It just needed a catalyst. By the end of Paradise Lost, you cant believe they were found guilty, Bakken says. Branded the, What has never been definitively answered, however, is who committed the 1993 murders, and , Due to marital problems stemming from Stevies death, the couple divorced in 2004, reported, The test results showed that no genetic material on the crime scene evidence was a match to Echols, Baldwin or Misskelley, reported the, The West Memphis Police Department interviewed Hobbs, who was dismissive of the findings, claiming the hair could have been picked up during a visit to his home since the victim "played with our little boy regularly," according to the, "They said close to the crime scene because at one time I did walk near where they had found the kids with Terry Hobbs But I didn't wear hats back then, my hair could have blown around anywhere, Jacoby told Memphis NBC affiliate, A year after the DNA results were released, Hobbs sued Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines for defamation, claiming she implied he was a murderer on the bands website and at a 2007 rally, according to, In 2009, three witnesses filed affidavits claiming they saw Hobbs with the murdered boys the night they disappeared, contradicting Hobbs previous statements to police, according to. The evolution of how the teens were perceivedon behalf of both the filmmakers and even part of the defense teamis captured on camera early as Stidham and his colleagues began to consider whether Misskelleys confession had been coerced. Terry Hobbs says he is a church member, a father, and working man and in no way a killer. Last year, I noticed that Terry went missing. Making his way through the muck on his hands and knees, Ridge soon discovered clothing twisted around sticks and thrust into the ditch's bottom. Griffis also knew how to spot a Satanist. In a last ditch effort, they entered an Alford Plea, a complex and seldom used legal maneuver that would see them plead guilty while still asserting their innocence. Hobbs denied the accusation, saying that his family does have secrets, but none of them have to do with murder. Auburndale, FL - TSGT Terry Lee Hobbs, USAF, ret. November 03, 2021 November 4, 2021 . (Police questioned Byers several times during the investigation, but never considered him a suspect.) He was 56. March 8, 2021, Terry Hobbs passed away on March 8, 2021 in Boise, Idaho. The documentarians found me in one of the worst things a person could go through, Baldwin says. Much of Cecil Hotel focuses on the amateur investigators who turned coincidences into conspiracy theories, ultimately accusing an innocent person of her death. With the guards blessings, Mojo led Baldwin to Varners visitation room, where everything had been put away aside from two chairs set up in front of a cart holding a small TV and a VCR. Hes since parlayed the popularity of the show into a booming podcast network and documentary deal with Oxygen. In this first confession, Miskelley often agreed to details suggested by the police or attributed to prior statements which he did not make. He said, J.B., youre going home, man, youre going home.. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, defense attorneys working for the West Memphis Three filed multiple appeals on their behalf scrutinizing the lack of physical evidence against them. We are sad to announce that on September 11, 2021 we had to say goodbye to Terry Hobbs of Sweetwater, Texas. Polygraph tests revealed deception in the answers of both men in regard to the crimes. ", According to Devil's Knot, a week after the discovery of the bodies, Detective Don Bray interviewed Vicki Hutcheson, a truckstop employee. Filing Date : Baldwin, who had been coached by his lawyers to avoid speaking to the press, says money was the only reason he agreed to the added pressure of appearing in the documentary, especially when everyone else in a position of authority seemed adversarial toward him. Thursday, August 19th 2021. The three have always maintained their innocence. Wading into the murky water, Allen unknowingly dislodged the pale, grotesquely arched form of Micheal Moore. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Main Page; With the area secured, Detective Bryn Ridge volunteered to search the ditch. Terry Hobbs is absolutely terrible. Their bikes were found by a pipe nearby. Here's when clocks will 'spring forward' in 2023. A quarter-century later, what does the documentary tell us about citizen activism, the criminal justice system, and the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and 90s? Everybody Id come in contact with was hostile to the truth, Baldwin says. Baldwin and Misskelley were sentenced to life without parole while Echols received the death penalty. Under order of the Arkansas Supreme Court, there were to be new evidentiary hearings in the case. October 14, 2017: #26 on the JazzWeek chart! Terry Roland Hobbs <p>Terry Roland Hobbs, 62, of Sweetwater, passed away on Saturday, September 11, 2021.</p> <p>Terry was born on September 11, 1959 in Sweetwater, to Jack Harvey and Marjorie Hobbs .Terry graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1977. February 27, 2023 (82 years old) View obituary. " (Detective Allen) told me if I knew anything, that there was a $35,000 reward, and if I could help them out, we'd get the money," said Misskelley, as quoted by Mara Leveritt in Devil's Knot. There also were issues with other details he provided, including how the victims were bound and whether the boys were raped. Damien Echols (@damienechols) July 7, 2021 Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of Branch who was under suspicion but never charged, said he welcomes new DNA testing. Spotting a small, black tennis shoe in the water, Jones radioed for help. