(Despite Misskelleys statement, the coroners examination found no injuries on the victims consistent with sexual assault.) Misskelley's coerced confession, as contradictory as it seemed to the evidence, was consistent in implicating Echols and Jason Baldwin. 25, 2021. The next to be found was Stevie Branch, quickly followed by Christopher Byers. One of the keys to understanding the West Memphis Three murders is the phenomenon known as the Satanic Panic. Terry Hobbs passed away in Nampa, Idaho. Baldwin and Misskelley were sentenced to life without parole while Echols received the death penalty. This family in-fighting led to him shooting his brother-in-law. Today, Berlinger calls Revelations the weakest of the three films in the trilogyadvocacy in search of a story as opposed to the in-the-moment, on-the-ground approach of the first Paradise Lost and the in-depth exploration of new evidence in 2011s Purgatory. He knew that if he ever got out, hed want to do that in a more organized way. The news was devastating beyond just word of his friends suffering. There have also been several high-profile incidents of laypeople reinvestigating decades-old cold cases in more rigorous, journalistic ways and helping bring them to a resolution. The cult part of the Commercial Appeals headline signaled how the case would be defined by both the media and prosecutors. Terry Roland Hobbs, 62, of Sweetwater, passed away on Saturday, September 11, 2021. Baldwin is the co-founder of the legal advocacy organization Proclaim Justice. (Maines briefly became a part of the story when Terry Hobbs, stepfather of another of the victims, sued her for defamation after she wrote a blog post pointing out that physical evidence at the crime scene potentially pointed at him and not the three convicted for the crime. 2012 West of Memphis (Documentary) Self - Steven Branch's Stepfather. It wasnt hard for him to imagine his teenage self ending up in Echolss situation. Yes, the West Memphis Three are out of prison, but as long as they are considered guilty in the eyes of the state, the case is closed, meaning no further investigation can occur. Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were best friends. Pam Hobbs divorced Terry Hobbs in 2004 and has reversed her position on the West Memphis Three's guilt. " Every crime, no matter what it is, gets blamed on Satanism.". Polygraph tests revealed deception in the answers of both men in regard to the crimes. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Created by: Legend Added: 11 Aug 2021 Find a Grave Memorial ID: 230642037 None of the initial trio behind WM3.orgnor their friend Lisa Fancher, who later became a key part of the efforthad ever considered themselves an activist to that point. By going into the courtroom and sticking with the case for its entire duration, Berlinger and Sinofsky were able to capture what may have otherwise been lost to time or left out of transcripts. They werent telling me I was lying, even if they may have been saying that in their minds. People would drive by and yell at us, Theyre going to burn in hell, Sauls says. " (Detective Allen) told me if I knew anything, that there was a $35,000 reward, and if I could help them out, we'd get the money," said Misskelley, as quoted by Mara Leveritt in Devil's Knot. Dec 13th, 2021. The test results showed that no genetic material on the crime scene evidence was a match to Echols, Baldwin or Misskelley, reported the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! And that makes him hopeful that exoneration is on the horizon. Share Memories & Support the Family. To learn more, watch The Forgotten West Memphis Three on Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29at 8/7c on Oxygen. Hobbs said, I still believe in my heart that Jessie, Jason, and Damion Echols are responsible for what happened to our children., He added, You look at what happened and then you wonder, what if this did not happen, where would our boys be today? But most notably, his initial timeline of events didnt match what was known about the crimes, and every time he offered a detail that diverged from the accepted chronology, the interrogating officers seemed to steer him back in the direction of the official version. Although blood scrapings were taken, the West Memphis police lost the evidence. A graveside service will be conducted on Wednesday, March 17 at Cloverdale Memorial Park beginning at 11am. Produced and directed by filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, the film and its two sequels, Paradise Lost 2: Revelations and Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, gave audiences a unique and detailed look into the case, the accused, and the families of victims. They were naked and hog-tied with their own shoelaces, and showed signs of blunt force trauma and mutilation, the latter of which may have been the work of wild animals, reported the, Three teenage boys were arrested for the crimes , Baldwin and Misskelley were