Murders at Robin Hood Hills/Paradise Lost

[CatToy]

Echols was on LKL this past week, if any of you would like to discuss this case, rent the Paradise Lost movie, I or II let me know, I'd like to discuss this case.
Im not sure they have the right offender in jail. One is on death row two are serving Life.
Here is a link about the case, the movie trailer and info on this horrendous crime. Do not rent this movie if you are sensitive to crime scene photos, or child murder cases. I would like to know what some of you think about this case? Do you know of it, have you followed it, what do you think? Was this case correctly tried and solved? Is it solved?? :INhouseReading04:

http://www.warpfilms.com/paradiselost/home.php

http://www.dvdoutsider.co.uk/dvd/reviews/p/paradise_lost.html

[Tam5115]

I just ordered both Paradise Lost DVD's. When I see them I'll be ready to talk. I did read a couple books on this case and boy... what a rail job this was!

I firmly believe they are innocent.

[ferretplay]

Well, I just watched the LKL interview & read in the one of the links you provided. I am going to check our library for any books on the subject. I watched the documentaries long ago. From the info I read tonight, I wouldn't have convicted them, let alone put one on death row. I'm off to find more info.:022:

[Tracian]

The Devil's Knot is an excellent book regarding this case.

IMO, these three were railroaded.

[bambam]

i don't believe these boys committed this crime either. i have thought this for a long time. the so-called "investigation" was pathetic!!!! i don't know if many links have been posted here or not, i will have to check, but i know there is some very good information in the crime library. these boys---now men--need to be set free!!!

[wheezer]

I don't know a lot about this case, but I will try and find some of the books and find the DVD's. Just from the links you provided CatToy it sounds like these three young men were convicted solely on who they were and not on any real evidence.

[packy]

The DNA they tested recently did not belong to any one of the West Memphis Three, and you would think they would have found some of theirs on the victims.

And hearing that a man covered in blood was in a nearby restroom that night and was not checked out is mind boggling.

[wheezer]

The DNA they tested recently did not belong to any one of the West Memphis Three, and you would think they would have found some of theirs on the victims.

And hearing that a man covered in blood was in a nearby restroom that night and was not checked out is mind boggling.

Like I said earlier I don't know much about this case.
But you mean they have tested the DNA from the blood found on the victims and that testing shows that these three young men's DNA was NOT on the victims? This was a brutal crime just from what little I have read, so IMO if these three young men had been involved then some of their DNA would have been at that crime scene.

Someone needs to do something.
I understand people want justus, but there is no justus being served if the wrong people are in prison.

[packy]

Did you see all the information that Harlett has put here in this forum in the sticky? Gives a history of the case. http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showthread.php?t=693

They did find some that belonged to someone other than the three.

[wheezer]

Did you see all the information that Harlett has put here in this forum in the sticky? Gives a history of the case. http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showthread.php?t=693

They did find some that belonged to someone other than the three.

Thanks I did not even notice all those videos. This just seems like a really strong case for someone like the 'Innocence Project' to get involved with.

[Tracian]

I am amazed that project innocents has not picked up this case.

[wheezer]

I know on their website(Innocence Project) they say the Number One reason they have to turn down cases, is that the evidence has been ruined or thrown away. If they tested for DNA they must still have the evidence. So hopefully someone will get involved quickly.

[bambam]

Hearing Set for Men Convicted in 1993 WM Slayings
Apr 14, 2008 at 6:28 PM
MyFoxMemphis

http://wm3.vox.com/library/post/hearing-set-for-men-convicted-in-1993-wm-slayings.html

[packy]

Thanks for the update, Bambam.

Interesting statement from your link. "Any time you've got a high-profile case like this, what I would suggest is, if it has any influence in the justice process, it's more likely to get picked up for an appeal or it's more likely to be heard," he said. "It will be ruled, or should be, on the facts. But sometimes, a case that wouldn't get heard on an appeal will if it's got a lot of publicity like this one."

