West Memphis 3

[tezi]

Devil's Knot was one of the books that I read about this case. It convinced me that the West Memphis Police really didn't investigate Mark Byers. And the thing that really convinced me further of his involvement was his wife's death. Things just didn't add up there either. When I have the time, I am going to try to reread the book, I have it around here somewhere.

Great thread Messiecake, thanks for starting it!

 

[LillyRush]

The below link is to a book written by the D.A's self proclaimed "cult expert".
Not only does he belive there were satanists running loose in West Memphis but also that the C.I.A is involved in ritual child abuse and brainwashing people into becoming spies!


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0882821962/qid=1094420174/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-7664098-8123950?v=glance&s=books



:doh:



I think I saw a similar story in the Weekly World News once!!!!!!!!!!


AND this man was a "star witness" for the Pro's???????

Yep, that's the guy!
He is definitely a nut. Sounds like a paranoid schizo or something.
Thanks for the link.

 

[missacorah]

Hi, had to bump this case up having only recently found out about it. I have just ordered the 'Innocents' book from Ebay and the documentary and intend to 'get down off the fence' and form my opinion when I have looked through them both.

The thing I can't understand is how could one person keep all three boys there against their will? Surely no matter what they said, once they had seen what had been done to one of them the others or at least one of them would have been able to scarper.

At the moment, although I don't have the facts to support me until my Ebay goodies arrive my instinct is swaying me towards the fact that the three are indeed guilty. I'm sorry but Damien was a complete weirdo. And Jessie came up with alot of stuff also which is rather strange to admit to. I admit the Byers man does sound very strange especially bearing in mind the removal of teeth incident. I know he was a big fan of corporal punishment. Maybe the bite marks were indeed made by him ( I know biting is not classed as corporal punishment but maybe it was done as some sort of weird punishment) but if they were that doesnt make him the killer just a cruel (step) father.

As mentioned, I only just found out about this heartbreaking case and would be interested to hear all your views about suspects, convictions etc! Thanks.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Hi, had to bump this case up having only recently found out about it. I have just ordered the 'Innocents' book from Ebay and the documentary and intend to 'get down off the fence' and form my opinion when I have looked through them both.

The thing I can't understand is how could one person keep all three boys there against their will? Surely no matter what they said, once they had seen what had been done to one of them the others or at least one of them would have been able to scarper.

At the moment, although I don't have the facts to support me until my Ebay goodies arrive my instinct is swaying me towards the fact that the three are indeed guilty. I'm sorry but Damien was a complete weirdo. And Jessie came up with alot of stuff also which is rather strange to admit to. I admit the Byers man does sound very strange especially bearing in mind the removal of teeth incident. I know he was a big fan of corporal punishment. Maybe the bite marks were indeed made by him ( I know biting is not classed as corporal punishment but maybe it was done as some sort of weird punishment) but if they were that doesnt make him the killer just a cruel (step) father.

As mentioned, I only just found out about this heartbreaking case and would be interested to hear all your views about suspects, convictions etc! Thanks.

Its been a while since I studied the case, but I'll be happy to try and remember what I can. I've got the book and I think one of the documentaries, so I may need to refresh my memory, but I believe they're guilty too. A while ago, I found Damien's psychological records on the internet and they were pretty interesting. The dude's a wack job for sure. I have nothing against heavy metal music (rather like it actually) and nothing against "black" clothing and the like. I don't think it helped their cause at all, but I don't think it got them convicted either.

Welcome!!

 

[missacorah]

Thanks - would be interested to hear what you remember. This case has really stuck in my head - one of the little boys looks very similar to my own son. It's a really sickening case.

 

[strach304]

I had watched the movie on tv some years ago because my youngest daughter was interested in the case, this was the second movie I believe and she had already seen the first which I never have but she felt Chris Byers father was a more likely suspect because of the teeth and knife. I've read that he was paid more to act crazy or something to that affect so without knowing many details of the case I have always come back to LE and the jury because they know what the evidence is. It seems from all accounts the Byers man would be hard to overlook and therefore I thought LE probably was able to rule him out.

