Susie Brewer Boggan, the recent former girlfriend of Jessie Misskelley, Junior, wants to set the story straight about her relationship with Misskelley. When police speculated about the assailant, the juvenile probation officer assisting at the scene of the murders speculated that Echols was "capable" of committing the murders," stating: "it looks like Damien Echols finally killed someone. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. [47] John Mark Byers had his teeth removed in 1997, after the first trial but before an imprint could be made. RIDGE:They are sick okay. You received a phone call is that correct? On November 4, 2010, the Arkansas Supreme Court ordered a lower judge to consider whether newly analyzed DNA evidence might exonerate the three. I had always assumed that my son's murderer had taken the knife during the crime. RIDGE: Okay, so they had them under control, you were there the whole time that was taking place? JESSIE: Yes, and I took off and run home. RIDGE:At the houses? GITCHELL: Did you ever use, did anyone use a stick and hit the boys with? (Again,if the anal dilation evidence was at all ambiguous, this type of sodomy would cause obvious tearing and ripping; it wouldnt be a close call). 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). They were released with 10-year suspended sentences, having served 18 years. [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]. RIDGE: Do you know what his penis is? RIDGE:You were there by yourself? In his efforts to win a new trial, Echols, 27 at the time of the appeal, claimed he was incompetent to stand trial because of a history of mental illness. The location was widely reported in the media in May 1993). JESSIE: You know Damien keeps asking me how come I left and stuff and hadnt anybody said anything to me about it. [16] Steve Edward Branch is buried in Mount Zion Cemetery in Steele, Missouri. JESSIE:He was holding him down like, and Jason had his legs up in the air and that little boy was kicking, saying, dont, no like that. Stidham said the judge closed the door without answering. First of all, Matthew Baldwin stated that Damien nor Domini had been to the trailer on this day. Each man then entered an Alford plea to lesser charges of first- and second-degree murder while verbally stating their innocence. Jessie Misskelley is reluctant to talk, but his father us his son is working and doing fine in West Memphis. "[90], The appellate legal team argued that Echols did not waive his assertion that he was not mentally competent before his 1994 trial because he was not competent to waive it. 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. Naw, no psych or IQ issue here). The relevance of Morgan's recanted statement would later be debated in trial, but it was eventually barred from admission as evidence. Trade Mark (2) Shaved head Tattoo of a clock with no hands Trivia (1) Byers initially claimed the knife had never been used. After the documentary crew returned to New York, Berlinger and Sinofsky were reported to have discovered what appeared to be blood on the knife. A report jointly issued by the state and the defense team stated, "Although most of the genetic material recovered from the scene was attributable to the victims of the offenses, some of it cannot be attributed to either the victims or the defendants. Many people, including some famous celebrities and musicians, believe that the West Memphis . [62], Many of the men's supporters, and opponents who still believe them guilty, were unhappy with the unusual plea deal. Each had achieved the rank of "Wolf" in the local Cub Scout pack and were best friends.[15]. 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. JESSIE: Right, we walked and then uh, JESSIE: We went up to Robin Hood. What did you see him cut or who did you see him cut? JESSIE: I was looking down, and after I seen all of that, I took off, (Were going to correct that??? [61] As part of the plea deal, the three men cannot pursue civil action against the state for wrongful imprisonment. She got married, had children, but the dream did not die. Stidham made similar comments during a radio show interview in May 2010. RIDGE: In the woods. The song is about the West Memphis Three, with 100% of the proceeds going to their benefit foundation for their release. Despite his reported IQ of 72 (categorizing him as borderline intellectual functioning) and his status as a minor, Miskelley was questioned alone; his parents were not present during the interrogation. RIDGE:They had already gotten them off. JESSIE: Uh, like a regular knife blade. 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. 