West Memphis 3

[tezi]

NEW DEVELOPMENTS!!!!!!!

Today a meeting was held at the state crime lab in Little Rock. Members of the prosecution and defense were there. It has something to do with the DNA evidence that was submitted for testing. The way the news reporter made it sound like Echols and company would be getting a new trial based on the evidence. The reporter also mentioned that there may be someone else involved in the killings with Echols and company (if in fact they did it).

Echols's attorney said that the meeting was "productive."

Personally, I think that the DNA evidence came back not matching the three that are in prison. I am leaning toward John Mark Byers's DNA being found!

I will post a link as soon as I find one. I saw this on my local news.

 

[tezi]

Here is the link. I think what Stevie Branch's mom has to say is very interesting.

http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0507/424017.html

Little Rock - New evidence is being examined in the case of the West Memphis Three.

Investigators spent the day in Little Rock Thursday, pouring over DNA from the fourteen-year-old case.

There was a meeting at the state crime lab Thursday attended by both the prosecution and the defense. Few details are known about this DNA, but the test results could mean a new trial for Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelly, and Jason Baldwin.


This comes as the mother of one the victims speaks out, saying she believes the West Memphis Three did not work alone.

~~~SNIP~~~

Echols, Misskelly and Baldwin were convicted. Echols was given the death penalty. Misskelly and Baldwin were each sentenced to life in prison.

But there has been speculation since the arrests that either the three teens didn't do it, or that someone else could have been involved.

~~~SNIP~~~

More at link....

************************

I am going to look around and see if I can find anything else about this meeting.

 

[tezi]

I went and looked at the other TV stations in Little Rock. There is nothing newer than February of 07 listed. Maybe later on there will be.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Thanks for the update! This sounds very interesting indeed!

 

[Nova]

I went and looked at the other TV stations in Little Rock. There is nothing newer than February of 07 listed. Maybe later on there will be.

Yes, tez, thanks and please do keep us posted. I think your summary of the case at the top of this page is right on.

 

[Charlie]

I cant wait till this new DNA evidence makes its way into public domain. Id love to see these boys get a fair trial, and have national media attention towards the west Memphis police force for letting three teenage boys rots in jail for 14 years on little or no hard evidence, talk about giving any juror reason of doubt.

 

[tezi]

Yes, tez, thanks and please do keep us posted. I think your summary of the case at the top of this page is right on.

Nova, thanks. I think that John Mark Byers killed the three boys. And the murders couldn't have happened at a better time for the West Memphis Police Department. While I agree that Echols was/is strange, that isn't a crime. And Gitchell had it in for him from day one, whether or not he admits it.

Right now, where I live, the "drug task farce" is being investigated for missing money, drugs, and firearms. There have been three "farce" members who have resigned because they were questioned about the thefts. No one knows how many drugs are missing. I guess they don't believe in having cameras in the evidence rooms here! They can't even account for the firearms that are missing. The sheriff "thinks" they are in the building somewhere, but he's just not sure where! I couldn't make this up if I tried. This is how bad the county is where I live. Last summer two inmates escaped after someone threw a pair of bolt cutters over the fence at the jail. There were no guards out in the yard with the inmates. The guard that was supposed to be watching them on camera was talking on the phone when the escape happened. And he still has his job. The smart sheriff said it was an "inside job!" One of the escapees was a man who beat and raped a 70-year-old woman. Imagine how safe we felt knowing he was out on the street. He turned himself in because he said he "wanted to pay his debt to society." Actually, I think he was scared that a posse might be looking for him and would have shot first and asked questions later.

Nova, if you haven't read "Devil's Knot" you really should. It is an excellent book about this case. "The Boys on the Tracks" is another excellent book about LE corruption in the state of Arkansas.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

There's no way Byers did it alone. IMO, they were all together or not at all.

 

[tezi]

There's no way Byers did it alone. IMO, they were all together or not at all.

Well, I have to agree here. Although, if Byer's did it, he had his wife help him, JMO. I don't know what to believe anymore. I think I've just about lost all faith in the human race after the weekend I've had.

