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

by Ramsey, William

  MISSKELLEY: Um, - like a black pants, black boots.

  STIDHAM: Did he have a coat on?

  MISSKELLEY: A leather jacket.

  STIDHAM: Black leather jacket, a long jacket or just a regular jacket?

  MISSKELLEY: It was like a biker's jacket.

  STIDHAM: Did he have a hat on?

  MISSKELLEY: To my knowledge, huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)

  STIDHAM: Was he carrying a stick?

  MISSKELLEY: He carried a stick.

  STIDHAM: That day?

  MISSKELLEY: Yes.

  STIDHAM: What kind of stick was it?

  MISSKELLEY: Part of a tree.

  STIDHAM: Was it a long limb or a big stick, like a long and skinny, or big and fat? Or -

  MISSKELLEY: It was - I would say it was long.

  STIDHAM: Was it any of those sticks that they introduced into your trial the other day?

  MISSKELLEY: Yeah.

  STIDHAM: Which one was it?

  MISSKELLEY: That one that you was holding up and that had the bark off of it.

  STIDHAM: Had someone carved it?

  MISSKELLEY: Yes.

  STIDHAM: Long and skinny?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)

  STIDHAM: That was the one Damien was carrying that day?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)

  STIDHAM: Where did he pick it up at?

  MISSKELLEY: He carried it with him. From Lakeshore.

  STIDHAM: And what was Jason wearing?

  MISSKELLEY: Jason was wearing light blue jeans -

  STIDHAM: Was there a design on them or -?

  MISSKELLEY: To my knowledge, no. Black boots. Like army boots.

  STIDHAM: Was it those boots that were introduced at your trial as evidence, were those the boots he was wearing? Or do you remember?

  MISSKELLEY: I didn't see them. If they’re black army boots, that's them.

  STIDHAM: You say he had light blue jeans on?

  MISSKELLEY: I don’t know.

  STIDHAM: Light blue, blue jeans - that had holes in the knees or holes in one of them, do you remember?

  MISSKELLEY: I don't remember.

  STIDHAM: Is there any way anybody could have mixed Damien - I mean excuse me, Jason and Domini up? Do they look anything alike?

  MISSKELLEY: Tall.

  STIDHAM: She wasn't there that night?

  MISSKELLEY: No.

  STIDHAM: Did you ever see her that night?

  MISSKELLEY: No.

  STIDHAM: What kind of shirt did Jason have on?

  MISSKELLEY: It was black and had “Metallica” wrote on it. And it had a - like a - like a background like a grave and it had a cross.

  STIDHAM: So what happened as you were walking down the service road and you got to Blue Beacon, what happened next?

  MISSKELLEY: We started walking a little bit further and then we went over a bridge, and then I seen a little trail going down, down the bank. We went down there and started drinking.

  STIDHAM: Let me stop you right there. Ya'll decide to go to West Memphis to look for some girls?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)

  STIDHAM: Did anybody talk about hurting boys, or killing boys, or doing anything to boys - doing anything to anybody?

  MISSKELLEY: No. They didn't tell me nothing like that.

  STIDHAM: That never came up?

  MISSKELLEY: Nope. But that guy that showed Damien that picture, that's what I figure that's why Damien, he knew what he was doing, because -

  STIDHAM: You think Damien knew what he was doing?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. Cause, when I seen that picture at that cult meeting, I didn't know who they were, I hadn't ever seen them until, you know, after we jumped - after I jumped and started beating them, then I realized that -

  STIDHAM: After you was what?

  MISSKELLEY: Beating them up - beating the kids up, then it went to my mind, a picture came to me, then after that picture came to me and I looked down, that's who it was.

  STIDHAM: Okay. Now let's talk about, uh, you walked down this little trail. What did you see out there, where was this at?

  MISSKELLEY: I don't know where it was at.

  STIDHAM: Was it on the side of the interstate where the dog track is?

  MISSKELLEY: No. Opposite side.

  STIDHAM: Opposite side?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)

  STIDHAM: What's by it, what's nearby?

  MISSKELLEY: Blue Beacon.

  STIDHAM: That's on the same side of the interstate as -

  MISSKELLEY: And the Army place.

  STIDHAM: Army place?

