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The West Memphis Three case is a triple homicide case. Three 8 year old boys went missing on May 5, 1993. Only to be found dead the next day in a patch of woods at the edge of the neighborhood.
#westmemphis3 #truecrime #satanicpanic
#westmemphis3 #truecrime #satanicpanic
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LearningTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome to the Dark Mystery Lounge.
00:03It's been a year since I started this channel, so to kick off Season 2,
00:08we are going to take a look at a case that actually got me interested in true crime.
00:12Well, that and Unsolved Mysteries. I still love that show.
00:16The West Memphis Three Case.
00:18A triple homicide case that gained worldwide attention due to the documentaries made about it.
00:24So let's go ahead and get started.
00:25Before we get into the timeline of events,
00:32I just want to take a little time to talk about the victims in this case.
00:37Christopher was born Christopher Lee Murray on June 23, 1984,
00:42to Melissa DeFerr and Ricky Murray.
00:45He has an older brother named Ryan.
00:47In 1990, Mark Byers adopted Chris as his son,
00:51changing his name to Christopher Mark Byers.
00:54Chris loved to hang around Ryan and his friends.
00:57He had a cat and a dog.
00:59Chris was a very loving child and very active.
01:02He loved to color and play Nintendo.
01:05He was all boy.
01:06He played t-ball with Michael and Don on the same team,
01:10skated around on his skateboard,
01:13went bike riding,
01:14and he could swim really well.
01:16According to his mother,
01:18Christopher was a typical 8-year-old boy.
01:20Quote,
01:21He still believed in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.
01:24Unquote.
01:25He wanted to do all the things his older brother could do.
01:29Always very respectful to his elders.
01:32Addressed them as Mr. or Mrs.
01:34Chris' nickname is Wormer,
01:36because he couldn't sit still,
01:38and had something to say no matter what it was.
01:40It was important to him.
01:42Chris wasn't far away from his 9th birthday,
01:45where he could do all the things his brother could do.
01:47Michael was born James Michael Moore
01:51on July 27, 1984,
01:54in Key West, Florida,
01:56to Todd and Dana Moore.
01:58He has a sister named Dawn,
02:00who is 15 months older.
02:01He was baptized at Holy Cross Episcopal Church
02:05in 1992,
02:06and he never missed a service.
02:08Mike was a class clown at school,
02:10and possessed a unique sense of humor.
02:13He enjoyed playing with his dog Smiley,
02:15a yellow lab,
02:16playing T-ball with his mom as the coach,
02:19reading books on the military,
02:21camping with his family,
02:23riding his go-kart,
02:24which he shared with his sister.
02:26He also enjoyed Cub Scouts,
02:28in which his dad served as Cub Master.
02:31Stevie Edward Branch
02:33was the youngest of the group,
02:35born November 26, 1984,
02:37to Stephen and Pamela Branch,
02:39who divorced when he was an infant.
02:41His mother was boarded custody,
02:43and later married Terry Hobbs.
02:45He loved riding his bike.
02:47He was in Cub Scouts with Michael,
02:49and loved it.
02:50And he also loved his dog, King.
02:53Stevie overcame his unusual shyness,
02:55to give a $5 friendship ring,
02:58to his girlfriend,
02:59Michael's nine-year-old sister, Dawn.
03:02Stevie, Chris, and Michael,
03:04were all second graders,
03:05at Weaver Elementary School.
03:07Each had achieved the rank of wolf,
03:10in the local Cub Scout pack,
03:12and were best friends.
03:14These three handsome little men,
03:15went outside to play one day,
03:17and never came.
03:18It was a hot and humid day,
03:20on Wednesday, May the 5th, 1993,
03:23in West Memphis, Arkansas.
03:26Pam checked out her son Stevie,
03:28from Weaver Elementary School,
03:29at 2.30 p.m.,
03:31and walked back home.
03:33The children normally got out at 3 p.m.,
03:35but Pam had to cook dinner,
03:37and get ready for work.
03:39Sometime after 3 p.m.,
03:41Michael Moore knocked on the door,
03:43and asked if Stevie could go ride bikes together.
03:46At first, Pam said no,
03:48because she was leaving for work soon.
03:50But the kids begged her,
03:51so she gave in,
03:53and told Stevie,
03:54he needed to be home by 4.45 p.m.
03:57Stevie said he will,
03:59and they took off down the street.
04:01This was at 3.30 p.m.
04:02Five minutes later,
04:04Christopher Byers came by,
04:06and asked if Stevie could come out to play.
04:09Pam said,
04:10I'm surprised you didn't run into them.
04:12They just left.
04:13He left,
04:14and went searching for them.
04:16Terry Hobbs,
04:17Stevie's stepfather,
04:18came home from work,
04:19around 4.15,
04:21while by 4.45,
04:23Stevie still wasn't home.
04:24Terry drove Pam to work,
04:26which was only about 5 to 10 minute drive.
04:28Christopher Byers' stepfather,
04:32John Mark Byers,
04:33arrived home at 3.10 p.m.,
04:35but Chris was still not there.
04:37His brother, Ryan,
04:38arrived home at 3.30 p.m.
04:41Chris did not have a key to the house,
04:43and was expected to wait outside,
04:45until Ryan arrived to let him in.
04:47Mark Byers drove Ryan to the courthouse,
04:49for a 4 p.m. appointment.
04:51After dropping off Ryan,
04:53he drove to pick up his wife,
04:55Melissa Byers,
04:56from work in Memphis, Tennessee.
04:58They both arrived back at their home,
05:00at 5.20 p.m.,
05:01to find that Chris still was not at home,
05:04although there was evidence that he had been there,
05:06because it looked like Chris was trying to get into the house,
05:09through a window,
05:10but was unsuccessful.
05:12Not long after,
05:13Mark left again,
05:14to go pick up Ryan from the courthouse,
05:16but on the way,
05:17he found Chris riding his skateboard,
05:19down the middle of the road.
05:21He took Chris home,
05:22and gave him a spanking,
05:23for not staying home as instructed.
05:25Before he left to pick up Ryan from the courthouse,
05:29he told Chris to clean up the carport area.
05:32He was last seen doing this at 5.30 p.m. by Mark.
05:36At 6 p.m.,
05:37Dana Moore,
05:38who lived across the street from the Byers' house,
05:41saw her son,
05:42Michael,
05:42riding bikes with Stevie,
05:44and Chris,
05:45but had been unable to stop them,
05:47before they rode off.
05:49Chris had been sitting on the back of Stevie's bike,
05:51heading north on 14th Street,
05:53towards a wooded area,
05:55right beside the Blue Beacon Truck Wash,
05:57known as Robin Hood Hills,
05:59or Robin Hood Woods,
06:01a common hangout spot for kids and teenagers in the area.