[bambam]

http://wm3.vox.com/

West Memphis 3: Hearings Scheduled for September

[Claudia]

I have read a lot about this case, but have never watched the documentaries. I have added them both to my Netflix queue. Can't wait to watch them. I have thought these guys were innocent for many years.

[bambam]

anyone interested in keeping up with what happens with case should check this blog out, it will keep you updated.


http://wm3.vox.com/

[packy]

anyone interested in keeping up with what happens with case should check this blog out, it will keep you updated.


http://wm3.vox.com/

Thank you, Bambam. Will do.

[Tracian]

WM3: Victim's Mom Questions Convictions
Most people in the Pagan community are familiar with the story of the young men known as the West Memphis Three -- three teenagers accused and convicted of the heinous murder of three little boys. The convicted teens, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Miskelly have been in prison since 1994. Echols in particular has been of interest to the Pagan community because he was labeled almost immediately as a "Satanist" and "devil-worshipper" by investigators.

http://paganwiccan.about.com/b/2007/07/23/wm3-victims-mom-questions-convictions.htm

More WM3: Byers' Dad Supports Echols
For those of you following along, a day or two ago attorneys for Damien Echols filed a 700-page brief stating that new forensic evidence shows that Echols and the two other men charged in the West Memphis killings of 1993 are innocent. Now -- and I was blown away when I read this -- John Mark Byers, the father of Christopher Byers, is speaking out and saying he believes Echols and the others are innocent as well.

The reason this strikes me as so profound is because during the 1990s, Byers made the round of many talk shows, angrily condemning Echols for the death of his son. Now he says, "I didn't want to see it...I felt like Benedict Arnold. I'm going against everything I believed for 14 years." Byers added, "I want these three men to know I'm here for you...I hated you for years. I believed with all my heart you killed my son -- and I'm sorry for that."

Although there had been public speculation that Byers himself was the killer, police say he was never a suspect.

http://paganwiccan.about.com/b/2007/11/03/more-wm3-byers-dad-supports-echols.htm

Link to video tape at above link.

Fast forward to this year -- new DNA evidence has been examined, and Pam Hobbs is speaking out about it. Hobbs was the mother of one of the murdered eight-year-olds, Stevie Branch. Along with Christopher Byers and Michael Moore, Branch was found tied up and brutally murdered in the small rural town of West Memphis in May 1993. According to forensic specialists, a hair found in the shoelaces used to tie the boys has been identified -- and it doesn't belong to Echols, Misskelly, or Baldwin. Instead, it belongs to Hobbs' ex-husband, Stevie's stepfather, Terry Hobbs. Pam Hobbs says she was "blown away" by the findings.

When asked if she thought Terry Hobbs was capable of killing the boys, Pam Hobbs replied, "I would say there is a possibility that he could be capable. I hate to say it because I'm going on my thoughts and feelings."

West Memphis Deputy Police Chief Mike Allen has stated that at this time, Terry Hobbs is not a suspect in the trial. Pam Hobbs says that she doesn't believe Echols, Baldwin and Misskelly killed her son.

As more examination of DNA evidence goes on, thanks to advancements in testing methods, Damien Echols sits on death row, and Jason Baldwin and Jamie Misskelly spend their days in prison. You can read more about the evidence and chronology of the case at WM3, a site dedicated to getting a new trial for Echols and the other two men.

[bambam]

peeps--

if you're interested in hearing all about the new evidence that was found in this case, you should also check out all the youtube vids of the press conferences... there are at least 7 parts put out by WM3org....

go here... you'll find a bunch!! watch and be amazed that these guys are STILL in prison!!! :(


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-CDl_mXgHs&feature=related


oops!! this is only part 1.... please... just go to youtube and you find ALL of them!!!!

