Abomination: Devil Worship and Deception in the West Memphis Three Murders
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Ridge- Okay. About what time was it, you were on the overpass and he told you he was there when the boys were killed?
Kenneth- About 4.
Ridge- 4 in the evening.
Kenneth- Yeah.
Ridge- Okay. And did you go to Wal-Mart?
Kenneth- We went to Wal-Mart and got Domini and came back.
Ridge- Okay. How long were you at Wal-Mart?
Kenneth- Not very long, we just came and got her then we left again.
Ridge- Okay. Damien spends a lot of time at Wal-Mart, and you spend a lot of time there with him. What does he do when he's there?
Kenneth- We...Me...Usually play video games there.
Ridge- Well, what does he do?
Kenneth- He just sits back and watches. Cause, Jason has that Super Nintendo at home, and he has Streetflight II and he always goes to Wal-Mart and plays.
Ridge- Of course it's been on the news, reports have been out that Damien has done a lot of shoplifting from Wal-Mart. Do you know of any of that?
Kenneth- Nuh uh. Cause I never went in with him. Me and Jason just stayed out in front and played video games.
Detective Ridge asks Kenneth Watkins about the group’s habits at Wal-Mart. He then queries Watkins about what happened when news of the murders reached Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin.
Ridge- Okay. Do you remember giving that phone call? Okay. And Damion didn't react?
Kenneth- Uh uh.
Ridge- About the three boys that were found killed.
Kenneth- He didn't do nothing. He just sat there.
Ridge- What about Jason? How did he react?
Kenneth- He was going crazy. Like, oh my God and all that. Like he couldn't believe it.
Ridge- Or was scared?
Kenneth- Well, I don't know if he was scared. Either one. He just got scared.
Ridge- Okay. Then Friday, you're walking from Lakeshore to Wal-Mart with Damien and he tells you that he's tired of being picked on.
Kenneth- And after that, talked about...
Ridge- And that he had done something drastic, and then a few minutes later he tells you that he was there with a couple of buddies when...
Kenneth- ...When it happened.
Ridge- When it happened. He's talking about the murders.
Kenneth- The murders.
Ridge- Is that what he said?
Kenneth- He said, i was there when the three little kids got killed.
Ridge- That's what he told you?
Kenneth- That's what he told me.130
October 1st, 1993
Christy Dawn Jones
Handwritten Statement
Know Jason from school but not in classes.
Know Damien from classes 2 years ago in classes with
Knew Jessie, Lived next door to him in trailer Park.
About two years ago while in school with Damien in
Marion, I saw him cut his arm with something and he then sucked the blood out of the wound. I had heard
that Damien was weird and part of a satanic cult.
I was told this by other kids but I never knew if
any of it was true. About the Middle of May, a
Vickie Hutchison who lived in Highland trailer Park asked
Jessie if he knew Damien. Jessie said that he knew him
from school. Vickie asked Jessie to introduce her to
Damien. This all took Place at Vickie's house. Me,
Jessie, Christie Anderson, Vickie, and her son Aaron were
all present during this conversation. I was working at
Shoney's Restaurant during the evening hours from the last
of April for about six months.131
October 5th, 1993
John Mark Byers
Sometime between end of February 1993 & 1st half of March of 1993. My wife Melissa & myself went to grocery store at Flash Market on Ingram around 4:00. We were gone about 15 to 20 minutes. When we returned home Christopher was inside. When we came in he started telling us about a man taking his picture. We asked what did he look like Chris said he was wearing a black coat & black pants & shoes black & had sort of long black hair. He said the man was driving a green car. Chris was playing under car port when man drove up. He said that he ran out into the yard because the man scared him and we asked what happened and Chris said he just took my picture then got in his car and left.132
October 7th, 1993
Tiffany Allen
Police Interview
On October, 7th, 1993, Tiffany Allen, who had been punched by Jessie Misskelley earlier in the year, was brought to the West Memphis Police Department by her mother and grandmother for questioning. She was asked about the fight with Jessie, and about whether a Satanic group existed in Lakeshore.
Ridge: Okay, and you heard that a group exist's?
Allen: Uh-huh.
Ridge: Satanic group?
Allen: Yes, sir.
Ridge: And you believe one exist's, but you don't know who those members are is that correct?
Allen: Yes, sir.
Ridge: Okay, um you also mentioned that you observed a fight that Jason Baldwin had on one occasion?
Allen: Yes sir, with John Perschka.
Ridge: That's who Jason was fighting with?
Allen: Uh-huh.
Ridge: What occurred during that fight?