06:05At 6.30 p.m.,
06:07Mark and Ryan arrived back home,
06:10willing to find that Chris was gone again.
06:12Melissa was on the phone with her boss,
06:14and was unaware that Chris had left again.
06:16So Mark, Melissa, and Ryan left their home minutes later
06:21to drive around the neighborhood in order to find Chris.
06:25During the course of this search,
06:26Mark informed a police officer of his son's disappearance.
06:30According to Mark,
06:31he was told to wait until 8 p.m.
06:34before making an official report with police.
06:37They came back home and called the police at 8 p.m.
06:40to report that Chris was missing.
06:42Shortly after,
06:44Dana Moore did the same thing.
06:45Officer Regina Meek drove out to take both missing child reports.
06:51Dana spoke with Mark and informed him of what she saw,
06:54learning for the first time that Chris was not alone.
06:57Together with Dana Moore,
06:59Melissa, and Ryan,
07:01Mark began to search the Robin Hood Hills area,
07:04the last known location of the boys.
07:07Just after 9 p.m.,
07:09Terry Hobbs,
07:10Stevie's stepfather,
07:12went to pick up Pam from work
07:13and informed her that Stevie never came home.
07:16They called the police from Pam's workplace
07:18to make a missing child report.
07:21The same officer,
07:22Regina Meek,
07:23came out to take the report.
07:26They went home,
07:27Pam changed clothes,
07:28and went out searching.
07:30The search party,
07:31which now included a police officer,
07:33continued looking all over the neighborhood
07:35and even went to both entrances calling for them,
07:39but no answer.
07:40And because it was dark,
07:42it was hard for them to see anything.
07:44The search party split up and went home around 2 a.m.,
07:48agreeing to meet back up in the morning.
07:51On Thursday,
07:52May the 6th,
07:53the search continued,
07:54including door-to-door interviews with neighbors.
07:58This resulted in a mixed bag,
08:00yielding little results.
08:02Around 1.45 p.m.,
08:04a juvenile parole officer
08:06heard about the missing boys
08:07and decided to help in the search.
08:10He made his way past the pipe bridge
08:12to get into Robin Hood Woods.
08:14Looking around near the small creek
08:15that flowed through the woods,
08:17he noticed a child's shoe
08:19floating in the water.
08:20He called West Memphis Police Department
08:23and had Sergeant Mike Allen meet him there
08:26to show him what he found.
08:28Mike Allen reached to grab the shoe
08:30and fell in the water.
08:32He told that same parole officer
08:33that his leg was caught on something.
08:36Mike fell backwards,
08:38his leg came up,
08:39and the body of Michael Moore was on his leg.
08:42They called for backup.
08:44An hour later,
08:45Michael's body was removed from the creek
08:47and placed on a ditch bank.
08:49They found Stevie and Chris's bodies
08:52about 25 feet away
08:54from where Michael was found.
08:56They were found stripped naked,
08:58hog-tied with their shoelaces,
09:00right hand to right foot,
09:02left hand to left foot.
09:03They had multiple injuries
09:04to the face and body,
09:06and even Chris's genitals were removed.
09:09Their clothing was found in the creek,
09:11some of it twisted around sticks
09:13that had been thrust
09:15into the muddy ditch bed.
09:17The crime scene was taped off,
09:18and the creek water was drained.
09:21This was unusual for small-town police,
09:23something that they've never dealt with
09:25to this magnitude before.
09:27So there were a lot of police
09:29just walking in and out of the crime scene,
09:31not really preserving it very well.
09:33There was no blood,
09:35weapons,
09:36or fingerprints.
09:36The only sign of blood
09:38at the crime scene
09:39was where the bodies had rested
09:41on the bank
09:41after their removal from the water.
09:44An area on the bank
09:45had been deliberately cleared,
09:48and one imprint of a tennis shoe
09:49was found.
09:51Stevie and Michael's bikes
09:52were located on either side
09:54of the pipe bridge.
09:55The boys were pronounced dead
09:57at 4 p.m.
09:58Although police thought initially
10:00that the boys had been sexually assaulted,
10:02the autopsy found no signs of it.
10:05That dilation of the anus
10:06is in fact a natural occurrence at death.
10:09The official cause of death
10:11was multiple injuries
10:12with drowning for Stevie and Michael.
10:15Chris's was listed as multiple injuries
10:17because he was already dead
10:19before being placed in the water.
10:22When that parole officer
10:23was talking with one of the police officers
10:25as to who could have done this,
10:28immediately he thought
10:29this might be part of some satanic cult.
10:32And who did he think
10:33could have been a part of this cult?
10:35Damien Eccles.
10:36Needless to say,
10:37the rumor about satanic cults
10:39spread like wildfire.
10:47Running with the satanic cult theory
10:52was just another reason
10:53to go and talk to Damien Eccles.
10:56Any time any crime that took place,
10:58no matter what it was,
10:59there were juvenile parole officers
11:01knocking at his door.
11:03Even though he was 18 back in 1993,
11:06they would harass him.
11:07Damien had gotten into trouble,
11:09along with his best friend,
11:1116-year-old Jason Baldwin,
11:13for shoplifting and vandalism.
11:15Damien has even been in mental institutions
11:17for depression and other issues.
11:20But because the way they dressed,
11:22in all black,
11:23like heavy metal and rock music,
11:25Damien liked reading horror books
11:26and was a practicing Wiccan,
11:29being in a small town in the Bible Belt,
11:31they stood out in a bad way.
11:34So on May 7th,
11:36day after the boys' bodies were found,
11:38they knocked on his door again.
11:40They took him down to the police station
11:42to conduct a polygraph test.
11:44The polygraph examiner claimed that
11:46Damien's chart indicated deception.
11:49On May 9th,
11:51during a formal interview
11:52by Detective Brian Ridge,
11:54Damien mentioned that one of the victims
11:56had wounds on the genitals.
11:58Police viewed this knowledge as incriminating.
12:01As the weeks went by,
12:02there were still no real leads
12:04and no one had been arrested.
12:06The West Memphis Police Department
12:07was under a lot of pressure,
12:09but they continued to focus
12:11their investigation on Damien,
12:13interrogating him more frequently
12:14than any other person.
12:16Nonetheless,
12:17they claimed he was not regarded
12:19as a suspect,
12:20but a source of information.
12:22On June 1st,
12:24the West Memphis Police Department
12:25came up with an idea
12:27to catch Damien confessing.
