That person reportedly contacted other relatives in Blytheville, and together they drove to Memphis, where they confronted Terry Hobbs about the assault. A quarter-century later, what does the documentary tell us about citizen activism, the criminal justice system, and the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and 90s? 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. They saw this movie and they felt like, I have to do something.. He said, "No. "[15], Metz took Byers back to his home, but the two men were advised that no one was to enter the residence during the search. They continued to drive around until evening when they went to Ryan's grandfather's house.[4]. The legal troubles of Terry Hobbs and John Mark Byers. Social media didnt fully exist yet, but the group managed to harness the potential of the nascent information superhighway to bring attention to their cause. Autopsies revealed that two of the boys had drowned where they had been thrown, hog-tied, into the water. The neighbor said Byers responded, Well, come over. It was agreed that a search should be conducted and Byers was approached. Before the three teens were arrested, Beyers was giving the police the names of pawnbrokers and drug dealers as possible suspects (he's a police drug informant), claiming that there were a lot of people with grudges against him (diverting attention from himself? But further down, in the section for the music department, theres a curious inclusion of a consultant who never worked in film again: Alex Sinofsky, the son of Bruce who was 12 at the time of Paradise Losts release. korbell plus refill apotea; jake hess death; lithonia shop light model 1233 [33], No semen was found. She is known for Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996). He says his dad and Berlinger werent seeking notorietydocumentaries certainly werent a means to get rich or famous in those days. There is a lot of suspicion surrounding him, especially in light of what's happened to his stepfamily in these past 3 years. I have my doubts as to whether the teens actually committed the murders, and I consider Byers suspicious, but that's a long way from declaring him guilty. It was born out of genuine admiration for the fact that these guys took the time out of their lives to dedicate, to go down to Arkansas, to build a website, to really step out of their lives, Berlinger says. As part of the deal, they cannot file wrongful-conviction lawsuits, which both Berlinger and Baldwin say couldve cost the state tens of millions of dollars. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Melissa Byers. Either email addresses are anonymous for this group or you need the view member email addresses permission to view the original message. >According to an article by Associated Press and published in the>Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Oct 4: "The mother of a boy killed in West>Memphis' 1993 triple murders had drugs in her system when she died, but, >not enough to cause her death, a county sheriff says. He arrived at the home around 1pm and "partied with them, drinking Crown Royal, and taking valium, xanex, and that he saw Mark Byers with a sandwich baggie of K-4 dilaudid." The IMDb credits page for the first Paradise Lost is modest, but impressive. Powell told Witt that a woman named Melissa Byers had been taken by ambulance from her residence in Cherokee Village to Eastern Ozarks Regional Hospital. In May of that year, police discovered the bodies of Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and Christopher Byers in the Robin Hood Hills, a small wooded area near the I-40/I-55 exchange. 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. [17] A later interview with a woman identified as "Fern" revealed that Mandy was Byers' girlfriend. John Mark Byers, the stepfather of one of the children killed in the West Memphis Three case, has died. Kansas City man found guilty of murder in wifes 2017 stabbing death at their home, Daughter finds mothers body in the basement; her father is charged with murder, Man found dead inside house where Kansas City police officers were shot late Tuesday, Three Kansas City police officers shot and injured while executing search warrant, Bald eagles egg breaks in nest, Minnesota photo shows. At midnight, Witt went to the house next door to interview Norm Metz, a neighbor who had followed John Mark Byers to the hospital. After roughly 18 months of editing, Paradise Lost debuted at Sundance in January 1996 before heading out to other festivals. Police said they observed injuries to Pamela Hobbs face and to the back of her head. Sauls says that the former Black Flag frontman was one of the few big names who dug deep into the evidence, wanting to learn as many details as he could about the case. Waser helped the EMTs move Melissa onto a backboard so she could be placed in the ambulance and taken to the hospital. Additionally, by selecting varieties that are well-suited for your climate and soil type, you can increase the chances of success with each planting season. endobj None of the three believed that, but Echolss healthand the possibility that even if he survived, he would still be on death row should the fight for retrials failmade it an imperative. He got a wet rag and wiped her face before feeling for a pulse. Norm Metz stated that when the EMTs showed up "Ryan kept mumbling something and he did not seem coherent. But the lawyer quickly noticed inconsistencies in Misskelleys purported confession. how did melissa byers die 'We are still working hard to bring you fresh content and good vibes, even in these trying times!' . The Hobbses are the mother and stepfather of Steve Branch, who was one of three 8-year-old boys found murdered in May last year, in a wooded area near where the family used to live in West Memphis. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. By 9:30pm, Ryan was still not home. West Memphis 3 murders Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. 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. Beyond the black-and-white print of the newspaper, there was a movement brewing. The medical examiners office said Melissa Byers, 47, died as a result of multiple stab wounds. At the time of her youngest son's murder in May of 1993, Melissa was married to John Mark Byers. The second time he requested a towel. One of the boys in the altercation carried a pocket knife belonging to Byers. Her body showed no visible signs of trauma. She said that Byers and Mandy had been hiding drugs in the trunk of Byers' car. That story line would make up the bulk of 2000s Paradise Lost 2: Revelations, a rare sequel for a documentary, especially before the streaming era proved that true crime series like Making a Murderer and The Staircase could maintain audience interest for years. Melissa DeFir Byers was born on January 15, 1956. He declared he. Sgt. I've been suspicious of the Byers family since the beginning. (Its worth noting that despite the issues raised by Lindseys work, the first season of Up and Vanished renewed interest in the case, which ultimately led to arrests, albeit of people that Lindsey hadnt previously covered on the podcast.). 