First, I almost get arrested because my neighbor tried to get his pit bull to attack my daughter. I am trying to get her home, when he orders the dog to kill, about that time DH comes across the vacant lot and informs the neighbor if he knew what was good for him he'd take his butt and the dog and get back in the house. Next thing I know, I have got Deputy Dog on my doorstep telling me I violated a restraining order. I asked if I missed "get a restraining order free day" at the local court house or WTF he was talking about. He didn't appreciate my lovely attitude and was going to take me to jail until I asked him to read me the statute out of his little book. I'm like what restraining order? He had no clue. Because there wasn't one. He told the guy to go file one on me because I verbally assaulted him and his pit bull. And then Deputy Dog proceeds to tell me I'm not allowed within two hundred feet of their house. I asked him why? Well, by gawd, you harassed the poor convicted wife beating felon! Fast forward two hours later the guy and his girlfriend hit a tree doing 120 mph, and leave a four-month-old baby without parents. And I'm like what I wouldn't do to take back what I said. I feel so bad. I never had any problems with them until he started fighting the dogs and no one would do anything. So now, I am in the postition of knowing her adopted father and he wants DH and I to clean out their house. Not happening, not me. I explained to him what happened, and he told me that his daughter always said nice things about me, it's not personal, but she's pretty well messed up with drugs. Like I couldn't figure that one out. I asked about the baby, he has no clue who is going to take care of him. Hell, they have left two of the pits locked up in that trailer and no one is taking care of them. Until 3 a.m. this morning when Deputy Dog and his crew showed up to allegedly check the place out for stolen property. Mind you, the family has already hauled four truckloads of stuff out there before Deputy Dog decided maybe he could come and join the tacky tour. I am not at all happy with LE over this. I've never seen so many in my life. Four people have died in the last six months on that road alone, the road where these people lived. I am waiting for the media circus to arrive today. Should be happening any time by my best estimate. So, I am stuck in my own version of hell, hoping his daughter can forgive the terrible things I said. And never wanting to take anything back so bad in my life.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Well, I have to agree here. Although, if Byer's did it, he had his wife help him, JMO. I don't know what to believe anymore. I think I've just about lost all faith in the human race after the weekend I've had.

Tez, I tried to respond to this post the other night, but my computer kept getting hung up. I didn't want you to think that I didn't see this. First of all, let me tell you that you did nothing wrong!!!! I'm so sorry that this all happened to you!!!

I honestly believe that they know that you didn't mean anything horrible by your remarks and that you should NOT live with regret for the rest of your life because of it. Things get said in the heat of the moment. Everyone knows that! Besides, things were screwed up with these folks LONG before they ever saw you and things would not have been any better for them someplace else. At least you care enough to be concerned, which is more than I can say for a lot of people, probably even me. I think you've got to give yourself a break here and not take this so hard.

I would like to know what happens ultimately with the baby though, so please do let me know if you find out anything, ok?

Hang in there!!!

 

[tezi]

Jeana,

Thank you. I'm doing a lot better now. Yes, I will forever feel bad that my last contact with them was bad, however, I see now I wasn't wrong. He threatened my daughter with a trained attack dog, what was I supposed to do? He had the issue, not me. That being said, no one deserves to die because they don't think. Personally, after hearing all the things that I have heard about him, I am surprised he made it as long as he did.

My BIL (the one who drowned) always told me you don't threaten anyone with any sort of weapon unless you mean it. To me, the dog was his weapon, since the cops had his guns.

The baby is staying with his mom. I think that's probably where he will stay. She's the only grandparent that had anything really to do with him. I feel so bad for her, and I have told her I will take care of the baby if she needs help. It's the least I can do. She doesn't have any hard feelings. She knew her son better than anyone, she knew what he was capable of. I didn't and thankfully things didn't escalate to a point where I found out. However, LE knew and chose to not do anything about it. Before he called the police on me, the same idiotic cop had just escorted him home from the bar!!!! For threatening someone. Gee, is there a pattern there? And the same idiotic cop watched him drive out of here, drunk. If that would have been me, we all know where I'd still be sitting!

On the subject of the WM3, I heard the DNA results are supposed to be made public, soon. Soon in AR could be within the next 20 or so years though, so I'm not looking for anything to be released right away.