sentenced to life without parole while Echols received the death penalty. Debates still occur regularly onlinethe West Memphis Three subreddit is fairly active for one on a 28-year-old caseand podcasts have looked at the crime from all angles. In an email to The Ringer, Rollins stressed that inaction was not an option., Myself and the many people I worked with did what we could to help bring attention to the case and generate much needed financial aid, he wrote. This is the true story of the West Memphis Three murders. weaving supposedly anti-Christian and occult messages into their songs, he discovered her while Googling cold cases, funded an extensive private investigation, a November 2010 Arkansas Supreme Court ruling, biggest allies in the years before his 2020 death, acquitted of capital murder in 2018 after a 25-year legal saga. Hobbs described what it was like the day the three walked free. The Latest CD: 92 YEARS YOUNG: JAMMIN' AT THE GIBBS HOUSE. You still dont really know what happened to these kids. Damion Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley were convicted of murdering the children in 1994. Spotting a small, black tennis shoe in the water, Jones radioed for help. Timeline Of The West Memphis Three Victims, Motivations For Investigating The West Memphis Case. That's not the same Terry Hobbs. Branded the West Memphis Three, the mens case was featured in multiple documentaries, earning them support from an array of high-profile musicians, celebrities and activists. But none of that support has been able to fully exonerate the trio, something theyre still fighting for. I had a friend who was working on 20/20, and they had done a film about exorcism in one of the magazine pieces, Nevins says. They even hired experts to examine the case, including a forensic criminal profiler who discovered what appeared to be bite marks on one of the victims that didnt match any of the convicted. Much of Cecil Hotel focuses on the amateur investigators who turned coincidences into conspiracy theories, ultimately accusing an innocent person of her death. The attorneys representing Echols and Baldwin believed that the juries wouldnt accept the prosecutions versions of eventsthat they were too fantastical and tied to second-hand informationand that without conclusive proof, their clients would walk. of Auburndale, FL passed away Monday, August 16, 2021. Its my perspective of what happened in 1993, 26 years ago in West Memphis, Arkansas, said Hobbs. there are no assignments to cushion your grade, so either pass or fail. Iwould journal something and put it in the box, said Hobbs. Theres no smoking gun. It was a call about Damien Echolshe wasnt dead, but his wife, Lorri Davis, feared he might be soon. Hide Self (6 credits) 2012 48 Hours: Hard Evidence (TV Series) Self. The sheer mountain moving amount of money it cost to prove the obvious innocence of Jessie, Jason, and Damien still staggers me. Its no surprise the juries found the prosecutions narrative compelling, Leveritt says: For them, the image of killer satanists headbanging to Metallica was more than plausible. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. In 1996, a screener for Paradise Lost passed her desk. The nonprofits work hasnt always been easyfundraising is hard, and because hes a convicted felon, hes unable to visit clients in prison or discuss pleasbut its been essential for him as he strives to live the words by 14th-century Persian poet Hafez that he keeps as an email signature: The small man builds cages for everyone he knows / While the sage, who has to duck his head when the moon is low / Keeps dropping keys all night long for the beautiful rowdy prisoners. Baldwin says hes learned that justice isnt a computer programthat you can input all the evidence and testimony and still get the wrong results. In her recantation, Hutcheson stated that when she asked Echols directly if he had killed "those three kids," he replied, "No. Here were these guysat best they were neutral. In West Memphis, Hobbs worked as an ice cream delivery man and Hicks worked at a restaurant. So, how much is Terry Hobbs worth at the age of 50 years old? Misskelley told Hutcheson that he really didn't know much about Echols other than that he was "a weird person." It had been a long fight to clear their names, and the odds seemed better than ever. Rather, they were fighting for something they believed in. Damien Echols (@damienechols) July 7, 2021 Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of Branch who was under suspicion but never charged, said he welcomes new DNA testing. Even today, years after his name was cleared and authorities ruled Lams death accidental, Morbid still receives threats. I kind of enjoy it because now even after I die, people are going to remember me forever. Well, perhaps not nobody. McCaughey says her sister is very upset. Terry Hobbs was born in 1958 and grew up in Northern Arkansas. The documentarians found me in one of the worst things a