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. [39] The State's experts had examined the actual bodies for any marks, and others conducted expert photo analysis of injuries. JESSIE: And started doing the same thing, then the other one took off, Michael uhhMooretook off running, so I chased him and grabbed him and held him, cause they got there and then I left. RIDGE: Okay, and when you left, did you hear any more hollering or anything? Organized by Eddie Spaghetti of the band Supersuckers, the album featured a number of original songs about the case and other recordings by artists such as Steve Earle, Tom Waits, L7, and Joe Strummer. [29], During Misskelley's trial, Richard Ofshe, an expert on false confessions and police coercion, and Professor of Sociology at UC Berkeley, testified that the brief recording of Misskelley's interrogation was a "classic example" of police coercion. Good! [59] Since his release, Misskelley has become engaged to his high school girlfriend and enrolled in a community college to train as an auto mechanic. Echols is married, an author, and a movie producer who travels the world. They were convicted under what can best be described as questionable . According to HBO's documentaries Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000), no blood was found at the crime scene, indicating that the location where the bodies were found was not necessarily the location where the murders actually happened. ????). He had stayed the night at a friends house who had no phone. Note:This is a transcription of the taped confession of Jessie Misskelley, Jr. regarding the murder of Chris Byers, Steve Branch and Michael Moore. Present in the interview is Insp. [3], Misskelley was tried separately, and Echols and Baldwin were tried together in 1994. Currently in the office with Jessie Lloyd Misskelly, Jr., DOB:7/10/75, education: 9th grade, the place: Detective Division, todays date is 06/03/93, the time is 2:44Pm. GITCHELL: okay, now you have participated in this cult, right? or scared of the police? RIDGE:Okay, what were you wearing that day? RIDGE: Where did they lay their bikes down at, thats what Im asking you? JESSIE: They were sitting so far away, they were in the water, I would say about five to ten seconds, then come up and then the other one would go down. RIDGE: So, what do you think ought to be done to them for killing these boys? How could Damien be in the background if he was not there? JESSIE: I dont know, I left before them. A hair "not inconsistent with" Stevie Branch's stepfather, Terry Hobbs, was found tied into the knots used to bind one of the victims. RIDGE:The boots that Damien had on, are they army type boots too, or what kind of boots were they? Trace amounts of sperm DNA were found on a pair of pants recovered from the scene. A little gun? Up there behind the Goodyear place? JESSIE: He choked him real bad and all. RIDGE:when you kill a dog, what do you do with that? The plea deal did not technically result in a full exoneration; some of the convictions would stand, but the men would not admit guilt. All three defendants pleaded not guilty. GITCHELL: Now, where you in a car? The three boys were found brutally murdered in a shocking fashion in a wooded area called the Robin Hood Hills. (No blood was found on any of the childrens discarded clothes. Only logical answer is that Jessie had no idea where the bikes were put down), JESSIE: When they hollered, when they seen them boys. [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]. RIDGE: Hes been watching them. RIDGE: Yeah, you dont know what time it is? RIDGE: Has he ever had sex with them before? [33] His conviction was appealed, but the Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed the conviction. [9], Shortly after Misskelley's first confession, police arrested Echols and his close friend Baldwin. 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. (There is no way this phone call could have taken place. [23] King gave the officers a pair of sunglasses he thought the man had left behind, and the detectives took some blood samples from the walls and tiles of the restroom. GITCHELL: Alright, thats uh the Byers boy. [76], A website by Martin David Hill, containing approximately 160,000 words and intending to be a "thorough investigation", collates and discusses many details surrounding the murders and investigation, including some anecdotal information. Im saying what time was it that you were actually there in the park? A hair identified as belonging to a black male was later recovered from a sheet wrapped around one of the victims. This isnotsomething only the police knew). He lived with his mother, Sharon Melissa Byers, his adoptive father, John Mark Byers, and his stepbrother, Shawn Ryan Clark, aged 13. Arrested in Oceanside on May 17, 1993, Morgan and Holland both took polygraph exams administered by California police. Jessie Misskelley was brought in to WMPD for questioning on 3 June 1993. 