Abomination: Devil Worship and Deception in the West Memphis Three Murders
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May 30, 2008
Attorneys for Baldwin file a Petition for writ of habeas corpus and motion for new trial.
June 5, 2008
Attorneys for Misskelley file a Petition for writ of habeas corpus and motion for new trial, as well as an Amended Rule 37 petition. Additionally, they also file a Writ of Error coram nobis with the Arkansas Supreme Court.
June 26, 2008
Without comment, the Arkansas Supreme Court denies Baldwin's and Misskelley's petitions to reinvest the circuit court with jurisdiction to consider their petitions for writ of error coram nobis. The petitions are "denied without prejudice," which allows the defense to renew the requests later.
August 20, 2008
Status hearing in Jonesboro. Judge Burnett tentatively schedules a September 8 hearing to conduct an Act 1780 hearing for Echols first, then a hearing for Baldwin and Misskelley, if needed. However, he says he could follow the prosecutor's suggestion that the DNA evidence offered by defense attorneys isn't sufficient to order a new trial or overturn the convictions of either defendant and that he could rule in chambers before September 8 and forgo a hearing. Burnett also says he could begin hearings for Misskelley and Baldwin on September 8 to determine if they received ineffective legal counsel at their trials. He also denies the defense's request to recuse from the cases.
September 10, 2008
Judge Burnett issues orders denying, without an evidentiary hearing, Echols' April 11 Motion for a new trial; Baldwin's May 30 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus and Motion for New Trial; Misskelley's June 5 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus and Motion for New Trial.
September 11, 2008
Judge Burnett issues a letter stating that hearings for motions for post-conviction relief pursued by Baldwin and Misskelley on grounds not available to Echols is scheduled to be conducted from September 24 through September 30.
October 2, 2009
Testimony concludes in Baldwin's and Misskelley's Rule 37 hearings.
January 20, 2010
Judge Burnett denies Baldwin's and Misskelley's Rule 37 petitions.
September 30, 2010
The Arkansas Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Echols' appeal.
November 4, 2010
The Arkansas Supreme Court reverses Judge Burnett's September 10, 2008 orders and remands the defendants' cases back to circuit court for evidentiary hearings to consider new DNA evidence and a charge of juror misconduct.
November 30, 2010
Circuit Court Judge David Laser is appointed to preside over the evidentiary hearings ordered by the Arkansas Supreme Court. He replaces retired Judge David Burnett, who presided over the original trials and all subsequent hearings, because Burnett has been elected to the state Senate.
January 4, 2011
Scheduling conference in circuit court in Jonesboro. Judge David Laser orders all parties to file briefs with him by February 18 regarding issues to be addressed at the evidentiary hearings. Laser also decides that a single hearing will be held for all three defendants, which will save time and money for defense attorneys. He also orders a gag order in the case, prohibiting attorneys from talking about the case with the media.
February 18, 2011
All parties file pre-hearing briefs as ordered by Judge Laser. Additionally, attorneys for Baldwin and Misskelley file their respective Rule 37 briefs with the Arkansas Supreme Court.
March 17, 2011
Judge Laser issues an order stating that the evidentiary hearing is "scheduled for December 5, 2011 through December 21, 2011."
April 18, 2011
Judge Laser issues an order authorizing and directing additional DNA and other scientific testing as requested by defendants.
May 5, 2011
The State files briefs in the Baldwin/Misskelley Rule 37 appeal.
May 19, 2011
Attorneys for Baldwin file their Rule 37 reply brief with the Arkansas Supreme Court.
May 24, 2011
Attorneys for Misskelley file their Rule 37 reply brief with the Arkansas Supreme Court.
August 18, 2011
Judge Laser issues a Notice which states that, “The court will take up certain matters pertaining to the cases of defendants Baldwin, Echols and Misskelley on Friday, August 19, 2011. One session will be conducted out of public presence with all defendants present, and another session will be conducted in open court. The session conducted in chambers will likely begin at 10 a.m., followed by a public session, which will begin about 11 a.m."
August 19, 2011
Hearing before Judge Laser. It is announced that as the result of negotiations between prosecutors and defense counsel to resolve the cases Judge Laser vacated the convictions on the condition that the defendants enter guilty pleas pursuant to the U.S. Supreme Court case known as North Carolina v. Alford. Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley enter "Alford pleas" which means that they plead guilty but do not admit to the act, and are allowed to maintain their innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors might have enough evidence to convict them. In accordance with the plea negotiations, Judge Laser sentences all three to time served, followed by a ten-year term of suspended imposition of sentence. If they re-offend they can be sent back to prison for 21 years.
August 24, 2011
Attorneys for Misskelley file a motion to dismiss the Rule 37 appeal that was pending before the Arkansas Supreme Court.
September 8, 2011
The Arkansas Supreme Court grants Misskelley's motion to dismiss the Rule 37 appeal. Attorneys for Echols file a motion to dismiss his federal habeas corpus petition.
