Abomination: Devil Worship and Deception in the West Memphis Three Murders

by Ramsey, William

  Ridge: Alright, when?

  Jessie: Wednesday.

  Ridge: Alright, when did you go with them?

  Jessie: That morning.

  Ridge: 9 o'clock in the morning?

  Jessie: Yes, I did. I went with them and then.

  Gitchell: Now, where you in a car? Whose car where you all in?

  Jessie: We walked.

  Gitchell: You all walked?

  Jessie: Right, we walked and then uh...

  Ridge: Where did you go?

  Jessie: We went up to Robin Hood.

  Ridge: You went to the Robin Hood, explain to me where those woods are.

  Jessie: By uh, Blue Beacon truck wash.

  Ridge: A little patch of woods.

  Jessie: A little patch of woods.

  Ridge: Behind Blue Beacon?

  Jessie: Behind it, right there behind it.

  Ridge: Okay, what occurred while you were there?

  Jessie: When I was there, I saw Damien hit these one boy real bad, and then uh, and he started screwing them and stuff and then, uh...

  Ridge: Alright, you got in front of you a picture, that was taken out of the newspaper i believe, it's 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? The third picture, which will be...

  Jessie: Michael Moore.

  Gitchell: This boy right here?

  Jessie: Yeah.

  Gitchell: Alright, that's uh the Byers boy, that's who you are pointing at?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: If you read the caption, the grizzly slain from left, 8 year old Michael Moore, Steven Branch and Christopher Byers. Okay, so you saw Damien strike Chris Byers in the head.

  Jessie: Right.

  Ridge: What did he hit him with?

  Jessie: He hit him with his fist and bruised him all up real bad, and then Jason turned around and hit Steve Branch.

  Ridge: Okay.

  Jessie: And started doing the same thing, then the other one took off, Michael Moore took off running, so I chased him and grabbed him and hold him, until they got there and then I left.

  Ridge: Alright, when you get the boys back together, where were you at from the creek?

  Jessie: I was up there by the service road.

  Ridge: Up by the service road?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: Okay, now when this, when he hit the first boy, where are they at when he hits him, are you in the woods, you're on the side of big bayou, you're out in the field, where were you at?

  Jessie: I was in the woods.

  Ridge: In the woods. Okay, you've been down there in those woods before, can you describe to me what in those woods, what's the location where you were?

  Jessie: Uh,

  Ridge: Is there a path that you go down?

  Jessie: Uh, down a little path.

  Ridge: Alright, where does that path go too?

  Jessie: It leads out there close to the field, close to the interstate.

  Ridge: Okay.

  Jessie: Close to the interstate.

  Ridge: When he hits the first boy and then Jason hits another boy, and one takes off running, where does he run too?

  Jessie: That one, he runs out, out the park and I chased him and grabbed him and brought him back.

  Ridge: Which way does he go, I mean, does he go back towards where the houses are, he's going to Blue Beacon, is he going out towards the fields, where's he running too?

  Jessie: Towards the houses.

  Ridge: Towards the houses?

  Gitchell: Where the pipe is that goes across the yards?

  Jessie: Yes, he run out there and I caught him and brought him back, and I took off.

  Ridge: Okay, and when you came back a little bit later, now are all three boys are tied?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: Is that right?

  Jessie: Yes, and I took off and run home.

  Ridge: Alright, have they got their clothes on when you saw them tied?

  Jessie: No, they had them off.

  Ridge: They had already gotten them off. When he first hit the boy, when Damien first hit the first boy, did they have their clothes on then?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: Alright, when did they take their clothes off?

  Jessie: Right after they beat up all three of them, beat them up real bad.

  Ridge: Beat them up real bad, and then they took their clothes off?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: and then they tied them.

  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 turned around and looked, and then I took off running, I went home, then they called me and asked me, how come I didn't stay, I told them, I just couldn't.

  Ridge: Just couldn't stay.

  Jessie: I couldn't stand it to see what they were doing to them.

  Ridge: Okay, now when this is going on, when this is taking place, you saw somebody with a knife. Who had a knife?

  Jessie: Jason.

  Ridge: Jason had a knife, what did he cut with the knife. What did you see him cut or who did you see him cut?

  Jessie: I saw him cut one of the little boys

  Ridge: Alright, where did he cut him at?

  Jessie: He was cutting him in the face.

  Ridges: Cutting him in the face. Alright, another boy was cut I understand., Where was he cut at?

  Jessie: At the bottom

  Ridge: On his bottom? Was he faced down and he was cutting on him, or...

  Jessie: He was...

  Gitchell: Now you're talking about bottom, do you mean right here?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Gitchell: In his groin area?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Gitchell: Okay.

  Ridge: Do you know what his penis is?

  Jessie: Yeah, that's where he was cut at.

  Ridge: That's where he was cut.

  Gitchell: Which boy was that?

  Jessie: That one right there.

  Gitchell: You're talking about the Byers boy again?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Gitchell: Okay.