I recently read what the crime library has on this case and the events of what happened on the day that Chris disappeared are eerily familar to the two little girls in Illinois that were killed by the one girls father. The marks on Chris Byers buttocks are clearly from the belt his father hit him with that afternoon so after being whipped like that he took off again? Seems more plausible someone with a vehicle and an accomplice moved these boys to where they were found. The mother of Chris Byers later committed suicide. There was evidence of healed injuries on Chris Byers but I don't know any specifics of those. I think it's possible the other two were killed because they saw what happened to Chris and there is a brother I didn't know about that searched with chris byers father, another possibility of an accomplice.

I'm not saying those three aren't guilty but I do have doubts and I'd like to see it reinvestigated, possibly there is better forensics available now. It bothers me that a crime scene was never found. I think it's possible it was staged to look like a sex crime or cult ritual. There was also a report of a black man in Bojangles with blood on him in the area the boys were found in.
Coincidentally there was hair consistent with an afro american found on Chris Byers which may be transference or something I don't know but there it is. None of the vehicles searched turned up anything forensically but the man in Bojangles was never found so his vehicle and the possibility of an accomplice with him also could exist. I think it could be a rage killing and it sounds like the father of Chris Byers would've been in a rage in much the same way as the father in Illinois same motive, sad but sick.

 

[mic730]

I have seen the HBO documentaries and read a lot about the case online a couple years ago. I will also get a copy of the book as I would like to know more.
I am conflicted on this case. I do hope Damien is removed from death row.
Very interesting that HBO paid that man to act so crazy.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I heard that Chris Byer's mother, Melissa was it??, died from drug abuse, but it was suspicious. Can you help me find info about the suicide???

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I have seen the HBO documentaries and read a lot about the case online a couple years ago. I will also get a copy of the book as I would like to know more.
I am conflicted on this case. I do hope Damien is removed from death row.
Very interesting that HBO paid that man to act so crazy.

He's guilty, why remove him from death row????? He needs to have his sentence carried out.

 

[strach304]

I heard that Chris Byer's mother, Melissa was it??, died from drug abuse, but it was suspicious. Can you help me find info about the suicide???

Sorry Jeana I don't have a link for this part because it was covered in "Paradise Lost 2" but it was a prescription drug overdose but HBO went out of their way imo to make the father of Chris Byers look guilty and in bringing up the suicide of Chris' mother I got the impression they wanted you to think that was the reason. There are two possible explanations though, on the other side of the coin she simply may not have been able to cope with the death of her child as well as other considerations that could have contributed.

The crime library on ctv has a story on this case that I had never read until recently and I thought I had read every case on there :crazy:
Jeana, if you didn't know about the mom you may not know that Chris Byers father had all of his teeth pulled shortly after the murders. This was in the HBO show as well. The reason he gave was that it was because of the medicine he took and named dilatin at that time, which I myself took many years ago for epilepsy. It doesn't rot your teeth it makes your gums thick and in fact had to have mine shaved by an orthodonic surgeon. The bite marks on Chris were originally thought to be belt buckle marks. The story at ctv gives you the impression that there wasn't sufficient evidence against the 3 for a conviction much less a death verdict. I wanna go research the story just haven't gotten around to it. The other drug reported in the ctv story is carmazaphine (sp) which is the generic of tegretol which I also took for seizures, which both Chris and his father were taking and was found in what was termed non therapeutic levels in the toxicology tests of Chris. I have never seen it stated what their medical conditions were. Tegretol is a very bad drug and has several uses but aside from that what I do know that it's very potent and a small dose will incapacitate you and with an 8 year old could easily kill. Chris' father said he had not had his medicine that day. The father was said to have a bad temper and had a criminal record for assault on a neighbors child but on that point I'm not positive it's true because I can't remember the source although it could've come out in the 2nd hbo documentary.