12:29A woman by the name of Vicki Hutchinson,
12:32who had gotten into a bit of trouble
12:33for possible theft
12:35from her employer
12:36and questioned by police
12:37around the same time
12:38the murdered boys were found,
12:41was also friends
12:41with 17-year-old
12:43Jessie Miss Kelly, Jr.
12:45Jessie was an acquaintance
12:46of Damien.
12:47He knew him,
12:48but he really didn't hang out with him.
12:50The West Memphis Police Department
12:52suggested to Vicki
12:53to place hidden microphones
12:54in her home
12:55and have Jessie introduce Damien to her
12:58in hopes that he would say something
12:59to incriminate himself.
13:01Needless to say,
13:03this didn't work.
13:04Damien didn't make
13:05any incriminating statement.
13:06Police said that the recording
13:08was inaudible,
13:09but Vicki claimed
13:10that the recording was audible.
13:12The next day,
13:13on June 2nd,
13:14she told police
13:15that two weeks after the murders
13:17that her, Damien, and Jessie
13:19went to a satanic meeting
13:21in Terrell, Arkansas.
13:23She claimed that at this meeting,
13:24a drunken Damien
13:26openly bragged
13:27about killing the three boys.
13:29She couldn't remember
13:29the exact location,
13:31nor any of the other participants
13:33at the meeting.
13:34Vicki was never charged with theft.
13:36She claimed she had implicated
13:38Damien and Jessie
13:39to avoid facing criminal charges
13:41and to obtain the award
13:43for the discovery of the murders,
13:45because at the time,
13:47the reward was at $30,000.
13:49On June 3rd,
13:51West Memphis Police Department
13:52picked up Jessie Miskelly Jr.,
13:55asking his father,
13:56Jessie Sr.,
13:57if they could talk to his son
13:58for a little bit
13:59to see if he had any information
14:01that can lead to an arrest
14:03and get the reward money.
14:05Jessie Sr. gave them permission.
14:07Well, that started
14:08a 12-hour interrogation
14:09with no lawyer present,
14:11and I'm sure if Jessie Sr. knew
14:13what the police were really up to,
14:16he wouldn't have let
14:16his 17-year-old son go alone.
14:19Nevertheless,
14:20the interrogation resulted
14:21in a 46-minute audiotape confession,
14:25claiming that Damien and Jason
14:27did the killings,
14:28but that he just caught
14:29one of the boys trying to escape,
14:31along with other details.
14:33Immediately,
14:34this confession was leaked
14:35to the press
14:36and spread like crazy.
14:38So that same day,
14:40Jessie was arrested.
14:41The next day,
14:42on June 4th,
14:43Damien and Jason were arrested.
14:45All of them were charged
14:46with three counts
14:47of capital murder.
14:4917-year-old
14:57Jessie Miss Kelly Jr.'s trial
14:59began on January 26, 1994.
15:03He was tried separately
15:04from the other two
15:05due to his confession.
15:07According to Jessie's
15:08defense attorney,
15:09Daniel Stidham,
15:10Jessie claims that
15:11he and his friends
15:12were first approached
15:13by the police
15:14and offered a reward
15:16for information
15:17about the murders.
15:17Jessie was later
15:19taken to the
15:20West Memphis Police Department
15:21for questioning,
15:22despite the fact that
15:24they did not have
15:24a written waiver
15:25of his Miranda rights,
15:27signed by Jessie's father,
15:29a legal requirement
15:30when police interview minors.
15:32Normally,
15:33this breach
15:33of a minor's
15:34constitutional rights
15:35would be sufficient
15:36to have
15:37the subsequent confession
15:38quashed.
15:40For some reason,
15:41in this case,
15:42Judge Burnett
15:42chose to allow it.
15:44Even though the prosecution
15:45didn't have any physical evidence
15:47and very little DNA testing
15:49was done for both trials,
15:51they had detectives
15:53play the tape
15:54of the confession.
15:55They admitted to showing
15:56Jessie a picture
15:57of one of the boy's bodies
15:59to scare him
16:00into making a statement.
16:01They were unaware
16:02of the fact that
16:03Jessie has a mental handicap.
16:05Jessie's IQ is 72.
16:07They admitted
16:08they didn't videotape
16:09the whole confession.
16:11They didn't even take notes
16:12of some of the questions
16:13they asked Jessie.
16:14They don't even have
16:15special training
16:16to deal with somebody
16:17who has a mental handicap.
16:19The defense called up
16:20to the stand
16:21Warren D. Holmes,
16:23an expert on police
16:24interrogation techniques,
16:26and Dr. Offshay,
16:28an expert on false confessions
16:29and police coercion,
16:31and a professor of sociology
16:33at UC Berkeley.
16:35Both of them testified
16:36that this confession was false,
16:38that it was coerced.
16:40They pointed out
16:40that Jessie made several mistakes,
16:43like the time of the murders.
16:44He said it was at noon,
16:46but the eight-year-old boys
16:47were all in school that day.
16:49Even Jason Baldwin
16:50was in school as well.
16:52What they used to tie them up with,
16:54Jessie set a rope,
16:55that they were tied
16:56with their shoelaces,
16:57that they were sexually assaulted.
16:59All of the autopsies
17:00showed no evidence
17:01of that ever happening.
17:03Plus, the questions
17:03were answered too quickly.
17:05Mr. Holmes was asked,
17:07what are some of the
17:07personality traits
17:08of people that are likely
17:10to falsely confess?
17:11He answered,
17:12low IQ,
17:14highly suggestible,
17:15wanting to solve
17:16the immediate stress factor,
17:18get the interrogators
17:19off my back,
17:20and just let me go home,
17:22naively assumes
17:23that this can all be
17:24straightened out later on.
17:26Dr. Offshay testified
17:27that the brief recording
17:28of Ms. Kelly's interrogation
17:30was a classic example
17:32of police coercion.
17:34Despite the experts
17:35proving that this confession
17:36was false,
17:38on February 5, 1994,
17:41Jessie was convicted
17:42by the jury
17:43of one count
17:44of first-degree murder
17:45and two counts
17:46of second-degree murder.
17:48He was sentenced
17:48to life plus 40 years.
17:51On February 28, 1994,
17:54the trial began
17:55for Damien Echols
17:56and Jason Baldwin.
17:57But before the trial began,
17:59there was a problem.
18:00Even though Jesse
18:01supposedly confessed,
18:03his confession
18:04couldn't be admitted
18:05into evidence
18:06unless he agreed
18:07to testify in person
18:08against Damien and Jason.
18:10Jesse refused,
18:11even after an offer
18:12to reduce his sentence
18:13in exchange
18:14for his testimony.
18:15There was even
18:16a backroom deal
18:17that was proposed
18:18to Jason
18:19to testify
18:19that Damien committed
18:21the murders.