  MISSKELLEY: Or the National Guard place. Where they have army drills.

  STIDHAM: What happened as ya'll walked down this little trail?

  MISSKELLEY: We sit out there. We sit down and started drinking.

  STIDHAM: Okay, tell me about where you were sitting, and what was there, was there anything -

  MISSKELLEY: We sit by some trees. By a tree that was, that was leaned over. There was a - like a - I’m going to say like a water pipe.

  STIDHAM: Water pipe. What kind of water pipe?

  MISSKELLEY: That’s what I’m going to say what it is. I don't know what it was.

  STIDHAM: Was the pipe going up in the air, pipe going -?

  MISSKELLEY: No. Pipe going like this way, makes it a walkway or something, like a little bridge - something like that. And we started drinking. Then we started drinking and then we heard some noise. And then, uh, me and Jason hid, and Damien just sit there, and then all of a sud - he told him to hide and he did. Then these boys came up.

  Stidham has Misskelley describe the area of Robin Hood Hills. Misskelley tells of the tree house in the woods, indicating he thought the three victims went there frequently to play. Then the discussion returns to the murders:

  STIDHAM: Is that a big creek or a little creek?

  MISSKELLEY: Pretty big.

  STIDHAM: Were the bodies thrown in the big creek?

  MISSKELLEY: The bodies was thrown in water. Deep. Big, I'm going to say that comes to over my head?

  STIDHAM: That’s where the bodies was thrown in?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating) I'm going to say it comes to over my head. Cause I can't get in water close to my head, ‘cause I have to hold my ears,

  STIDHAM: Well, were the bodies thrown in close to that pipe?

  MISSKELLEY: Close to that pipe? I’m going to say about fifteen or so, probably not even that far to the pipe.

  STIDHAM: Fifteen feet?

  MISSKELLEY: No, about 15 yards, probably, maybe not even that much. I could - I could tell you if I was, you know, if I was there. It was deep, but can't do it, you know, to my mind. ‘Cause I don't know, I don't know feet, yards or nothing like that. I'm going to say it was pretty close to it.

  STIDHAM: Is there any ponds or lakes out there?

  MISSKELLEY: Ponds or lakes? Um, no.

  STIDHAM: Where's this 76 Truck Stop?

  MISSKELLEY: 76? There’s that slope, then there's a road goes up back that way, the slope, then you go back this way and (inaudible) come back out.

  STIDHAM: Let's stop there for a minute. It’s nine minutes after 4:00.

  STIDHAM: Okay, Jessie it's 13 minutes after 4:00 p.m. on February the 8th, 1994, we're back on the tape. Let's start from the point where you guys walking on this trail off of the service road by Blue Beacon, what happens?

  MISSKELLEY: What do you mean?

  STIDHAM: I want you to tell me where ya'll walked to and what you did. I don't want to ask you whether you did this or this. I want you to tell me what happened?

  MISSKELLEY: I still don't understand.

  STIDHAM: Okay. You were carrying a fifth of whiskey in a paper sack.

  MISSKELLEY: Right.

  STIDHAM: Who was carrying the beer?

  MISSKELLEY: Damien.

  STIDHAM: And he was carrying a stick in one ha
nd and the beer in the other?

  MISSKELLEY: Well, it was Jason. (inaudible)

  STIDHAM: The beer?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)

  STIDHAM: And ya'll walked off the service road going down on the trail?

  MISSKELLEY: Right - by Blue Beacon.

  STIDHAM: Did the trail go into the woods or did it go beside the woods?

  MISSKELLEY: In it.

  STIDHAM: Okay. Was there anything in the woods, was there a ditch, or a river, or what was in the woods, besides trees, obviously?

  MISSKELLEY: There was like a - I'm going to say like a bayou. And it had a pipe going across to the other side.

  STIDHAM: What was on the other side of the pipe? I mean, on the other side of the bayou?

  MISSKELLEY: The other side of the bayou - it's like another land, another -

  STIDHAM: Was there a truck stop over there, was there a car over there, or?

  MISSKELLEY: On the other side, on down was a, I'm going to say a National Guard place, it had Army trucks, on down past the bridge. But you could see it, though. It wasn't that far down. I could see it.

  STIDHAM: Were there any trees out there that were peculiar, or shaped funny or had any markings on them, or anything?

