I have a theory of the events of these two days involving individuals who were briefly investigated (if at all), members of the law enforcement community, and family members of the victims. Was there truly a conspiracy to cover up murder, and if so, what could have motivated it? I believe there was, although I would never be able to prove my assertions, so they will have to remain my personal opinion. This theory is admittedly bizarre and possibly belongs to the lunatic fringe conspiracy group. For what it’s worth, here is my off-the-wall theory.
Christopher, Stevie and Michael all belonged to a Boy Scout troop in which Michael’s father takes part. This could have fed into a premeditated plan that was being considered, a warning to a couple of people, actually. Under the impression they were going to be doing something that would make them heroes to the troop and community, they were lured into the primary crime scene. This would have been the Robin Hood Hills area known as the Devil’s Den. It was from this area that they were abducted and transported to a secondary crime scene, where accomplices waited. The three boys were forcibly subdued and kept silent by the accomplices while the perpetrators went about establishing alibis. Intimidation quickly escalated when the accomplices, child molesters and their assistants, mortally wounded Christopher. They realized then that Stevie and Michael would have to be silenced, or they faced exposure and the ramifications connected with it.
This secondary crime scene, now the scene of a murder, and about to become the scene of restraint had to have been somewhere close to the Robin Hood Hills woods, yet private enough that discovery was unlikely. There were several abandoned houses in the area, one of which might have been the scene of secretive drug transactions as well as other unsavory purposes. The murderer and his accessories now had to clean up this scene and cover their tracks. Their coconspirators in law enforcement would come in handy where this was concerned; so now there is a two-way conspiracy of silence established. The police are forced to keep silent so as not to blow their cover, while the murderers must keep silent or face exposure and justice. However, there would soon be a complication that would change everything.
One of the conspirators was a family member who had earlier left to establish an alibi with family and friends. On one of his return trips to the abandoned house, he might have been seen by someone who had returned to his house to change into clothing more suitable for searching in an area infested with mosquitoes. This person then went to the house, thinking a drug deal might have been taking place; with his background, it is entirely possible he went there to blackmail his way into some free drugs. Instead, he stumbled upon the murder scene, and was forced into becoming an accomplice, unwilling or not, as one of the children resided in his household. The others, familiar with his “undercover activities,” perhaps threatened his remaining family members with bodily harm if he ever gave them away.
As the evening wore on, they realized that they all would have to establish alibis; so they left at various times to do so, but with someone always watching the remaining two boys to ensure they kept quiet, perhaps threatening them with death also. Unfortunately, death awaited them, although they probably didn’t know it. Alibis in place, the perpetrators of this horrendous crime about to unfold returned until all were present, except those who had to participate in the search for the missing children. The boys were then attacked, tortured, mutilated and rendered helpless, possibly unconscious. Upon his return, the family member of one of the living boys then helped to strip them, hogtie them, and prepare them for disposal. Maybe he thought all were dead; maybe he knew two were merely unconscious. What was urgently needed, however, was to get rid of the bodies and clean up the blood from the dead child before it could be discovered and lead to one or more of them in the future. Little did they know that one of their increasing numbers would almost give them away several times through various slips of the tongue, whether intentional or not.
After dark had fallen, and it was safe to do so, the three were moved from the abandoned house to the Robin Hood Hills area where they would eventually be found. This had to be done in several stages, as there were still searches going on throughout the neighborhood and at that site as well. To avoid suspicion, at least two to three of those involved had to continue to work on their alibis, and join in the searches. It was most likely during this time that the clothing that would be missing was taken, possibly as souvenir trophies by the pedophile and his accomplices.
One by one or perhaps two and then one of the children were placed into two vehicles and driven to the parking area behind the truck stop. From that position to the wooded area there is a small hillock, which can be traversed without being seen by anyone from the Blue Beacon Truck Wash building, and covered by the presence of a few small trees from the Tenmile Bayou Diversion ditch side. The bicycles were disposed of shortly thereafter. At approximately 9 pm Ryan Clark and some friends entered the Robin Hood Hills from one of the southern entrances to look for his brother and the other missing boys. Hearing them call for the boys by name, the perpetrators began to throw rocks and make other noises to intimidate and frighten them off. This appeared to be working; however, to ensure that it would work, one of them may have pulled out a gun and fired it into the ground. Hearing what sounded like a gunshot, the searching boys retreated to safer ground.
During this same time, a black man who had been hitching rides on trucks, left the truck stop to cut through the woods and back to the interstate, discovered the men disposing of the bodies. Seen, he fled back in the direction of the truck stop, but cut across the bayou diversion and into Bojangles, bleeding from a wound received from being shot by one of the parents. Recuperating enough to get back to the truck stop and pick up another ride or stow away on the back of another truck with sufficient cover, he left the area and the story. Fearing both law enforcement and possible murder by those involved, he never came forward.