  Ridge: Are you sure that he was the one that was cut?

  Jessie: That's the one that i seen them cutting on.

  Ridge: Alright, you know what a penis is?

  Jessie: Yeah.

  Ridge: Alright, is that where he was cutting?

  Jessie: That's where I seen them going down at, and he was on his back. I seen them going down right there real close to his penis and stuff and I saw some blood and that's when I took off.

  Gitchell: Was uh, where you all close to the creek at that point?

  Jessie: Yes, sir.

  Gitchell: Where was the little boy actually at?

  Jessie: He was close.

  Ridge: Alright, now you know where the bayou is?

  Jessie: Right.

  Ridge: Alright, and you know where the little creek is that goes out to the express way, and it doesn't have a lot of water in it, but it's got some water in it, and it's flowing through the, which side of that creek were you on, where you on the Memphis side of the creek or the Blue Beacon side of the creek?

  Jessie: Blue Beacon.

  Ridge: On the Blue Beacon

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: So, there is like a tall bank, where were you at on that bank?

  Jessie: I was up there standing up there on the top.

  Ridge: Alright, where were they at?

  Jessie: They were at the bottom.

  Ridge: On which side?

  Jessie: Memphis side.

  Ridge: They were on the Memphis side.

  Jessie: I was on.

  Ridge: Alright, we're going to correct that even further, that's the east side, Memphis side is the east side and you were standing at the top of the bank on the west side, were you looking down at what was going on?

  Jessie: I was looking down, and after I seen all of
that, I took off.

  Ridge: Okay, and when you left, did you hear any more hollering or anything?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: Alright, you went home and about what time was it that all of this took place?

  Jessie: About.

  Ridge: I'm not saying when they called you. I'm saying what time was it that you were actually there in the park?

  Jessie: About 12.

  Ridge: About noon?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: Okay, was it after school had let out?

  Jessie: I didn't go to school.

  Ridge: These little boys.

  Jessie: They skipped school.

  Ridge: They skipped school?

  Jessie: They were going to catch their bus and stuff, and they were on their bikes and so...

  Ridge: Alright, they were on their bikes, where were the bikes at?

  Jessie: They laid their bikes down when they come out to the, when they hollered for them to come out there.

  Ridge: Where did they lay their bikes down at, that's what i'm asking you?

  Jessie: I don't know where they laid their bikes down at, cause I was behind Damien and ‘nem, they were way behind them.

  Ridge: Okay.

  Jessie: When they hollered, when they seen them boys.

  Ridge: The little boys came on over?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: Had Damien seen these boys before?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: Has he done things with them before? Or had he just been watching them?

  Jessie: He had been watching them.

  Ridge: Has he ever had sex with them before?

  Jessie: No, he's been watching them.

  Ridge: He's been watching them. You mentioned earlier that, one of the meetings you went to with this cult thing, they had some pictures. Describe those pictures for me.

  Jessie: They had some houses, trees and stuff.

  Ridge: Okay, had somebody taken pictures of these boys?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: Were they in the houses or were they in the trees when they took those pictures?

  Jessie: They were in the houses.

  Ridge: At the houses? Did they take like one picture of one boy.

  Jessie: They were in a group.

  Ridge: All, these three.

  Jessie: There was a group of pictures of all three of them.

  Ridge: All three of them would generally be together?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Gitchell: How many pictures did you see, altogether?

  Jessie: I just saw one.

  Gitchell: Okay, and it has these same three boys in it?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: You're certain of that?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Gitchell: Now, did you say that the boys skipped school that day, these little boys did?

  Jessie: Yes, they were going to catch, they were going somewhere and like I said, Damien and nem left before I did, I told them that I would meet them there and stuff, and it was early in the morning and so, they went ahead and met me, they went on up there and then i come up later on behind them.

  Gitchell: What time did you get there?

  Jessie: I got there about 9.

  Gitchell: In the morning?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Gitchell: Wednesday morning?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Gitchell: And...

  Ridge: What time is it right now?

  Jessie: Right now?

  Ridge: Yeah, you don't know what time it is?

  Gitchell: Do you not wear a watch?

  Jessie: It's at home.

  Ridge: So.

  Jessie: My dad woke me up this.

  Ridge: So, your time period may not be exactly right in what you're saying?

  Jessie: Right.

  Ridge: It was like earlier in the day, but you don't know exactly what time, okay...

  Cause I've gotten some real confusion with the times that you're telling me, but now, this 9 o'clock in the evening call that you got, explain that to me.

  Jessie: Well after, all of this stuff happened that night, that they done it, I went home about noon, then they called me at 9 o'clock that night, they called me.

  Ridge: And what did they tell you on the telephone?

  Jessie: They asked me how come I left so early and stuff, and I told them that I couldn't stay there and watch that stuff no more, so I had to do something to get out of there.

  Ridge: Okay, who called you?

  Jessie: Jason.

