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

by Ramsey, William

  Gitchell: Okay, now you have participated in this cult, right?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Gitchell: How long have you been involved in it?

  Jessie: I've been in it for about three months.

  Gitchell: Okay, what is, tell me some of the things that you all do typically in the woods, as being in this cult.

  Jessie: We go out kill dogs and stuff and then carry girls out there.

  Gitchell: What do you all do with the girls when you're out there?

  Jessie: We screw them and stuff.

  Gitchell: Just everybody takes a turn.

  Jessie: Everybody, and we have an orgee and stuff like that.

  Gitchell: Okay.

  Ridge: When you kill a dog, what do you do with that?

  Jessie: We usually skin it, then make a barn fire and eat it and stuff.

  Ridge: Okay, when you initiating somebody new come into a cult what actually is done to initiate that person into a cult?

  Jessie: We usually you know, kill an animals, you know, you have to know how to handle the meat and stuff, after we kill it to see if he knows, if he can't handle it, then he don't get in.

  Ridge: Okay, so he kills an animal, you mentioned earlier that he may have to eat part of that animal, what part of the animal would he eat?

  Jessie: Uh, the meat off of his leg.

  Ridge: The meat off of his leg.

  Jessie: If he can't eat it, then he don't get in.

  Ridge: Doesn't get into the cult?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: Now these meetings, have they ever been violent, anybody gotten made and got into a fight?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: Okay, the night you were in the woods, uh, had you all been in the water?

  Jessie: Yeah, we've been in the water, we were in it that night, playing around in it.

  Ridge: You were playing around in the water, alright, what were you doing in the water?

  Jessie: Just...

  Ridge: Besides just playing, the little boys, had they been in the water? Did they get into the water with you all?

  Jessie: No, they didn't get into the water with us.

  Ridge: Okay, what were you doing in the water?

  Jessie: We were just sitting there, throwing stuff at each other.

  Ridge: Were you all having sex?

  Jessie: No, I wasn't

  Ridge: You weren't?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: Damien and Jason having sex?

  Jessie: They took turns going up under the water.

  Ridge: Going up under the water, what were they doing up under the water?

  Jessie: They were sitting so far away, they were in the water, I would say about five to ten seconds, then come up and then the other one would go down.

  Ridge: Okay, so they were just messing around in the water. They called for these boys to come over there?

  Jessie: Yeah, they seen them boys and then they hollered, Damien said, hey, the little boys come up there.

  Gitchell: Did they call them by name?

  Jessie: No, they just hollered at them, they slowed up.

  Gitchell: Where did the boys put their bikes?

  Jessie: Close to right where there before you come in and they laid them down right there, and after I left I don't know what they done with the bikes.

  Gitchell: You didn't do anything to the bikes at all?

  Jessie: No.

  Gitchell: Are you sure?

  Jessie: Positive.

  Gitchell: You didn't touch the bikes?

  Jessie: I didn't touch them.

  Ridge: You've been back to this place since that murder

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: Since it (inaudible) what did you do there? Be truthful.

  Jessie: I went down there and sit there, and after what they did to the boys, I just sit there.

  Ridge: And did what?

  Jessie: Just thought, what happened to them real bad, just thought.

  Ridge: Okay.

  Jessie: And I left and stuff, and walked home.

  Gitchell: When did you go back there?

  Jessie: Two or three days after it happened, and I left.

  Ridge: You were there by yourself?

  Jessie: I was there by myself.

  Ridge: Didn't you go there with some more boys once?

  Jessie: Me. David.

  Ridge: That particular place?

  Jessie: No, not to that place.

  Ridge: Are you willing to go down there with us and us having a camcorder and show us where these things took place? Would you do that?...Wouldn't have any problem with that?

  Jessie: Not that I know of, I wouldn't.

  Ridge: But you would be able to point out where these things took place?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: Which way the boys came from and where you all were when he hollered for the boys and stuff like that, you wouldn't have a problem with that?

  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 haven't been down there since.

  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, don't just say yes or no, real quick. I want you to think about it. Did you actually hit any of these boys?

  Jessie: No.

  Gitchell: Now, tell us the truth

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: Did you actually rape any of these boys?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: Did you actually kill any of these boys?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: Did you see any of the boys actually killed?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: Okay, which one did you see killed?

  Jessie: That one right there.

  Gitchell: Now, you're pointing to the Byers boy again?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: How was he actually killed?

  Jessie: He choked him real bad and all.

  Ridge: Choking him? Okay, what was he choking him with?

  Jessie: His hands, like a stick, he had a bit old stick, kinda holding it over his neck.

  Ridge: Okay, so he was choking him to the point where he actually went unconscious, so at that point, you felt like he was dead?

  Jessie: Yeah.

  Ridge: Okay, did any of the other two boys, were you there when they were actually killed?

  Jessie: I don't know.

  Ridge: You say that you got sick, so that's what you were saying, did you throw up or anything?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: Where did you throw up at?

  Jessie: I got a little bit ways out of there and got half a mile up the road, is when I threw up, and couldn't hardly run and I just threw up.

  Ridge: When you left from there, did you leave running?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: Were you hiding?