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? JESSIE: Uh, the meat off of his leg. A news story about Jessie Misskelley's curious behavior following his release from prison; avoiding media interviews and going into hiding. During the trial, the prosecution asserted that the juveniles killed the children as part of a Satanic ritual. This part of this statement is also pertinent to the second statement (*)). And what kind of a shirt, you know everybody wears a special shirt with different things, (Begging for an answer having to do with death), JESSIE: He was wearing a mega death shirt. [59], Echols relocated to Salem, Massachusetts with his wife and has no intentions of returning to Arkansas. In an interview with Piers Morgan, he said that he would like to have a career in writing and visual arts.[95]. Celebrities and musicians held fundraisers to support efforts to free the men. [40][n 1], In May 1994, the three defendants appealed their convictions;[42] the convictions were upheld on direct appeal. [86] Until August 2011, he was incarcerated in the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) Varner Unit Supermax. GITCHELL: You didnt do anything to the bikes at all? JESSIE:Everybody, and we have an orgee and stuff like that. And Susie Brewer Boggan says she is now out of Jessie Misskelley's life. [96] After his release, he has worked on a number of additional media projects. RIDGE:You went to the Robin Hood, explain to me where those woods are. [88] He moved to New York City after his release. They did college in jail. RIDGE:Choking him? Dilation of the anus is a normal post-mortem condition. Present in the interview will be Inspector Gary Gitchell and Jessie Misskelley. GITCHELL: Does just everybody takes a turn. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. There was anal-dialation on two of the boys, which is most likely from the water. Echols, who had been tried as an adult, was sentenced to death. [26] Portions of Misskelley's statements to the police were leaked to the press and reported on the front page of the Memphis Commercial Appeal before any of the trials began. JESSIE:There was a group of pictures of all three of them. Ok. RIDGE:Okay, and Jasons black and lace up? [58], After weeks of negotiations, on August 19, 2011, Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were released from prison as part of a plea deal, making the hearings ordered by the Arkansas Supreme Court unnecessary. Jessie Misskelley's net worth They both claimed to have had information on the case linking Terry Hobbs to the murders, but were ignored by police initially. The phone would have been in use at Jasons at the time Jessie says the call occurred. . On August 19, 2011, three men, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, who were convicted as teenagers in 1994 of the murders of three boys in Arkansas, are released from prison in. He appeared in district court Monday. In 2013, written statements from two men, Billy Wayne Stewart and Bennie Guy, were introduced in the court. GITCHELL: Was uh, where you all close to the creek at that point? (Jessie does not state the location of the crime scene; Ridge tells him, and Jessie repeats it. He told me that he had to go toWest Memphisso, him and Damien with and then I went with them. (You dont have to be a doctor to know that when someone is hit child or adult it doesnt bruise them up until much later. Not long after three teens were arrested, including Damien Echols, 18, Jason Baldwin, 16, and Jessie Misskelley, 17. You tell me. JESSIE:Ive seen them once that night, I seen them with it that night. The defense's expert testified that the mark in question was not an adult bite mark, while experts put on by the State concluded that there was no bite mark at all. Following their convictions, Echols, Misskelley, and Baldwin submitted imprints of their teeth. RIDGE: Okay, so they were just messing around in the water. Not much is known about Jessie Misskelley, Jr.'s current whereabouts, and what he is up to. [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. He said that the victims had died from a combination of blunt force trauma and drowning, in a crime which he believed was driven by personal cause. The boys had been hogtied with their own shoelaces, sexually mutilated and physically assaulted before being killed. [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]. GITCHELL: What do you all do with the girls when youre out there? GITCHELL: Now youre talking about bottom, do you mean right here? Byers was the only victim with drugs in his system; he was prescribed Ritalin (methylphenidate) in January 1993 as part of treatment of an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. 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. Okay, so you saw Damien strike Chris Byers in the head. 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