September 28, 2011
District Judge Brian Miller issues an order granting Echols' motion to dismiss his habeas corpus petition.
BOOKS ABOUT THE WEST MEMPHIS THREE
1995. The Blood of Innocents: The True Story of Multiple Murder in West Memphis, Arkansas. By Guy Reel, Marc Perrusquia, and Bartholomew Sullivan. 418 pages.
2002. Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three. By Mara Leveritt. 417 pages.
2003. Broken Summers. By Henry Rollins. 237 pages. (Behind the scenes look at the making of the CD "Rise Above: 24 Black flag songs to benefit the West Memphis Three" and the subsequent world tour.)
2004. The Last Pentacle of the Sun: Writings in Support of the West Memphis Three. M.W. Anderson & Brett Alexander Savory, editors. 202 pages.
2005. Almost Home: My Life Story Vol 1. By Damien Echols. 151 pages.
2007. West Memphis Witch Hunt: Poems Supporting The West Memphis 3 Defense. Collected and edited by Misti Rainwater-Lites & Michael W. Johnson. 206 pages.
2012. Untying the Knot: John Mark Byers and the West Memphis Three. By Greg Day. 340 pages.
APPENDIX A:
Suspects investigated by West Memphis Police Department and removed from suspicion:
Harold Allison--Child molester,
Robert Andrus--(ran NCIC report), arrested and extradited to Florida,
“King David” Samuel Beasly--religious traveler
Sir Miceal Jones--religious traveler
Robert Burch---rumored to have committed the murders. Not a suspect.
Kenneth Cagle,
Brandon Callaghan,
Haston Glenn Burns--child molester,
Larry Caeser--denied ever being at Bojangles.
Gary Chadwick--removed from list of potential suspects.
Paul Patrick Champagne--removed after investigation.
Carroll Tillman Coleman---removed after investigation.
Otto Bailey, Jr.--made threats to other children; had solid alibi
John Connolly--mental patient removed after investigation.
Steven Brown--removed from potential suspects. Had killed his two month old child in 1977.
Haston Glenn Burns--removed from potential suspects. Was a child molester.
Charles Ray Carter--child molester, removed from potential suspects after investigation.
Richard Cummings, Jr.--accu
sed of drilling “peepholes” in residence. Not involved.
Charles Michael Craig--suspicious character, removed from potential suspects.
Jesse Leo Davidson--trucker, removed after investigation.
Robert DeAngelo--friend of the Branch, removed as suspect.
Timothy Wayne Dodson--local weirdo, passed polygraph
Ronald Keith George--Parolee, sex offender, removed after investigation.
Michael Headlee---removed after investigation
Danny Holbrook---murderer, removed after investigation
James Horner--pedophile, removed after investigation.
Jones Johns---pedophile, removed after investigation.
Victor Johnson--convicted rapist, removed after investigation.
Harold Stanley King--convicted pedophile, removed after investigation.
Bobby Lappradd---burglar, removed after investigation.
Tracy Laxton---transient, removed after investigation.
Daniel Leffler--in vicinity when the murders occurred, removed after investigation.
Michael Leiter--alcohol and drug user, removed after investigation.
Jefferey Looney--local youth, removed after investigation
Edward Lynn Lucas--local resident, removed after investigation.
James Martin, sex offender, removed after investigation
John May
John McNeely--Criminal suspect--removed after investigation.
Steve Menard--Mental patient, removed after investigation.
Charles Metz---removed after investigation.
Christopher Morgan---removed after investigation
Charles Morton--removed after investigation
Jerry Nearns---Removed after investigation
Ricky Lee Murray---removed after investigation
Jones Parks---removed after investigation
Jones Trasher---removed after investigation
Gary Poindexter---removed after investigation
Thomas Polletta--removed after investigation.
Joseph Michael Reneau---removed after investigation
Lance Renshaw---removed after investigation
Richard Runions---removed after investigation
Michael Scott---fit “Bojangles” description, black male, removed after investigation
Arthur Seery, hitchhiker, removed after investigation
Jimmy Sellers, friend of Mark Byers, removed after investigation
Steve Skaggs---removed after investigation
Steve Tatum---removed after investigation
Rufus “Little Al” Thomas, Jr.---removed after investigation
Lonzo Troxell---pedophile, removed after investigation
Floyd Turner---removed after investigation
Jones Valley---convicted sex offender, removed after investigation.
Christopher Wahl---removed after investigation.
Burney Warren---named as friend of Damien Echols, removed as suspect after investigation.
Donald Warwick--removed after investigation
Michael Shawn Webb---removed after investigation
Jones Welch---removed after investigation
Daniel Wilkey---transient, removed after investigation
Miles Woodall---known pedophile, removed after investigation
Tom Woods---pedophile, removed after investigation
All the residents of the Mayfair Apartments, located near the murder site.
“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."282
Occult societies by their nature are secretive. Dating back into classical history, these groups maintain strict codes of secrecy and often have symbols or hand gestures that signal the maintenance of that code of silence. Aleister Crowley adapted this doctrine of silence into his religious organizational structure and was pictured in magical robes making the gesture of silence.
