In 1994, a memorial was erected for the three murder victims. 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. He is from 1975. Misskelley was arrested in connection to the murders on June 3, 1993. 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. She got married, had children, but the dream did not die. GITCHELL: Where was the little boy actually at? [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:Two or three days after it happened, and I left. RIDGE: This is Det. RIDGE:You say that you got sick, so thats what you were saying, did you throw up or anything? The third picture, which will be. [68] "I had made the comment if it were ever proven the three were innocent, I'd be the first to lead the charge for their freedom," said Byers, and take "every opportunity that I have to voice that the West Memphis Three are innocent and the evidence and proof prove they're innocent. RIDGE: What time is it right now? The knife was not received at the West Memphis Police Department until January 8, 1994. To call them disorderly would be putting it mildly. RIDGE: okay, the knife that you said Jason was using, where is it? Present in the interview is Insp. Discover Jessie Misskelley's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. 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. Echols self-published the memoir, Almost Home: My Life Story Vol. "[51] Pamela Hobbs' May 5, 2009 declaration in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas, Western Division indicates that "one hair was consistent with the hair of [Terry's] friend, David Jacoby" (Point 16), and:[52]. RIDGE:But you would be able to point out where these things took place? JESSIE: They took turns going up under the water. RIDGE: In the woods. First of all, Matthew Baldwin stated that Damien nor Domini had been to the trailer on this day. 1993).3 The jury was also instructed on accomplice liability as follows: In this case, the state does not contend that Jessie Lloyd Misskelley, Junior acted alone in the commission of the offense of three counts of capital murder. He was preceded in death by his spouse, Kathy Bartoush; his daughter, Loretta Townsend; and his parents and other siblings. RIDGE: Alright, when did you go with them? RIDGE:Thats what youre describing with your hands, right? [80], Atom Egoyan directed a dramatized feature film of the case, titled Devil's Knot, released in U.S. theaters on May 9, 2014. Jessie's first taped confession to West Memphis Police in June, 1993. The relevance of Morgan's recanted statement would later be debated in trial, but it was eventually barred from admission as evidence. Jessie Misskelley Jr. (born July 10, 1975) is one of the three members of what has been called the West Memphis 3 (Misskelley, Damien Echols, and Jason Baldwin). 19. 30 minutes or an hour? His father said Byers may not have taken his prescription on May 5, 1993. [82], On August 19, 2011, Misskelley, along with Baldwin and Echols, entered an Alford plea. Piers Morgan Tonight aired an episode on September 29, 2011, about the three's plans for the future and continued investigations on the case. RIDGE:What kind of shoes were you wearing? This is very, very important, now just tell us the truth. (Jessie now states that he leaves again second time . JESSIE:Ive seen them once that night, I seen them with it that night. 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. How could Damien be in the background if he was not there? 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. [11], The autopsies by forensic pathologist Frank J. Peretti indicated that Byers died of "multiple injuries",[11] while Moore and Branch died of "multiple injuries with drowning".[12][13]. "WM3" redirects here. (Yet,again, Ridge get him to keep telling his story). Misskelley was first questioned on June 3, 1993, a day after Hutcheson's purported confession. [62], Many of the men's supporters, and opponents who still believe them guilty, were unhappy with the unusual plea deal. Jump to 2:46 (where the below begins). [9] Misskelley's former attorney Dan Stidham cites multiple substantial police errors at the crime scene, characterizing it as "literally trampled, especially the creek bed." 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. [citation needed], While in prison, Echols wrote letters to Gloria Shettles, an investigator for his defense team. 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. (The knife that was eventually introduced into evidence as the possible murder weapon did not match this descriptionit was a hunting-type knife). Miller dismissed a suit Hobbs filed over Maines' remarks and writings implying that he was involved in killing his stepson. Note:This is a transcription of the taped confession of Jessie Misskelley, Jr. regarding the murder of Chris Byers, Steve Branch and Michael Moore. [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. 