Baldwin was given life without parole, while Echols was sentenced to death by lethal injection. No charges have been brought against Jacoby, and he has never been named a suspect by the West Memphis Police Department. Misskelley told Hutcheson that he really didn't know much about Echols other than that he was "a weird person." Little kids will be looking under their bed 'Damien might be under there! Misskelley, who had entered the West Memphis police station that morning with hopes of reward money he might use to purchase a new truck for his father found himself instead charged with murder and facing life plus 40 years in prison. And that 1 cop will know that a member of that community being subjected to questioning for a crime of this nature could lead down all sorts of paths: one of those paths being that Terry likes dick and is part of a small community that likes dick and that that 1 cop likes dick. I still believe in my heart that Jessie, Jason, and Damion Echols [sic] are responsible for what happened to our children, Hobbs told Memphis ABC affiliate WATN in June 2019. Terry Hobbs was born in 1958 and grew up in Northern Arkansas. Hobbs was the stepfather of Steven Branch, one of the boys found murdered in 1993, in West Memphis, Arkansas. Minutes later, Sgt. You have no idea how hard it really is to write, proofread, edit, revise, proofread, re-write, scrap, re-write, edit, proofread, revise and proofread . Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers. eyewitness evidence surfaced 16 years later. Despite an offer of a reduced sentence, Misskelley ultimately recanted his statements and refused to testify against Echols and Baldwin. Due to marital problems stemming from Stevies death, the couple divorced in 2004, reported CNN. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! What has never been definitively answered, however, is who committed the 1993 murders, and The Forgotten West Memphis Three, premiering Saturday, March 28 at 8/7c on Oxygen, reexamines the case and key theories. The test results showed that no genetic material on the crime scene evidence was a match to Echols, Baldwin or Misskelley, reported the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. For years, the stepfather of one of the three children killed in West Memphis, Arkansas, has maintained his innocence, despite public outcry to investigate him. No credible law enforcement official believes so." '", In 1999, a more mature Echols explained the comment. Get Started. Three teenage boys were arrested for the crimes Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr. and prosecutors argued they killed the boys as part of a Satanic ritual. During a special presentation at CrimeCon 2022 Las Vegas, former New York State prosecutor Jim Clemente joined Truth & Justice podcast host, Bob Ruff, and investigative journalist, George Jared, to take a deep dive into a conversation Jared previously had with Terry Hobbs. After ending his first marriage, he wed Pamela Hicks Branch in 1986, when her son Stevie was almost 2 years old. Nevertheless, Echols made no incriminating statements. Crime and poverty rates are significantly higher than the national average and the Bible Belt city ranked as the most the most dangerous in the state in 2018, reported USA Today. apparently Terry said just 2 weeks after the deaths that Pam was neglecting her duties as a wife, apparently Terry was jealous of how much Pam loved and gave attention to Stevie. Wake up to the day's most important news. Christophers cause of death was from "multiple injuries, and both Michael and Stevie died from "multiple injuries with drowning, according to local newspaper the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The new documents. Since the West Memphis Three were released, no one else has been charged in the murders of Stevie, Christopher and Michael. I've gone down this rabbit hole time and time again. This is the true story of the West Memphis Three murders. A documentary film about the 1993 killings, West of Memphis (a film paid for and produced by well-known director Peter Jackson), suggests (without making a direct accusation) that Terry Hobbs, stepfather of victim Stevie Branch, participated in the murders of the three boys. In March 2022,Damien Echols said in a tweet that hell be back in court on June 23 with his law team as they try to get access to DNA, found in the case evidence, to a lab for testing. The community's worst fears were confirmed. Documents from attorneys for Pam Hicks contend that her son and two friends were rounded up and stabbed to death with a pocket knife by her ex-husband Terry Hobbs and his companions, who saw the children spying on them as they drank and smoked marijuana, WKEG reported. Under order of the Arkansas Supreme Court, there were to be new evidentiary hearings in the case. Although the bodies were discovered at 1:30 p.m., investigators didn't call the coroner until 3:58 p.m. By the time the coroner arrived, fly larvae were already present in the nostrils and eyes of the victims. Best