  Jessie: No, I didn't hide.

  Gitchell: Did you have some blood on your clothes?

  Jessie: I didn't have no blood, I didn't get close to them.

  After questioning Misskelley about his clothing and what Echols and Baldwin were wearing, Gitchell and Ridge return to the events of May, 5th:

  Ridge: Okay, they killed the boys, you decided to go, you went home, how long after you got home before you received the phone call? 30 minutes or an hour?

  Jessie: Uh, silent an hour.

  Ridge: An hour after you got home, so they were there for a lot longer?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: When he called you on the phone, did he say that he had just got in?

  Jessie: When he first called me, he said, how come you left, and said, I couldn't stand it, I had to do something else

  Ridge: Okay, you couldn't stand it.

  Jessie: And then Damien, I heard Damien in the background saying we done it, we done it, what we gone do if somebody saw us.

  Ridge: Did anybody see you leaving?

&nbs
p; Jessie: No.

  Ridge: That you know of.

  Jessie: That I know of

  Ridge: Did anybody see Damien and Jason?

  Jessie: I don't know, I left before them.

  Ridge: But have you heard anybody say that they saw Damien and Jason?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: You haven't heard anybody?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: Okay, these initiations, you say that they eat part of the leg meat?

  Jessie: Yeah.

  Ridge: Does that involve eating part of the penis of the animal?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: Just the meat?

  Jessie: Just the meat.

  Ridge: Okay, has Jason and Damien talked to you since this happened?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: They haven't talked to you about this?

  Jessie: They hadn't said nothing around me, when I was over to my friend's house, they didn't say nothing.

  Ridge: When you've been by yourself, and I'm sure in the last three weeks you've been by yourself with them sometime

  Jessie: You know Damien keeps asking me how come I left and stuff and hadn't anybody said anything to me about it.

  Ridge: Okay, what did he say to you about it when you came to the police department, after seeing that boy in the woods? Up there behind the Goodyear place? What did he say about that?

  Jessie: He didn't know anything about that.

  Ridge: He doesn't know that.

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: Okay, what about when you get with Jason by himself?

  Jessie: He keeps on asking me what are we going to do next, I told him, I can't do nothing now cause I go to work with my daddy everyday.

  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, I got to do something.

  Ridge: So, what do you think ought to be done to them for killing these boys?

  Jessie: They need to be put away for a while.

  Ridge: Put away for a while. Do you think they are sick or just mean?

  Jessie: I think they are sick.

  Ridge: They are sick okay. Is there anything else that you want to add to this statement?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: Why did you not come forward with this information?

  Jessie: Cause I was scared.

  Ridge: Scared of Damien? Or scared of the police?

  Jessie: Scared of the police.

  Ridge: Are you scared of Damien now?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: Are you scared of the police now?

  Jessie: No.

  Ridge: You are not, so we've treated you well?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Ridge: Alright, I am going to conclude this interview, the time is 3:18pm.87

  By the end of this interview, Jessie had been at the police station for over six hours. In a colossal oversight by the presiding officers, only thirty minutes of the questioning was recorded. These were not full, clear-cut confessions; Jessie intended to distort the record. Misskelley said the murders took place at 9:00 a.m. and that they skipped school. Another interview took place immediately after the initial confession concluded at 3:18 p.m. to clear up the inaccuracies, discrepancies and distortions from the earlier interview:

  JUNE 3rd, 1993

  INTERVIEW OF JESSIE MISSKELLEY, JR. SECOND INTERVIEW CONDUCTED TO CLARIFY PREVIOUS STATEMENTS

  Gitchell: Jessie, uh, when when you got with the boys and with Jason Baldwin when you three were in the woods and then little boys come up, about what time was it? When the boys come up to the woods?

  Jessie: I would say it was about 5 or so 5 or 6.

  Gitchell: Know, did you have your watch on at the time?

  Jessie: Huh uh. (no)

  Gitchell: You didn't have your watch on?

  Jessie: Huh uh. (no)

  Gitchell: Uh, alright you told me earlier around 7 or 8, which time is it?

  Jessie: It was 7 or 8.

  Gitchell: Are you...

  Jessie: It was starting to get dark.

  Gitchell: Ok, it...

  Jessie: I remember it was starting to get dark.

  Gitchell: Ok, well that clears it up. I didn't know, that's what I was wondering, was it getting dark or what.

  Jessie: We got up there at 6:00 and the boys come up and it was starting to get dark.

  Gitchell: Ok, so you and Jason and Baldwin uh, Damien you all got there right at 6.

  Jessie: About 6 yeah.

  Gitchell: Is that a normal time that you all meet at 6?

  Jessie: Yeah.

  Gitchell: Ok, when you do your cult stuff does 6 mean something, I mean is that a time you normally do meet?

  Jessie: Yeah.

  Gitchell: Ok, so you all met out there at 6 and then the boys come up about what time?

  Jessie: About 7.

  Gitchell: About 7:00, Ok. So you all were out there with the boys and all this stuff going on and until you noticed it starting getting dark. Is that correct?

  Jessie: Yeah.

  Gitchell: Ok, now are you sure about that?