[bambam]

WM3 video petition...3 days ago:

http://wm3.vox.com/

[London Lass]

I don't think they have the right people! Last year there was a world WMT Worldwide Awareness Day, and there is another one coming up at the end of this month...a couple of relevant links.

West Memphis Three Worldwide Awareness Day 2007
June 3, 2007



June 3, 2007 marks the 14-year anniversary of the arrests of Damien
Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin.

These men have been locked up for almost a decade and a half for something they did not do, and the many efforts to expose what happened to them in those Arkansas courtrooms is even more powerful and committed than ever. Time hasn't diminished the outrage or the frustration over verdicts that grow even more absurd as the years have passed and more is learned about what really happened to the murder victims.

West Memphis Three Worldwide Awareness Day is a way for people all over the world to come together to organize their own benefits, awareness-raising and fundraising events to help keep this tragic injustice in the public eye and to generate funding for the ongoing legal and investigative work that will free these three men. The world is aware of this case and there's no chance of it disappearing. There are too many eyes and ears and voices now.

Please take a look at the events and benefits that are happening in your area on or around June 3, and arrange to be there. If there isn't one nearby, please consider holding your own. Read up on the case and do what you can to insure that this kind of thing never happens again.

It's up to everyone one of us.

2007 Map of Events:
http://www.wm3.org/live/newsevents/events_awareness2007_map.php

WAD @ Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/wm3worldawarenessday

[Claudia]

peeps--

if you're interested in hearing all about the new evidence that was found in this case, you should also check out all the youtube vids of the press conferences... there are at least 7 parts put out by WM3org....

go here... you'll find a bunch!! watch and be amazed that these guys are STILL in prison!!! :(


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-CDl_mXgHs&feature=related


oops!! this is only part 1.... please... just go to youtube and you find ALL of them!!!!

Thanks for posting this, Bam Bam! This case has been of interest to me for many years. Those poor boys should have never spent a single minute in prison! I will kick back tonight & watch the videos!


BTW - love your new av!

[bambam]

thanks london lass!! i am still watching vids on youtube... there is a wealth of information there... interviews with all three defendants, as well as john mark byers (tons of them of course) and terry hobbs.... MOST interesting!!!

[bambam]

Thanks for posting this, Bam Bam! This case has been of interest to me for many years. Those poor boys should have never spent a single minute in prison! I will kick back tonight & watch the videos!


BTW - love your new av!

:0012: claudia!!! i can't believe ppl just started popping in on this thread when it sits dormant for so long!! hey-- please... go to youtube... read my other post.. you will find a plethora of interviews with major players!!! there's a LOT to watch!!!!

[Claudia]

:0012: claudia!!! i can't believe ppl just started popping in on this thread when it sits dormant for so long!! hey-- please... go to youtube... read my other post.. you will find a plethora of interviews with major players!!! there's a LOT to watch!!!!

I love that word - plethora.


The reason I saw it is because most of the time, I just hit the "new posts" button up there & see what's happening. Once you posted the video, it popped up on my new posts page & I saw it.

I didn't realize all that was on you tube, I bet there's a lot on there I'd like to watch. maybe I should go more often!

[bambam]

I love that word - plethora.


The reason I saw it is because most of the time, I just hit the "new posts" button up there & see what's happening. Once you posted the video, it popped up on my new posts page & I saw it.

I didn't realize all that was on you tube, I bet there's a lot on there I'd like to watch. maybe I should go more often!


i love that word too! that's why i used it! :girl_haha:


but.. i'm the same way... i just don't go to youtube enough... and then when i do... whew!!! i'm overwhelmed!! there is soooooo much stuff to see!! i've been trying to keep up with this case. i live in little rock.... and (i hate to say it...) but... i was born in west memphis (! yikes!) and had family there for years and years... (hey-- can't help where i was born, ok??? so don't hold it against me!!) so this has always been kinda "close to home" for me.... altho it's hitting home with ppl EVERYwhere as it's SUCH an atrocity!!!!! grrrrrrr!!!!!

