", Although Misskelley recanted his confession, it was among the evidence used against him in court though his attorney noted in the 1996 appeal that his statements "were virtually the only evidence, all other testimony and exhibits serving primarily as corroboration.". This argument suggests that because Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were outcasts who listened to heavy metal, read Stephen King, and dressed in black, they made for perfect scapegoats. The boys were known to have played in the storm-drains around their neighborhood. Baldwin was given life without parole, while Echols was sentenced to death by lethal injection. I am happy about that., Hobbs can find humor in a story thats brought him so much pain over the last twenty years, There is not a day that goes by, seriously, that you don`t think about it.. A clue lay in a seemingly unrelated, but conspicuous phone call made to the authorities the night of the boys' disappearance. Two were sentenced to life in prison, and the third received the death penalty. He made outlandish claims that he had taken part in Satanic rituals, telling the officers, "They engaged in orgies and, as an initiation rite, killing and eating dogs," according to the 1996 appeal. The Unsettling Recklessness of Peter Jackson's 'West of Memphis' "A gripping documentary," said the Guardian's review. David Jacoby testified that Hobbs stopped by his house with Amanda and stayed for about an hour. ga('ads.send', { Damien Wayne Echols: DNA testing contradicted false confession And when I was attacked. Byers was later cleared, and he and Echols forgave each other. Terry Hobbs: "Mark Byers, yeah. This means he may have a habit of saying it and is not necessarily expecting us to take for granted what he is saying is the truth. West Memphis Three: CrimeCon Experts Analyze Never-Before-Seen Terry Possible source of mtDNA found with binding of Michael Moore. But, it is finished! https://hotspringsarts.org/workshop-sign-up/, The Opperman Report: Terry Hobbs~Boxful of Nightmares, https://www.facebook.com/hotspringsareaculturalalliance/. Restraining order for spanking neighbor's child. To clear the name of the "West Memphis Three" who were convicted in a 1993 murder, a powerful new documentary makes the case for another suspect. The second Paradise Lost, subtitled Revelations, allows the Three's supporters to suggest the possibility that he killed both her and the kids. But I don't know how, if that reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. hitType: 'event', Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore. Murders In West Memphis::: - Jivepuppi Is this mixture of facts, conjecture, and speculation enough to prove Hobbs guilty? Police record regarding groping neighbor in her shower. Alibi unsupported or contradicted by some of those he claims to have been with, including Ryan Clark and the Garners. Hobbs's language indicates he is making up the story of having seen or heard about a picture of Damien Echols sitting on his couch. Crime and poverty rates are significantly higher than the national average and the Bible Belt city ranked as the most the most dangerous in the state in 2018, reported USA Today. Davis said he believes the West Memphis 3 are guilty,but he has agreed to allow thedefenseto do more DNA testing. ", The officer saw that earlier Hobbs contradicted himself so he now asked for clarification about whether he saw or heard about the picture. us, helping us look for 3 kids.". The West Memphis Three - Terry Hobbs Interview - Statement Analysis Earlier this year, he told Action News 5 he welcomes new DNA testing. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Last year, the Three were freed from prison after their lawyers successfully argued that new evidence dug up in the years since the convictions warranted an appeal in front of the Arkansas Supreme Court. John Mark Byers, Christophers stepfather, reported the boys missing to the West Memphis Police Department at approximately 8 p.m., reported local newspaper the Memphis Flyer. Christopher had a fractured skull, and his genitals had been mutilated, which authorities believed was done by his killer. New Eyewitnesses: Three Boys Last Seen Alive with Terry Hobbs Since his release, Echols has released three books most recently , Baldwin lives in Austin, Texas, where in 2017 he founded the non-profit group. Or did you just hear In West Memphis, Hobbs worked as an ice cream delivery man and Hicks worked at a restaurant. was found at the crime scene. After the case garnered national and celebrity attention, the three were freed in 2011 after agreeing to an Alford plea, allowing them to maintain their innocence while pleading guilty. Its a case built on a shoddy confession and community bias, and includes allegations of Satanism, sexual abuse and mutilation. Its fun! The victim shared a home with Pamela Hobbs, his mother; Terry Hobbs, his stepfather; and Amanda, his