18:22But Jason also refused,
18:23saying,
18:24quote,
18:24that would be a lie.
18:26My mama taught me
18:27better than that.
18:27Unquote.
18:28The prosecution
18:29had a couple of pieces
18:30of actual evidence.
18:32They had some fiber evidence
18:33and a knife that was found
18:35in the lake
18:36behind Jason's house.
18:37The problem
18:38with the fiber evidence
18:39is that you really
18:40can't narrow down
18:41where that fiber came from
18:43unless it's a really
18:44unusual type of fiber.
18:46And the knife wasn't found
18:47until November of 1993,
18:50several months
18:51after the teenagers
18:52were arrested.
18:54The prosecution
18:54painted the picture
18:56in the jurors' minds
18:57that these three
18:58little eight-year-old boys
19:00were killed
19:00as part of a
19:01satanic cult ritual.
19:03To help paint that picture,
19:04they called up
19:05Dale W. Griffiths,
19:07a graduate
19:07of the unaccredited
19:09Columbia Pacific University,
19:11as an expert witness
19:12in the occult
19:13to testify
19:14the murders
19:15were a satanic ritual.
19:17Honestly,
19:18I really don't know
19:18why anyone
19:19would consider him
19:20an expert.
19:21He was mixing up
19:22Wiccan holidays
19:23and symbols
19:24for satanic ones
19:25and that wearing all black
19:27and listening to
19:27heavy metal music
19:28were satanic.
19:30But for some reason,
19:31Judge Burnett
19:32was just fascinated
19:33with him,
19:34mainly because
19:34Dale Griffiths
19:35had been on TV
19:36talking about
19:37satanism and devil worship,
19:39pretty much cashing in
19:40on the whole satanic panic craze
19:42that was going on
19:43throughout the 80s and 90s.
19:45There were a few other kids
19:46that testified
19:47that they heard
19:48Damien and Jason
19:49make some
19:50incriminating statements.
19:51Vicki Hutchinson
19:52also testified
19:53about the satanic ritual
19:55that she attended
19:56with Damien and Jesse.
19:58Forensic pathologist
19:59Frank Peretti,
20:00who performed
20:01the autopsies,
20:02testified
20:02that the knife
20:03that was found
20:04in the lake
20:05was the one
20:06that caused the injuries
20:07to the boys.
20:08Detective Brian Ridge
20:09and Detective Gary Gitchell
20:11testified
20:11claiming that Damien
20:13at a previous conversation,
20:15which was not recorded,
20:17had knowledge
20:17that was not
20:18known to the public.
20:19Since there was
20:20no public reporting
20:21of drowning
20:22or that one victim
20:23had been mutilated
20:24more than the others,
20:25the defense
20:26let Damien testify.
20:27Explaining things
20:28like why he changed
20:30his name to Damien
20:31was not because
20:32of the Omen movies.
20:33He said at one point
20:34he was really
20:35into Catholicism
20:36and when they were
20:37going over the names
20:38of the saints
20:39he found out
20:40the story
20:41of Father Damien
20:42who took care
20:43of people with lepers
20:44in Hawaii
20:44until he caught
20:45the disease himself
20:47and died.
20:48He even explained
20:49some facts
20:49about Wicca as well.
20:51As for how he learned
20:52about the details
20:53about the murders,
20:54he said that he learned
20:55about that information
20:56from the TV
20:57and that the police
20:58were trying to twist
20:59his words
21:00if they didn't like
21:01how he answered
21:01the question.
21:03Both Damien
21:04and Jason
21:05claimed they were
21:05both home
21:06with their families
21:07on the night
21:08of the murders.
21:09The defense
21:09called to the stand
21:10a man by the name
21:12of Marty King.
21:13The manager
21:13of the Bojangles restaurant
21:15he recalled
21:16on the evening
21:16of May 5, 1993
21:18around 8.42 p.m.
21:21a worker noticed
21:22a black man
21:23sitting on the toilet
21:24in the women's restroom.
21:25He had mud on his feet
21:26and bleeding
21:27from his forearm
21:28and he was wearing
21:29a blue cast
21:30with white Velcro straps.
21:32He seemed to be
21:32mentally disoriented
21:33when the manager
21:34talked to him.
21:35He called the police
21:37and Officer Regina Meek
21:38responded to the call.
21:40She didn't even
21:41come inside the restaurant
21:42but instead
21:43drove around
21:44to the drive-thru window
21:45to take the police report.
21:47By this time
21:48that bleeding black man
21:50had left
21:50and was never located.
21:52The next day
21:53after the bodies
21:54were found
21:54thinking that
21:55there was a possible
21:56connection
21:57Marty King
21:58called the police again.
21:59This time
22:00when the police
22:01responded
22:01they went into
22:02the women's restroom
22:03taking blood scrapings
22:05off the wall
22:06which Detective
22:07Brian Ridge
22:08testified
22:08that he later
22:09lost those blood scrapings.
22:11Officer Meek
22:12didn't really make
22:13a connection
22:14between the murdered boys
22:15and this guy
22:16at the restaurant
22:17even though
22:18the distance
22:18between the crime scene
22:19and Bojangles
22:21was only about
22:21a mile away.
22:23During both trials
22:24a film crew
22:25had been filming
22:26everything
22:26for a documentary
22:27called Paradise Lost.
22:29They spent nearly a year
22:30in West Memphis.
22:32During the filming
22:32Mark Byers
22:33gave a folding
22:34hunting knife
22:35to cameraman
22:36Doug Cooper
22:37who was working
22:38with directors
22:39Joe Berlinger
22:40and Bruce Sanofsky.
22:42Even though
22:42Mark claimed
22:43it had never been used
22:44Doug noticed
22:45some blood
22:46in the back
22:46of the knife
22:47in the hinges
22:48where it folds
22:49so Doug gave it
22:50to the West Memphis
22:51Police Department
22:52to have it tested.
22:54Mark told the police
22:55when they questioned him
22:56that he had never
22:57used it
22:58but he testified
22:59during the Baldwin
23:00and Eccles trial
23:01that he remembered
23:02that he used it
23:03to cut some deer meat
23:05trimmed his toenails
23:06with it
23:06and accidentally
23:07cut his thumb.
23:08Further testing
23:09of the knife
23:10produced inconclusive results
23:12about the source
23:13of the blood.
23:14Uncertainty remained
23:15due to the small amount
23:16of blood
23:16and because both
23:18John Mark Byers
23:19and Chris Byers
23:20had the same
23:21HLA DQ Alpha
23:23genotype
23:23after it was deemed
23:25inconclusive
23:26the blood
23:27was destroyed.
23:28So no further testing
23:29could be conducted.
