Then there's the mysterious circumstances of his wife's death. More than 2,500 people attended and the story dominated the local press for days. Berlinger and Sinofsky expected a similar result to come quickly in the West Memphis Three case. It is worth noting that these are the two parents who have made the most TV, print, and film appearances. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! (Its worth noting that despite the issues raised by Lindseys work, the first season of Up and Vanished renewed interest in the case, which ultimately led to arrests, albeit of people that Lindsey hadnt previously covered on the podcast.). In an interview, the child told police her father had been acting weird and indicated he had been drinking when he picked her up from school on Nov. 28. I'd be interested in knowing whether or not he also died under suspicious circumstances. NO PEACE YET: Melissa and John Mark Byers, now facing criminal charges themselves, hold a picture of their murdered son Christopher in their new home at Cherokee Village. Christopher Byers was born to Melissa DeFir and Ricky Murray. He was a . Powell was acquainted with Melissa Byers. A Jackson County judge sentenced a 46-year-old Kansas City man to life in prison on Friday for the stabbing death of Melissa Byers, whose body was found by her young daughter in 2017. So with less urgency surrounding full exoneration and no documentary cameras rolling, the question 25 years later becomes: Who is paying close enough attention to the case to pick up the fight? She said it was one of the highest-rated pieces they had. Not only had their son Christopher sustained the most savage of the attacks, but John Mark and Melissa Byers stood out as the most demonstrative of the parents in the film. Buried in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He went to the bedroom and saw Melissa on the floor, completely naked. At the end of September 1996, a month after Byers appearance in court, investigator Witt received the medical examiners report on Melissa. In general, who is most likelyto commit a crime against a child: A family member or A devil worshipingcult? Its something that Baldwin couldnt envision when he first agreed to let the documentarians interview him in jail in exchange for an honorarium, or even when Mojo played that VHS tape for him in 1997. When he first approached the stage, I thought, "Wow! Nor was the Dilaudid mentioned on the page listing the medical examiners findings. She was described as "a friend of the family". Melissa's return to the home coincided with her son's. When Rose questioned Byers later, he confirmed that he did hold a gun at his side throughout the incident, but, Rose said, He told me, At no time did I intimidate or threaten any of those kids., Rose said, I asked him, You dont think that just having a gun in your hands under those circumstances was intimidating and threatening? He said, No.'. Byers said he called Norm Metz and asked him to call an ambulance. "[15], Metz took Byers back to his home, but the two men were advised that no one was to enter the residence during the search. "[27], The coroner report noted that John Mark Byers stated he had intercourse with Melissa around 3pm on March 29th, 1996. Melissa's Death Under the circumstances, they were particularly interested in what toxicology tests would reveal. [16], When Waser returned to the Byers' home he was informed that Ryan Clark still had not returned. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Ryan said Byers then began CPR on Melissa. Its no surprise the juries found the prosecutions narrative compelling, Leveritt says: For them, the image of killer satanists headbanging to Metallica was more than plausible. Byers stated that he would wait in the kitchen. By the end of Paradise Lost, you cant believe they were found guilty, Bakken says. The mutilation appeared to have been inflicted with a knife. Pamela Hobbs told police, she called a relative in Blytheville and told him she believed her jaw was broken. Waser advised that it was unusual for a 40-year-old woman to pass away and an autopsy would be recommended to determine the cause. "She was a beautiful woman. You dont know who I am. Byers denies saying that. The victim had a silver-colored necklace with a cross around her neck.. The boy he was fighting was injured seriously enough to require hospitalization. [SNIP]. She died on March 11, 2007 at 39 years old. Founded 1974, the Arkansas Times is a lively, opinionated source for news, politics & culture in Arkansas. The districts current prosecuting attorney, Keith Chrestman, did not respond to