selling books such as Lawrence Pazder's Michelle Remembers and disgraced evangelical comedian Mike Warnke's The Satan Seller fueled the madness with tales of ritual abuse and human sacrifice. As mentioned earlier, Terry Hobbs, like John Mark Byers before him, was fingered as a suspect in 2012's West of Memphis after a hair found at the crime scene was genetically matched to him. To learn more, watch The Forgotten West Memphis Three on Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29at 8/7c on Oxygen. They were naked and hog-tied with their own shoelaces, and showed signs of blunt force trauma and mutilation, the latter of which may have been the work of wild animals, reported the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper. At the request of West Memphis authorities, the two were picked up and questioned by Oceanside police. Upon arriving home with his younger daughter, he told police that he did not see his older step-son, Stevie. The only person whose DNA would be in that ligature isthe person who tied the knots, Echols said. Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of West Memphis Three murder victim Stevie Branch, has denied any involvement in slayings of Branch and his two friends. Although Damein Echols had a teenager's typical disdain for authority, he nevertheless trusted that the system would work in his favor. Join Facebook to connect with Amy Hobbs and others you may know. 1 cop's mission: do whatever it takes to dissuade a focus on Terry. Following a series of documentaries that cast doubt on the investigation and law enforcements conclusion, high-profile supporters began to rally behind the imprisoned West Memphis Three.. Stevies mother, Pamela Hicks, said the last time she spoke to her son, he asked for permission to go bike riding with his friends, according to Memphis NBC affiliate, John Mark Byers, Christophers stepfather, reported the boys missing to the West Memphis Police Department at approximately 8 p.m., reported local newspaper the, Their bodies were discovered that afternoon in a drainage ditch. Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. No doubt. With the area secured, Detective Bryn Ridge volunteered to search the ditch. I believe that Terry intended to further molest and/or harm me because his actions and demeanor indicated that was his goal, but I believe my continued yelling and screaming alarmed him and caused him to run off. The following year, lawyers working for the West Memphis Three presented the new DNA tests, which showed no link between them and the 1993 murders, according to the, Baldwin, 34, Echols and Misskelley, both 36, pleaded guilty to first- and second-degree murder charges while proclaiming their innocence, according to, I am innocent, as are Jason and Jessie, but I made this decision because I did not want to spend another day of my life behind those bars, Echols said, according to the, Since his release, Echols has released three books most recently . He's like some wacko cult member," high school teacher Jim Ferguson told The New York Times at the time of the murders. During Misskelley's trial, Hutcheson testified that she had attended an "an occult Satanic meeting" she referred to as an "esbat." However, under pressure, leading questions, and scare tactics, Misskelley wove a contradictory story that first placed him at the crime scene as an eyewitness to the murders and then as an active participant. In 2007, new DNA and physical evidence arose that seemed to further distance the West Memphis Three from the murders. They also question the alibi given by Hobbs, that he spent the evening of the murders with his friend, David Jacoby. The dynamic between them must have been s fucked up and dark and tense. He moved away to live with his daughter and son-in-law, Jessica and David Combs, in Macclenny when Hurricane Michael hit last October. Pam Hobbs divorced Terry Hobbs in 2004 and has reversed her position on the West Memphis Three's guilt. He was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in February 1995, according to the Los Angeles Times. Terry Hobbs then announced the other two boys had to be killed because of what they had seen, and Hobbs and Jacoby proceeded to do just that. Others who continue to believe in the guilt of the West Memphis Three point to an interview given to police on May 18, 1993 by Laura Maxwell (another third-hand story, admittedly), in which she was told by a friend that Damien killed the boys after they "saw something they weren't supposed to have seen"--presumably Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley engaged in "devil-worshipping meetings in that park.". Misskelley was brought in for questioning on June 3, 1993. In late 2008, Hobbs entered into litigation with Natalie Maines Pasdar over alleged libelous comments. Court of California, County of Alameda; Hon. Heavy metal music, role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, and horror movies were regarded as gateways to evil. Branded the West Memphis Three, the mens case was featured in