person could go through, Baldwin says. Im not the jury. This case was filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, Tennessee Western Bankruptcy. (WMC) - Its a case that has captured the nation and certainly the Mid-South. And they used that visibility to help raise funds for the defense. Due to marital problems stemming from Stevies death, the couple divorced in 2004, reported CNN. Case Details Parties . Then youd try to find it, and it didnt exist, because when we went out to discussion groups, no one knew about the case yet., After learning that the teens were still in prison, Bakken, Sauls, and Pashley decided to make full use of the budding technological revolution. Armchair detectives of today, I think a lot of them dabble in conspiracy theory, Berlinger says. In 2007, new DNA and physical evidence arose that seemed to further distance the West Memphis Three from the murders. Like Misskelley in the first trial, Baldwin received a life sentence. Misskelley, who had entered the West Memphis police station that morning with hopes of reward money he might use to purchase a new truck for his father found himself instead charged with murder and facing life plus 40 years in prison. The governor of the state of Arkansas who will one day pardon the West Memphis Three is probably in junior high right now, he says. Terry Roland Hobbs <p>Terry Roland Hobbs, 62, of Sweetwater, passed away on Saturday, September 11, 2021.</p> <p>Terry was born on September 11, 1959 in Sweetwater, to Jack Harvey and Marjorie Hobbs .Terry graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1977. Certain that, under what he felt were ridiculous circumstances, Echols' confidence and, on occasion, flippant attitude during the trial was often misinterpreted as evidence of his coldness toward the victims and their families. One of the prosecution's key pieces of evidence linking Jason Baldwin to the crime a survival knife with a serrated edge recovered from a lake behind his home has also come under scrutiny. Terry Hobbs says he is a church member, a father, and working man and in no way a killer. We made a promise early on that we would never pretend to be law enforcement or detectives, Sauls says. The prosecutor would later say, There was a lack of physical evidence to tie anyone or anything to the crime scene, while the lead investigatorthe same one who told the press the case was an 11 out of 10would concede, Youve got a lot of circumstantial evidence is what youve got. At approximately 1:30 p.m., Steve Jones, a juvenile parole officer from Crittenden County, peered over the steep bank of a water-filled ditch in the woods near the Blue Beacon truck wash. Terry. Mojo was right. "They said close to the crime scene because at one time I did walk near where they had found the kids with Terry Hobbs But I didn't wear hats back then, my hair could have blown around anywhere, Jacoby told Memphis NBC affiliate WMC-TV in 2013. That was more than the people deciding the case were able to hearthe presiding judge made the expert give most of his testimony without the jury in the courtroom because he questioned its relevance. The level of corruption in the American justice system is glaring and sickening.. A later confession during the trial phase would prove equally problematic. They didnt even think he would physically survive through December, Baldwin says. In this first confession, Miskelley often agreed to details suggested by the police or attributed to prior statements which he did not make. (WJHG) By Nikki Sheaks Published: Jul. WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. After new DNA evidence was discovered, the West Memphis Three were released from prison in August 2011 by agreeing to an Alford plea, which allowed him to proclaim their innocence while admitting the prosecution had enough evidence to convict him. The reason for the credit gets less curious when hes asked about it: He was a huge Metallica fan. More than 2,500 people attended and the story dominated the local press for days. Unaware of what was to come, Allen explained that he just wanted to ask him some questions. Find the obituary of Terry Hobbs (1957 - 2021) from Caldwell, ID. October 14, 2017: #26 on the JazzWeek chart! I think we were the first internet sleuths, but we were not internet sleuths.. Echols, who prosecutors argued was the ringleader, was sentenced to death. The killings came at the peak of the so-called Satanic Panic, a time of heightened worries about ritualistic abuse. In 1996, HBO released the documentary film Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills. June 29 Terry Hobbs, 34, 1718 Spyglass Lane, Mishawaka, booked on a warrant from Elkhart County. When Alex Sinofsky is asked about his fathers work on the film, he recalls the frequent trips and long hours spent editing film on a Steenbeck he kept in the house. To this day, it is still unclear who is responsible for the killings. Paradise Lost is a narration-free documentary filmed