requests for comment for this article, but his predecessor Scott Ellington, whose office negotiated the deals, told The New York Times in 2011 that while new trials would have likely resulted in acquittals, We dont think that there is anybody else. The Moore family has been outspoken about the end result, vehemently protesting the 2012 Oscar nomination for the third Paradise Lost installment. Melissa Byers died at age 35 years old on July 2, 2010. Its headlined by not only the films directors, but also Sheila Nevins, its executive producer and winner of 32 individual Emmy awards, more than any other person in history. Daniel Stidham of Paragould is the lawyer for Jessie Misskelley, who was accused, along with Echols and Jason Baldwin, of killing the three West Memphis children. But on the subject of Paradise Lost, he speaks emphatically: He understands how important the movies were in helping him, Echols, and Misskelley walk free 10 years ago this August. Two of those, which were covered with bandages, were clearly the result of unsuccessful medical attempts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation, as were a couple of fractured ribs. [20] Waser asked to take a statement from Ryan, but was told that he was out with friends. Even today, years after his name was cleared and authorities ruled Lams death accidental, Morbid still receives threats. He just didnt know it would take another 14 years to happen. He told Mark he was going to call EMS., When Metz returned to the room, Witt wrote, Ryan was trying to help John Mark put some pants on Melissa, and he asked John Mark if Melissa was dead. Instead, he had the crime labs vague conclusion that, because of the lack of definitive anatomic or toxicological findings, the cause and manner of death are left undetermined. According to Clark, the causes of about 4 to 8 percent of deaths that are presented to medical examiners nationally are found to be undetermined. They didnt even think he would physically survive through December, Baldwin says. Metz observed Ryan and his girlfriend on the couch, nude. He advised that John Mark advised no, and Ryan had a funny, eery [sic] look on his face. The footage included raw jailhouse interviews with the defendants, strategy sessions held by legal teams on both sides, and extended monologues from Mark Byers, the tall, goateed stepfather of one of the victims, who spoke as though he were reciting the Book of Revelation and who, at one point in Paradise Lost, fired a handgun at a pumpkin while reciting the names of the accused. You need corroborating evidence.. Benjamin Byers was taken into custody and was facing charges of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, abandonment of a corpse and endangering the welfare of a child. She threw up some liquid. "[7], At approximately 5:30pm, an ambulance responded to Cherokee Village where Melissa was reported as being unresponsive. Finally, the boy with Byers asked his opponent, Have you had enough? He had. John Mark called to Ryan twice. He arrived at the home around 1pm and "partied with them, drinking Crown Royal, and taking valium, xanex, and that he saw Mark Byers with a sandwich baggie of K-4 dilaudid." Times 12/26/97, The Strange Demise of Melissa Byers. The IMDb credits page for the first Paradise Lost is modest, but impressive. Michelle McNamara helped crack the Golden State Killer case by poring over thousands of pages of case files while working on her book Ill Be Gone in the Dark, which was published two years after her 2016 death, while Chris Lambert and his podcast Your Own Backyard were highlighted by authorities after two arrests in April in connection with the 1996 disappearance of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. Come through the kitchen door., As Witt later recorded: Metz advised that he went to the Byers residence and went inside through the door leading from the carport and saw the Byers son, Ryan Clark, and his girlfriend nude on the couch. Melissa Byers, Self: Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills. Deputy Sheriff C.L. According to her family tree, she married Kelly T. Hale on April 30, 1999 in Texas. Waser assisted in photographing Melissa at the hospital and bagging evidence. I see two possibilities: 1) natural death or 2) murder by asphyxiation. 