Byers was eight years old, 4ft. tall, weighed 52lbs, and had light brown hair. Despite his reported IQ of 72 (categorizing him as borderline intellectual functioning) and his status as a minor, Miskelley was questioned alone; his parents were not present during the interrogation. ", On March 23, 2016, Echols gave a presentation about his art processes at the, The transcript of Echols' spoken word performance in. A little gun? Nonetheless, they claimed he was not regarded as a direct suspect but a source of information. A hair identified as belonging to a black male was later recovered from a sheet wrapped around one of the victims. . He has claimed both that the seizure medication he was taking caused periodontal disease, and that he planned the removal because of other kinds of dental problems which had troubled him for years. A hearing on Echols' petition for a writ of habeas corpus was held in the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Misskelley's confession eventually served as the basis for all three arrests. 1 (2005), while still in prison. The plea deal did not technically result in a full exoneration; some of the convictions would stand, but the men would not admit guilt. JESSIE: Not that I know of, I wouldnt. 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. RIDGE:Youve been back to this place since that murder. (He was submerged in the water and just a few minutes later, they were just damp?). He lived with his mother, Sharon Melissa Byers, his adoptive father, John Mark Byers, and his stepbrother, Shawn Ryan Clark, aged 13. 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. When the bodies proved to have been discovered near where Aaron indicated, Bray asked Aaron for further details, and Aaron claimed that he had witnessed the murders committed by Satanists who spoke Spanish. [71] Douglas believed that the perpetrator had a violent history and was familiar with the victims and with local geography. (Above Jessie has stated they met at 9 a.m., not 12 noon. Jessie Misskelley, Sr. of Marion, AR September 5, 1938 - February 21, 2021 Jessie Loyd Misskelley,Sr. [69], In 2010, district Judge Brian S. Miller ordered Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of victim Stevie Branch, to pay $17,590 to Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines for legal costs stemming from a defamation lawsuit he filed against the band. (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). (Uh, no he didnt. [39] The State's experts had examined the actual bodies for any marks, and others conducted expert photo analysis of injuries. RIDGE: Yeah, you dont know what time it is? [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. RIDGE:To that particular place? Producer: Devil's Knot. [1][2][3], Due to the dubious nature of the evidence as well as the suspected presence of emotional bias in court, the case generated widespread controversy and was the subject of several documentaries. [67] In late 2007, John Mark Byerswho was previously vehement in his belief that Echols, Misskelley, and Baldwin were guiltyalso announced that he now believes that they are innocent. Early in the investigation, the WMPD briefly regarded two West Memphis teenagers as suspects. [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. In 2002, Henry Rollins worked with other vocalists from various rock, hip hop, punk and metal groups and members of Black Flag and the Rollins Band on the compilation album Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three. In an interview with Piers Morgan, he said that he would like to have a career in writing and visual arts.[95]. The judge then sentenced the three men to 18 years and 78 days, the amount of time they had served, and also levied a suspended sentence of 10 years. [80], Atom Egoyan directed a dramatized feature film of the case, titled Devil's Knot, released in U.S. theaters on May 9, 2014. RIDGE:Okay, how did he have sex with that one? The third picture, which will be. Okay, youve been down there in those woods before. Upon further examination, it was concluded that if these marks were bite marks, they did not match the teeth of any of the three convicted. JESSIE: Close like army type, not quite, RIDGE:Okay, they are black, is that right, they lace up? JESSIE: Yeah, they seen them boys and then they hollered, Damien hollered said, hey, the little boys come up there. Digging for an answer when he doesnt know what response will please his questioner). . RIDGE: Okay. [47] John Mark Byers had his teeth removed in 1997, after the first trial but before an imprint could be made. [61] As part of the plea deal, the three men cannot pursue civil action against the state for wrongful imprisonment. RIDGE:What did they look like? Trade Mark (2) Shaved head Tattoo of a clock with no hands Trivia (1) She got married, had children, but the dream did not die. [9], On June 3, the police interrogated Jessie Misskelley, Jr. He is in a relationship with a woman who befriended him while he was in prison. He had never told me that he had it. ALSO, the Commercial Appeal, local newspaper, picked up chatter about the murders on their police scanner, hearing about the castration, and printed it in the next days paper. 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. ????). RIDGE: Alright, you know what a penis is? 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. [14], Steve Edward Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore were all second graders at Weaver Elementary School. RIDGE: And you mentioned that you heard some voice in the background? And Susie Brewer Boggan says she is now out of Jessie Misskelley's life. Jessie Misskelley Jr Confession in West Memphis Three Case Home Law Jessie Misskelley Jr Confession in West Memphis Three Case February 3, 2022 by Madison Gregory Note: This is a transcription of the taped confession of Jessie Misskelley, Jr. regarding the murder of Chris Byers, Steve Branch and Michael Moore. RIDGE:When you left from there, did you leave running? RIDGE:Well, which one did he have? Then I came down here when he got out," she said. Seeing a bruised up photo taken later would explain this statement; a recollection of the events as they were occurring could not). RIDGE:Did you see any of the boys actually killed? [9] Echols and Baldwin were close friends, and bonded over their similar tastes in music and fiction, and over their shared distaste for the prevailing cultural climate of West Memphis, situated in the Bible Belt. RIDGE:You havent heard anybody? 