 

[missacorah]

Any more news on the recent dna results that were due to be announced?

Also for those of you who believe that John Mark Byers could have been the killer, what do you think his motive miht havbe been?

 

[tezi]

Any more news on the recent dna results that were due to be announced?

Also for those of you who believe that John Mark Byers could have been the killer, what do you think his motive miht havbe been?

I have heard that the DNA results will be announced at an upcoming court hearing. I am not sure if one has been scheduled yet. At the very least, I have hope that these boys will be granted a new trial, now that the DNA tests have been completed.

I think Byers' motive might be that he didn't want DHS told that he was abusing Christopher. With him though, there are so many different things. I don't think I can pick just one. I can however pick one motive for his wife's murder. I think he killed her to keep her quiet. He was the one who slipped up and said that she was murdered, even when the crime lab could not determine if her death was a homicide.:banghead::behindbar

 

[Nova]

Any more news on the recent dna results that were due to be announced?

Also for those of you who believe that John Mark Byers could have been the killer, what do you think his motive miht havbe been?

Obviously this is speculation and I don't claim there is sufficient proof to convict anyone.

But what I think is telling is that Byers had already whipped Chris once that day and ordered him to remain at the house. When Byers returned from picking up Chris' older brother and discovered Chris had disobeyed him AGAIN and gone off with his friends, I believe Byers must have been livid. I suspect that when he found the three kids later, he exploded. And, yes, there is probably at least one other Byers (mother or older brother) who knows the truth. Not so much a "motive," as a "trigger."

Except for "Bojangles," about whom we know nothing, the scenario above strikes me as most likely. Certainly far more likely than LE's "Satanic killing."

 

[tezi]

Obviously this is speculation and I don't claim there is sufficient proof to convict anyone.

But what I think is telling is that Byers had already whipped Chris once that day and ordered him to remain at the house. When Byers returned from picking up Chris' older brother and discovered Chris had disobeyed him AGAIN and gone off with his friends, I believe Byers must have been livid. I suspect that when he found the three kids later, he exploded. And, yes, there is probably at least one other Byers (mother or older brother) who knows the truth. Not so much a "motive," as a "trigger."

Except for "Bojangles," about whom we know nothing, the scenario above strikes me as most likely. Certainly far more likely than LE's "Satanic killing."

Nova, excellent post. You said what I was unable to put into words earlier. Byers is just too bizarre.

 

[missacorah]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. Surely though the other 2 boys would have ran away when they had the chance to from Byers?

 

[Nova]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. Surely though the other 2 boys would have ran away when they had the chance to from Byers?

Maybe not. At age 8, I wouldn't have run away from an adult who knew me and recognized me. I would have assumed that would just get me in even more trouble.

None of the boys could have known what was coming. I know it seems weird that anyone would let a raging man tie them up, but these are terrified 8-year-olds. Didn't the two kids other than Chris have relatively few injuries other than those associated with their drowning? Maybe they were underwater by the time they knew how much danger they were in.

Of course, none of this means Byers acted alone.

 

[Nova]

...Byers is just too bizarre.

Of course, we both try not to condemn him just for that. That would make us just like the jury who found Echols weird. LOL.

But the injuries to Chris Byers reek of personal resentment and rage.

 

[tezi]

Of course, we both try not to condemn him just for that. That would make us just like the jury who found Echols weird. LOL.

But the injuries to Chris Byers reek of personal resentment and rage.

No, Nova I wouldn't want to be any associated with that jury! LOL

Chris Byers' injuries were terrible. Whoever killed these boys really resented Chris. I just wish the crime lab would have gotten dental impressions from John Mark Byers before he had his teeth pulled, that would have answered a lot of questions.

 

[Nova]

No, Nova I wouldn't want to be any associated with that jury! LOL

Chris Byers' injuries were terrible. Whoever killed these boys really resented Chris. I just wish the crime lab would have gotten dental impressions from John Mark Byers before he had his teeth pulled, that would have answered a lot of questions.

I wish so, too.

There was a day when I would have said Echols couldn't be executed on such shoddy evidence. I was an idiot that day.