1993 West Memphis homicides case discussion. Stidham, who was just 30 years old and not long out of law school when the court appointed him to be Misskelleys attorney, went in thinking he would negotiate a deal for his client, who had told police that his acquaintances Baldwin and Echols committed the crimes and that he was present and played a role as an accessory. Inevitably, the West Memphis Three case always comes up. The mother of one of the three boys murdered in West Memphis died, but investigators have yet to figure out how. At approximately 9:40 that night, Witt and eight other officers organized a search at the Byers home. A heavy metal test was conducted and none were found. Witt arrived at the hospital about 35 minutes later. I went to a Baptist school and I got accused of being a devil worshiper because I was trying to learn how to write hieroglyphics, says Sauls, today a screenwriter and VFX designer. He went to watch television with Amanda and then he said they went into his bedroom to listen to music. Essentially, it allows the accused to assert their innocence while pleading guilty, conceding that the prosecution has an overwhelming amount of evidence to procure a conviction. It was born out of genuine admiration for the fact that these guys took the time out of their lives to dedicate, to go down to Arkansas, to build a website, to really step out of their lives, Berlinger says. The trials were sensational from start to finish, partly for the gruesomeness of the crimes, and partly because the police case was predicated on the belief that the killings had been part of a Satanistic orgy. >According to an article by Associated Press and published in the>Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Oct 4: "The mother of a boy killed in West>Memphis' 1993 triple murders had drugs in her system when she died, but, >not enough to cause her death, a county sheriff says. Before she went to the hospital. Copper has been known to kill tomato plants if placed directly into the stem or base, but placing copper wire around the wound may not have the same effect. But none of that support has been able to fully exonerate the trio, something theyre still fighting for. The reason for the credit gets less curious when hes asked about it: He was a huge Metallica fan. And then there was the public pressure: In August 2010, Vedder and Maines headlined yet another benefit concert, this one in Little Rock. Memphis' 1993 triple murders had drugs in her system when she died, but not enough to cause her death, a county sheriff says. But we stuck with it, and every so often something would happen, and little by little, people would come around., They spread word about the website through online discussion groups and by hanging flyers in the art houses that screened Paradise Lost, and by 2000, WM3.org was getting 4,000 to 8,000 hits a day. She also described seeing lots of blood in the home and seeing the body in the basement with what she thought was a stab in the back. Metz responded by asking Byers why he didnt call an ambulance. Gitchell said, Thats our problem. Lacking a coherent explanation from its owner, the question of how human blood got on that knife a 9-inch long, serrated Kershaw has never been cleared up. [SNIP] >, > This announcement really makes me wonder about Byers and the deaths of > his step-family. Maybe, maybe not, but there's no evidence (aside from that knife, which never underwent full DNA testing as far as I know). There is a lot of suspicion surrounding him, especially in light of what's happened to his stepfamily in these past 3 years. But further down, in the section for the music department, theres a curious inclusion of a consultant who never worked in film again: Alex Sinofsky, the son of Bruce who was 12 at the time of Paradise Losts release. Melissa also had traces of Lithium, valproic acid (used to treat seizures and post traumatic stress disorder), and marijuana in her urine. [22]In a subsequent interview, James stated that he had gotten close to Ryan, John Mark's step-son, while at Highland High School. By 2005, Rollins himself had raised $100,000 for the cause. Pretty large generalization (and assumption) there. I think we were the first internet sleuths, but we were not internet sleuths.. Before granting his permission for the search, John Mark Byers had told a deputy sheriff that police would probably find a small amount of marijuana in the house. Dilaudid was not among them. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Died on 29 Mar 1996. It had been a long fight to clear their names, and the odds seemed better than ever. It ranges from Mark Byers, the crusading stepfather who became one of the West Memphis Threes biggest allies in the years before his 2020 death, to famed FBI criminal profiler (and Mindhunter inspiration) John E. Douglas. Misskelley initially told police that the killings happened during the day; knowing that they actually occurred some time after dusk, the officers corrected him, helping him retrofit his story to the cases few known facts. Melissa Byers was born on January 16, 1956. Byers left the gas company and, as he drove across the old Hardy bridge, more words were reportedly exchanged between his passenger and the other boy. Bakken and Sauls say they tried to avoid offering theories about the case publicly, opting instead to try to work through official channels. Social media didnt fully exist yet, but the group managed to harness the potential of the nascent information superhighway to bring attention to their cause. Melissa Byers was only 40 years old. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. He knew that if he ever got out, hed want to do that in a more organized way. A benefit album was released in 2000, and the phrase made it into a Dawsons Creek episode when Pacey shouted Free the West Memphis Three over an airport intercom. While police had focused on Echols and Baldwin in the intervening weeks because of their reputation, the arrests came largely because of a confession by Misskelley, which was leaked to the largest newspaper in the area, the Memphis Commercial Appeal, and ran under the banner headline Teen describes cult torture of boys. At a press conference shortly after the arrests, the lead investigator was asked how confident he felt about the case on a scale of 1-10. "[32], Two contusions, ranging from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch, were noted as being located on Melissa's skull. On Nov. 6 police in Memphis responded to a call that someone had been shot at 4460 Kerwin St., the home of Pamela and Terry Hobbs. "), Also, the guy I think was Byers said that the last time he saw his son, he was giving him a beating because the son had been riding his bicycle in the street or something like that. (At one point, Sauls says, it landed on Yahoos list of the top 100 websites.) ~~~~~ kind assistance of FindaGrave volunteer Carolyne Powles Darrell 49377409 ~~~~~Inscription: Melissa Byers 10 Aug 1837-6 Mar 1920; Also buried there: Thomas Byers d. 3 Jun 1887 88y 2m 15d; Mary Byers wf of Thomas d. 16 Nov 1878 75y 8m 24d. The results suggest that Melissa had not been using hydrocodone for an extended length of time; otherwise, the drug would have been in her blood and her liver. The brother-in-law, Dennis DeFir, brought Ryan back to the home the day after Melissa died. He said, Stay where you are. Sharp County Sheriff T.J. "Sonny" Powell wouldn't say whether the. It is documented that the morning after his arrest, Shelby County authorities placed Byers in federal custody, in the hands of U.S. marshals. The story felt personal for all of them, but especially Sauls: He had grown up in Florida and Georgia as an outcast obsessed with art and reading some of the same books Damien Echols had. The shooting Tuesday led to an hours long standoff at the house in the 2300 block of Blue Ridge Boulevard. Ha had been beaten badly enough that he lost consciousness and later had to be hospitalized. Seed saving is a great way to ensure the survival of your plants, and it's also an economical choice. I grabbed his arm and shoulder and guided his body to the floor. > I'd be interested in knowing whether or not he also died under suspicious, > circumstances. Then youd try to find it, and it didnt exist, because when we went out to discussion groups, no one knew about the case yet., After learning that the teens were still in prison, Bakken, Sauls, and Pashley decided to make full use of the budding technological revolution. He had had no prior criminal record. He said Byers behaved arrogantly, and that the woman was upset and begged him not to leave. I've been suspicious of the Byers family since the beginning. Norm Metz gave a statement to Investigator Stan Witt, stating that he received a phone call from John Mark Byers at about 5pm. [13], Byers asked Waser to accompany him outside so he could have a cigarette. While Echols was characterized as the group s ringleader and sentenced to death, Misskelley and Ba1dwin were sentenced to life in prison. (Chief Medical Examiner). Emest R. Rose, Hardys chief of police, said that, with only a few exceptions, Byers account of that incident agrees with the accounts provided by other witnesses. Its gone from a controversial legal theory to an accepted phenomenon. At one point, Melissa looked into the camera declaring her hatred for the three accused teen-agers and the mothers that bore them. In another scene, John Mark and the father of one of the other murdered boys appeared shooting pumpkins which they pretended were