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Websleuths, an online forum for discussions about unsolved homicides and missing-person cases, has more than 100,000 members, and internet vigilantes have used social media and other online breadcrumbs to help track down actual criminals, such as the Canadian murderer and subject of the documentary Dont F*ck With Cats, Luka Magnotta. Social media didnt fully exist yet, but the group managed to harness the potential of the nascent information superhighway to bring attention to their cause. of Auburndale, FL passed away Monday, August 16, 2021. In the Bible Belt, the Satanic Panic took hold with a vengeance. Echols tweeted, New technology and evidence in science would now allow us to test DNA in amounts so small that it would have been previously impossible. In 1994, the FBI said there was scant evidence that violent satanic crimes had ever occurred in America outside of a few isolated incidents, but that was long after TV hosts like Geraldo, Sally Jessy Raphael, and Oprah had spread moral hysteria about musicians weaving supposedly anti-Christian and occult messages into their songs, and long after wrongful convictions were handed down in the infamous McMartin Preschool sexual assault trials. . By getting to the story quickly, the directors were able to document the post-arrest period and two trials that followed in painstaking detail. Its my perspective of what happened in 1993, 26 years ago in West Memphis, Arkansas, said Hobbs. All three had been submerged face down in the mud, stripped naked, and bound with their shoelaces. It ranges from Mark Byers, the crusading stepfather who became one of the West Memphis Threes biggest allies in the years before his 2020 death, to famed FBI criminal profiler (and Mindhunter inspiration) John E. Douglas. Updated: 9:42 AM CDT June 11, 2019. every single person in my class was either . Even though they said they didnt murder the three boys, they are technically convicted killers. For Rollins, it was a moral imperative: Id find myself up at 3:30 a.m. thinking about Damien. The idea, Berlinger says, was to tell a story of disaffected youthabout kids killing kids., There was no reason not to believe the press, Berlinger says. The consequences of that online campaign were ruinous: The person they targeted, a Mexican metal musician who worked under the name Morbid, was harassed into hiding. Hobbs, with the help of an author, put all that journaling intoa book about the 1993 murders of his stepson Stevie Branch, and Branchs friends Michael Moore and Chris Byers. People would drive by and yell at us, Theyre going to burn in hell, Sauls says. Terry L. Hobbs, 63, of Caldwell, HOBBS, Terry L., passed on March 7,2021 at the age of 63. Berlinger and Sinofsky expected a similar result to come quickly in the West Memphis Three case. Jessie took a polygraph. However, within the first crucial hours after the bodies were discovered, mistakes were made at the crime scene that negatively impacted the investigation. Metallica had never licensed a song for a film before, but when they learned about the case, Berlinger says, they made an exception. But they werent just voices in the growing choir calling for the West Memphis Threes releasethey were leading the movement. Investigators kept minimal notes and omitted pertinent details including criminal records. The killings came at the peak of the so-called Satanic Panic, a time of heightened worries about ritualistic abuse. She has since expressed her belief that her ex-husband was involved in the murders, citing the discovery of her son's favorite pocket knife in Terry Hobbs' belongings. Terry Hobbs, Actor: Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Theyve had several victories, including the case of Daniel Villegas, who was acquitted of capital murder in 2018 after a 25-year legal saga. Bray asked her if she knew about rumored cult activity in the community. Show more Show more What's next for West. So advocacy and diligence become tantamount, because most people in a similar situation to the one he was in dont have the benefit of filmmakers and musicians fighting on their behalf. Years of solitary confinement and the abuse he said he suffered at the hands of prison guards had taken its toll. Hold for Elkhart County. Berlinger and Sinofsky, the latter of whom died in 2015 at age 58, were able to gain incredible and immediate access to seemingly everyone the case had touched: the families of the victims and the accused, the judge, the lead investigator, members of the community. But most notably, his initial timeline of events didnt match what was known about the crimes, and every time he offered a detail that diverged from the accepted chronology, the interrogating officers seemed to steer him back in the direction of the official version. Three teenage boys were arrested for the crimes Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr. and prosecutors argued they killed the boys as part of a Satanic ritual. Even today, years after his name was cleared and authorities ruled Lams death accidental, Morbid still receives threats. The next to be found was Stevie Branch, quickly followed by Christopher Byers. Another hair found near the crime scene on a tree stump was found to be consistent with the DNA of Hobbs friend, David Jacoby, according to court documents obtained by Oxygen.com. They were found nude and hogtied in a creek in a wooded area in West Memphis. Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of Branch who was under suspicion but never charged, said he welcomes new DNA testing. This family in-fighting led to him shooting his brother-in-law. In 2013, Jackson and Damien Echols produced a fourth documentary about the case. The arrest, trial, and conviction of the three young men known as the West Memphis Three came under national scrutiny as details of the case became public. Over two decades after the murders, what really happened to Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore on the evening of May 5, 1993, remains a mystery. I couldnt not watch it at this point. hangyermoon 2 yr. ago. Little kids will be looking under their bed 'Damien might be under there! The third put forth the unusual theory that the killings were committed as a cult ritual. I think I introduced my dad to it because that was not his normal genre., Three Metallica songsOrion, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), and Call of Ktuluwould play throughout the documentary. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Best selling books such as Lawrence Pazder's Michelle Remembers and disgraced evangelical comedian Mike Warnke's The Satan Seller fueled the madness with tales of ritual abuse and human sacrifice. The next day, their bodies were found in a nearby canal. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Terry Roland Hobbs <p>Terry Roland Hobbs, 62, of Sweetwater, passed away on Saturday, September 11, 2021.</p> <p>Terry was born on September 11, 1959 in Sweetwater, to Jack Harvey and Marjorie Hobbs .Terry graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1977. '", In 1999, a more mature Echols explained the comment. It had been a long fight to clear their names, and the odds seemed better than ever. Terry Hobbs Net Worth. Classmates at Weaver Elementary School, the three were active in their Cub Scout troop and responsible enough to be trusted to roam their neighborhood without supervision. Beyond the black-and-white print of the newspaper, there was a movement brewing. He had always maintained he didnt commit the crimes, and outside the Varner Units walls, a growing chorus of activists and legal observers were arguing that same thing on his behalf. And that is why Echols has attorneys who want to use a new DNA test called M-Vac, a wet vacuum system that can find more DNA than older tests. This is a story of justice delayed and justice denied. (2 weeks at #1, on for 19 weeks!) In fact, for the better part of 1993, it was nearly impossible to find anyone who believed they were innocent. Knowing that the police were already focusing on Damien Echols, Hutcheson asked her neighbor, Jessie Misskelley Jr., about the brooding teen and his occult connection. What a story it is. Echols, who prosecutors argued was the ringleader, was sentenced to death. Although the Alford Plea set the West Memphis Three free, they are, at least in the eyes of the law, guilty, and therefore, the state of Arkansas is under no obligation to continue investigating the crimes at this time. February 27, 2023 (76 years old) View obituary. No explanation has yet been given as to why such a seemingly important lead was dropped. On August 19, 2011, all three accepted the deal and were immediately released from prison. Sheila Nevins, the HBO exec who pushed for Berlinger and Sinofsky to make that initial trip to Arkansas, is most proud of the companys willingness to let her finance three documentaries over 18 years without knowing where they would go. That came partially through the exposure they got through this film., But perhaps the best measure of Paradise Losts impact is the work being done by Baldwin today. Self. Covered in wounds, all three showed signs of having been beaten. The first being that boys were killed by someone they knew. They couldnt have been cooler, recalls Berlinger, who would go on to direct the 2004 documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster alongside Bruce Sinofsky. 24 to Jun. They began attending appeal hearings and visiting Baldwin, Echols, and Misskelley in prison. Terry Hobbs, one of the men named in the documents. That didn't make sense to me. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Events. A benefit album was released in 2000, and the phrase made it into a Dawsons Creek episode when Pacey shouted Free the West Memphis Three over an airport intercom. Not everyone believes that the West Memphis Three are innocent of the killings of Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and Christopher Byers. . 2011 Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (Documentary) Self - Stepfather of Stevie Branch. Among them was a disoriented, muddy, and bleeding African-American man who stumbled into a West Memphis Bojangles restaurant men's room less than a mile from the crime scene. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Despite an offer of a reduced sentence, Misskelley ultimately recanted his statements and refused to testify against Echols and Baldwin. In West Memphis, Hobbs worked as an ice cream delivery man and Hicks worked at a restaurant. I think we were the first internet sleuths, but we were not internet sleuths.. It's one. We were finally winning, he says. They formed the organization Proclaim Justice, a nonprofit that reinvestigates crimes with the hopes of freeing innocent people. Stating that she would ask around, Hutcheson agreed to "play detective.". Paradise Lost also led to a famous citizen-activist campaign championing the release of the three teens that caught on at the dawn of the Internet Age and would eventually pull in Eddie Vedder, Henry Rollins, and a whos who of the rich and famous. After new DNA evidence was discovered, the West Memphis Three were released from prison in August 2011 by agreeing to an Alford plea, which allowed him to proclaim their innocence while admitting the prosecution had enough evidence to convict him. Well, perhaps not nobody. Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of West Memphis Three murder victim Stevie Branch, has denied any involvement in slayings of Branch and his two friends. Hobbs says his book is 25 years in the making, adding it is called Boxful of Nightmares for a reason. They were naked and hog-tied with their own shoelaces, and showed signs of blunt force trauma and mutilation, the latter of which may have been the work of wild animals, reported the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper. Few celebrities at the time did as much as Henry Rollins, however. Even without a smoking gun, the circumstantial evidence was enough for a conviction in a place like Crittenden County, Arkansas. Their main worry was Damien, who was staring down the threat of lethal injection should the appeals fail. Unfortunately, for three teen outsiders, the West Memphis Police Department chose to focus on the cult angle to the detriment of their efforts to investigate the other two, more likely scenarios. But then the verdicts arrived: Both Baldwin and Echols were found guilty on all counts, just like Misskelley had been six weeks before them. That included Mojo, who came calling around 2 a.m. that day trying to coax him out of his cell. Terry. Inconsistencies in Terry Hobbs' alibi, as well as revelations about subsequent violent acts, have also led many to believe that he may be the actual killer. You need corroborating evidence.. Berlinger also concedes Revelations had some ethical problems, chiefly because it raised the possibility that Mark Byers committed the killings. But Echolss situation changed Baldwins thinking. Armchair detectives of today, I think a lot of them dabble in conspiracy theory, Berlinger says. This is the true story of the West Memphis Three murders. The second is by looking at it as an act of passion and perseverance. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Created by: Legend Added: 11 Aug 2021 Find a Grave Memorial ID: 230642037 As detailed by The Hollywood Reporter in 2011, Jackson and Walsh helped fund key investigations for the West Memphis Three's defense during the last seven years of their incarceration. Certain that, under what he felt were ridiculous circumstances, Echols' confidence and, on occasion, flippant attitude during the trial was often misinterpreted as evidence of his coldness toward the victims and their families. Hobbs said, I still believe in my heart that Jessie, Jason, and Damion Echols are responsible for what happened to our children., He added, You look at what happened and then you wonder, what if this did not happen, where would our boys be today? With their 2007 request for a new trial rejected, time was running out for the West Memphis Three. It'll be sort of like I'm the West Memphis boogeyman. A statement he made to the producers of Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills did little to help his public image. She says she is too because they believe they are hearing different stories. Dec 13th, 2021. We made a promise early on that we would never pretend to be law enforcement or detectives, Sauls says. People in West Memphis are going to tell their kids stories. Like everyone else who was familiar with the case, they wanted to know who committed the crimes, but their main goal was advocacy, not using the opportunity to play investigators. Pam Hobbs divorced Terry Hobbs in 2004 and has reversed her position on the West Memphis Three's guilt. 2 Also, law enforcement chose not to focus on the victims' families as the starting point of the investigation as is the norm. Over the years there has been lots of speculation and finger pointing as to who was responsible. Its gone from a controversial legal theory to an accepted phenomenon. He was handed the phone. However, under pressure, leading questions, and scare tactics, Misskelley wove a contradictory story that first placed him at the crime scene as an eyewitness to the murders and then as an active participant. In 1996, HBO released the documentary film Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills. The first film gave rise to a movement devoted to reopening the investigation in hopes of exonerating, and ultimately freeing, Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols, and Jessie Misskelley. I still believe in my heart that Jessie, Jason, and Damion Echols [sic] are responsible for what happened to our children, Hobbs told Memphis ABC affiliate WATN in June 2019. Luminol tests, which reveal the hidden presence of blood, were not performed at the scene until six days later. Now, he was being asked to consider something that he never dreamed he would: accepting a plea deal that would set the West Memphis Three free, but require them to give up their quest for exoneration. They saw the same thing you did. I don't know if the other 2 did, but even if they did polygraphs aren't admissible in court. Although Damein Echols had a teenager's typical disdain for authority, he nevertheless trusted that the system would work in his favor. Misskelley, who reportedly had an IQ of 72, changed his story several times, and only a small part of his statements was recorded.
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