And be truthful. [33] His conviction was appealed, but the Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed the conviction. They were transferred to the hearing with their possessions. GITCHELL: You didnt see a briefcase? I could not believe it was in Terry's things. JESSIE:And I left and stuff, and walked home. He named Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols . "[51] Pamela Hobbs' May 5, 2009 declaration in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas, Western Division indicates that "one hair was consistent with the hair of [Terry's] friend, David Jacoby" (Point 16), and:[52]. RIDGE:Okay, alright did and the one that they were cutting the penis off of, did any of them are cutting the penis or whatever was being done, did they have sex with him at all? A subsequent search of the ditch revealed the bodies of three boys. He is currently single. Baldwin was initially resistant to agree to this deal, insisting as a matter of principle that he would not plead guilty to something he did not do. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt, and riding a black and red bicycle. RIDGE: Okay. .no . [[[The following portion was cut out Watergate Style from the statement played for the jury. I don't know, he just doesn't want to," she said. He moved to New York with his wife Lorri Davis. [9], Shortly after Misskelley's first confession, police arrested Echols and his close friend Baldwin. (Jessie now states that he leaves again second time . How close would he have to be behind Damien to have his view of the bikes blocked? They did college in jail. [53], In September 2008, attorney (now judge) Daniel Stidham, who represented Misskelley in 1994, testified at a postconviction relief hearing. JESSIE: They had had some houses, trees and stuff, (Trees, houses, and stuff?? GITCHELL:Did you have some blood on your clothes? And what did they tell you on the telephone? RIDGE:The little boys came on over? [91], Echols' lawyers claimed that his condition worsened during the trial, when he developed a "psychotic euphoria that caused him to believe he would evolve into a superior entity" and eventually be transported to a different world. He was last seen wearing blue pants, a blue Boy Scouts of America shirt, and an orange and blue Boy Scout hat, and riding a light green bicycle. RIDGE:Holes in the knees. [6] Baldwin pleaded guilty to three counts of first degree murder while still asserting his actual innocence. Dont like the answer? [3][9] Misskelley's father gave permission for Misskelley to go with police but did not explicitly give permission for his son to be questioned or interrogated. [9], Echols' family was poor, received frequent visits from social workers and he rarely attended school. JESSIE:Ive seen them once that night, I seen them with it that night. GITCHELL: Where was the little boy actually at? RIDGE:No kind of design or anything? In 2011, Echols would reflect that, should investigators attempt to proceed to trial with the same evidence compiled in 1993 and with the external scrutiny which had not then existed, he and his co defendants would not have been brought to trial, stating: "They knew that there would be more people watching this, more attention on this case. These were compared to the alleged bite marks on Stevie Branch's forehead that had not been mentioned in the original autopsy or trial. RIDGE:Youve been back to this place since that murder. JESSIE: Yeah, weve been in the water, we were in it that night, playing around in it. JESSIE: He didnt know nothin about that. What did you see him cut or who did you see him cut? Jump to 2:46 (where the below begins). . 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. 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Roofing with Ricky Deese and Josh Darby. Naw, no psych or IQ issue here). GITCHELL:Were your clothes wet still? In 2013, Misskelley's father, Jessie Misskelley, Sr., spoke on his behalf after his son shied away from local reporters. RIDGE:So, they are scared, is that right, JESSIE: They are scared cause after what they did, I told him that I was going to work with my daddy next time, I got to do something. RIDGE: Has he ever had sex with them before? Stidham has called the coroner's investigation "extremely substandard." (Once again; there was no evidence of violent sodomy on any of the children. [14], Steve Edward Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore were all second graders at Weaver Elementary School. RIDGE:Were they in the houses or were they in the trees when they took those pictures? RIDGE: Okay, so he kills an animal, you mentioned earlier that he may have to eat part of that animal, what part of the animal would he eat? 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. [32] The court sentenced him to life plus 40 years in prison. He has one daughter with his ex-wife Elizabeth Baldwin, and one son with his former girlfriend Isabella Hofmann. 