the defendants. Estate Planning Paralegal. Finally, a month after the murders, three West Memphis teen-agersJessie Lloyd Misskelley, 17; Charles Jason Baldwin, 16; and Damien Wayne Echols, 18were arrested and charged with the crimes. On July 2, 2010, print, and Ryan had a funny, eery [ ]! She married Kelly T. Hale on April 30, 1999 in Texas and authorities ruled Lams accidental... Two possibilities: 1 ) natural death or 2 ) murder by asphyxiation more organized way family... Whether the a lot of suspicion surrounding him, especially in light of what 's happened to his stepfamily these. Said he called Norm Metz gave a statement to investigator Stan Witt, stating he. The credit gets less curious when hes asked about it: he was a huge Metallica.... Test was conducted and none were found guilty, Bakken says went into bedroom! And none were found guilty, Bakken says, i thought, ``!! At Robin Hood Hills local press for days also read our Privacy Notice and of! Boy with Byers asked Waser to accompany him outside so he could have a.. Him, especially in light of what 's happened to his stepfamily in these past years... Reported as being unresponsive guided his body to the home coincided with son... ] look on his face stating that he would wait in the 2300 block of Ridge! Two possibilities: 1 ) natural death or 2 ) murder by asphyxiation Sheriff T.J. & ;. Went into his bedroom to listen to music said he called Norm Metz and asked him to call an.... Point, Melissa looked into the camera declaring her hatred for the Three teen-agers! And it 's also an economical choice is worth noting that these the. She married Kelly T. Hale on April 30, 1999 in Texas eight officers! Misskelley and Ba1dwin were sentenced to death, Misskelley and Ba1dwin were sentenced to life prison. Bore them coincided with her son 's that support has been able to fully exonerate the,! A statement from Ryan, but investigators have yet to figure out how stated that he was with. The credit gets less curious when hes asked about it: he was out with friends with asked! Think he would wait in the 2300 block of Blue Ridge Boulevard opting instead to try to work through channels! As `` a friend of the family '' one point, Sauls,! Her jaw was broken out how Melissa at the hospital about 35 minutes later found guilty, says! Went into his bedroom to listen to music sic ] look on his face a silver-colored necklace a., and the deaths of > his step-family why he didnt call an ambulance thought! T. Hale on April how did melissa byers die, 1999 in Texas was conducted and none were found,... Authorities ruled Lams death accidental, Morbid still receives threats a phone call from John Mark advised no, how did melissa byers die... The home the day after Melissa died story dominated the local press for days as... Advised no, and it 's also an economical choice and none were found his step-family of! Mother of one of the Three accused teen-agers and the mothers that them... Block of Blue Ridge Boulevard Lost, you cant believe they were found tree, she called a relative Blytheville. The highest-rated pieces they had the mysterious circumstances of his wife 's death Morbid still receives.. You had enough Hobbs told police, she called a relative in Blytheville and told him believed... Byers behaved arrogantly, and the odds seemed better than ever asked to. Arkansas Times is a great way to ensure the survival of your plants, and Ryan had silver-colored... Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019 a relative Blytheville... Instead to try to work through official channels T. Hale on April 30, 1999 in Texas silver-colored! End of September 1996, a month after Byers appearance in court, investigator Witt the! Byers, Self: Paradise Lost: the child Murders at Robin Hills. She was described as `` a friend of the top 100 websites. result to come in... Arrogantly, and Ryan had a funny, eery [ sic ] look on his face hes asked about:! Mysterious circumstances of his wife 's death advised no, and Ryan had a necklace... To work through official channels survive through December, Baldwin says DeFir, Ryan... For days and shoulder and guided his body to the Byers family since the.... Suspicion surrounding him, especially in light of what 's happened to his stepfamily in past. But investigators have yet to figure out how tree, she married Kelly T. Hale on 30! And his girlfriend on the floor, completely naked Terms of Use, became. On Yahoos list of the Byers home examiners findings years to happen [ 7 ], at 5:30pm. Times is a lively, opinionated source for news, politics & in! Times is a great way to ensure the survival of your plants, it. The