At this point, one of those involved made his way through the woods, after dumping a body into one of the “manholes” close to the discovery site. While one of the others went back for the other body or bodies, this individual, under the pretense of “searching” likely scouted out a good area for the dumping of the bodies. While dark, and without a flashlight, he emerged on the far side of the wooded area and headed back along the service road embankment. By chance, a car passing the other direction, driven by Narlene Hollingsworth, shone its headlights on two teenagers walking in the same direction, but further ahead of him, and another walking toward them. Further up the road, he encountered a policeman on foot and “enlisted” his aid in searching the woods briefly.
(This individual would end up wearing the same clothes, which were muddy and filthy from the unholy work he had been maneuvered into, for several days. This allowed him to know their whereabouts and cover up any blood that may have stained them with mud, and perhaps wash some out from being in the water while “searching.” This also gave him an opportunity to destroy or get rid of them, if needed, using the excuse that they weren’t able to be cleaned, being so grimed that they would harm his washing machine.)
Soon after, while police activity was focused on other areas of town (reports of fights, gunshots, the man at Bojangles, vehicular traffic infractions, etc.), the rest of the children were moved to the discovery area, and their bicycles were dumped into the diversion ditch by the pipe where one could cross into the wooded area from the residential side. There were enough trees to cover the actions of the individuals dumping the bikes and the bodies. While Christopher was already dead at that point, both Steve and Michael drowned in the filthy, muddy water of the small creek that fed into the diversion ditch.
The next morning, as the search resumed, statements were made to try to steer the search in specific directions; other statements were made by willing participants to friends or family that would tend to incriminate them. One of them was even bold enough to insinuate himself into the investigation and ensure his own protection, more or less, by detailing most of the crime as it probably occurred. This would allow him to be seen by those in law enforcement who were responsible, and would steer the investigation in a direction away from himself. Fearing discovery, two of his accomplices fled the area, only to find themselves drawn in regardless, perhaps as a result of his involvement in tipping off the police where they fled.
And now the cover up began in earnest, with the assistance of the detectives involved in certain details. Evidence went missing, and the message of Officer Clark White was not lost on those involved with this crime. Drugs, money, corruption and greed prevented the true solution of this crime. Some of those involved were part of a drug selling operation masterminded by certain detectives, others were coerced into cooperation and still others went willingly into the plan and cover-up. How easily was information fabricated, falsified, and filled in incorrectly throughout the police logs during that time? Consider that Ryan and friends heard what appeared to be a gunshot shortly after 9 pm near the southern end of the wooded area of Robin Hood Hills. At 9:30 pm a bloodied man entered the Bojangles nearly half a mile away. Could this have been a coincidence? Consider further that it wasn’t properly investigated, evidence was disposed of, and nothing further came of this part of that night. Fortunate for those involved, unfortunate for those who seek the truth; however, the community was dealing with criminals the likes of which they were ill-prepared to confront. Easier to believe that three teenaged punks involved in witchcraft and Satanism murdered those three innocent children than pedophiles, police officers, and parents. One or more were probably involved with the murder of Officer White, and in a continuing crime spree, these child murders. Who knows or can say what other crimes were connected to these individuals?
Manufactured alibis, forced involvement, willing participation, misdirection, all were used to intimidate and ultimately kill three little boys. Parents were silenced by fear of discovery of their involvement, forced or otherwise; accomplices were silenced through fear and flight. Law enforcement covered up the crime through the prosecution (persecution) of three teenagers in lieu of the real participants. And so it began, and continues to this day. How far up the chain does this go? Only those involved truly know, and it is unlikely they will ever talk.
Today the truck wash is gone, the truck stop has changed configuration, new buildings have gone up, the landscape has been converted to field from wooded area, and the discovery site of three little boys has been filled in. Just as the cover-up hid the truth from prying eyes, so too has the cover-up of the land hidden the death ditch from the eyes of those who seek an answer to what truly happened that night so long ago.
This is the basic stage of my theory. I realize there are a number of gaps, questions unanswered, more questions raised, and it is in dire need of revision. I know there are portions of the official records that can be used to bolster many parts of this scenario, because I’ve gone over them enough times in the past 15 years that I’ve been studying this case. I will endeavor to look them up and come up with a better narrative. When I have time (HAH!), I will attempt to go over the various timelines, if I can find them, and see if they can be incorporated into this theory to form something that might be lucid enough to present as a possible alternative to the official record. That being said, any suggestions, corrections, additions, and/or deletions that you find will be welcome. Maybe together we can find the answer that has been so long a time in coming. Thank you for your consideration in not booing me off the stage! I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.