half-sister, who was then four years old. Cause there was people on 3 wheelers, Claimed to have said he could make the cut on Byers' penis because of his experience as a butcher. Baldwin, 34, Echols and Misskelley, both 36, pleaded guilty to first- and second-degree murder charges through an Alford plea which allowed them to simultaneously proclaim their innocence, according to The New York Times. }); In talking about the picture of Echols sitting in his house, Hobbs hesitates; "I know I seen umm a picture." Per a bio on the website, he is seeking a degree and plans to attend law school. Yet while their quest for justice is admirable, with West of Memphis, they have overstepped. , updated In Jackson's court, the only witness allowed to speak in support of Terry Hobbs is his sister, Cindy Hobbs. Ex-wife's family contacted police saying he may have committed the murders. Multiple old scars on stepson's corpse. pg.acq.push(function() { This is the extended web version of Terrys interview about his memoirs. Read Terry Hobbs' story about the West Memphis Three murders. Website:https://hotspringsarts.orgFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/hotspringsareaculturalalliance/, Excited to share the finalized book cover! A 1996 appeal filed by Echols and Baldwin states that the boys' clothing and bicycles had been found strewn around the crime scene. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Terry Hobbs: "Well I think Gary Gitchell had it and I don't know how he got it. However, it was ruled that since the boys all played together often at one another's homes, it was within reason that Hobbs' hair could have gotten on any of their shoes. Hobbs hasnt done a TV interview in years, but agreed to sit down with WREGs Sabrina Hall to answer some questions. Terry Hobbs: "David." A jury convicted the West Memphis 3 nearly 14 years ago of the murders of three eight-year-old boys: Michael Moore, Stevie Branch and Christopher Byers. Another hair found at the crime scene matched David Jacoby. New access to evidence thought destroyed in 1993 'West Memphis Three case Yet, theories keep coming that point to Hobbs as the man behind the murders. When asked whom he heard it from he starts out answering "I don't" as if he was going to say "I don't know." Later in this portion of his interview he would estimate there were "20 to 40" people searching. In a later appeal, Misskelley argued he had an I.Q. Terry Hobbs: "You know I don't, I don't know what happened out there in the woods that night, Supervised child fight at gunpoint. . 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Johnny Depp (L) and Damien Echols attend Damien Echols In Conversation With Johnny Depp at Barnes & Noble Union Square on September 21, 2012 in New York City. },false) Its one thats sparked documentaries, a handful of books, even a movie that is about to be released. Their names have emerged after a witness stepped forward to claim that Buddy Lucas told him he had been part of the murders, years after they had taken place. This thing will beat you down if you let it and I chose not to let it control my life., Hobbs says his ex-wife knows he is innocent, She knows better., But says Hicks, as well Byers, are wrapped-up in a story thats turned into an industry, To me, they`ve all tried to capitalize and they have turned our tragedy into a money making business ., He says that business, and Hollywood hype, has set the real killers free, Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley. Several, including beating his stepson and wife. In fact, Baldwin and Echols said they barely knew Misskelley. 21:46, 28 Mar 2013 You actually saw this photograph? } Hobbs claimed a private investigator from the defense team told him one of his hairs was discovered in a knot in one of the shoe laces used to tie up the three eight-year-olds. The West Memphis Three Case: An Evolving Story of Doubt Instead, hes decided to be surprised like the rest of us. As Depp told 48 Hours, "I can empathize with being judged on how you look, as opposed to who you are.". Their suspicions were seemingly confirmed when the DNA from a cigarette they lifted from his home was a match with the hair they found on Michael's shoe. But if neither Hobbs nor any of the three killed the boys, then who did? document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ The one that was alive. I seen He then tells the officer that in viewing the wooded area he determined this is not a place that he would hang out at. . Beat up someone who kissed his wife. Evidence in West Memphis Three case missing or destroyed - Action News 5 Two tribute albums, Free The West Memphis 3 (2000) and Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three (2002), helped generate funds for their ongoing legal costs. Despite being told that the boys may have been playing in a hole Hobbs does not choose to look into it. you all went out there the first time?" In an interview for the film, Echols supported the notion. women's bathroom + Entrance hall Hobbs states that "a lot of neighborhood people" were in the woods searching for the boys. In talking about the picture of Echols, he states, "I don't know if this means anything." Who Is The Real Killer Behind The 'West Memphis Three' Murders? The case against him was dismissed when he agreed to undergo counseling. 