missy g,
I will attempt to give you
my opinion on some of your concerns. There is an ongoing discussion about the case at
www.wm3blackboard.com. Many of your questions and concerns are discussed there in detail, including an explanation of the Manhole Theory.
1. I believe the boys were murdered or left to die in a manhole very near the discovery ditch. Since the manhole was covered, it offered concealment for the bodies until the killer could move them to the ditch. The bodies were moved because the killer believed that evidence might be found in the manhole. No vehicle would be necessary as the distance between the manhole and the discovery ditch was only about 100 feet, IIRC. The shoelaces were used to hog tie the bodies for transport like TH learned in a slaughterhouse. As to why LE never tested manholes for blood with Luminol, your guess is as good as mine. It's just another example of the ineptness of the WMPD.
2. The boys were stripped because Stevie was wearing red shorts, not jeans, when he was killed. Pam told LE that he was wearing jeans. TH claimed that he had not seen the boys at all on May 5th, so he felt that the shorts had to be changed to the jeans that Pam mentioned. When he tried to put the jeans on the body, he couldn't. Instead of leaving Stevie naked and the other boys clothed, he decided to strip all three (not wanting to call special attention to Stevie). He submerged the clothes, using a stick to make them stay down. IIRC, there was one pair of underwear missing.
3. Burnett and the prosecution tried to block a lot of the testing that the defense wanted to conduct after the convictions. I don't know if the perineal hair was not tested for this reason or for some other reason. IIRC, since the evidentiary hearing has been ordered, more items have been tested. Hopefully, the perineal hair is among them.
4. Why is so much attention being focused now on TH? Partially because his mtDNA was found at the discovery ditch and new testimony has called into question part of his alibi. JMB began to change his mind about the WM3 when the mtDNA was identified. At the time of the murders, he was heavily medicated and, as you noted, has since repented of his actions. Also, since the DNA was discovered, TH unsuccessfully sued Natalie Maines Pasdar and the Dixie Chicks for defamation of character. That allowed attorneys for Ms. Pasdar to do what the WMPD didn't but should have at the time of the crime - investigate TH. A lot of interesting things emerged during that investigation.
5. The TH beard hair was in the ligature of Michael Moore, but the Jacoby hair was laying on a tree stump. Jacoby has testified that he and TH were playing guitars between 5:15 pm and 6:15 pm on the night of May 5th. I believe that TH picked up the Jacoby hair then and left it at the discovery site later when he moved the bodies.
6. What evidence ties the WM3 to the discovery site? None. All three had long hair, but not one of their hairs was found at the discovery site. Every piece of biological evidence that has been tested has excluded the WM3 as its contributor. The only physical evidence that the prosecution presented in 1994 was fiber evidence that even their expert said could not be conclusively linked to the WM3 and a knife found in a lake about a month after the crime which new experts now say is not responsible for any of the wounds on the boys. The wounds formerly attributed to the knife are now believed by experts to be the result of post or peri mortem animal predation.
7. You're exactly right about Wicca being different from Satanism. At the time of the crimes, "Satanic panic" was so prevalent in the community that they just railroaded the WM3 and attempted to paint them with the brush of Satanism. I don't believe anyone believes that scenario any more.
I hope that this information helps you in some way. Again, let me invite you to
www.wm3blackboard.com to have your questions answered. We have several attorneys and many other people well-versed in the case who will be happy to answer your questions.