multiple documentaries, earning them support from an array of high-profile musicians, celebrities and activists. He was one of four children and came from a strict and religious family. Shockingly, according to Stewart, when he tried to call West Memphis Police investigator Bill Sanders to tell him the story he had heard from Buddy Lucas, Sanders never even bothered to return his phone calls. Terry Hobbs absolutely killed the boys and the neighbor girl said he had seen them right before the boys died. They note that Damien Echols had a long history of mental health problems before the murders and described himself at one point as homicidal, suicidal, and schizophrenic. Though the family was well-to-do, Terry was having financial problems when the three children were murdered in 1993. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers were only 8 years old when they viciously murdered in 1993. Stating that she would ask around, Hutcheson agreed to "play detective.". I really wonder if Aaron did see something, at a previous date. Misskelly later recanted and claimed he was tired, ready to go home, and said what the detectives wanted him to say. He had a penchant for wearing all black, and he liked heavy metal music, horror and science fiction. Hamish McKenzie, writing in The Atlantic, was critical of the decision of filmmakers in West of Memphis to place the blame for the murders on Terry Hobbs, calling Jackson a"self-appointed producer-prosecutor" and the charges made in the movie "reckless." One of the prosecution's key pieces of evidence linking Jason Baldwin to the crime a survival knife with a serrated edge recovered from a lake behind his home has also come under scrutiny. He has dead eyes. Now Im back to believing it was TH. This case is so terrifying. The filmmakers note that the most significant piece of DNA evidence found at the crime scene, DNA in a hair found in one of the shoelaces used to tie up the boys, matched the DNA of Terry Hobbs (as well as 1.5% of the population). Christopher had a fractured skull, and his genitals had been mutilated, which authorities believed was done by his killer. Titled West of Memphis, the film, directed by Amy J. Berg, presents an overview of the West Memphis Three's 18 years in prison, the revelation of new evidence, and explores the possibility of an alternate suspect. In West Memphis, Hobbs worked as an ice cream delivery man and Hicks worked at a restaurant. On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. Classmates at Weaver Elementary School, the three were active in their Cub Scout troop and responsible enough to be trusted to roam their neighborhood without supervision. Echols friend, Jason Baldwin, 16, was subsequently wrapped up in the investigation, and a third teenager, Jessie Misskelley Jr., 17, also came under scrutiny. On Nov. 6 police in Memphis responded to a call that someone had been shot at 4460 Kerwin St., the home of Pamela and Terry Hobbs. came back out to Missouri + walked toward Delta Service Station. [2] Judge Brian S. Miller dismissed the case and subsequently ordered Hobbs to pay legal fees incurred by the singer in the amount of $17,590. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Crime and poverty rates are significantly higher than the national average and the Bible Belt city ranked as the most the most dangerous in the state in 2018, reported, On the afternoon of May 5, 1993, the three friends were enjoying a warm spring afternoon outdoors. LINK TO SITE OUTLINING ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE OF HOBBS'S GUILT, Todd Moore, father of victim Michael Moore, prosecutor John Fogleman, most detectives involved in the case, and many others continue to contend that the murders were committed by Jesse Misskelley, Jason Baldwin, and Damien Echols. I didn't even comprehend that the situation could get this serious that it can go this far. Ifvery conservativelyone in every 10-20 people is gay or bi, and the police force is made up of 20 people (just a fun number) one of those cops is gonna like dick. Officer Regina Meek arrives on the scene at 8:50 and questioned Marty King, the restaurant's manager, through the drive-through window. Police have never considered Hobbs a suspect and he maintains that he had nothing to do with the murders. Baldwin is the co-founder of the legal advocacy organization Proclaim Justice. You really would need magic to pull it off. I just can't get it out of my head. Blood and urine samples from both men were collected and sent to the West Memphis Police Department. Another hair found on a tree stump near the crime scene was found to be consistent with the DNA of David Jacoby, a friend of Hobbs, according to court documents. I am innocent, as are Jason and Jessie, but I made this decision because I did not want to spend another day of my life behind those bars, Echols said, according to the Arkansas Times. That didn't make sense to me. Terry graduated from Sweetwate If the cop has power, it's easy. Who Killed The Forgotten West Memphis Three? Terry told me at