4 wheelers, motorcycles, bicycles, on foot. His wife Pam told him that Stevie was riding his bicycle with Michael Moore. Claimed to have told Pam to get over the murders. Terry Hobbs: "I don't, Mark?" Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of one of the three childrren murdered in West Memphis in 1993 and whose DNA was recently found inside one of the knots used in the killing, was arrested 11 years before those murders in Hot Springs. May 10th 1993 note, Officer Calvin Stann Burch, representative of the meager info available from 1993 regarding Terry Hobbs. Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, Jr.were arrested and convicted for the crimes, despite a majority of the evidence being circumstantial. }) The interview was conducted on June 21, 2007. Officer: "You said that uhh. "I'd have to laugh at that and say there's something wrong with someone who would think that," he said. Drug informant. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. A witness claimed to have seen Echols with a knife similar to the one that had been found. Terry G Hobbs, 51 - Hudson Falls, NY - Has Court or Arrest Records Officer: "Did you go into the woods before you picked up Pam?" Who Is Terry Hobbs, Stepfather Of West Memphis Three Victim? | True Free shipping for many products! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Like Echols, Misskelley was a high school dropout and was known for getting into fistfights and trouble around town, according to, "To be honest, I didn't really think of him at all," Echols told, But it was the testimony of Misskelley, who was brought in for questioning on June 3, 1993, that led to the teenagers' arrests. French reported the attack to police the next day. He was held for 12 hours and interrogated without his parents present. We are one of the worlds fastest growing of 72 and that his mental capacity rendered his confession involuntary, according to court documents obtained by Oxygen.com. }); The three 8-years-old boys were kidnapped and was later found dead. In the end, he says he lives with it, At some point youve got say I got to keep on going. Jessica drove. And when I had, uh, had 5 people beat me up and torture me but I lived through it." "He was just someone that was sort of on the fringes of mine and Jason's life.". He used the phrase "you know" over 50 times in this interview. Everyone has a story and this just happens to be mine, said Hobbs. were murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas, in 1993. Hobbs then left Jacoby's residence by himself. This is very suspicious. Cold Case: Calhoun man still missing after 4 months French was 54. "It'stheir job to do what they do.". "I can't understand why exactly people are glossing over the obvious when it comes to Byers and the death of Melissa Byers and all the things that Byers has said and done since this trial," says Echols from jail. Posted May 20, 2011 Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Stevie Branch were found dead in a ditch, naked, bound, and mutilated, on May 6, 1993. Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of one of the three childrren murdered in West Memphis in 1993 and whose DNA was recently found inside one of the knots used in the killing, was arrested 11 years before those murders in Hot Springs. The legal troubles of Terry Hobbs and John Mark Byers He does not finish his second sentence. Instead, defense attorneys say, the tests found DNA from Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of one of the murdered boys. Sadler is then allowed to claim that Hobbs would make Stevie watch him masturbate, and that he also molested Stevie's sister, Amanda. Despite this evidence, no charges have ever been brought against Hobbs, who still firmly believes that Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley are guilty of the . "If Michael Moore or Christopher Byers had a piece of my hair on shoes strings, these little boys came to my home and played with our little boy pretty regularly," Hobbs said. He served as a producer for West of Memphis and has helped promote the film. After a motion for the tests to exonerate Echols, Misskelley Jr., and Baldwin was approved in 2004, examiners found a human hair on the shoe of Michael that did not belong to any of the defendants. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. (Dale Griffis, an expert on the occult, testified that the amount of victims and the fact that the date of the killings was close to a pagan holiday, suggested that the murders were Satanic in nature.