  Jessie: Yes.

  Gitchell: Ok, uh, Ok, hold on just a minute. (Pause) Ok Jessie uh, I asked you about your clothing and you said that uh, what what were you wearing?

  Jessie: I was wearing uh, Blue jeans, and a white shirt with some kind of basketball deal on it. Some tennis shoes Adidas.

  Gitchell: Alright, your shirt was it a, uh, what kind of shirt was it?

  Jessie: It was a white shirt with a basketball on around it.

  Gitchell: Is it a shirt like you got on now?

  Jessie: Uh huh (yes).

  Gitchell: What kind of shirt is it like you have on now? That is what, a t-shirt?

  Jessie: Uh huh (yes).

  Gitchell: Ok, so you had a white t-shirt with a basketball design on it.

  Gitchell: Ok, uh, what about shoes, what kind of shoes did you have on?

  Jessie: White and Blue Adidas.

  Gitchell: White and Blue?

  Jessie: Uh huh (yes).

  Gitchell: And who has those shoes now?

  Jessie: Buddy Lucas.

  Gitchell: And how old is Buddy?

  Jessie: He is about 18 or 19.

  Gitchell: Why does he have your shoes?

  Jessie: We went we was coming home one day and it was raining and he didn't have nothing else to wear so he put on one of my shoes.

  Gitchell: Ok, and where does he live at?

  Jessie: In Lakeshore.

  Gitchell: Is there.

  Jessie: By, uh the church.

  Gitchell: Is there a street or anything?

  Jessie: It is a street but it ain't got no names on it though.

  Gitchell: What street is the church on?

  Jessie: On uh, as soon as you get off of Cherry Street. Uh, Cherry Street right in front of it.

  Gitchell: Off of Cherry Street?

  Jessie: Uh hu. (yes)

  Gitchell: Ok, are there any vehicles around close by that I could recognize that trailer?

  Jessie: It should be a green truck and a brown van and there is a basketball goal right there where the green truck is at by the basketball goal.

  Gitchell: Alright, who tied the boys up?

  Jessie: Uh, Damien.

  Gitchell: Did Damien just tie them all up or did anyone help Damien or...

  Jessie: Jason helped him.

  Gitchell: Ok, and what did they use to tie them up?

  Jessie: A rope.

  Gitchell: Ok, what color was the rope?

  Jessie: Brown.

  Gitchell: Did you ever see the boys in the water?

  Jessie: Uh, yeah, down by the water.

  Gitchell: Alright, how did the boys get into the water?

  Jessie: They pulled them there into the water.

  Gitchell: Alright, when you say they who is it that pulled them into the water?

  Jessie: Jason and uh, Damien.

&nb
sp; Gitchell: Do you wear a belt?

  Jessie: Nope.

  Gitchell: Does Jason where a belt?

  Jessie: Unt uh (no).

  Gitchell: Does Damien wear a belt?

  Jessie: Yeap.

  Gitchell: What kind of belt does he wear?

  Jessie: A black leather belt with uh, beads uh, like little beads around it.

  Gitchell: With beads around it?

  Jessie: Like little beads you know stubbies with

  Gitchell: Ok, about how thick is the belt?

  Jessie: It's about 4 inches.

  Gitchell: Now, do you know what 4 inches looks like?

  Jessie: About like that, the belt was about like that. (Using hands to show width)

  Gitchell: Ok, I don't think that's quite 4 inches, but uh, probably about 3 something like that.

  Jessie: Uh huh.

  Gitchell: Which, which boys were raped?

  Jessie: Uh, Byers and the Branch.

  Gitchell: Ok, so you know them by name and face, well enough to call them by name?

  Jessie: Uh huh.

  Gitchell: Ok, did you, did you see the Moore boy, was he raped?

  Jessie: No.

  Gitchell: Alright, who raped those two boys?

  Jessie: Jason and Damien.

  Gitchell: Do you know which one raped which boy, or how did that happen?

  Jessie: Damien raped the Byers by hisself and, and Jason and Damien raped uh, the Branch.

  Gitchell: Alright, give that to me again now.

  Jessie: Damien raped uh the Byers by hisself and Jason and Damien raped uh the Branch.

  Gitchell: Did anyone have oral sex with the boys?

  Jessie: Yes, Damien and Jason.

  Gitchell: How many of them did they do that to?

  Jessie: Just two, Branch and Byers.

  Gitchell: How did they keep the boys quiet?

  Jessie: Put their hands over their mouths.

  Gitchell: Did they do anything else other than put their hands over their mouths? How did they finally keep them from being quiet, cause the boys bound to have been hollering?

  Jessie: They stuck their hands over their mouths first, and then they stuck their shirts to their mouth.

  Gitchell: Ok, did they do anything else to them to make them be quiet?

  Jessie: They stuck their thang in their mouth.

  Gitchell: Ok, did they, were they hitting them before that or afterwards?

  Jessie: Before and after, just trying to keep them off of them.

  Gitchell: Just all of the time?

  Jessie: Just trying to keep Jason and Damien off of them.

  Gitchell: Now they put their, whose shirts did they put in their mouth?