[gramvof14]

Hey Bam I guess I will have to take a look. the problem is I have a hard time finding the trials if it isn't on the front,I go into everything trying to fine trials and unless its up front on the threads page can't find them any where.:girl_sad:

[breezybidj]

wow...its way past my bedtime but i had to watch this documentary and i have to say it left me wondering lots...:rolleye0001:

~ the police took the one boy jessie and they fed him their story to get a confession out of him he had an IQ of 72, and so he was suggestible and he gave them a false confession.:0doh:

~ then they thought they could use him to try and get a solid conviction on the other 2 boys damien and jason...but he wasnt going to testify because that would be #1 admitting that they had committed the crime or #2 lying...:(

~ during the trial, the bombshell was, for me, when the evidence about the knife that the byers boys dad gave to the HBO crew which had blood on it; and that the bloods DNA potentially matched the little boy (as well as his dad) but that the dad was squirming in his seat so bad on the witness stand and changing what he had already told the police prior...:022:

~ also the testimony about the bloody black man in the stall of the ladies restroom of the bojangles chicken joint the night the boys went missing, that the lady officer failed to take any report about that incident OR that the detectives came out the next day and took blood samples and the detective says "it's my fault, i lost a piece of evidence" like its no big deal...:22wink:

~ the fact that there was virtually no real evidence at the scene where the boys' bodies were recovered is also bothersome...there should have been blood!!!!:yes2:

~ but i think that what bothered me the most was the part before the verdict came in for damien and jason where jasons lawyer was talking to him and he asks jason if jason would have been able to find his friend innocent...well, what bugs me, is the hesitation that jason had; because IF they were together that night, why didn't he say so right there? no matter what, thats your story right??? if it was me, i would have said something like "well, yeah, because he is innocent ~ i know because we were together":eyebrow1qb:

HBO did a good job on this documentary; i was riveted to my screen now its time for me to go to bed...all this is just my opinion of course :1222423:

[breezybidj]

ok i just watched part 2 and it was equally as good as part 1 and really informative ~

there's this thing i learned a long time ago to determine if someone is lying or telling the truth it was something the cops taught.

they said if you watch a persons eyes while they are talking, and whichever direction their eyes go, almost always is a dead give away as to wheter or not the person is being honest...if a person is looking off to the left while talking about the subject in question, they are lying. if the person is looking off to the right, they are remembering, or being factual...

~ jason and damien both were talking about their trials and both boys were looking off to the right...i'm sure this technique isnt 100% foolproof, or there would be no need for courtrooms or lawyers, but some cops use it as a guage of someones honesty or deception... :rolleye0001:

~ at one point this 'byers' guy is telling how when the lawyers were describing the mutilation of the boys that it sparked memories of when he had been traumatized and assaulted, and violated, etc. the whole time, he was gazing off to the left... JMO

~ since when did all 3 boys become his BABIE(s)?

~ what kind of ritual was he (byers) conducting out there in the woods there with the can of lighter fluid and a match???

~ what is the REAL story about his teeth??? why cant he just tell the truth??? :girl_haha:

~ what happened to his wife? and what is the deal with all of their criminal dealings before her death ~ and his since? he got 8 years in an arkansas prison himself...of course at 6'8" & 250+ lbs he probably had no problem... :022:

~ what about his brain tumor? after 5 years between the making of the 2 films, he had no treatment? he still looks pretty healthy. if he had been under a drs. care for a brain tumor, he ~ #1 wouldn't be so robust, #2 wouldnt have had so much of his hair still (i do not believe)...i think he was full of b.s. :waitasec:

there are alot of unanswered questions about this case; like the bite mark and the undetermined nature of his wifes death. that independant forensic expert said that was a bitemark; why dont they get someone like michael baden to look at this case and see what he has to say about the bite mark?

sounds like a bunch of hicks railroaded a bunch of outcasts and there is still a muderer running around out there right in their midst.

damien should not be killed for this crime nor should the other boys spend the rest of their lives in prison for these crimes... JMO:000:

[bambam]

good posts breezy... lots of good questions. you must've taken notes!! lol

not so sure i'd want michael baden to be the one to check out the bite marks.... jus' sayin'.......