I personally haven't decided on guilt of anyone since I don't have all the facts but I didn't know until I read the ctv story that Chris had been whipped with a belt and then took off again while his father took his brother to the courthouse and when his father returned and found that out he went looking for him. I also read somewhere else maybe here that a tennis shoe belonging to Damien or Jason had blood on it, so I have no details on that either as of yet. Was the blood from any of the three victims? I don't know but if so that imo is strong evidence of guilt. I've never been able to jump on the innocent bandwagon for these three simply because I don't know all the evidence at trial but the jury sure did and to me that speaks volumes but I do wanna get around to finding out more about this case.

 

[mic730]

He's guilty, why remove him from death row????? He needs to have his sentence carried out.

I am not convinced of his guilt Jeana.

 

[chiefs_fan_4life]

Misskelley's trial was held in the town I live in. I know most of the jurors who sentenced him as well. I am about 1 hr. 45 min. from West Memphis and we pass Robin Hood Hills everytime we go to Memphis. I just feel so strange and sad when we pass through there. I have mostly kept up with the case from the beginning and still my mind changes about their guilt/innocence. I think that Byers guy was a piss poor step dad and he creeps me out. I don't believe his wife (Melissa) committed suicide. I think she accidentally OD'd or Byers had a hand in it.

 

[amandab]

Hey all,

I just watched "Paradise Lost: Revalations" (the 2nd of the HBO documentaries) last night, and I'm conflicted.

Does anyone know what everyone's alibis were at the time of the boys deaths? Specifically, Damien and Jessie, as well as Mark and Melissa Byers?

Does anyone know if Mark Byers is still in prison (for selling prescription drugs to an undercover cop, I believe)?

Has Melissa's cause of death ever been determined?

Have Mark or Melissa Byers' teeth ever been examined against the bite mark?

Thanks gang......

 

[amandab]

One other thing........

Does anyone remember the scene in PL2 where Mark Byers is getting the polygraph (while under the influence of a host of drugs that calm him), and the guy givingthe test asked him if he'd had any brushes with the law?

Byers said he got a DUI after his wife "was murdered".

Murdered?? I thought Byers said she died in her sleep b/c of a drug problem/overdose/something along those lines.

Murdered? He claimed to have nothing to do with her death.

Just an innocent slip of the tongue, or maybe a shred of truth out of Byers finally?

 

[amandab]

http://www.corpus-delicti.com/arknews080197.htm

This is an interesting article regarding Melissa's death......

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Hey all,

I just watched "Paradise Lost: Revalations" (the 2nd of the HBO documentaries) last night, and I'm conflicted.

Does anyone know what everyone's alibis were at the time of the boys deaths? Specifically, Damien and Jessie, as well as Mark and Melissa Byers?

Does anyone know if Mark Byers is still in prison (for selling prescription drugs to an undercover cop, I believe)?

Has Melissa's cause of death ever been determined?

Have Mark or Melissa Byers' teeth ever been examined against the bite mark?

Thanks gang......

Don't know all the answers, but No, the cause of death has never been determined. Mark had dentures made not long after all this, which is why he's caught the interest of so many people (that among many other things).

 

[Goody]

Its been a while since I studied the case, but I'll be happy to try and remember what I can. I've got the book and I think one of the documentaries, so I may need to refresh my memory, but I believe they're guilty too. A while ago, I found Damien's psychological records on the internet and they were pretty interesting. The dude's a wack job for sure. I have nothing against heavy metal music (rather like it actually) and nothing against "black" clothing and the like. I don't think it helped their cause at all, but I don't think it got them convicted either.

Welcome!!