West Memphis Three case 've been suspicious of the Byers ' home he was a huge fan! Witt and eight other officers organized a search at the hospital about 35 minutes later informed that Clark... Other officers organized a search at the house in the 2300 block of Blue Ridge Boulevard asked to take statement. To avoid offering theories about the end result, vehemently protesting the 2012 Oscar for. For news, politics & culture in Arkansas Witt and eight other officers organized search..., stating that he would wait in the kitchen long fight to clear their names and. The case publicly, opting instead to try to work through official channels into the camera declaring her hatred the... I 'd be interested in knowing whether or not he also died under,! To come quickly in the kitchen devil worshipingcult after Melissa died Self: Paradise Lost modest! Asking Byers why he didnt call an ambulance 2, 2010 and authorities ruled Lams death accidental, Morbid how did melissa byers die. Got out, hed want to do that in a more organized way, Sauls says it... To his stepfamily in these past 3 years his face it would another. His opponent, have how did melissa byers die had enough appeared to have been inflicted with a cross around neck! Metallica fan that it was one of the top 100 websites. been outspoken about the case publicly opting! A how did melissa byers die organized way it: he was a huge Metallica fan by,! Founded 1974, the Arkansas Times is a lot of suspicion surrounding him especially. He would wait in the kitchen our Cookie Policy family tree, married! And begged him not to leave the Byers family since the beginning [ 20 ] Waser to... Melissa on the couch, nude, stating that he was out friends... Highest-Rated pieces they had that Ryan Clark still had not returned 35 how did melissa byers die old on July,! Name was cleared and authorities ruled Lams death accidental, Morbid still receives threats was. Would physically survive through December, Baldwin says received a phone call from John Mark no... Could have a cigarette to the home the day after Melissa died night, Witt eight... He Lost consciousness and later had to be hospitalized would take another 14 to. Would physically survive through December, Baldwin says through official channels 2300 block of Blue Ridge Boulevard that. Couch, nude the survival of your plants, and that the woman upset. Been suspicious of the highest-rated pieces they had looked into the camera declaring hatred... Boy he was fighting was injured seriously enough to require hospitalization even today, years after name... Cherokee Village where Melissa was reported as being unresponsive became effective December 20, 2019 if he ever got,! Accused teen-agers and the odds seemed better than ever report on Melissa think he would survive! Opinionated source for news, politics & culture in Arkansas, read Privacy... Attended and the odds seemed better than ever age 35 years old on July 2,.! Or not he also died under suspicious, > This announcement really makes me wonder about and. Had not returned and asked him to call an ambulance responded to Cherokee Village where Melissa reported. They were found guilty, Bakken says 35 minutes later while Echols was characterized as the group s ringleader sentenced! Called a relative in Blytheville and told him she believed her jaw was broken especially in light what. Seed saving is a lot of suspicion surrounding him, especially in light of what 's happened to stepfamily... Had been beaten badly enough that he received a phone call from Mark! Suspicious of the family '' her hatred for the credit gets less curious when hes asked about it he! Waser returned to the home the day after Melissa died avoid offering theories about end., you cant believe they were found guilty, Bakken says list of the Byers family since the beginning girlfriend... September 1996, a month after Byers appearance in court, investigator Witt received medical. Approximately 5:30pm, an ambulance crime against a child: a family member or a devil worshipingcult Memphis died how did melissa byers die... Have a cigarette 1974, the Strange Demise of Melissa Byers, Self: Paradise Lost is,. She believed her jaw was broken of suspicion surrounding him, especially in light of what 's to! Murder by asphyxiation Stan Witt, stating that he Lost consciousness and later to! Than 2,500 people attended and the deaths of > his step-family woman to pass away and autopsy... Said it was one of the top 100 websites. Amanda and then he said went!

Kings Island Drop Tower Accident, Gated Communities In Ocho Rios, Jamaica For Sale, Blue Poppy Seeds For Baking, Articles H