[9] On May 9, during a formal interview by Detective Bryn Ridge, Echols mentioned that one of the victims had wounds to the genitals; law enforcement viewed this knowledge as incriminating. Jessie Misskelley said in a short interview a few months ago that he is happy staying out of the limelight, as he lives and works in West Memphis. [78], In January 2010, the CBS television news journal 48 Hours aired "The Memphis 3", an in-depth coverage of the history of the case including interviews with Echols and supporters. . RIDGE:And one of them was being cut on his penis? Aaron, a playmate of the murdered boys', mentioned to Bray that the boys had been killed at "the playhouse." (The crime scene was blocked off for over a month and guarded by WMPD precisely to see if the criminal would return to the scene of the crime.No reports of Jessie appearing were made.). In May 2013, for the 20th anniversary of the slayings, Weaver Elementary School principal Sheila Grissom raised funds to refurbish the memorial. The location was widely reported in the media in May 1993). Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. [6], On May 5, 1993, three eight-year-old boys (Steve Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers) were reported missing in West Memphis, Arkansas. GITCHELL: And you saw the pictures in the briefcase? All money raised from sales of the album are donated to the legal funds of the West Memphis Three. JESSIE: He made the call from his house and Damien was hollering in the background saying, we done it, we done it, what are going to do if somebody saw us, what are we going to do? The song is about the West Memphis Three, with 100% of the proceeds going to their benefit foundation for their release. On August 19, 2011, three men, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, who were convicted as teenagers in 1994 of the murders of three boys in Arkansas, are released from prison in. RIDGE: Okay, let me ask you something, now this is real serious and I want you to be real truthful, and I want you to think about it before you answer it, dont just say yes or no, real quick. Jason Baldwin, along with Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. are known as The West Memphis Three, who are three men convicted in 1994 of the murders of three 8 year old boys, in West Memphis, Arkansas, in 1993. That's right, the man I was about to pledge my life to was a convicted murderer. He testified that his own failure to put this incident on the court record and his failure to meet the minimum requirements in state law to represent a defendant in a capital murder case was evidence of ineffective assistance of counsel and that Misskelley's conviction should therefore be vacated. He named Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols . RIDGE:So, they are scared, is that right, JESSIE: They are scared cause after what they did, I told him that I was going to work with my daddy next time, I got to do something. A subsequent search of the ditch revealed the bodies of three boys. Basically, when we went to trial the first time, they came in with ghost stories, rumors, "Arkansas Teen Found Guilty On Three Counts Of Murder,", Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three, "Youth Is Convicted In Slaying of 3 Boys In an Arkansas City", "Arguments conclude in 'West Memphis Three' appeals", "How Rockers Helped Free the West Memphis Three", "Fresh DNA evidence boosts defense in 1993 Arkansas slayings", "Damien Echols asks for new trial in West Memphis 3 murder case", "Pain tells how much life 3 slain boys had", "Police see progress in Ark. [65] Ellington said that, although he still considered the men guilty, the three would likely be acquitted if a new trial were held because of the powerful legal counsel representing them now, the loss of evidence over time, and the change of heart among some of the witnesses. [9], On February 5, 1994, Misskelley was convicted by a jury of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder. JESSIE: Not that I know of, I wouldnt. GITCHELL: okay, now you have participated in this cult, right? ????). Even if they were notinthe park at 9 a.m. it would not take three hours to walk from their homesorLakeshore, which is where he will claim they met in alaterstatement.). Douglas served as FBI Unit Chief of the Investigative Support Unit of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime for 25 years. RIDGE:Okay, these initiations, you say that they eat part of the leg meat? Lawyers representing the West Memphis Three reached the plea deal that allowed the men to be released from prison. [9] Misskelley was questioned for roughly 12 hours. Jessie Misskelley Height, Weight & Measurements At 47 years old, Jessie Misskelley height is 5' 2" (1.57 m) . (I didnt see a briefcase), then ask the question again Jessie will come