23:31So on March 19th, 1994
23:33Damien Eccles
23:34and Jason Baldwin
23:35were found guilty
23:36on all three counts
23:37of capital murder.
23:39The court sentenced
23:39Jason to life
23:41without parole
23:41and Damien was sentenced
23:43to death.
23:51On June 10th, 1996
23:53the documentary film
23:55Paradise Lost
23:56The Child Murders
23:57at Robin Hood Hills
23:58premiered on HBO
24:00directed and produced
24:01by Joe Berlinger
24:02and Bruce Sanofsky.
24:04This was the first time
24:05Metallica songs
24:06were used
24:07for the soundtrack
24:08because the accused
24:09teens are fans
24:10of Metallica.
24:12Needless to say,
24:13this film gained
24:13worldwide attention
24:14and praise
24:15along with shock
24:17and anger
24:17that three teenagers
24:18were sent to prison
24:19for a crime
24:20they clearly
24:21didn't commit.
24:22All because
24:23they wore black,
24:24listened to Metallica
24:25and one of them
24:26was a practicing Wiccan.
24:28So many people
24:28identified with
24:29these teenagers.
24:30So much so,
24:31a lot of them
24:32wrote letters
24:33and postcards
24:34to Damien,
24:35Jason and Jesse.
24:36In response,
24:38a group of people
24:39made a website
24:39called
24:40Free the West Memphis Three
24:41or WM3.org.
24:44They made t-shirts
24:45and other merchandise
24:46to raise funds
24:47for their appeals
24:49and DNA testing.
24:51They also wanted
24:51to find out
24:52who really murdered
24:53those three little
24:54eight-year-old boys.
24:56A lot of celebrities
24:56also reached out
24:58offering their support
24:59in any way they could.
25:01Eddie Vedder
25:01from Pearl Jam,
25:03Johnny Depp,
25:04the Dixie Chicks
25:04and Henry Rollins
25:06were just some
25:06of the many celebrities
25:07that came out
25:08in support.
25:10A sequel was made
25:11called Paradise Lost 2
25:13Revelations.
25:14This time,
25:15the documentary
25:15is filmed
25:16five years after
25:17the events
25:18depicted in the first film.
25:20It mainly focuses
25:21on the support group,
25:22Damien's Appeals,
25:24but it mostly focuses
25:25on John Mark Byers,
25:26the father of
25:27one of the victims
25:28who has grown
25:29increasingly obsessed
25:31with the West Memphis Three.
25:32There was also
25:33discovery of
25:34some possible
25:35bite marks
25:35on one of the victims' face.
25:37There was a back and forth
25:38on whether or not
25:39it was a bite mark
25:40in court
25:41after finding out
25:42that the bite mark
25:43didn't match
25:44any of the three.
25:46The film premiered
25:47on March 13, 2000.
25:50There had been
25:50widespread criticism
25:51of the handling
25:52of the crime scene
25:53by police
25:54and the coroner's
25:55investigation
25:56was extremely
25:57substandard.
25:59Ms. Kelly's
25:59former attorney,
26:00Dan Stedham,
26:01cites multiple
26:02substantial police errors
26:04at the crime scene,
26:05characterizing it
26:06as literally trampled,
26:08especially the creek bed.
26:10The bodies,
26:11he said,
26:12had been removed
26:12from the water
26:13before the coroner
26:14arrived to examine
26:15the scene
26:16and determine
26:16the state of rigor mortis,
26:18allowing the bodies
26:19to decay on the creek
26:21bank and to be exposed
26:22to sunlight and insects.
26:24The police did not
26:25telephone to the coroner
26:26until almost two hours
26:28after the discovery
26:29of the floating shoe,
26:31resulting in a late
26:32appearance by the coroner.
26:34Officials failed
26:35to drain the creek
26:35in a timely manner
26:37and secure possible
26:38evidence in the water.
26:40The creek was sandbagged
26:41after the bodies
26:42were pulled from the water.
26:44There was a small amount
26:45of blood at the scene
26:46that was never tested.
26:48After the initial investigation,
26:50police failed to control
26:51disclosure of information
26:53and speculation
26:54about the crime scene.
26:56Mara Leverett,
26:57author of the 2002 book,
26:59Devil's Knot,
27:00the true story
27:01of the West Memphis Three,
27:02Mara Leverett said
27:03police records were a mess.
27:05To call them disorderly
27:06would be putting it mildly.
27:08She speculated
27:09that the small local police force
27:11was overwhelmed by the crime,
27:12which was unlike any
27:14they had ever investigated.
27:15Police refused
27:16an unsolicited offer
27:17of aid and consultation
27:19from the violent crimes experts
27:21of the Arkansas State Police,
27:24and critics suggested
27:25this was due to
27:26the West Memphis Police Department
27:28being under investigation
27:30by Arkansas State Police
27:32for suspected theft
27:33from the Crittenden County
27:35Drug Task Force.
27:36She further noted
27:37that some of the physical evidence
27:39was stored in paper sacks
27:41obtained from a supermarket,
27:43which the supermarket's name
27:44was printed on the back,
27:46rather than in containers
27:47of known and controlled origin.
27:49Every appeal that has come up
27:57has been denied
27:58by Judge David Burnett,
28:00who has had an obvious bias
28:02towards this case.
28:03At one point
28:04during the original trial,
28:06Dan Stidham
28:07overheard Judge Burnett
28:08discuss taking a lunch break
28:10with the jury foreman
28:12and heard the foreman reply
28:13that the jury was almost finished.
28:16According to Dan,
28:17Judge Burnett responded,
28:19quote,
28:19you'll need food
28:20for when you come back
28:21for sentencing,
28:22unquote.
28:23When the foreman asked
28:24what would happen
28:25if the defendant was acquitted,
28:27the judge closed the door
28:28without answering,
28:30thereby implying
28:31that he thought
28:31the three were guilty,
28:33which poses a major problem
28:35trying to get
28:35a successful appeal
28:37for any of the three defendants.
28:39As the years dragged on,
28:41new evidence came to light.
28:43In 2003,
28:44Vicki Hutchinson,
28:45who played a part
28:46in getting the three guys arrested,
28:48officially recanted
28:49her testimony.
28:51She gave an interview
28:52to Arkansas Times
28:53in which she stated
28:54that every word
28:55she has been given
28:56to the police
28:57was a fabrication.
28:59She further asserted
29:00that the police
29:01had implied
29:02that if she did not
29:03cooperate with them,
29:04they would take
29:05her child away.
29:06She said that
29:07when she visited
29:08the police station,
29:09employees had photographs
29:11of Eccles, Baldwin,
29:12and Ms. Kelly
29:13on the wall
29:14and were using them
29:15as dark targets.