  Ridge: And you mentioned that you heard some voice in the background?

  Jessie: I heard some dingling.

  Ridge: And what else, I think you said that he made the call from his house?

  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?

  Ridge: Okay, the knives, was it one knife, two knives, was your knife there?

  Jessie: ugh, ugh,

  Ridge: Now did somebody take it and used your knife, do you have a knife?

  Jessie: I got one knife.

  Ridge: Where is it at?

  Jessie: It's at home.

  Ridge: Okay, the knife that you said Jason was using, where is it?

  Jessie: Uh, I don't know what he done with it, cause after I left then they, I don't know what they done with, after I left

  Ridge: He didn't tell you that he hid it somewhere?

  Gitchell: I've got a feeling here, you're not quite telling me everything, now you know that we're recording everything, so this is very, very important to tell us the entire truth. If you were there the whole time, then tell us that you were there the whole time, don't leave anything out. This is very, very important, now just tell us the truth.

  Jessie: I was there until they tied them up and then that's when I left, after they tied them up, I left.

  Gitchell: But, you saw them cutting on the boys...

  Jessie: I saw them cutting on them, and then.

  Gitchell: So, what else left is there, after that?

  Jessie: They laid the knife down beside them and I saw them tying them up and then that's when I left.

  Ridge: Were the boys conscious or were they...

  Jessie: They were unconscious then...

  Ridge: Unconscious

  Jessie: And after I left they done more.

  Ridge: They done more.

  Jessie: They started screwing them again...

  Ridge: Okay, how were they screwing them when you saw them?

  Jessie: They, Jason stuck his in one them's mouth and Damien was screwing one of them up the ass and stuff.

  Ridge: Okay, and the one that they were cutting the penis off of, did any of them are cutting the penis or whatever was being done, did they have sex with them at all?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: Did either one of them?

  Jessie: Jason did.

  Ridge: Jason did?

  Jessie: Jason was screwing him while Damien stuck his in his mouth.

  Ridge: Okay, how did he have sex with that one?

  Jessie: He was holding him down like, and Jason had his legs up in the air and that little boy was kicking, saying, 'don't, no' like that.

  Ridge: Okay, he had his legs up in the air, alright, what was to keep the little boys from running off, but just their hands are tied, what's to keep them from running off?

  Jessie: They beat them up so bad so they can't hardly move, they had their hands tied down and he sit on them.

  Ridge: You said that they had their hands tied up, tied down, were they hands tied in a fashion that they couldn't have run, you tell me.

  Jessie: They could run, they just had them tied, when they knocked them down and stuff, they could move their arms and stuff, and hold them down like, wake up and raise up and the other one just put his legs up.

  Ridge: Okay, so they had them under control, you were there the whole time that was taking place
?

  Jessie: I was there.

  Ridge: Okay, none [note: this is not clear - it may be 'one'] of them were cut on the face real bad, is that what you said?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: And one of them was being cut on his penis?

  Jessie: Yes, sir.

  Ridge: Alright,

  Gitchell: Did you ever use, did anyone use a stick and hit the boys with?

  Jessie: Damien had kinda of a big old stick when he hit that first one, after he hit him with his fist and knocked him down and got him a big old stick and hit him.

  Gitchell: What did the stick look like, I mean was it like a big log like that or is it a stick?

  Jessie: I would say it was about that big around, I would say about that long.

  Gitchell: Okay.

  Ridge: About the size of a baseball bat, maybe just a little bit bigger round?

  Jessie: Yeah.

  Ridge: That's what you're describing with your hands, right?

  Jessie: Right.

  Ridge: Okay, how long was the knife that Jason was using?

  Jessie: About that long.

  Ridge: Alright, you're describing a knife that would be about 6 inches long, is that right?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: And, what kind of blade did it have on it?

  Jessie: Uh, like a regular knife blade.

  Ridge: Was it a knife that you fold up, or was it like a hunting knife?

  Jessie: It was.

  Ridge: Just one piece.

  Jessie: Just a fold up knife.

  Ridge: It was a folding knife?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: Okay, uh does Damien have a knife?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: He doesn't have one, he didn't have one that night?

  Jessie: He didn't have one that night.

  Ridge: Did he borrow yours?

  Jessie: No, he didn't borrow mine.

  Gitchell: Did they have a briefcase with them?

  Jessie: No.

  Gitchell: You didn't see a briefcase?

  Jessie: I didn't see a briefcase, not unless they left it there at that day before it happened, unless they left it there then but I didn't see one that day.

  Gitchell: Have you ever seen them with a briefcase before?

  Jessie: I've seen them once that night, I seen them with it that night.

  Gitchell: Okay, what is kept inside of that briefcase?

  Jessie: They had some cocaine, and a little gun.

  Gitchell: Is that when you first saw the pictures of the boys?

  Jessie: Yes, out there in Lakeshore.

  Gitchell: And you saw the pictures in the briefcase?

  Jessie: Yes, I think when we had that cult.