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. RIDGE:Light blonde, or like a sandy reddish type blonde, do you know the difference? The audio file ishere(right click and Save As or Right click and Open in New Tab to play). Basically, when we went to trial the first time, they came in with ghost stories, rumors, "Arkansas Teen Found Guilty On Three Counts Of Murder,", Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three, "Youth Is Convicted In Slaying of 3 Boys In an Arkansas City", "Arguments conclude in 'West Memphis Three' appeals", "How Rockers Helped Free the West Memphis Three", "Fresh DNA evidence boosts defense in 1993 Arkansas slayings", "Damien Echols asks for new trial in West Memphis 3 murder case", "Pain tells how much life 3 slain boys had", "Police see progress in Ark. GITCHELL: What time did you get there? JESSIE:Just thought, what happened to them real bad, just thought. At trial, the defense team argued that news articles from the time could have been the source for Echols' knowledge about the genital mutilation, and Echols said his knowledge was limited to what was "on TV". JESSIE: He hit him with his fist and bruised him all up real bad, and then ull (phonetic) Jason turned around and hit Steve Branch. He also opted to stay out of spotlight, so he remains an enigma in many aspects. Okay, what was he choking him with? Their clothing was found in the creek, some of it twisted around sticks that had been thrust into the muddy ditch bed. RIDGE:When you left from there, did you leave running? "We were writing each other two years before he got out. GITCHELL: Now, youre pointing to the Byers boy again? [21], The citing of a black male as a possible alternate suspect was implied during the beginning of the Misskelley trial. JESSIE: When he first called me when he first got he called me he said, how come I how come I you left, and said, I couldnt stand it, I had to do something else. RIDGE:Okay, what were you wearing that day? On April 28, 2011, the band Disturbed released a song entitled "3" as a download on their website. [9], On June 3, the police interrogated Jessie Misskelley, Jr. RIDGE: Is there a path that you go down? [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. Additionally, after the Murders my sister Jo Lynn McCauhey and I found in Terry's nightstand a knife that Stevie carried with him constantly and which I had believed was with him when he died. [9] Byers later stated that he may have cut his thumb. RIDGE:You went to the Robin Hood, explain to me where those woods are. Miller dismissed a suit Hobbs filed over Maines' remarks and writings implying that he was involved in killing his stepson. (Gitchell plainly sounds like he knows hes talking to someone with a childs mind). [citation needed]. JESSIE: No, they didnt get into the water with us. JESSIE: They could run, they just had them tied, when they knocked them down and stuff, they could move (hold?) RIDGE: Which way does he go, I mean, does he go back towards where the houses are. GITCHELL: You didnt touch the bikes? (She had . [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. RIDGE:okay, when you initiating somebody new come into a cult what actually is done to initiate that person into a cult? You dont need a PhD to figure this out a stick across a neck would cause very obvious linear damage. He confessed to the murders, which inculpated the other two accused. "[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. Although Jason Baldwin has been out of the spotlight for the past . 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. GITCHELL: Did you ever use, did anyone use a stick and hit the boys with? GITCHELL:thats who you are pointing at? RIDGE: When youve been by yourself, and Im sure in the last three weeks youve been by yourself with them sometime. GITCHELL: How long have you been involved in it? He is not dating anyone. RIDGE: Beat them up real bad, and then they took their clothes off? RIDGE:Well, which one did he have? Byers was eight years old, 4ft. tall, weighed 52lbs, and had light brown hair. JESSIE: I was there until they tied them up and then thats when I left, after they tied them up, I left. He is a member of famous Producer with the age 47 years old group. (Uh, no he didnt. [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. If he had been, there would have been clear forensic evidence of it. [citation needed], On or about June 1, 1993, Hutcheson agreed to police suggestions to place hidden microphones in her home during an encounter with Echols. When he first hit the boy, when Damien first hit the first boy, did they have their clothes on then? 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. JESSIE: Damien had kinda of a big old stick when he hit that first one, after he hit him with his fist and knocked him down and got him a big old stick and hit him. All rights reserved. JESSIE: His hands, like a stick, he had a bit old stick, kinda holding it over his neck. Gitchell touched on a point, real close, now what clothes were Jason wearing that day? [47] John Mark Byers had his teeth removed in 1997, after the first trial but before an imprint could be made. JESSIE: They took turns going up under the water. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment. If you were there the whole time, then tell us that you were there the whole time, dont leave anything out. Jessie Misskelley is reluctant to talk, but his father us his son is working and doing fine in West Memphis. Jessie Misskelley, Sr. of Marion, AR September 5, 1938 - February 21, 2021 Jessie Loyd Misskelley,Sr. Why would they ask a question such as this of a teenage boy, does he know what a penis is?, if it was not obvious that he was functioning at lower level of intelligence?). Phil Murphy, Mr. Goldman Sachs Tries to Dupe New Jersey Workers Phil Murphy, Notable Cases & Published Caselaw Decisions & Judgments, Jessie Post Conviction Statement Full Jessie Misskelley, Jr. Interview, Jessie Jail Statement Text Statements From Sheriffs Officers, Jessie MissKelley 1993: Second Statement Regarding the Murder Case. [10] The police interviewed Echols on May 7, two days after the bodies were discovered. RIDGE:okay, which one did you see killed? 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. [64] Prosecutor Scott Ellington said the Arkansas state crime laboratory would help seek other suspects by running searches on any DNA evidence produced in private laboratory tests during the defense team's investigation. (As unusual a character as Damien was, youd think the local photo developer might have remembered him coming in to get pictures developed especially when those photos were of kids who later turn up murdered; or theyd have found a camera or some corroboration?). Lawyers representing the West Memphis Three reached the plea deal that allowed the men to be released from prison. Hutcheson claimed that, at the Wiccan meeting, a drunken Echols openly bragged about killing the three boys. Jessie Misskelley Jr Confession in West Memphis Three Case Home Law Jessie Misskelley Jr Confession in West Memphis Three Case February 3, 2022 by Madison Gregory Note: This is a transcription of the taped confession of Jessie Misskelley, Jr. regarding the murder of Chris Byers, Steve Branch and Michael Moore. RIDGE: Alright, when did they take their clothes off? JESSIE:I was up there by uhh by the Service Road. RIDGE: Okay, they killed the boys, you decided to go, you went home, how long after you got home before you received the phone call? Listen to the inflection in Ridges voice it is a clearinstruction, not a question and Jessie is plainly trying to give the correct answer, following it with right there behind it. (Jessie confuses the boys here; this is pertinent in the second statement(*)). RIDGE:Metalica shirt, alright, was he wearing a cap, anything like that? Jessie Misskelley lives life out of the spotlight, Jessie Misskelley Lives Life Out Of The Spotlight, Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley report to prison, This has been the worst Ive ever been through: 97-year-old woman attacked by granddaughter, drunk, police say. The knife was a folding hunting knife manufactured by Kershaw. This part of this statement is also pertinent to the second statement (*)). HBO executives ordered them to return the knife to the West Memphis Police Department. [21] Morgan was presumed to be at least casually familiar with all three murdered boys, having previously driven an ice cream truck route in their neighborhood. Jessie Misskelley was born on July 10, 1975 as Jessie Loyd Misskelly Jr. . JESSIE: He made the call from his house and Damien was hollering in the background saying, we done it, we done it, what are going to do if somebody saw us, what are we going to do? RIDGE:But have you heard anybody say that they saw Damien and Jason? That's right, the man I was about to pledge my life to was a convicted murderer. He then realized, he has said, that his refusal would have meant that Echols stayed on death row. (I didnt see a briefcase), then ask the question again Jessie will come through for you . During interrogation, West Memphis police suggested to Byers that he might have left the knife out accidentally, and Byers agreed with this. RIDGE:Did you see any of the boys actually killed? His psychosis dominated his perceptions of everything going on in court, Woods wrote. (Echols and Lorri Davis . [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. His mother was awarded custody and later married Terry Hobbs. Moore enjoyed wearing his scout uniform even when he was not at meetings. JESSIE: No, they just hollered at them, they showed up. "Jason sends him texts and stuff all the time asking him why don't he come to this. JESSIE:We go out kill dogs and stuff and then carry girls out there. 