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). [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. Judge David Laser accepted the pleas and sentenced the three to time served. "[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. JESSIE: He called me and asked me if I could go toWest Memphiswith him and I told him, no, I had to work and stuff. The prosecution accused the three young men of committing a Satanic murder. Dropout Found Guilty in Deaths of 3 Boys : Crime: Jessie Lloyd Misskelley Jr., 18, is sentenced to life in prison for the brutal slayings. [53] At the time, legal experts agreed that this issue could result in the reversal of the convictions of Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols. Byers was eight years old, 4ft. tall, weighed 52lbs, and had light brown hair. RIDGE:He doesnt have one, he didnt have one that night? [59], The families of the three victims are divided in their opinions as to the guilt or innocence of the West Memphis Three. According to local West Memphis police officers, on the evening of May 5, 1993, at 8:42pm, workers in the Bojangles' restaurant located about a mile from the crime scene in Robin Hood Hills reported seeing a black male who seemed "mentally disoriented" inside the restaurant's ladies' room. RIDGE: Alright, you went home and about what time was it that all of this was taking place? RIDGE: Alright, where were they at? Michael Moore was the son of Todd and Dana Moore. [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. This would include running the results through the FBI's Combined DNA Index System database. RIDGE: Okay, he had his legs up in the air, alright, what was to keep the little boys from running off, but just their hands are tied, whats to keep them from running off? They were released with 10-year suspended sentences, having served 18 years. JESSIE: I was up there standing up there on the top. RIDGE: Alright, Insp. [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. All three were released from prison that same day. RIDGE:Okay, how long was the knife that Jason was using? JESSIE:And I left and stuff, and walked home. JESSIE: Yeah, thats where he was cut at. Present in the interview will be Inspector Gary Gitchell and Jessie Misskelley. JESSIE: We were just sitting there, throwing stuff at each other. RIDGE:Well, which one did he have? [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. His stated reasons for the removal are apparently contradictory. [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. 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. [6], Factors cited by prosecutor Scott Ellington for agreeing to the plea deal included that two of the victims' families had joined the cause of the defense, that the mother of a witness who testified about Echols's confession had questioned her daughter's truthfulness, and that the State Crime Lab employee who collected fiber evidence at the Echols and Baldwin homes after their arrests had died. RIDGE:Did anybody see you leaving? RIDGE:Oh, they come way up on him? RIDGE:Which way the boys came from and where you all were when he hollered for the boys and stuff like that, you wouldnt have a problem with that? RIDGE:Were they in the houses or were they in the trees when they took those pictures? JESSIE: My dad woke me up this morning. RIDGES:Cutting him in the face. Aaron's further statements were wildly inconsistent, and he was unable to identify Baldwin, Echols, or Misskelley from photo line-ups, and there was no "playhouse" at the location Aaron indicated. Under the terms of the Alford guilty plea, Echols and his co-defendants accepted the sufficiency of evidence supporting the three counts of first degree murder while maintaining their innocence. RIDGE:To that particular place? [25], Though he was informed of his Miranda rights, Misskelley later claimed he did not fully understand them. JESSIE: I was looking down, and after I seen all of that, I took off, (Were going to correct that??? JESSIE: They started screwing them again, (No evidence of violent sodomy nor does Jessie say at any time how he found out that sexual acts were committedafterhe left if he did not discuss itlaterwith Damien and Jason; another case of Jessie leaving.). RIDGE:Why did you not come forward with this information? [53], In September 2008, attorney (now judge) Daniel Stidham, who represented Misskelley in 1994, testified at a postconviction relief hearing. RIDGE: It was like earlier in the day, but you dont know exactly what time, okay, cause weve got Ive gotten some real confusion with the times that youre telling me, but now,this 9 oclock in the evening call that you got, explain that to me. Why would they ask a question such as this of a teenage boy, does he know what a penis is?, if it was not obvious that he was functioning at lower level of intelligence?). Jessies times of arrival at the woods will change many times throughout the three statements), JESSIE: Yes, I did. (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). All money raised from sales of the album are donated to the legal funds of the West Memphis Three. Police detective Bryn Ridge testified that he later lost those blood scrapings. (Gitchell plainly sounds like he knows hes talking to someone with a childs mind). GITCHELL: And you saw the pictures in the briefcase? [21] Morgan was presumed to be at least casually familiar with all three murdered boys, having previously driven an ice cream truck route in their neighborhood. (It is also confirmed that Jason was in school on 5/5/93; hecouldnot have been in the woods at 9 AM.). [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. 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). This makes no sense.). A news story about Jessie Misskelley's curious behavior following his release from prison; avoiding media interviews and going into hiding. Jessie Misskelley was brought in to WMPD for questioning on 3 June 1993. Celebrities and musicians held fundraisers to support efforts to free the men. 