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. JESSIE: They took turns going up under the water. Jessies times of arrival at the woods will change many times throughout the three statements), JESSIE: Yes, I did. And be truthful. [23] King gave the officers a pair of sunglasses he thought the man had left behind, and the detectives took some blood samples from the walls and tiles of the restroom. He then realized, he has said, that his refusal would have meant that Echols stayed on death row. He is a producer, known for Devil's Knot (2013), Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) and West of Memphis (2012). That night? During the trial, the prosecution asserted that the juveniles killed the children as part of a Satanic ritual. [3] Echols, ADC# 000931, entered the system on March 19, 1994. RIDGE: Alright, where were they at? Jessie Misskelley Jr., released from prison in 2011 in the infamous West Memphis Three case was jailed Saturday night after he was arrested on a slew of traffic citations. [23], In July 2008, it was revealed that Kent Arnold, the jury foreman on the Echols-Baldwin trial, had discussed the case with an attorney prior to the beginning of deliberations. RIDGE: So, there is like a tall bank, were you where were you at on that bank? I had been shocked that the police did not find it with Stevie when they found his body. A hair "not inconsistent with" Stevie Branch's stepfather, Terry Hobbs, was found tied into the knots used to bind one of the victims. (There is no way this phone call could have taken place. JESSIE: They beat them up so bad where they cant hardly move, they had their hands tied down and he sit on them. [26][43] In June 1996, Misskelley's lawyer, Dan Stidham, was preparing an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. JESSIE: He had been watching them. Stidham overheard Judge Burnett discuss taking a lunch break with the jury foreman and heard the foreman reply that the jury was almost finished. 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. In 1994, a memorial was erected for the three murder victims. Hutcheson was never charged with theft. Baldwin, who is also involved with movies about the life of the West Memphis 3, plans to attend law school. The defense's expert testified that the mark in question was not an adult bite mark, while experts put on by the State concluded that there was no bite mark at all. Okay, what was he choking him with? [89], Echols' mental stability during the years immediately prior to the murders and during his trial was the focus of his appellate legal team in their appeal attempts. JESSIE:They had some cocaine, and a little gun. Im saying what time was it that you were actually there in the park? His mother was awarded custody and later married Terry Hobbs. [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. See full bio Born: July 10, 1975 More at IMDbPro Contact Info: View agent, publicist, legal on IMDbPro Biography Awards Photo Gallery Filmography (by Job) 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. Chris Morgan and Brian Holland, both with drug offense histories, had abruptly departed for Oceanside, California, four days after the bodies were discovered. Jessie Misskelley was born on July 10, 1975. RIDGE: If you read the caption, the grizzly slain from left, 8 year old Michael Moore. Jessie Misskelley Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Jessie Misskelley was born on July 10, 1975 as Jessie Loyd Misskelly Jr. JESSIE: Thats where I seen them going down at, and he was on his back. His psychosis dominated his perceptions of everything going on in court, Woods wrote. On November 4, 2010, the Arkansas Supreme Court ordered a lower judge to consider whether newly analyzed DNA evidence might exonerate the three. Stephen Braga, an attorney with Ropes & Gray who took up Echols's defense on a pro bono basis beginning in 2009, negotiated the plea agreement with prosecutors. The audio file ishere(right click and Save As or Right click and Open in New Tab to play). His lawyer, Dan Stidham, remained in the room and continually advised Misskelley not to say anything. Since his release, he has published a non-fiction book about both his childhood and incarceration, He and Lorri Davis, a NYC landscape architect who initiated a correspondence with Echols in 1999 and ultimately became his wife, co-authored, Echols provided the voice of Darryl, a fish man (i.e., a fish situated on a robot body), in episode 3 of the animated, This page was last edited on 18 January 2023, at 02:32. Stidham made similar comments during a radio show interview in May 2010. GITCHELL: How long have you been involved in it? JESSIE: He hit him with his fist and bruised him all up real bad, and then ull (phonetic) Jason turned around and hit Steve Branch. HBO executives ordered them to return the knife to the West Memphis Police Department. Celebrities and musicians held fundraisers to support efforts to free the men. [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. [49], In 2007, DNA collected from the crime scene was tested. [26] Portions of Misskelley's statements to the police were leaked to the press and reported on the front page of the Memphis Commercial Appeal before any of the trials began. [11], The autopsies by forensic pathologist Frank J. 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