that time (sometime after 9:00 p.m.), that he had called the police to report that Stevie was missing. Several years back there was a rumor that one of TH nephews said he was in a room with TH, DJ and some others as they smoked weed and did some things to each other sexually. John Mark Byers, stepfather of Chris Byers and initially the subject of considerable suspicion himself, is shown calling Terry Hobbs a "baby killer" outside an Arkansas courtroom. West Memphis 3 murders Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Listening now! Misskelly, who has a low IQ, reportedly gave detectives a false confession which helped a jury convict the three of murder. While Stewart sold the two boys the pot, he noticed Hobbs and Jacoby kissing in a pick-up truck across the street. Terry's guilt or innocence doesn't even cross that 1 cop's mindthe only thing that matters is NOT being discovered for liking dick. hobbs is high on my list, but with what we know (or lack thereof,) there's simply no way to say anyone is "for sure" guilty in this case. According to Devil's Knot author Mara Leveritt, the investigation of the murders was divided along three lines. www .hobbsnm .org. ", According to Devil's Knot, a week after the discovery of the bodies, Detective Don Bray interviewed Vicki Hutcheson, a truckstop employee. oh boy. The officer leaves the premises about 9:00 without ever setting foot inside the restaurant. It led to support from celebrities including Johnny Depp and Eddie Vedder. of 72 and that his mental capacity rendered his confession involuntary, according to court documents obtained by Oxygen.com. I hear you. Amy Hobbs is on Facebook. This case has just been trapped in my mind since I heard about it and it breaks my heart every single day. Despite being the parent of one of the murdered boys, he was never officially interviewed by the police at the time the murders took place. Now, I see they can. Really?? Unaware of what was to come, Allen explained that he just wanted to ask him some questions. Jacob Blea III: Hon. He will take it to his grave but some people in the town know and I'm not sure why he isn't and wasn't under more suspicion. [signed] Mike Allen, The West Memphis Three Trials: An Account, The West Memphis Three Trial: Selected Images, The Accusations of Aaron Hutcheson, Age 8. Yet, when Jared asked about the evidence possibly being tested in the future, Hobbs said he was against testing anything else and as far as he was concerned, the case was solved when Echols, Misskelly, and Baldwin were arrested. [Jonesboro Sun editorial, 6/13/2012] Other critics of the Hobbs-as-the-murderer theory noted that the statements by three young men, two decades after the crime, about the Hobbs "family secret" are three or four times removed from any original source, and are far less probative than the second-hand testimony of two witnesses ("I heard Damien say") in the Echols/Baldwin trial. How is that a way to describe sex? The bodies had been removed from the water and placed on the adjacent embankment, possibly disturbing physical evidence or otherwise contaminating the scene. 100 meter utendrs p 11,75 i 2011 og 60 meter innendrs p 6,96 i 2012. Although the appeals were repeatedly denied, a new batch of DNA testing done in 2007 reignited the investigation. The arrest, trial, and conviction of the three young men known as the West Memphis Three came under national scrutiny as details of the case became public. To date, no DNA evidence from the crime scene can be linked to Damien Echols, Baldwin, or Jessie Misskelley. The West Memphis Police Department interviewed Hobbs, who was dismissive of the findings, claiming the hair could have been picked up during a visit to his home since the victim "played with our little boy regularly," according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Because I was thinking, if you haven't done anything, then they can't prove you did something you haven't actually done. Currently, Hobbs has not been charged with anything related to the murders. Misskelley also implicated Echols and Baldwin as his co-conspirators, resulting in their arrests. Michael Bishay: Hon. She has since expressed her belief that her ex-husband was involved in the murders, citing the discovery of her son's favorite pocket knife in Terry Hobbs' belongings. Just finished the trilogy and West of Memphis and I noticed something that made THE lightbulb off about him. He is an evil man and true psychopath and the type of man to tie those boys the up the way they were found. Single day on terry arose that seemed to further distance the West Memphis, Arkansas son Stevie almost. About Echols other than that he spent the evening of the murders,... 'S most important news to learn more, watch the Forgotten West Memphis police.... The premises about 9:00 without ever setting foot inside the restaurant 's manager through. 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Hobbs a suspect by the West Memphis 3 murders Wiki is a Lifestyle!
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