Allen: Well, John hit him hard and he started bleeding and then after the fight and everything Damien bends down put his finger in, dips into the blood and then sticks it in his mouth.133
Concluding the interview, Detective Ridge noted in his Investigative Report that Tiffany seemed apprehensive about providing information about occult activities in Lakeshore due to concerns for her safety.
October 13th, 1993
Charlotte Ann Bly
Police Interview
Charlotte Ann Bly (married name Bolois) was interviewed in Parkin, Arkansas about 10 miles east of West Memphis. She had informed the Police Chief in Parkin about satanic rituals in the city, and he contacted Detective Ridge. She told of sacrifice of a dog and that her cousin, Buddy Lucas, had the bloody shoes Jessie Misskelley wore on the night of the murders. Charlotte Bly’s aunt, Irene Wilson, told her that Buddy Wilson left the house the night the three boys died and did not return until the next day. According to Irene Wilson, Buddy Lucas left the night of May 5th, 1993 to meet Jessie Misskelley at Lakeshore. Detective Ridge asked Bly a straight forward question:
Ridge: Okay, are you certain the he’s involved in this homicide by his actions?
Bly: Most likely.
Ridge: Okay, uh, you’ve known Jessie for a long time?
Bly: Yes
Ridge: If Jesse and Buddy got together do you think that Jessie and Buddy have something to do with this homocide?
Bly: Yes
Ridge: Do you know Damien?
Bly: Yes
Ridge: What do you know about Damien?
Bly: He’s a weird person. I know he uses drugs and he’s a devil worshiper, I know that much.
Ridge: How do you know he’s a devil worshiper?
Bly: He...He...He does stuff in school...Like he was...Like he said he was.
Ridge: He just openly admitted to you that he was the Devil?
Bly: Not openly
Ridge: Well, what is it that makes you certain of that, that’s what I’m trying to get to?
Bly: He asked me if I was a Devil Worshiper, and I said no. He said “well, you’re hanging around one.” That’s exactly what he said.
Ridge - Okay, do you know of anybody that says he has been out there?
Bly - Chris and Greg Wilson.
Ridge - They have told you that Buddy has been out there with them?
Bly - Yes.
Ridge - Okay, do...
Bly - That was Halloween of last year when he went out there
Ridge - It was okay, so Halloween should be a big night for Devil worshiping?
Bly - Oh, yea.
Ridge - It all sounds l
ike it would be, um do you have any idea what was done with these shoes that Buddy’s mother was suppose to have found?
Bly - No.
Ridge - Okay.
Bly - She's probably still got them.134
Bly told Ridge of an instance where Jessie Kiskelley and her husband got in a fight. Misskelley threatened to use a knife, but Bly told him that was not a fair fight. Misskelley “busted a hole” in Bly’s husband’s lip.
October 14th, 1993
Buddy Lucas
Police Interview
Interviewed by Detectives Durham and Ridge, Buddy Lucas told police about a conversation he had with Jessie Misskelley, Jr.:
Lucas - Okay, so I wanted to go in, and Jessie said “no, man let's stay out here on the porch and we'll uh, talk and everything, okay just talk.
Ridge - Okay, he didn't want you to leave?
Lucas - Uh sir?
Ridge - He didn't want you to leave right then he wanted to talk?
Lucas - Yea.
Ridge - Okay
Lucas - (inaudible)
Ridge - Okay, so what was the conversation?
Lucas - We’d just been talking about some, of his friends, my friends, and other stuff that's going on I saw (inaudible) he started breaking out in sweat and everything and at that time I didn't know he had anything to do with these kids.
Ridge - Okay, but tell me what, just that conversation what happened in that conversation?
Lucas - We was uh, was talking about going over uh, Bobby Dollars wife's house to get my hair cut, because she cut little hair now and then.
Ridge - Okay
Lucas - So I was going to go over there, so I said “lets go over see about getting her to cut my hair”, we went over there, she cut my hair, he sit there and played the Nintendo with her little boys.
Ridge - Okay
Lucas - And everything, cause he used to, he cleaned up her house, watches her kids for her, so we left we went back to his house, I started, I told him, man, uh, thanks for going over uh, Bobby's wife's with me and everything to get my hair cut, I going to holler at you later, he said no man I got to tell you something, and everything and he was breaking out in a sweat.
Ridge - You said something about his eyes when we talked earlier what was it about his eyes.
Lucas - They... They had water dripping from them.
Ridge - He had been crying?
Lucas - Uh-huh something like that.
Ridge - That's just what you thought?
Lucas - Uh-huh.
Ridge - Did he tell you he had been crying?
Lucas - Uh-uh.
Ridge - Okay, so what happens when he tells you he has to tell you something?