  MISSKELLEY: I didn't pay attention to trees. I didn't see none.

  STIDHAM: Did you see anything laying around on the ground? Trash, or - -?

  MISSKELLEY: There was a bunch of stuff floating in the - in the water - bunch of stuff.

  STIDHAM: Now, is there a big creek, the bayou that the pipe goes across?

  MISSKELLEY: It's pretty wide.

  STIDHAM: How wide? Can you jump across it?

  MISSKELLEY: If you tried, yeah. If you tried, you could.

  STIDHAM: Is there a bigger place that you can't jump across?

  MISSKELLEY: (No response.)

  STIDHAM: How many times have you been there?

  MISSKELLEY: That was my first time.

  STIDHAM: The only time you'd ever been there?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Negatively indicating) I don't know too much about it.

  STIDHAM: Did you go back there after the murders? Like you told Gitchell?

  MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)

  STIDHAM: How come you told him that?

  MISSKELLEY: Just to have something to say.

  STIDHAM: This was the first time you'd ever been there?

  MISSKELLEY: The first time I'd ever been there.

  STIDHAM: Okay. Now you described this pipe? How big a pipe is it?

  MISSKELLEY: About that wide. From that wall -

  STIDHAM: Could you ride a bicycle across this pipe?

  MISSKELLEY: I wouldn’t try it.

  STIDHAM: How come?

  MISSKELLEY: I just wouldn't.

  STIDHAM: Were you guys in the water?

  MISSKELLEY: I don't get in water ‘cause I can't - I can't get my ears wet, I ain't getting in no water.

  STIDHAM: Did Damien and Jason get in the water?

  MISSKELLEY: No.

  STIDHAM: How come you told the police that you were in the water and they were going under water and sucking each other?

  MISSKELLEY: I didn't tell him that. I just told him they went under the water - I didn't know what they was doing. But they - they - they never went in the water.

  STIDHAM: Ya'll were sitting there by this pipe drinking?MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)

  STIDHAM: Now, Jessie, is this pipe this big around or was it this big around?

  MISSKELLEY: No, it ain't that big.

  STIDHAM: How big?

  MISSKELLEY: Like I said, about like that.

  STIDHAM: Okay, so -

  MISSKELLEY: About, about my leg size.

  STIDHAM: About as big around as my leg?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh, looks like it, yeah.

  STIDHAM: It's pretty close?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. Maybe - maybe not quite as big, maybe half, maybe half of it.

  STIDHAM: Okay, are there smaller pipes beside the bigger pipe?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh - to my knowledge I don't really know.

  STIDHAM: Did you see a pond anywhere around the Blue Beacon?

  MISSKELLEY: Pond?

  STIDHAM: A lake?

  MISSKELLEY: Um-m-m-m - no. Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)

  STIDHAM: How deep was the water that they threw boys got thrown into?

  MISSKELLEY: I'm going to say deep, real deep.

  STIDHAM: Over their heads - over your head?

  MISSKELLEY: Yeah.

  STIDHAM: Damien and Jason get in the water?

  MISSKELLEY: Yeah. Damien.

  STIDHAM: Okay, let’s start at right now, let's go from, ya'll are sitting there by this pipe drinking?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)

  STIDHAM: Then what happened?

  MISSKELLEY: We hear some noise, me and Jason hid and Damien just sit there, and we hollered for Damien, you know - not real loud, but lightly, and Damien hid. Then that’s when them three little boys came out.

  STIDHAM: Did they come up on their bicycles or did they walk up?

  MISSKELLEY: They came up on their bicycles and they laid the bikes down.

  STIDHAM: Can I stop right there? Did ya'll smoke any dope that day?

  MISSKELLEY: Jason uh -

  STIDHAM: Jason did, or did didn't.

  MISSKELLEY: No, he don't. To my knowledge he don't.

  STIDHAM: So ya'll didn't smoke any marijuana that day? Just whiskey and beer? Where's the whiskey bottle?

  MISSKELLEY: Whiskey bottle? Busted.

  STIDHAM: You busted it?

  MISSKELLEY: Yeah.

  STIDHAM: When did you do that?

  MISSKELLEY: Going back - when I was going back home. After what I seen what happened made me mad.