29:16She also claims
29:17that the audio tape
29:18the police said
29:19was unintelligible
29:20and that they eventually lost
29:22was perfectly clear
29:23and contained
29:24no incriminating statements.
29:26In 2007,
29:28a press conference
29:29was held
29:29at the University
29:30of Arkansas Law School
29:32to reveal
29:33the new evidence.
29:34Attorneys for Damien Eccles,
29:36Dennis Reardon,
29:36and Don Horrigan
29:38spoke about
29:39juror misconduct.
29:40See, the jury
29:41takes an oath
29:41to only consider
29:43the evidence
29:43that is presented
29:44before them
29:45and to not consider
29:46anything outside
29:47of that evidence.
29:48Well, it turns out
29:49the jury foreman,
29:51Kent Arnold,
29:52on the Eccles
29:52and Baldwin trial
29:53had discussed
29:54the case
29:55with an attorney
29:56prior to the beginning
29:57of deliberations.
29:59Apparently,
29:59he introduced
30:00the Jesse,
30:01Ms. Kelly confession
30:02into the jury room,
30:03even though it was
30:04not supposed
30:05to be considered
30:06due to the fact
30:07that it was never
30:08entered as evidence.
30:09At the time,
30:10legal experts agree
30:11that this issue
30:13could result
30:14in the reversal
30:15of the convictions
30:16of Jason and Damien.
30:17So, what about
30:18the knife
30:19that was deemed
30:20as a murder weapon?
30:21Turns out,
30:22that too was incorrect.
30:23A confidential informant
30:25let the West Memphis PD
30:26know that there was
30:27a knife
30:28that had been thrown
30:29in the lake
30:29by Jason's mother.
30:31That part is true,
30:32but what that person
30:33failed to mention
30:34was that it was
30:35thrown in the lake
30:35a year prior
30:37to the murders.
30:38Plus,
30:38there was also
30:39a lot of other junk
30:40thrown into that lake
30:41by other people.
30:43Dr. Warner Spitz,
30:44forensic and anatomic
30:46pathologist,
30:47and Dr. Richard Suverand,
30:49forensic odontologist,
30:50discussed the injuries
30:51on the boys' bodies.
30:53Majority of the injuries
30:54on the three victims
30:55were caused
30:56by animal predation
30:57after death,
30:58namely,
30:59turtles.
31:00Come to find out,
31:01the Robin Hood Hills area
31:02has a lot of turtles
31:03of all shapes and sizes.
31:05None of the injuries
31:06were caused
31:06by that knife.
31:08John Douglas,
31:09retired FBI agent
31:10and current criminal profiler,
31:13discussed the profile
31:14of the person
31:15that did this.
31:16He said that
31:17the murders
31:17were more indicative
31:18of a single murderer
31:19intent on degrading
31:21and punishing
31:21the victims
31:22rather than a trio
31:23of unsophisticated teenagers.
31:26He believes
31:26that the perpetrator
31:27had a violent history
31:29and was familiar
31:30with the victims
31:31and with the area.
31:32He stated in his report
31:34for Echols' legal team
31:35that there was no evidence
31:37the murders were linked
31:38to satanic rituals.
31:40He said that the victims
31:41had died
31:41from a combination
31:42of blunt force trauma
31:44and drowning
31:45in a crime
31:46which he believes
31:46was driven
31:47by personal cause.
31:49Thomas Fedor,
31:50forensic serologist,
31:51discussed the DNA evidence,
31:53namely hair
31:54that was found
31:55in the knot
31:56of one of the shoelaces
31:57used to tie up
31:58Michael Moore,
31:59belonged to Terry Hobbs
32:01and a hair found
32:02on a tree stump
32:03belonged to David Jacoby.
32:05But he stated
32:05that the hair evidence
32:07isn't strong enough.
32:08He stated that
32:09one half percent
32:10of the population
32:11could be the source
32:12of that hair.
32:13But he found no DNA
32:14linked to Damien,
32:16Jason,
32:16or Jesse.
32:18This press conference
32:19was a smart idea,
32:20bringing all of this
32:21information to the public
32:22so that no one
32:23can pull some shady stuff.
32:25On October 29, 2007,
32:27papers were filed
32:29in federal court
32:30with all of this
32:31new evidence
32:32by Eccles defense lawyers
32:33seeking retrial
32:35or his immediate
32:36release from prison.
32:37On September 10, 2008,
32:39Judge Burnett
32:40denied the request
32:41for a retrial,
32:43citing that the DNA tests
32:44were inconclusive,
32:45even though he didn't
32:46even take a look
32:47at the evidence
32:48before deciding.
32:49So once again,
32:50Judge Burnett
32:51is preventing
32:51any progress
32:52from being made,
32:53all because of
32:54personal bias.
32:55So on September 30, 2010,
32:58Eccles lawyers
32:59appealed to the
33:00Arkansas Supreme Court,
33:02which oral arguments
33:03were made.
33:04And on November 4, 2010,
33:06the Arkansas Supreme Court
33:08ruled in the defense's favor.
33:10They ordered
33:10a lower court judge
33:12to consider
33:13whether newly analyzed
33:14DNA evidence
33:15might exonerate the three.
33:17The justices
33:18also instructed
33:19the lower court
33:20to examine claims
33:22of misconduct
33:23by jurors
33:24who sentenced
33:25Damien Nichols
33:25to death
33:26and Jesse Miskelley
33:27and Jason Baldwin
33:28to life in prison.
33:30Even better news
33:31came out
33:31about a month later.
33:33David Burnett
33:33was elected
33:34to the Arkansas State Senate,
33:36which means
33:36he will not be able
33:37to be involved
33:38with the West Memphis Three
33:39case anymore,
33:41which is a huge change
33:42for this case.
33:43But as the evidentiary
33:44hearing was scheduled,
33:46it kept getting pushed
33:47back further and further.
33:49Everyone was concerned
33:51if this hearing
33:52was ever going to happen.
34:00So the hearing
34:01was scheduled
34:01for December of 2011,
34:04but after a lot
34:05of negotiations,
34:06everyone just wanted
34:07a way for these three guys
34:09to get out of prison
34:10immediately.
34:11Since the state
34:12believes that
34:12they are guilty,
34:14but Damien,
34:15Jason,
34:15and Jesse
34:16and their supporters
34:17and lawyers
34:18believe they are innocent.
34:20There had to be
34:21some kind of compromise
34:22that everyone
34:23got what they wanted
34:24in a way.
34:26So the Alfred plea
34:27was the best way
34:28to bridge those two parties.
34:30The Alfred plea
34:30is a very strange
34:31and is rarely ever used
34:33or accepted in court.