[Tracian]

good posts breezy... lots of good questions. you must've taken notes!! lol

not so sure i'd want michael baden to be the one to check out the bite marks.... jus' sayin'.......



I agree, all we need is another 'AH-HA' moment.

[SavannahStar]

The Devil's Knot is an excellent book regarding this case.

IMO, these three were railroaded.

Hi Tracian, I just got this book today and am starting to read it. Look forward to some discussion soon.

[Tracian]

Hi Tracian, I just got this book today and am starting to read it. Look forward to some discussion soon.


It is a great book, sadly....

innocent young men jailed and facing death, while the real killer(s) walk free to do so again.

[wheezer]

I haven't followed this case. But, I came across this while out on the Internet.

JONESBORO - Lawyers for Jason Baldwin, one of three teenagers convicted of the 1993 slayings of three West Memphis second-graders, say some witnesses who could have exonerated their client should have testified at his trial.

The defense filed numerous affidavits in Craighead County Circuit Court on Friday to support their argument Baldwin's 1994 capital murder conviction should be either vacated or he should be given a new trial in light of DNA evidence they obtained last year.

The affidavits provide details on Baldwin's actions and whereabouts the day Steve Branch, Michael Moore and Chris Byers were killed.

The defense also filed a writ with the Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday, claiming prosecutors withheld evidence from Baldwin's trial attorneys. In addition, they amended a petition for relief that claims numerous errors were made in the case, including improper deliberations by the jury and prosecutorial misconduct.

Friday's filing claims trial lawyers bungled Baldwin's defense by failing to call key witnesses and by not hiring a private investigator. It also requests a new trial under the state law that allows anyone convicted of a crime to ask for a re-examination of the evidence if new tests or science become available.

Baldwin, who was 16 at the time of the slayings, was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Co-defendant Damien Echols, then 18, was convicted and sentenced to death. Jessie Misskelley, then 17, was tried separately, convicted, and sentenced to life plus 40 years.

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/05/31/news/060108arboysslain.txt
Just hit the link for the rest of the article.

[bambam]

I agree, all we need is another 'AH-HA' moment.

really!! sheesh! :rolleye0001:

[Tam5115]

I have followed this case for a long time. I also think it's a clear case of a rail job.

I got my t-shirt a couple weeks ago and the first time I wore it, someone asked me about it! :zm10:

[Tam5115]

Heh. The second time I wore my "Free The West Memphis Three" t-shirt, I was surrounded by all the employees of Hot Topic. My daughter works for Spencers and the two stores are rather "tight".

I walked out of there with employees yelling that as soon as their shifts ended they were going to the site and ordering their own t-shirts. :friends3:

[annalyzer]

This happened in 1993 and one of the defendants was sentenced to death? Has he been put to death yet and if not why?

[Tracian]

This happened in 1993 and one of the defendants was sentenced to death? Has he been put to death yet and if not why?



Eckels has been sentanced to death; however, even though I support the DP, this case was mishandled and IMO, three innocent people were convicted of a crime--even two of the victims families believe that this is the case.

The DA is fighting a new trial, even though the evidence is overwhelming that the real killer(s) are still out there.

[annalyzer]

Eckels has been sentanced to death; however, even though I support the DP, this case was mishandled and IMO, three innocent people were convicted of a crime--even two of the victims families believe that this is the case.

The DA is fighting a new trial, even though the evidence is overwhelming that the real killer(s) are still out there.


I am glad his sentence has not been carried out if there is a possibility that he is innocent but I was wondering what has kept it from being carried out. It's been fifteen years since his sentencing.