  Stidham continues asking Misskelley detailed questions about the topography of Robin Hood Hills, which way the teenagers entered the area, and where the three eight-year-olds rode their bicycles.

  STIDHAM: Okay, Jessie. Our tape ran out. It's 4:32, on 2/8/94. You realize we're taping this, right?

  MISSKELLEY: Right.

  STIDHAM: It's all right with you if we tape it?

  MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.

  STIDHAM: Okay, the boys came up and what happened? Tell me exactly what happened.

  MISSKELLEY: When the boys came up, Damien grabbed one of them, I don't know which one, and the other two tried to get Damien to stop, and then me and Jason come out and started grabbing them, started hitting them.

  STIDHAM: Who hit who?

  MISSKELLEY: I - I don't know - if I seen a picture of them I could tell you. I don't know who.

  STIDHAM: Well, what happened after everybody started hitting on the kids?

  MISSKELLEY: Um, uh, Damien choked - I don't remember which one.

  STIDHAM: Now you know, you heard during the trial that the medical examiner said none of the boys were choked.

  MISSKELLEY: He didn’t choke him---“choke choked.” Just, you know, just say like just hold their head and choked, not hard enough, just holding him.

  STIDHAM: When did the Moore boy run from the scene?

  MISSKELLEY: That's when - after I let him go.

  STIDHAM: You were holding the Moore boy?

  MISSKELLEY: Yeah, and I let him go.

  STIDHAM: Why did you let him go?

  MISSKELLEY: After I got through hitting on him I let him go. I let him - just let him go.

  STIDHAM: He took off running?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)

  STIDHAM: Had any of the boys gotten killed yet? Or -

  MISSKELLEY: No, huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)

  STIDHAM: Did you know what was going to happen at that point?

  MISSKELLEY: No.

  STIDHAM: Why did you chase him down and bring him back - or did you?

  MISSKELLEY: No, I didn't - until Damien told me, “Get him." And then that’s when I went back afte
r him and got him. Then I brought him back and that's when -

  STIDHAM: What was the boy wearing that you went and got and brought back?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh - to my knowledge, I'm going to say, the one - I don't know their names, you know, to my knowledge, the one that was wearing, uh, like a Boy Scout uniform. I don't know, you know, that's to my knowledge. That's what one of them was wearing, I don't know which boy.

  STIDHAM: Damien told you to go get him and bring him back?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh, (Affirmatively indicating) after I done hit him first.

  STIDHAM: Where did you hit him at?

  MISSKELLEY: Where did I hit him at? The head.

  STIDHAM: And was anybody cut or bleeding at that point?

  MISSKELLEY: No. I was - I was too drunk I couldn’t hardly do nothing.

  STIDHAM: You sure?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating) I - when I drink I can't hit hard or anything.

  STIDHAM: Damien told you to get the Moore boy and bring him back, and you did that?

  MISSKELLEY: He - he said - go get him. So I brought him back and just started hitting him some more.

  STIDHAM: Then what happened?

  MISSKELLEY: Then, uh, Jason pulled out a knife. He took one of them - I don't know which one - cut him on - I think it was on this side of his face.

  STIDHAM: Which side are you pointing to?

  MISSKELLEY: This is the left.

  STIDHAM: Which boy was that?

  MISSKELLEY: I don’t know.

  STIDHAM: Wasn't the Cub Scout?

  MISSKELLEY: No. It was one of them other two. I don't know

  STIDHAM: So he was either the blond headed one, or the Byers boy - the one that got cut?

  (Knock at door)

  STIDHAM: Yes. (pause) Is tape still running?

  MISSKELLEY: Yes.

  STIDHAM: Okay.

  MISSKELLEY: To my knowledge I’m gong to say the blond one.

  STIDHAM: The blond one was what?

  MISSKELLEY: The one that got that cut on the side of his face, the blond one.

  STIDHAM: Left-hand side of the face, you're pointing to?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)

  STIDHAM: Cut him with a knife?

  MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)

  STIDHAM: Did Damien ever hit anybody with this long stick you're telling me about?

  MISSKELLEY: He hit one of them boys in the head, and - I don’t remember which one.

  STIDHAM: Okay. When did you realize that somebody was going to get killed?