34:35It's basically
34:35a guilty plea
34:36with a profession
34:37of innocence.
34:38The first thing
34:39with this deal,
34:41all three of them
34:41have to accept it.
34:43It's either all
34:43or nothing.
34:44It goes to Jesse.
34:46He agrees.
34:46Then to Damien.
34:48He also agrees.
34:49Then to Jason.
34:50At first,
34:51he didn't want
34:51to take the deal at all.
34:52He didn't want
34:53to concede to the state.
34:55But when he was informed
34:56about Damien's health
34:57and that this kind of deal
34:58is not going to happen again,
35:00Jason finally agrees.
35:02On August 19, 2011,
35:05an emergency hearing
35:06was scheduled.
35:07Judge David Lacer
35:08presiding,
35:09Damien,
35:10Jesse,
35:10and Jason
35:11entered an Alfred plea
35:12to lesser charges
35:14of first and second
35:15degree murder.
35:16while verbally stating
35:17their innocence.
35:18Judge Lacer
35:19then sentenced them
35:21to time served,
35:22a total of 18 years
35:24and 78 days.
35:26They were each given
35:26a suspended
35:27imposition of sentence
35:29for 10 years.
35:31If they reoffend,
35:32they can be sent
35:33back to prison
35:33for 21 years.
35:35After the hearing,
35:37they had a small
35:38press conference
35:38during which
35:39Jason said,
35:40quote,
35:41this is not justice,
35:42he said of the deal.
35:44However,
35:44they're trying
35:45to kill Damien
35:46and sometimes
35:47you just have to
35:47fight the gun
35:48to save somebody.
35:49Unquote.
35:50Damien in turn
35:51stated that,
35:52quote,
35:53I want to thank Jason
35:54because he wanted
35:55to keep fighting.
35:56He didn't want to
35:57take this deal
35:58in the beginning
35:58and I recognize
35:59he did this
36:00almost entirely for me.
36:02Unquote.
36:03The two of them
36:04smiled and hugged
36:05for the first time
36:06in almost two decades.
36:07It seemed like
36:08a fitting ending.
36:10Everyone had
36:10mixed feelings.
36:11Those that believe
36:12they are guilty
36:13were pissed.
36:14Those that believe
36:15they are innocent
36:16feel that this
36:17was not justice
36:18and the only reason
36:19why this deal
36:20was made
36:20was so that
36:21the state of Arkansas
36:22couldn't be sued.
36:24And I believe
36:25they also made
36:25this deal
36:26because they knew
36:27they were going
36:28to lose the trial,
36:29realizing that
36:30there is more evidence
36:31proving their innocence
36:32than their guilt.
36:34In the same year
36:35they were freed,
36:36supporters
36:36pushed Arkansas's
36:38then-governor
36:39at the time,
36:40Mike Beebe,
36:41to pardon Damien,
36:42Jason,
36:42and Jesse
36:43based on their innocence.
36:44Governor Beebe said
36:45he would deny the request
36:47unless there was evidence
36:48showing someone else
36:49committed the murders.
36:51On January 12, 2012,
36:53Paradise Lost 3,
36:55Purgatory,
36:56premiered on HBO.
36:57It gave a basic recap
36:59of the case,
37:00the progress
37:00that was being made,
37:01the fundraising
37:02by celebrities,
37:03Terry Hobbs' lawsuit,
37:05and their release.
37:07Once again,
37:08just like in the last
37:09two films,
37:10Metallica provided
37:11the soundtrack,
37:12including a new song
37:13for the end credits
37:14called The Day That Never Comes,
37:16since it was more fitting
37:17than play
37:18Call of Cthulhu again.
37:19The same year that Paradise Lost 3,
37:28Purgatory came out,
37:30another film also came out
37:31called West of Memphis,
37:33produced by Peter Jackson
37:34and Damien Echols.
37:36This documentary takes
37:37everything we've learned
37:38from the Paradise Lost films
37:40and dives deeper.
37:41Having a darker overtone,
37:43there is footage shown
37:44that was not shown
37:46in the Paradise Lost films.
37:47We get to see a lot more
37:49about Stevie's life
37:50growing up
37:51and how he felt
37:52about his stepfather
37:53and his treatment
37:54towards him.
37:55Terry Hobbs attempted
37:56to sue Natalie Maines
37:58from the Dixie Chicks
37:59for defamation
38:00due to the comments
38:01she made about him online,
38:03but that was a big mistake
38:04for him.
38:05He had to be deposed.
38:06During the deposition,
38:08Natalie's attorney
38:09got the notes
38:09from the West Memphis 3 case
38:11and finally questioned Terry
38:13under oath
38:14about the night
38:14of the murders,
38:16which was never done
38:17back in 1993.
38:19From his lack
38:19of alibi witnesses
38:20to his violent past,
38:22including hitting
38:23Pam and Stevie.
38:25There was also
38:25a declaration
38:26from Pam
38:27stating that Stevie
38:28had a pocket knife
38:29that was given to him
38:31by his grandfather
38:32that Pam knew about
38:33and Stevie had it
38:34on him all the time.
38:36When they found
38:36the body of her son,
38:38that knife was missing
38:39and she figured
38:40that whoever murdered him
38:42took the knife.
38:43His response was that,
38:45I'm his stepfather
38:46and I didn't want
38:47an eight-year-old boy
38:48carrying around
38:49a pocket knife.
38:50Ultimately,
38:51the case was dismissed
38:52and Terry had to pay
38:53$17,590
38:56for legal costs.
38:58The film also talks
38:59about the autopsies
39:00and that Dr. Frank Peretti
39:02was the assistant
39:03medical examiner
39:04is not actually
39:05board certified.
39:06He took the exam
39:07and failed him twice.
39:09and opted out
39:10of taking them again
39:11due to personal reasons.
39:12During the trial,
39:14he holds up a textbook
39:15by Dr. Vincent DeMayo,
39:17a forensic pathologist
39:18in Texas.
39:19When he was interviewed
39:20during the film,
39:22he said that the
39:23interpretation
39:23was completely wrong.
39:25He said that the injuries
39:26were caused
39:26by animal predation.
39:28Multiple forensic pathologists
39:30and medical examiners
39:31also agreed
39:32with DeMayo's finding.
39:33All of these doctors
39:34went out to Arkansas
39:35to talk with Dr. Peretti.
39:37At the end,
39:38he disagreed
39:39that these injuries
39:40couldn't have been
39:41caused by turtles.
39:42Honestly,
39:43it's worth watching.
39:44It sheds a lot of light
39:45that wasn't shown before.