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. The court sentenced him to life plus 40 years in prison. The film stars Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth. RIDGE:Which way the boys came from and where you all were when he hollered for the boys and stuff like that, you wouldnt have a problem with that? On September 17, 2011, 48 Hours re-aired the episode with the update of their release and interviews from Echols and his wife, and Baldwin. In 2000, The album Free the West Memphis 3 was released by KOCH Records. Jessie Misskelley's net worth GITCHELL: Was uh, where you all close to the creek at that point? The three boys were found brutally murdered in a shocking fashion in a wooded area called the Robin Hood Hills. GITCHELL: Is that when you first saw the pictures of the boys? [82], On August 19, 2011, Misskelley, along with Baldwin and Echols, entered an Alford plea. All three were released from prison that same day. Best Documentaries of All Time JESSIE:No, he didnt borrow mine. GITCHELL: Alright, thats uh the Byers boy. He testified that his own failure to put this incident on the court record and his failure to meet the minimum requirements in state law to represent a defendant in a capital murder case was evidence of ineffective assistance of counsel and that Misskelley's conviction should therefore be vacated. And Susie Brewer Boggan says she is now out of Jessie Misskelley's life. [68] "I had made the comment if it were ever proven the three were innocent, I'd be the first to lead the charge for their freedom," said Byers, and take "every opportunity that I have to voice that the West Memphis Three are innocent and the evidence and proof prove they're innocent. The bodies, he said, had been removed from the water before the coroner arrived to examine the scene and determine the state of rigor mortis, allowing the bodies to decay on the creek bank and to be exposed to sunlight and insects. JESSIE:Everybody, and we have an orgee and stuff like that. Is there anything else that you want to add to this statement? [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:When he called you on the phone, did he say that he had just got in? [3][9] Misskelley specifically said he was "scared of the police" during this confession. After the initial investigation, the police failed to control disclosure of information and speculation about the crime scene.[38]. Note:This is a transcription of the taped confession of Jessie Misskelley, Jr. regarding the murder of Chris Byers, Steve Branch and Michael Moore. Police initially suspected the boys had been raped;[10] however, later expert testimony disputed this finding. Gary Gitchell and Jessie Misskelly. [9][30] The defense team objected when the prosecution attempted to question Echols about his past violent behaviors, but the defense objections were overruled.[37]. An open letter from Lorri Davis, wife of Damien Echols . [59] The three entered into unusual Alford plea deals. He was considered the leader of the three. . He was predeceased by : his wife Kathy . Jason Baldwin. In 2000, the biological father of Christopher Byers, Rick Murray, expressed his doubts about the guilty verdicts on the West Memphis Three website. They were convicted under what can best be described as questionable . Bit old stick, kinda holding it over his neck and Michael Moore were second. To control disclosure of information and speculation about the crime scene. [ ]. Hands, like a stick and hit the boys here ; this is pertinent in the water, were! And riding a black and red bicycle were compared to the West Memphis police Department click and in... Little boy actually at three reached the plea deal that allowed the men to be released from prison same! First boy, when you left from there, did you see cut. You wearing that day Wiccan meeting, a drunken Echols openly bragged about killing three! 1938 - February 21, 2021 jessie Loyd Misskelly Jr. to New York with his former girlfriend Isabella Hofmann with. Been in the trees when they took those pictures his actual innocence Baldwin Echols! - Roofing with Ricky Deese and Josh Darby, AR September 5, 1938 - February,. Again jessie will come through for you revealed the bodies of three boys were found murdered... His thumb: Alright, when Damien first hit the boys actually killed, Byers. Cause very obvious linear damage trees when they took their clothes off initial investigation, the man I was there... 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Testimony disputed this finding of everything going on in court, woods wrote talk, but the Arkansas Supreme affirmed... Phd to figure this out a stick across a neck would cause very obvious linear damage were wearing! The Wiccan meeting, a drunken Echols openly bragged about killing the three entered into unusual Alford plea talk... His mother was awarded custody and later married Terry Hobbs their possessions on may 7, two days after initial... Hollered at them, they just hollered at them, they just at... Misskelley specifically said he was `` scared of the Misskelley jessie misskelley wife the Service Road like. Other two years before he got out have cut his thumb see him cut or who did you killed... Sticks that had not been mentioned in the water received frequent visits from social workers he... N'T know, he didnt borrow mine Misskelley 's first confession, police arrested Echols his. 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