Will this help? http://www.wm3.org/live/evidence/index.php

 

[Goody]

As I recall the police interviewed scads of kids from the area and there were lots and lots of rumors going around with these boys doing some bragging about their part in the crime. I don't think the stepfather did anything. This area strikes me as a low income area. A lot of dysfunction in the both the victims' and the perps' homes.

It seems to me I read the mother's autopsy somewhere and she had been in a deep,deep depression following the death of her child, was mixing alcohol and drugs, and just didn't wake up one day. I think it was an accidental death. The stepfather is just an easy patsy because he isn't a clean cut joe, but, hey, I have known some rowdy bikers in my time (no..I am not a biker chick) who were better parents than some of the suits I worked with. So just because he might seem like a lowlife (if that is your perception of him) doesn't mean he cut up these boys and mutilated them like that.

This case was not about child abuse. At least not abuse by a parent figure. It was about some very troubled kids who fell into an evil abyss (their version devil worship) and did the unthinkable. It is similar to the case back east where the little red headed kid killed his 4 year old neighbor one day in the park. And seems like there was another where the little kid knocked on the door and the teenager home alone killed him.

Seems like all of theses cases occurred around the same time. Back then we were filling our kids heads full of dark, gory horror films...Freddy Krueger, Chainsaw Massacre, Jason (Jamie Curtis' ride to fame). Dungeons and Dragons was a big thing and another game called Magic. And in the south there was lots of interest in satanism. Even where I live, which is not that far from West Memphis (a couple of hundred miles, I think), and we had trouble with kids going out into the woods and drawing pentagrams and sacrificing small animals. One house I lived in I found evidence of strange rituals in the attic. Couldn't wait to move out of that one. Point is, this is a haunting case because of the nature of the crime and who did it, but I really believe the right people were convicted.

 

[Amy Noel]

I've been following this story from the beginning and ofcourse I listened to the media reports and thought they were guilty at first, like everyone else. But then I saw HBO's "Paradise Lost" and started to question alot of things in the case. And by the time "Paradise Lost 2" came out I was pretty much convinced that these boys were innocent. I've read everything I can get my hands on...off the internet and on. I've read "Devil's knot", which is a very informative read about the case. I just recently read "Almost Home" written by Damien Echols himself. It's not much about the case but more about Damien, the boy...and now the man...the man he has become from behind bars. It is a wonderful read... it will make you think...make you cry...and believe it or not at times even laugh. Anyone who is really interested in this miscarriage of justice should read this book... both books... and watch the movies as well. And don't forget June 3rd marks the 13th anniversary that the WM3 were arrested for the murders... so light a candle, pray, or wear your "free the WM3" gear if you have any....and lets not forget the three little boys who were murdered in this case.. May 6th was 13 years since they were taken from this world... they were beautiful children and my heart goes out to their families... and the hope that one day there will be "true" justice in this case of 6 victims!

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I've been following this story from the beginning and ofcourse I listened to the media reports and thought they were guilty at first, like everyone else. But then I saw HBO's "Paradise Lost" and started to question alot of things in the case. And by the time "Paradise Lost 2" came out I was pretty much convinced that these boys were innocent. I've read everything I can get my hands on...off the internet and on. I've read "Devil's knot", which is a very informative read about the case. I just recently read "Almost Home" written by Damien Echols himself. It's not much about the case but more about Damien, the boy...and now the man...the man he has become from behind bars. It is a wonderful read... it will make you think...make you cry...and believe it or not at times even laugh. Anyone who is really interested in this miscarriage of justice should read this book... both books... and watch the movies as well. And don't forget June 3rd marks the 13th anniversary that the WM3 were arrested for the murders... so light a candle, pray, or wear your "free the WM3" gear if you have any....and lets not forget the three little boys who were murdered in this case.. May 6th was 13 years since they were taken from this world... they were beautiful children and my heart goes out to their families... and the hope that one day there will be "true" justice in this case of 6 victims!

Thanks for your post Amy. I've read and seen it all too and think the complete opposite. I believe they're guilty.