[Tracian]

I am glad his sentence has not been carried out if there is a possibility that he is innocent but I was wondering what has kept it from being carried out. It's been fifteen years since his sentencing.


I thank the media for that, a lot of focus has been brought into this case, even celebrities have spoken out.

If the DA is so confident about his 'case' then he should have no problem with a new trial, especially when the DP is a factor.

[wheezer]

It took a jury 13 days to convict and sentence Damien Echols to death for the 1993 slayings of three second-graders.

Now, nearly 15 years later, Echols is hoping to convince the judge who oversaw his original case to grant him a new trial. His attorneys say DNA tests clear him and the two others in prison for the crime.

Attorneys for Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, known to supporters as the "West Memphis Three," were to appear Wednesday before Craighead County Circuit Judge David Burnett, along with the case's original prosecutor.

Together, the lawyers and judge will lay out a schedule for a three-week slate of hearings in September on DNA evidence and claims of juror misconduct in their 1994 trials over the murders of 8-year-olds Steven Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore.

Burnett has barred both prosecutors and defense lawyers from speaking with reporters about the case, saying he was tired of reading about it in the newspapers.

It dominated newspapers and television sets throughout Arkansas and the nation after police found the three boys' water-soaked bodies in a drainage ditch a day after their May 5, 1993, disappearance from West Memphis.

The boys' hands were bound to their legs by shoelaces and their bodies showed signs of suffering severe beatings. One boy's body had been mutilated.

A month passed and the community posted a $30,000 reward before police arrested the three teens. Misskelley told investigators how he watched Baldwin and Echols sexually assault and beat two of the boys as he ran down another trying to escape.

A separate jury gave Misskelley, who refused to testify against the other two, a life-plus-40-year sentence for the killings. Baldwin received a life sentence without parole after standing trial with Echols, who preened at times during the trial and quoted Shakespeare to reporters. Echols was sentenced to die.

The Arkansas Supreme Court unanimously affirmed Baldwin and Echols' convictions in 1996, citing what it called substantial evidence of guilt.

Later documentaries on the killings and trials stoked supporters' doubts about the men's convictions, saying they were picked out because they liked heavy metal music and had an interest in the occult.

Defense lawyers claimed detectives coerced two taped statements out of Misskelley, whom they described as having the mental grasp of a child. State Supreme Court justices refused to throw out the statements in Misskelley's appeal, noting that he was advised of his rights three times during a four-hour interview with officers.

The new hearing comes after a wide-ranging federal appeal of Echols' death sentence. Echols' attorneys point to DNA evidence tests that showed no trace of the three convicted in the killings. However, much of the DNA testing done by a private laboratory in Virginia yielded no reportable results.

Testimony from forensic experts in the appeal also claim the mutilation of one of the boys likely came from an animal after their deaths -- rather than prosecutors' claims about satanic rituals.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/08/20/boys.slain.ap/index.html

[bambam]

thanks wheezer!

[bambam]

Petitioner Damien Echols's Reply In Support of Motion For a New Trial
Aug 13, 2008 at 1:27 PM


http://wm3.vox.com/library/post/petitioner-damien-echolss-reply-in-support-of-motion-for-a-new-trial.html

[bambam]

http://wm3.vox.com/library/post/petitioner-damien-echolss-reply-in-support-of-motion-for-a-new-trial.html
this is the last part of that long document.. it's long, but very interesting reading!

Perhaps the most telling rejoinder to the state’s claim that it maintains a case strong enough to convict is the assessment of Juror Number Four, who told his attorney in 1994 that the state had presented a case so weak that it would be up to him to secure a conviction by resorting to reliance on information not in evidence. The new DNA evidence, when considered in conjunction with all other relevant evidence, would lead to acquittal at a new trial.
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, petitioner Echols’ motion for a new trial based on new scientific evidence must be granted.
DATED: August 12, 2008
Respectfully submitted,

DENNIS P. RIORDAN
DONALD M. HORGAN