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 . He is not dating anyone. Jessie Misskelley, Sr. of Marion, AR September 5, 1938 - February 21, 2021 Jessie Loyd Misskelley,Sr. : 82, of Marion, Arkansas, passed away on February 21, 2021 at his home. Two other defendants await trial in Arkansas. 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. 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. Do you think they are sick or just mean? (Echols and Lorri Davis . I had always assumed that my son's murderer had taken the knife during the crime. 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]. There was nothing of the kind on Chris neck. Stidham testified under oath that during the trial, Judge David Burnett erred by making an improper communication with the jury during its deliberations. (There wasno evidence that Christopher Byers had been strangled with a stick or anything else. According to the statements given by Berlinger and Sinofsky, Cooper informed them of his receipt of the knife on December 19, 1993. Branch was eight years old, 4ft. 2 tall, weighed 65lbs, and had blond hair. Did they get into the water with you all? RIDGE:okay, which one did you see killed? Jessie Misskelley was born on July 10, 1975. RIDGE:And, what kind of blade did it have on it? What did he say about that? Phil Murphy, Mr. Goldman Sachs Tries to Dupe New Jersey Workers Phil Murphy, Notable Cases & Published Caselaw Decisions & Judgments, Jessie Post Conviction Statement Full Jessie Misskelley, Jr. Interview, Jessie Jail Statement Text Statements From Sheriffs Officers, Jessie MissKelley 1993: Second Statement Regarding the Murder Case. or scared of the police? The judge said Hobbs had chosen to involve himself in public discussion over whether the convictions were just. GITCHELL: Okay, what is kept inside of that briefcase? [84] Baldwin said in a 2011 interview with Piers Morgan that he worked for a construction company and he was learning how to drive.[79]. At trial, the defense team argued that news articles from the time could have been the source for Echols' knowledge about the genital mutilation, and Echols said his knowledge was limited to what was "on TV". RIDGE: Okay, and when you left, did you hear any more hollering or anything? She claimed she had implicated Echols and Misskelley to avoid facing criminal charges, and to obtain a reward for the discovery of the murderers. He lived with his mother, Pamela Hobbs, his stepfather, Terry Hobbs, and a four-year-old half-sister, Amanda. Chris Morgan and Brian Holland, both with drug offense histories, had abruptly departed for Oceanside, California, four days after the bodies were discovered. 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. Hutcheson was never charged with theft. He was considered the leader of the three. RIDGE: okay, now when its going on, when this is taking place, you under you saw somebody with a knife, who had a knife? RIDGE: Okay. [49], In 2007, DNA collected from the crime scene was tested. RIDGE: You were playing around in the water, alright, wha what were you doing in the water? 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? Searchers canvassed all of West Memphis but focused primarily on Robin Hood Hills, where the boys were reported last seen. He has one daughter with his ex-wife Elizabeth Baldwin, and one son with his former girlfriend Isabella Hofmann. The film stars Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth. RIDGE:You havent heard anybody? [75], Many songs were written about the case, and two albums released in support of the defendants. JESSIE: He was cutting him in the face. [86] Until August 2011, he was incarcerated in the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) Varner Unit Supermax. . 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. ????). Damien was one of the most watched charectars in West Memphis, no one ever mentioned seeing him with a briefcase? According to his mother, Christopher was a typical eight-year-old. 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. GITCHELL:Were your clothes wet still? RIDGE: Beat them up real bad, and then they took their clothes off? He appeared in district court Monday. JESSIE: Damien had kinda of a big old stick when he hit that first one, after he hit him with his fist and knocked him down and got him a big old stick and hit him. is 5'2"(1.57m) . RIDGE:Are you scared of the police now? RIDGE: so, your time period may not be exactly right in what youre saying? Okay, youve been down there in those woods before. Following their convictions, Echols, Misskelley, and Baldwin submitted imprints of their teeth. [3][9] Misskelley specifically said he was "scared of the police" during this confession. Arrested in Oceanside on May 17, 1993, Morgan and Holland both took polygraph exams administered by California police. [96] After his release, he has worked on a number of additional media projects. Stidham said the judge closed the door without answering. JESSIE:I was close by the interstate. Judge Laser then sentenced them to time served, a total of 18 years and 78 days, and they were each given a suspended imposition of sentence for 10 years. Their clothing was found in the creek, some of it twisted around sticks that had been thrust into the muddy ditch bed. Aaron, a playmate of the murdered boys', mentioned to Bray that the boys had been killed at "the playhouse." RIDGE:Okay, alright did and the one that they were cutting the penis off of, did any of them are cutting the penis or whatever was being done, did they have sex with him at all? RIDGE:Besides just playing, the little boys, had they been in the water? RIDGE:Was it a knife that you fold up, or was it like a hunting knife? Charles Jason Baldwin was born April 11, 1977. RIDGE: Alright, where does that path go too? After the documentary crew returned to New York, Berlinger and Sinofsky were reported to have discovered what appeared to be blood on the knife. JESSIE: No, they didnt get into the water with us. Also presented in the filing was new expert testimony that the supposed knife marks on the victims, including the injuries to Byers' genitals, were in fact the result of animal predation after the bodies had been dumped.