with a journalistic remove. Echols said in 2012, he will never give up his mission to exonerate himself. (Maines briefly became a part of the story when Terry Hobbs, stepfather of another . He also lost the defamation case because of his violent past. Hes since parlayed the popularity of the show into a booming podcast network and documentary deal with Oxygen. every single person in my class was either . So when I saw this tiny little article in the Times, I wasnt about to free anybody that was guilty. He was just taking in the enormity of the defining event of his life to that point, which had been committed to film and was now playing for him inside the cavernous, auditorium-style visitation room. The following day revealed the unthinkable, when the bloodied and bruised bodies of the three boys were found submerged in a muddy creek in a wooded area called Robin Hood Hills. That included Mojo, who came calling around 2 a.m. that day trying to coax him out of his cell. Terry Hobbs Memphis 32, 14-Jun, Superior Funeral Home-Hollywood. It was also revealed in 2012 that Hobbs nephew allegedly told his friends, My Uncle Terry murdered those three little boys," and that the killings were a Hobbs family secret, according to WMC-TV. Now a judgewho coincidentally works part time in the courtroom where Misskelley was convictedStidham spends time speaking to law students about the judicial system. I don't entirely think Hobbs did it, but I . He was 56. Classmates at Weaver Elementary School, the three were active in their Cub Scout troop and responsible enough to be trusted to roam their neighborhood without supervision. Some believe the West Memphis Three are guilty to this day, and others, including some victims family members, point to their innocence and maintain the real perpetrator is still at large. They couldnt have been cooler, recalls Berlinger, who would go on to direct the 2004 documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster alongside Bruce Sinofsky. Echols is an author and mystic living New York with his wife, architect Lorri Davis. A theory held is that Terry Hobbs was the one who actually killed the three boys and had pinned it on the Memphis 3 boys. They asked to see a cut, and they immediately said, Not only are we going to let you use all that music, but were not going to charge you anything for it., Metallica would be the first celebrities to throw their support behind the West Memphis Three, but they were far from the last. Quality. Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of eight-year-old victim Stevie Branch, has been named in documents released in Marian, Arkansas by the attorneys for Pam Hobbs, Stevie's mother. William Holford Griffiths. He died on April 4, 2019 in Panama City Beach, Florida, USA. It hurt all over again, he said. How do you measure the legacy of Paradise Lost, which is one of the best reviewed documentaries of all time and considered among the most influential, but whose mission is only partly complete? Cinemorgue Wiki. So advocacy and diligence become tantamount, because most people in a similar situation to the one he was in dont have the benefit of filmmakers and musicians fighting on their behalf. But Berlinger also believes that the sequel is important for documenting the power of citizen activism. . The consequences of that online campaign were ruinous: The person they targeted, a Mexican metal musician who worked under the name Morbid, was harassed into hiding. Defense attorneys also pointed out that Griffis' doctorate was obtained through a notorious diploma mill and had been awarded with Griffis having never attended a single class. Mike Allen arrived on the scene. In June 1996, Paradise Lost debuted on HBO, bringing the story of the West Memphis Three to TV sets and showing the power of the camera in the courtroom. They were found nude and hogtied in a creek in a wooded area in West Memphis. On the evening of May 5, 1993, 8-year-olds Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore went missing in West Memphis, Arkansas. A statement he made to the producers of Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills did little to help his public image. hangyermoon 2 yr. ago. I said, Im going to send some kids down there., Those kids turned out to be Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, the young documentarians who had recently completed the acclaimed Brothers Keeper, a film chronicling a death and the resulting trial in a small upstate New York village. No charges have been brought against Jacoby, and he has never been named a suspect by the West Memphis Police Department. The obituary was featured in Idaho Press Tribune on March 13, 2021. With a large population of fundamentalist Christians, the American South was particularly subject to occult paranoia. West Memphis is in the heart of the Bible Belt: just a two-hour drive from where, legend has it, the devil tuned Robert Johnsons guitar, in a state thats 46 percent evangelical Protestant.