Paradise Lost

[Mermaid]

I had seen the HBO special ages ago, it haunted me. Then here I stumbled across this information, there had been so much I had forgotten, didn't even know the term "West Memphis III" referred to this case. I went to Amazon.com and bought the dvd, and the second one too (I hadn't even known there was a second one). The first one just came today so I am about to curl up on the couch and get into it. Wow. This is incredible. Thank you everyone here for reminding me about this case.

[Alta]

I finally found my copies of the documentaries today!After spending a couple of hours reading all the posts here yesterday,I have decided to re-watch both dvd's and than join in on the discussion.I need refreshing first before making any opinions.

[Eire]

If anyone wants to rent them, they're available on Netflix. I rented both around Christmas.

[Mermaid]

Well I kept getting interrupted but managed to finish the first dvd last night. I had never seen it before, I must have seen the second one.

I am...oh outraged, shocked, apalled, stunned, how can this happen? This was practically a lynch mob. Unless there is stuff they're not telling us.

I'm so used to being a "G", whether it was the Peterson cases, both East and West, Natalee Holloway, Drew Peterson, can't remember the guy's name who killed his wife April on the beach in Florida, Couey, so many. For the first time I'm an NG, and what a frustrating and angry and hopeless and sad position this is to be in.

I hope with all my heart this awful mistake can be righted before too much more of these young mens' lives are wasted.

[Mermaid]

I finally found my copies of the documentaries today!After spending a couple of hours reading all the posts here yesterday,I have decided to re-watch both dvd's and than join in on the discussion.I need refreshing first before making any opinions.

That's how I felt, Alta.

[Mermaid]

Okay now I'm in the middle of watching Paradise Lost 2, Revelations. I can't even begin to put into words how outraged I am.

I'm still in the middle of watching it, but "paused" it to come online and post some thoughts. Starting with...Good Lord, Melissa Byers was found dead and there has never been a cause of death? It's still "undetermined"??? They don't know if it's a homocide or suicide? Okay well just how much longer is this going to take?????

Next...bite marks that were "missed" during the autopsy???? What, are we in a third world country all of a sudden??? For crying out loud, this is America!!! If a litttle country bumpkin Doctor couldn't handle autopsies on murder victims, why didn't he call for help? I'm sure some other big name Doctor would have jumped in and assisted.

And...suddenly Mark Byers has all his teeth knocked out??? Isn't this just a little too convenient??

Not just one awful horrible ridiculous mess up during the investigation, but one on top of another, on top of another, on top of another.

When I first saw parts of Paradise Lost (the original one), I thought the WM III were weird rebellious semi-hillbillies. Now they've grown into thoughtful, well-spoken, intelligent young men. While at first I was annoyed that less-than-bright Jessie Misskelly confessed and brought others down with him, now I feel sympathy for the poor guy who was harrassed by the cops for 12 hours until he finally said what he thought they wanted to hear. He was a minor, why was he allowed to be interrogated for 12 hours without a lawyer, without his family? And the fact that he has a below-average IQ, his interrogation should never have taken place like that.

Damien and Jason have matured past that teenage rebelliousness, that need to be different. When I was a teenager, I went to Anton LaVey's "Witchcraft Museum". I am and have always been a devout Christian. I was just curious. I shudder to think what I could have been accused of for going to that museum.

John Byers is totally grotesque. He is putting on such an act in front of the cameras. And the fact that he keeps waving a Bible and proclaiming to be a Christian while condemning these young men, judging them, saying he is going to urinate on their graves, burning their "graves" for the camera, this is totally sickening. He dares to call himself a "Christian"??? The Wiccans are more "Christian" than he is!

And that "expert" who keeps referring to the fact that they wore "black tee shirts", like that means that they are evil. People this stupid are actually allowed to testify as "experts"??? These hillbillies need to come out of the hills and into the real world.

This is going around and around and around in my head. I've always been a "G", each and every case that caught my interest. Now I know how it feels to be on the other side. Now I understand all those people who carry on that Scott Peterson didn't get a fair trial.

I'm wondering how I can help, what I can do. When I finish the dvd, I'm off to read the transcipts.

I almost wish I didn't work full time, so I'd have more time to devote to this!!!

[Mermaid]

I just remembered one other thing that stood out to me. John and Melissa Byers had charges pending against them for burglary, stealing antiques from a neighbor's trailer. The charges were still pending at the time of Melissa's death. John Byers agreed to pay the neighbors 20K and move out of the county. While he did move out of the county, he never paid the neighbors the 20K.

Yet he told the polygraph examiner he was never in any trouble with the law except for a DUI after the "murder" of his wife.

:eek: Little Freudian slip there, perhaps???

[Eire]

Well, on the bite mark front, I really think the defense made a HUGE error. Now, they're saying that the bite mark was not a bite mark, rather it was made by a snapping turtle or other animal while the boys were in the water. See, I think they're grasping at straws on that one considering neither side can agree conclusively on what caused that mark.

Every time I post in a WM3 thread, it dies. Maybe I shouldn't post anymore since I seem to be mass-murdering threads in this forum. :)

[Mermaid]

Well, on the bite mark front, I really think the defense made a HUGE error. Now, they're saying that the bite mark was not a bite mark, rather it was made by a snapping turtle or other animal while the boys were in the water. See, I think they're grasping at straws on that one considering neither side can agree conclusively on what caused that mark.

Every time I post in a WM3 thread, it dies. Maybe I shouldn't post anymore since I seem to be mass-murdering threads in this forum. :)

OMG now they're saying it wasn't a human bite? How did I miss this? I've got some catching up to do!

[Alta]

I am no forensic specialist by any means..lol.But if someone is bitten by a person or a turtle lets say before death they can tell that right?Is there not a way a bite would form depending on if the victim was alive or had been dead for any amount of time.

I hope that makes sense.

[Eire]

Here ya go, Alta. I remembered reading it in a magazine, it was People: http://www.wm3.org/live/newsevents/newsitem.php?index=1&news_Id=196#

You'd think they'd be able to tell, but now they aren't so sure.

[Mermaid]

I am no forensic specialist by any means..lol.But if someone is bitten by a person or a turtle lets say before death they can tell that right?Is there not a way a bite would form depending on if the victim was alive or had been dead for any amount of time.

I hope that makes sense.

Good question, Alta. I don't know the answer to that. Wish I did. I'm sure they can tell if the wound is perimortum or postmortum. I've read in other cases that they say some wounds are inflicted after death, but I don't know how they know, especially if the bodies have been submerged in water. I don't even know which of the children had the questionable bite mark, do you? I saw a photo of the child's face, it's over the eyebrow and into the depression of the eye socket, surprised it wasn't noted during the autopsy. But I don't know which child it was.

This whole case is a holy mess!

My "Free the WM3" tee shirt arrived yesterday!

[Alta]

I am pretty sure it was Christopher Byers who had the bite mark,if my mind serves me right today..lol.I think it would have to do somewhat with blood flow on how you could tell if the bite was pre or post.

This is going to sound gross but its the only example my warped mind could think of to compare.If I am the killer and give whomever a hickey before i killed him to me it would be more profound,because there is blood circulating through the veins.If I give someone a hickey AFTER I killed them it would not be as red and distinct because blood flow has stopped.So with all the technology and things that these people specialize in,why can't someone give some form of definitive answer on these bites.

It makes me sick to think the same judge and prosecutor are overseeing this case.

Glad to hear you got you t-shirt mermaid,how long did it take?

[Mermaid]

Glad to hear you got you t-shirt mermaid,how long did it take?

Surprisingly, it arrived about 2 or 3 days after I ordered it!