In the summer of 1993, three 8 year old boys were found murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas . The bound, mutilated and molested bodies of Steve Branch , Michael Moore , and Christopher Byers were pulled from the river in Robin Hood Hills behind the Blue Beacon Truck wash. A town waited silently in shock as police searched for answers. With many officers of the town's police force under investigation already, and the department itself under scrutiny, the police force knew they would have to do something - fast.
Determined to answer to a demanding public, detectives combed the area in search of clues. But no matter how hard they tried, no blood, murder weapon, or evidence was ever found. Much to the dismay of the town of West Memphis , the killer, or killers would soon go free if nothing was done. A deflated police force seemed to be losing hope. People wanted answers, and there were none to be found.
What detectives came up with were 3 teenaged suspects, Damien Echols , Jason Baldwin , and Jessie Misskelley Jr. now known as the West Memphis Three (or WM3 for short). Notions of a "Satanic cult" began to swirl through the media as gossip began to spread like wildfire. Although nothing linked the WM3 to the victims and "Cult" items would never be found at the scene of the crime, these three outcasts would have to do...
Soon after being taken into custody, Jessie Misskelley (who has the IQ of only 73 and is mentally handicapped) was denied the right to see his parents or lawyer, and was instead taken for police interrogation. Detectives assaulted him with a verbal onslaught, playing off his handicap . Being denied water, a bathroom, his parents, or any sort of comfort, they harassed Jessie until he cracked. After more than 14 hours of constant battery, police had only two portions of audiotape, totaling a mere 46 minutes; but it was all that they wanted... Jessie was forced into confessing, which he almost immediately recanted. "I just told them what they wanted to hear so they'd leave me alone" Jessie later stated. It was too late, and the many blatent police misappropriations went overlooked.
During trial many of the obvious errors and discrepancies of Jessie's inaccurate "confession" became apparent. For example, during the opening of the tape, Jessie stated that the murders took place around noon. After being told that the boys were in school at that time, Jessie then said it was a few hours later. When asked again, Jessie said it was around supper time, and later still, changed his story to say the murders took place at midnight. He also told several different, widely varying stories of how the boys' bodies were tied. When asked why Jessie's confession was so inconsistent, Detective Gitchell merely wrote it off, stating "Jessie simply got confused."
Prosecuting attorneys proceeded to preoccupy the court with the fact that the WM3 wore black clothing, had long hair, listened to Metallica and other heavy metal bands, and read books by authors like Stephen King. Damien, the "ringleader" was often seen in the past walking the outskirts in a black trench coat. These facts would become some of the most damning "evidence", and is what the prosecution based most of its case on.
No motive linked the WM3 to the three little boys. No fingerprints, blood, or murder weapon were ever found on the scene. Legal documents were unsigned or incomplete. Teeth marks found on Christopher Byers were thrown out by the judge and made inadmissible. Constitutional rights were violated . Jurors were influenced by a frenzied media and gossiping public. Prosecuting witnesses were discredited, but still allowed to testify. Jessie's forced, error-filled "confession" stood out like a sore thumb. Other possible suspects [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] were overlooked.
The court turned a blind eye when it was made known that a parent owned a bloody knife matching the blood type of his son and another parent's hair sample was found in the ropes which bound the victims. When a dazed, muddy, blood-soaked man walked into a local restaurant within walking distance of the crime scene on the night of the murders, police did nothing to follow up... Nothing seemed to add up.
"There was a remarkable lack of physical evidence against anybody." -- Prosecutor John Fogleman
(when asked about the lack of physical evidence against the West Memphis Three - Phoenix Times, 11/14/96.)
Defense lawyers called for a mistrial , but still, the WM3 were found guilty of 3 counts of capital murder .
Damien Echols waits on Death Row to be executed by lethal injection ; Jason Baldwin received 3 life sentences without parole, and Jessie Misskelley is serving life plus 40 years.
What really did happen in those woods the night of the murders? Who really is responsible? Time is running out. Find out how YOU can help ...
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