Aleister Crowley
in ceremonial garb
making Sign of Silence
While on Piers Morgan Tonight on September 29th, 2011, Damien Echols can be seen making the occult sign of silence.
As recently as December 6th, 2012 on the television show The View, Damien Echols can be seen repeatedly making the same hand gesture throughout the interview.283
APPENDIX B
JESSIE MISSKELLEY
BIBLE CONFESSION
STIDHAM: Okay. This is Dan Stidham. Today's date is February 8, 1994. It is 3:20 pm on Tuesday. I’m at the Pine Bluff Arkansas Department of Correction Diagnostic Unit, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. I'm talking to Jessie Misskelley, Jr. Jessie can you say you're name for the tape, please?
MISSKELLEY: I'm Jessie Lloyd Misskelley, Jr.
STIDHAM: Do you understand that I am tape recording this?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Okay. Jessie, a few minutes ago I asked you about making some statements to the Officers when they transported you from Piggott to Pine Bluff. You told me that you had told them some stuff. Is that correct?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: And at first you told me that you were just making it up, that you were lying to them, and then you placed your hand on the Bible and told me that you were there when these boys got killed
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Uh, what's the truth, Jessie? I want to know the truth.
MISSKELLEY: The truth is, me and Jason and Damien done it.
STIDHAM: You were there when the boys were killed?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Now, what's going to be very important is for you to tell me why it was that you have been maintaining that you weren't there all this time?
MISSKELLEY: I was scared.
STIDHAM: What were you scared of?
MISSKELLEY: I always lied and I hadn't ever put my hand on the Bible and swore. Nobody didn't tell me to do that. If they would have told me that at first, I would have done it. Nobody told me to put my hand on the Bible.
STIDHAM: Okay. So basically, you've been lying to me and Mr. Crow for the past seven, or so months - about not being there when in fact you were there?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Okay, Jessie, let's start from the beginning. I understand that you'd received a phone call from Jason some time before the murders, remember when that was?
MISSKELLEY: On a Monday.
STIDHAM: On the Monday before the Wednesday?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: When did he call you? What time?
MISSKELLEY: It was about 6 o'clock.
STIDHAM: 6 o'clock in the evening?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: And, is that when he said something about going to find some girls or something of that nature?
MISSKELLEY: He asked me to uh, did I want to go to West Memphis with them - find some, uh, find some girls.
STIDHAM: Did any make any mention of hurting some boys, or killing some boys at that time?
MISSKELLEY: No. sir.
Detective Stidham and Misskelley talk about the events of the day leading up to the evening of May 5th, 1993. Stidham then asks Misskelley what happened at 6 PM:
STIDHAM: What time was it getting now?
MISSKELLEY: Almost six.
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: Then Vickie went uh, went to the store and bought me some liquor.
STIDHAM: Vickie Hutcheson?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Okay, so about 6 o'clock. Is that, where did you run into her at?
MISSKELLEY: I went to her house.
STIDHAM: So you went by (inaudible) to Vickie’s house? This is on May 5th, the day the boys were killed?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: And Vickie went to buy you some liquor?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Where'd she go, did you go with her?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Did you stay at the house when she left, or tell
me what happened?
MISSKELLEY: I was standing on the corner talking with Dennis, Dennis Carter.
STIDHAM: Standing on the corner where?
MISSKELLEY: By my house.
STIDHAM: So tell me how you went to Vickie and why she went to get you some liquor?
MISSKELLEY: I asked, no, Dennis asked uh, asked me, you know, did I know anybody to get us something to drink? I told him, Vickie will. So we gave Vickie some money and I went down her house and started talking just a little bit, and I asked her would she go to the store and buy me some liquor.
STIDHAM: And she said -?
MISSKELLEY: She said, yes. She said hand me the money, she said, I'll go in a minute. I said, okay.
STIDHAM: You left her house, or what?
MISSKELLEY: I left her house, and me and Dennis went to my house and you know watched as she went around the corner and we sat there on the corner, sat there and talked about, you know, drinking and stuff.
STIDHAM: So did Vickie bring you some liquor?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, she carried it to her house and me and Dennis went down there and got it.
STIDHAM: What did she buy you?
MISSKELLEY: Evan Williams.
STIDHAM: Evan Williams?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh.
STIDHAM: What is that, wine?
MISSKELLEY: Whiskey.
STIDHAM: Just one bottle?
MISSKELLEY: She bought two bottles.
STIDHAM: How big are the bottles?
MISSKELLEY: About - -
STIDHAM: Fifth?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah, about - -
STIDHAM: About this tall?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: Then I started drinking out, uh, Dennis' bottle, and I told him I was going to Lakeshore.
STIDHAM: So, did you go to Lakeshore?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah.
STIDHAM: What happened when you went to Lakeshore?
MISSKELLEY: I met Damien and Jason Baldwin.
STIDHAM: What did ya'll talk about? Did you have your whiskey bottle with you? ‘