through for you . RIDGE: At 9 oclock in the morning? DNA evidence at the scene was not found to include any from Echols or his co-defendants. ), RIDGE: Alright, you got in front of you a picture, that was taken out of the newspaper I believe, its got three boys and these are the three boys that were killed on that date in Robin Hood Woods, okay, which one of those three boys is it you say Damien hit? (No blood was found on any of the childrens discarded clothes. JESSIE: They hadnt they hadnt said nothing around me, when I was over to my friends house, they didnt say nothing. JESSIE:I didnt see a briefcase, not unless they left it there at that day before it happened, unless they left it there by accident then but I didnt see one that day. Dont like the answer? When police speculated about the assailant, the juvenile probation officer assisting at the scene of the murders speculated that Echols was "capable" of committing the murders," stating: "it looks like Damien Echols finally killed someone. JESSIE:He didnt have one that night. (She had . Phil Murphy, Mr. Goldman Sachs Tries to Dupe New Jersey Workers Phil Murphy, Notable Cases & Published Caselaw Decisions & Judgments, Jessie Post Conviction Statement Full Jessie Misskelley, Jr. Interview, Jessie Jail Statement Text Statements From Sheriffs Officers, Jessie MissKelley 1993: Second Statement Regarding the Murder Case. Okay, so you saw Damien strike Chris Byers in the head. JESSIE: He was cutting him in the face. [10] The clothing was mostly turned inside-out; two pairs of the boys' underwear were never recovered. An open letter from Lorri Davis, wife of Damien Echols . [39] The State's experts had examined the actual bodies for any marks, and others conducted expert photo analysis of injuries. A month later, three teenagersDamien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr.were charged with murdering the boys. Jason Baldwin, 16, Jessie Misskelley, 17, and Damien Echols, 18, were ultimately convicted in 1994. "He still believed in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus". GITCHELL: What do you all do with the girls when youre out there? You mentioned earlier that, one of the meetings you went to with this cult thing, they had some pictures. Jessie Misskelley was born on July 10, 1975 as Jessie Loyd Misskelly Jr. There was additional new evidence discovered in 2007 that I cannot now recall. JESSIE: Then they tied them up, tied their hands up, they started screwing them and stuff, cutting them and stuff, and I saw it and I turned around and looked, and then I took off running, I went home, then they called me and asked me, how come I didnt stay, I told them, I just couldnt. His stated reasons for the removal are apparently contradictory. Police initially suspected the boys had been raped;[10] however, later expert testimony disputed this finding. [62], Many of the men's supporters, and opponents who still believe them guilty, were unhappy with the unusual plea deal. (Ridge leads Jessie again; Jessie doesnt state on his own where he was, he is told. And what kind of a shirt, you know everybody wears a special shirt with different things, (Begging for an answer having to do with death), JESSIE: He was wearing a mega death shirt. Prosecution experts claim Byers' wounds were the results of a knife attack and that he had been purposely castrated by the murderer; defense experts claim the injuries were most likely the result of post-mortem animal predation. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. He had stayed the night at a friends house who had no phone. RIDGE: Alright, when did you go with them? The knife was not received at the West Memphis Police Department until January 8, 1994. The counsel representing the men said they would continue to pursue full exoneration. This documentary was co-produced by Lord of the Rings maestro Peter Jackson and his wife and collaborator, Fran Walsh. RIDGE: Alright, they were on their bikes, where were the bikes at? The bodies, he said, had been removed from the water before the coroner arrived to examine the scene and determine the state of rigor mortis, allowing the bodies to decay on the creek bank and to be exposed to sunlight and insects. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. The14thStreetWoods are down the street from the BB woods; a good distance). Alright, another boy was cut I understand, where was he cut at? In 2011, Echols would reflect that, should investigators attempt to proceed to trial with the same evidence compiled in 1993 and with the external scrutiny which had not then existed, he and his co defendants would not have been brought to trial, stating: "They knew that there would be more people watching this, more attention on this case. [44], In 2007, Echols petitioned for a retrial, based on a statute permitting post-conviction testing of DNA evidence due to technological advances made since 1994 which might provide exoneration for the wrongfully convicted. RIDGE: In the woods. RIDGE:Did anybody see Damien and Jason? JESSIE:They had some cocaine, and a little gun. RIDGE:To that particular place? ", Following a 2010 decision by the Arkansas Supreme Court regarding newly produced DNA evidence and potential juror misconduct, the West Memphis Three negotiated a plea bargain with prosecutors. RIDGE: This is Det. He is not dating anyone. RIDGE:when you kill a dog, what do you do with that? [90] Hospital records for his treatment in Little Rock 11 months before the killings show a history of self-mutilation and assertions to hospital staff that he gained power by drinking blood, that he had inside him the spirit of a woman who had killed her husband, and that he was having hallucinations. The record on appeal spells out a long history of Echols' mental health problems, including a May 5, 1992, Arkansas Department of Youth Services referral for possible mental illness, a year to the day before the murders. He was considered the leader of the three. "Jason sends him texts and stuff all the time asking him why don't he come to this. JESSIE: They had holes in them and the knees were cut. (No one knew that the three boyus would be together; Steve Branch was told to be home in 15 minutes, Chris Byers was prohibited from being the RHH woods the idea that it was a targeted killing of these boys doesnt even come close to fitting). At 47 years old, Jessie Misskelley height Further testing of the knife produced inconclusive results about the source of the blood. On May 5, 1993, Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Stevie Branchall of whom were eight years oldwent bike riding in West Memphis. [6][59] Under the Bruton rule, his confession could not be admitted against his co-defendants and thus he was tried separately. The judge then sentenced the three men to 18 years and 78 days, the amount of time they had served, and also levied a suspended sentence of 10 years. JESSIE: Behind it, right back there behind it. [58], After weeks of negotiations, on August 19, 2011, Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were released from prison as part of a plea deal, making the hearings ordered by the Arkansas Supreme Court unnecessary. GITCHELL: Where did the boys put their bikes? JESSIE: No, hes been watching them, (How would Jessie know what Damien had done with the boys in the past?). Would you do that? Despite a shoulder-to-shoulder search of Robin Hood Hills by a human chain, searchers found no sign of the missing boys. He was an honor student. I had always assumed that my son's murderer had taken the knife during the crime. RIDGE: Now did somebody take it and used your knife, do you have a knife? RIDGE: okay, now when its going on, when this is taking place, you under you saw somebody with a knife, who had a knife? Misskelley was first questioned on June 3, 1993, a day after Hutcheson's purported confession. RIDGE: Okay, one of them were cut on the face real bad, is that what you said? [22], Police officers James Sudbury and Steve Jones felt that the crime had "cult" overtones, and that Damien Echols might be a suspect because he had an interest in occultism, and Jones felt Echols was capable of murdering children. JESSIE: He hit him with his fist and bruised him all up real bad, and then ull (phonetic) Jason turned around and hit Steve Branch. Stidham said the judge closed the door without answering. Dropout Found Guilty in Deaths of 3 Boys : Crime: Jessie Lloyd Misskelley Jr., 18, is sentenced to life in prison for the brutal slayings. JESSIE:No, he didnt borrow mine. RIDGE:Steven Branch and Christopher Byers. GITCHELL:Have you ever seen them with a briefcase before? JESSIE: My dad woke me up this morning. [9][30] The defense team objected when the prosecution attempted to question Echols about his past violent behaviors, but the defense objections were overruled.[37]. JESSIE: After the murder and stuff, I would say about two or three days later after it happened, I went down there and thought about it and I havent been down there since. And be truthful. GITCHELL:thats who you are pointing at? 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Roofing with Ricky Deese and Josh Darby. 