[55]. [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. RIDGE:And one of them was being cut on his penis? GITCHELL: Is that when you first saw the pictures of the boys? [49] She said that when she visited the police station, employees had photographs of Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley on the wall and were using them as dart targets. 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 ]]]. Baldwin and Misskelley were sentenced to life in prison. Police said the recording was "inaudible", but Hutcheson claimed the recording was audible. JESSIE: Jasons were black up to, about knee. 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. 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? JESSIE: I was there until they tied them up and then thats when I left, after they tied them up, I left. RIDGE:Alright I am going to conclude this interview, the time is 3:18PM. RIDGE: Okay, and when you came back a little bit later, and are all three boys are tied? I want you to think about it. (Impossible time; the boys were in school. JESSIE: Yes, and I took off and run home. If he had been, there would have been clear forensic evidence of it. [14], Steve Edward Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore were all second graders at Weaver Elementary School. In August 2011, White Light Productions announced that the West Memphis Three would be featured on their new program Wrongfully Convicted. [30] Critics have also stated that Misskelley's various "confessions" were in many respects inconsistent with each other, as well as with the particulars of the crime scene and murder victims, including (for example) an "admission" that Misskelley watched Damien rape one of the boys. This isnotsomething only the police knew). We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. [88] He moved to New York City after his release. [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. [57], In early December 2010, David Burnett was elected to the Arkansas State Senate. Nonetheless, they claimed he was not regarded as a direct suspect but a source of information. Circuit Court Judge David Laser was selected to replace David Burnett and preside in the evidentiary hearings mandated by the successful appeal. RIDGE:Was anything on his shirt? Did they take like one picture of one boy. [45] The petition failed when the original trial judge, Judge David Burnett, disallowed presentation of this information in his court. JESSIE: He keeps on asking me what are we going to do next, I told him, I cant do nothing now cause I go to work with my daddy everyday. [86][87] In prison in 1999, he married landscape architect Lorri Davis. RIDGE: Had Damien seen these boys before? His lawyer, Dan Stidham, remained in the room and continually advised Misskelley not to say anything. JESSIE: Yeah, they seen them boys and then they hollered, Damien hollered said, hey, the little boys come up there. RIDGE:Did you actually rape any of these boys? GITCHELL: Now youre talking about bottom, do you mean right here? Also, Matthew states Jason came in around 7:30. Naw, no psych or IQ issue here). JESSIE: Um-mm, they were going to catch, they were going somewhere and like I said, Damien and nem left before I did, I told them that I would meet them there and stuff, and I had to get ready it was early in the morning and so, they went ahead and met me, they went on up there and then I come up later on behind them. He said they called me). During their conversation, Hutcheson reported that Echols made no incriminating statements. GITCHELL: You didnt see a briefcase? JESSIE: No, he wasnt wearing anything like that. [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. [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]. Trace amounts of sperm DNA were found on a pair of pants recovered from the scene. 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. Gary Gitchell and Jessie Misskelly. "He still believed in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus". He was eight years old, 4ft. 2 tall, weighed 55lbs, and had brown hair. In 2013, written statements from two men, Billy Wayne Stewart and Bennie Guy, were introduced in the court. I can't help it you just laid on a bed and laid there,'" said Boggan. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, dark shoes, and a white long-sleeved shirt. That night? Stidham overheard Judge Burnett discuss taking a lunch break with the jury foreman and heard the foreman reply that the jury was almost finished. He told me that he had to go toWest Memphisso, him and Damien with and then I went with them. RIDGE:How was he actually killed? RIDGE:Choking him? His conviction was appealed and affirmed by the Arkansas Supreme Court. [34], Three weeks later, Echols and Baldwin went on trial. 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.
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