4 0 obj She alleged that he told her how he had put gasoline all around the trailer and then used a cigarette as a fuse. What is known is that over the course of the next year, Byers worked as an informant, at least for police in Memphis and West Memphis, and possibly others. The deputy signed an agreement stating that, if they did, Byers would not be charged with possession. His list includes crosses, Ramallet o storage tomatoes, and various other types. 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. Melissa D Byers was born on March 25, 1975. The Alford plea is a seldom-invoked and somewhat confusing legal maneuver, but the basics are fairly straightforward. Baldwin, who had been coached by his lawyers to avoid speaking to the press, says money was the only reason he agreed to the added pressure of appearing in the documentary, especially when everyone else in a position of authority seemed adversarial toward him. But none of that support has been able to fully exonerate the trio, something theyre still fighting for. For 48 years, our progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock has been on the front lines of the fight for truth, and with your support, we can do even more. I didnt want to stop with us being that close. He kept asking me, What is your opinion? He said, I think they ought to have fought it out, dont you?, I said, No, I dont. Melissa and John Mark Byers were having problems in their marriage in 1996. Melissa Byers body was there, wrapped in carpeting, plastic, sheets and clothing, court records said. Born on 16 Jan 1956. Its something that Baldwin couldnt envision when he first agreed to let the documentarians interview him in jail in exchange for an honorarium, or even when Mojo played that VHS tape for him in 1997. Our monthly magazine is free at over 500 locations in Central Arkansas. In September, Mark and Melissa Byers, who live not far from the house, were charged with the residential burglary and theft. But Berlinger also believes that the sequel is important for documenting the power of citizen activism. She was pronounced dead after efforts to revive her failed. )When NO evidence is held up against SOME evidence, most investigations would follow the trail of SOME evidence.Remember, too that the primary evidence that most of us armchair jurors have convicted OJ on is blood evidence (there's also a family connection, which is very common, and a history of domestic abuse).The three teens, however, were ONLY "creepy. The reason for the credit gets less curious when hes asked about it: He was a huge Metallica fan. When told about the finding of blood, Byers changed his statement, claiming that he had used the knife to cut deer meat to make jerky. The cult part of the Commercial Appeals headline signaled how the case would be defined by both the media and prosecutors. Carter, now retired, responded to the call. Melissa Byers was born on January 16, 1956. He told Mark he was going to call EMS., When Metz returned to the room, Witt wrote, Ryan was trying to help John Mark put some pants on Melissa, and he asked John Mark if Melissa was dead. If convicted, each could receive a sentence of from three to 10 years . I never foresaw that they would in turn save us.. So when I saw this tiny little article in the Times, I wasnt about to free anybody that was guilty. Critics were effusive in their praise and stunned by the footageparticularly Roger Ebert, who wrote in a four-star review that at the end of the film I was unconvinced of their guilt. The film won Emmy and Peabody awards to go with more than a dozen other nominations. how did melissa byers dietooting and mitcham fc former players. She threw up some liquid. Why wasn't he questioned about several other inconsistencies and "coincidences" surrounding his step-son's murder? Hes since parlayed the popularity of the show into a booming podcast network and documentary deal with Oxygen. Metz responded by asking Byers why he didnt call an ambulance. The trials were sensational from start to finish, partly for the gruesomeness of the crimes, and partly because the police case was predicated on the belief that the killings had been part of a Satanistic orgy. Finally, a month after the murders, three West Memphis teen-agersJessie Lloyd Misskelley, 17; Charles Jason Baldwin, 16; and Damien Wayne Echols, 18were arrested and charged with the crimes. Dilaudid was not among them. In April of this year, shortly after the trials at which three West Memphis teen-agers were convicted of the killings, the Byerses moved to Cherokee Village, a quiet community of about 4,000, close to the Missouri border. This year, many gardeners are looking for new varieties of tomatoes to try out in their gardens. The idea, Berlinger says, was to tell a story of disaffected youthabout kids killing kids., There was no reason not to believe the press, Berlinger says. Her body showed no visible signs of trauma. They procured the domain WM3.org and made a website, updating it with whatever information they could track down. 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. And that makes him hopeful that exoneration is on the horizon. 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. Visit Us 4201 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22203 glentunnel to christchurch FREE QUOTE. 24 Jun . Witt arrived at the hospital about 35 minutes later. Through what Jim Clark, the director of the crime lab, recently described as a typographical error, no mention of the finding of Dilaudid appeared in the autopsy reports conclusions. The drug is a potent opiate. Kissee said, I dont know how you put a pricetag on a little boy s life. But he said the Byerses believe their son would still be alive if police had begun searching for the three boys sooner, after Pamela Hobbs reported them missing. And here is another: A year and a half ago, it was Jackie Hicks who, as part of a search team scanning West Memphis for the missing children, was the first to discover the bodies of young Steve Branch and his two murdered playmates. By the time he arrived on the scene there were several responders: Officer Slayton, Chief of Police Ernie Rose, and Paul Brinkley (ambulance driver). Deputy Sheriff C.L. Melissa Byers. > I'd be interested in knowing whether or not he also died under suspicious, > circumstances. She was previously married to John Mark Byers. When the EMTs move melissa onto a backboard so she could be placed the... 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