39:47The most recent information
39:48about the West Memphis 3 case
39:50is from a TV miniseries
39:52called
39:53The Forgotten West Memphis 3,
39:54which aired
39:55on March 28, 2020
39:57and has six episodes,
39:59which if you search
40:00for it here on YouTube,
40:02it was condensed
40:02down to two episodes,
40:04which are an hour
40:04and a half each.
40:06Bob Ruff,
40:07host of the
40:08Truth and Justice podcast,
40:09who is a fire investigator,
40:11took his investigative skills
40:13to see if he could solve
40:14who really killed
40:15Stevie, Michael, and Christopher.
40:17He starts from scratch,
40:19ignoring the initial investigation,
40:21and puts together
40:22his own investigation,
40:24from the timeline
40:25to how the boys were killed,
40:27suspect theories,
40:28and even a new
40:29DNA testing method.
40:30In the show,
40:32Dr. Rebecca Hsu
40:33agrees that most
40:35of the injuries
40:35were post-mortem
40:36except for a few
40:38that were on the top
40:39of the head
40:39of one of the boys.
40:41Those wounds were
40:42anti-mortem
40:43or before death,
40:44and it was done
40:45using a tool
40:46that was not sharp,
40:47not made for cutting,
40:48like a screwdriver.
40:50There's also
40:50a new testing method
40:51they discuss
40:52called the
40:53impact method,
40:54which collects
40:55200 times more DNA
40:57versus the swabbing method.
40:58It was discovered
41:00that the hair
41:00in the ligature,
41:02well,
41:02there wasn't one,
41:03but two hairs,
41:04and only one was tested.
41:06The fight begins
41:07to get the evidence
41:08tested using
41:09this new method.
41:10It only lasts
41:11for one season,
41:12only because
41:13they are still
41:14trying to fight
41:14the state of Arkansas.
41:16As of July 2022,
41:18the judge denied
41:19the motion
41:19to test the evidence,
41:21so now they are
41:22taking it to
41:22the Supreme Court
41:23to get that ruling
41:24overturned.
41:28So after Damien,
41:33Jason,
41:33and Jesse
41:34were released,
41:35they each
41:35went their separate ways.
41:37After their supporters
41:38hosted a party
41:39for them,
41:40Jason moved out west
41:41to Seattle,
41:42Washington,
41:43and is learning
41:44how to adjust
41:44to life on the outside.
41:46Even though
41:47he's the youngest
41:47of the three,
41:49he's the most vocal
41:49about their innocence.
41:51He learned how to drive
41:52and is studying law.
41:54Damien moved out east,
41:56living in New York City,
41:57with his wife Lori.
41:59They married back in 1999
42:01while he was still
42:02in prison.
42:03He too is learning
42:04how to adjust
42:05to everything
42:05on the outside.
42:07They have moved
42:07to Salem, Massachusetts,
42:09then to New Orleans.
42:10He came out
42:11with a few books,
42:12artwork,
42:13spoken word performances,
42:15and co-writing songs.
42:17He's had several
42:18interviews over the years.
42:19When people ask him
42:20about his son,
42:22he says that his son
42:23grew up without him
42:24and hasn't really stated
42:25if he has a relationship
42:27with him or not.
42:28He has to wear
42:29prescription glasses
42:30ever since he left prison
42:31due to the lack
42:33of sunlight
42:33and vitamin D.
42:35It affected his vision.
42:37Jesse Miss Kelly Jr.
42:38unfortunately went
42:39right back to West Memphis.
42:41Back to the same trailer,
42:43living with his father.
42:44For a little while,
42:45he was on Facebook,
42:47but over the years,
42:48he just disappeared.
42:49His Facebook account
42:50was deleted.
42:52He doesn't have a cell phone
42:53or even a permanent address,
42:55and he has turned away
42:56all interviews.
42:58Unfortunately,
42:59on February 21st, 2021,
43:02Jesse Miss Kelly Sr.
43:03passed away.
43:04He was 82 years old.
43:07Unfortunately,
43:08Melissa Byers,
43:09mother of Christopher Byers,
43:11passed away
43:11on March 26, 1996.
43:14She was 40 years old.
43:15Her cause of death
43:16was listed as undetermined.
43:18John Mark Byers,
43:20stepfather of Christopher Byers,
43:22who was a long-time critic
43:23turned advocate,
43:25passed away
43:25June 18, 2020
43:27at the age of 63
43:29from a car accident.
43:31As of May 5th of this year,
43:322023,
43:34it is the 30th anniversary
43:35of this tragic event.
43:38There were so many people
43:39affected by this tragic murder
43:40of three little
43:42eight-year-old boys,
43:43boys that never asked
43:44for this to happen.
43:45Three teenagers,
43:46now men,
43:47whose only crime
43:48was being different.
43:50This is tragedy
43:50on all sides.
43:51The one who really did this,
43:53if they aren't served justice
43:55while they are alive,
43:56they will be punished
43:57in the afterlife.
43:59Rest in peace,
44:00Stevie Branch,
44:01Michael Moore,
44:03and Christopher Byers.
44:04To be honest with you guys,
44:11this case sucks.
44:13It sucks because of
44:14what happened to those kids.
44:16It sucks because
44:17three men had their lives ruined
44:19because of satanic panic.
44:21It sucks because of
44:22police corruption
44:23and not just admitting
44:24when they screwed up.
44:26It sucks because
44:27the state of Arkansas
44:28still won't admit
44:29when they're wrong
44:30and just own up to it.
44:32I mean,
44:32come on.
44:33Many states have screwed up
44:35and have owned up to it.
44:36What makes Arkansas
44:37so dang special?
44:39Just own up to it already
44:40and do the right thing.
44:42I guess they're waiting
44:43until everyone involved
44:44with this case is dead
44:45before they do anything
44:46about it.
44:47This case just sucks
44:48all the way around.
44:50There is no better way
44:51to put it.
44:52I was originally
44:53going to put this out
44:54on May 5th
44:55but due to illness
44:56I couldn't get it out
44:57in time.
44:59But now that I'm better
45:00hopefully Anubis and I
45:01can get out
45:02regular content
45:03for you guys.
45:04With that being said
45:05if you made it this far
45:07into the video
45:08thank you so much.
45:10Make sure to smash
45:10that like button
45:11it really helps
45:12with the algorithm.
45:14If you are new
45:14to the channel
45:15subscribe will ya?
45:17And when you do
45:18don't forget to
45:18tickle that little bell icon
45:20so that you don't
45:21miss out on the next episode.
45:23You never know
45:23who I will cover next.
45:25Thank you for hanging out
45:26with me in the
45:27Dark Mystery Lounge.
45:28This is Phoenix
45:29signing out.
45:30Have a good evening
45:30and stay safe.
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