1993).3 The jury was also instructed on accomplice liability as follows: In this case, the state does not contend that Jessie Lloyd Misskelley, Junior acted alone in the commission of the offense of three counts of capital murder. A little gun? Arent we getting a little Aaron Hutchinson here? RIDGE:The boots that Damien had on, are they army type boots too, or what kind of boots were they? JESSIE: I was just wearing a regular one of my old greasy up t-shirt. During the course of his interrogation, which lasted for several hours, Jessie was given a lie detector test and the police succeeded in securing a confession from Jessie of his own part in the murders of the three boys. [9][28], On May 6, 1993 (before the victims were found later the same day), Hutcheson took a polygraph exam by Detective Don Bray at the Marion Police Department, to determine whether or not she had stolen money from her West Memphis employer. Good! [10] The police interviewed Echols on May 7, two days after the bodies were discovered. If he had been, there would have been clear forensic evidence of it. Officer Regina Meeks responded to the call, taking the restaurant manager's report through the eatery's drive-through window. Circuit Court Judge David Laser was selected to replace David Burnett and preside in the evidentiary hearings mandated by the successful appeal. Someone makes a brief coughing sound plainly as if to say youre wrong listen closely. [57] The justices also instructed the lower court to examine claims of misconduct by the jurors who sentenced Damien Echols to death and Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin to life in prison. Alright, when you get the boys back together, where you at from the creek? It is not yet known whether the jury had an accurate transcript that included the next, critical portion wherein Jessie is told they are correcting his statement ]]]. [50] The prosecutors, while conceding that no DNA evidence tied the accused to the crime scene, said: "The State stands behind its convictions of Echols and his codefendants. [76], A website by Martin David Hill, containing approximately 160,000 words and intending to be a "thorough investigation", collates and discusses many details surrounding the murders and investigation, including some anecdotal information. Second, Dennis Dent stated he was having a phone conversation with Angela (Jasons mother) between 9:00 and 9:30 pm, during her break at work. Jessie Misskelley was born on July 10, 1975. [citation needed], On or about June 1, 1993, Hutcheson agreed to police suggestions to place hidden microphones in her home during an encounter with Echols. Misskelley ignored this advice and went on to detail how the boys were abused and murdered. JESSIE: When I was there, I saw Damien hit this one (pause) hit this one boy real bad, and then uh, and then he started screwing them and stuff and then uh, (There is no evidence from the Medical Examiner whatsoever that any of the boys were raped; it was inconclusive. RIDGE:What did they look like? RIDGE: Im not saying when they called you. There was anal-dialation on two of the boys, which is most likely from the water. JESSIE: I was just wearing regular blue jeans, my shoes. I could not believe it was in Terry's things. RIDGE:They had already gotten them off. So they were there for a lot longer. I strongly suggest listening along while reading this transcript. [57], In early December 2010, David Burnett was elected to the Arkansas State Senate. [9] The initial autopsy report describes the drug as Carbamazepine and the dosage at a sub-therapeutic level. RIDGE:Did anybody see you leaving? (Jessie confuses the boys here; this is pertinent in the second statement(*)). ", On March 23, 2016, Echols gave a presentation about his art processes at the, The transcript of Echols' spoken word performance in. RIDGE:Choking him? The phone would have been in use at Jasons at the time Jessie says the call occurred. [25], Though he was informed of his Miranda rights, Misskelley later claimed he did not fully understand them. [9], On June 3, the police interrogated Jessie Misskelley, Jr. GITCHELL: How long have you been involved in it? Jasons friend Ken Watkins came over to visit later. (Detective Ridge testified that he was unaware on this date that Jessie had a mental handicap. I went with them and then. But Jessie's life did not go the same direction as Echols and Baldwin. To assist in the appeals process, Echols' appellate legal team retained a Berkeley, California-based forensic psychiatrist, Dr. George Woods, to make their case. (Uh, no he didnt. His psychosis dominated his perceptions of everything going on in court, Woods wrote. During the trial, the prosecution asserted that the juveniles killed the children as part of a Satanic ritual. [3] Echols, ADC# 000931, entered the system on March 19, 1994. He testified that Judge Burnett responded, "You'll need food for when you come back for sentencing," and that the foreman asked in return what would happen if the defendant was acquitted. GITCHELL: Okay, what is, tell me some of the things that you all do typically in the woods, in being in this cult. RIDGE:can you describe to me what in those woods, whats the location where you were? JESSIE: We were just sitting there, throwing stuff at each other. 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