Lucas - So we sit there, sit there, and I said, he said man me Jason and Damien we went walking last night in the town of West Memphis, I said why didn't you all come by and get me? We will we uh, we were in a hurry and everything go up there and come back home. I said alright I understand (inaudible) now since I found out i'm kinda glad he didn't come by and get me.
Ridge - Okay, what did he tell you he do?
Lucas - We.... He told me that uh, that he got in a fight, that's what he told me at first.
Ridge - Okay
Lucas - I said Damien and Jason they helped you? He said um-yea and everything so I said well did you all hurt anybody? And he said yea, I didn't think it was those 8 year old kids or anything, so I turn around and come to found out that Jason---he was with Jason and Damien when they sacrificed them little kids. I was come and tell you all.
Ridge - Okay.
Lucas - And he said “no I'll do it.”
Ridge - So he tells you he will come to the police.
Lucas: Uh-huh, and alright that weekend, I came back over at my mom's and everything.
Ridge - Uh-huh.
Lucas - I read about it in the paper and everything and come to found out he did front his self that he did do it cause he told me he would.
Ridge - Okay, Thursday morning after this Wednesday you went to his house.
Lucas - Uh-huh.
Ridge - He tells you he's in some trouble?
Lucas - Uh-huh.
Ridge - And what did he tell you he was in trouble over?
Lucas - That he really, he said um, we hurt, uh.... Uh we hurt a couple of boys, that Jason and Damien killed...
Ridge - Okay.
Lucas - Couple, I said was you involved? He said yea, I said what did you do? I finally got it talked out of him what did he do, he said I hit uh, a couple in the back of the head.
Ridge - Okay, and...
Lucas - And everything to keep them from running and everything
Ridge - And that's what he told you?
Lucas - Yes, sir.
Ridge - And this is on Thursday morning?
Lucas - Uh-huh.
Ridge - Okay.
Lucas - The two shoes he gave me, and everything.
Ridge - Did he give you some shoes on that Thursday morning?
Lucas - Uh-huh.
Ridge - Okay, and describe to me how he gave you those shoes?
Lucas - He... He picked up and started to hand them to me. All the suddenly he dropped them, and broke out in sweat, crying everything else, he said man take those shoes I don't want to see them no more, I said your sure? And everything, I don't remember seeing those shoes at his house, he said, I said are they yours? He said yea. So I said, he said take them I don’t want to see them no more, I said are you sure you want me to take them? And he said yea, and everything so there wasn't nothing on the shoes and everything so turn around he going, I got the shoes I went home and everything.
Ridge - After you got the shoes did he say, what did he say exactly to you about those shoes?
Lucas - That he didn't want to see them anymore and...
Ridge - Okay
Lucas - And everything he didn't want to have nothing to do with them shoes
Ridge - Okay, so you didn't come to the police either?
Lucas - Uh-uh
Ridge - Why did you not come to the police?
Lucas - I was afraid that you all would lock me up for it, I didn't have nothing to do with it.
Ridge - Okay.
Lucas - Did he said he would do it, and everything i was going to wait and see if he would do it, then if he didn't i was going to tell you all that he did it.
Ridge - But then about a month later he did tell the police about it?
Lucas - Yes, sir.
Lucas - The reason I didn't come uh, then before he told you all everything, because I was afraid if I did that he would have somebody hurt me.
Ridge - You were afraid Jessie would have somebody to hurt you?
Lucas - Yes sir, he knows alot of people, that I don't know.
Ridge - Okay.
Lucas - I'm afraid he would have some body hurt me and everything.
Ridge - Did you know Jason?
Lucas - I've talked to him a couple of times
Ridge - Alright, Damien did you know him?
Lucas - Not every since he picked me up off the ground my looking at me, I mean I got scared of him.
Ridge - You’re scared of Damien?
Lucas - (inaudible)
Ridge - Okay, did you know that they had any part or any dealings in a satanic cult? Cult like group?
Lucas - I knew Damien and Jason did because they look like the type of person that would but Jessie I didn't, swear I sure didn't, it shock me....135
After that discussion with Detectives Ridge and Durham, the next recorded discussion with Buddy Lucas took place in 1994. In a phone conversation with Prosecutor Fogleman, Buddy Lucas explains his hesitancy when speaking with police. The conversation verifies that there existed in West Memphis in 1993-4 a pervasive sense of fear. Locals thought they were watched and people were scared. Fogleman asks Buddy if he knows why witnesses are changing their stories:
Fogleman: No, we're not going to bother you Buddy. We just want to know the truth about it because
you know these people are telling us things and this investigator this [Investigator] Lax guy is going around getting all kinds of witnesses to change their stories. And I never had -- I've been doing this for over ten years and I've never had one witness change their story. Once they tell the police, I've never had them do it and we've had at least three in this case do it. And I'm just trying to find out what in the world is going on.