Baldwin is the co-founder of the legal advocacy organization Proclaim Justice. The sheer mountain moving amount of money it cost to prove the obvious innocence of Jessie, Jason, and Damien still staggers me. Support came from unlikely corners: a classroom of kids who held a cookie sale that raised $30, local bands in Chicago who held a benefit show and sent $150. Investigators never found any evidence that tied him, Jason Baldwin, or Jessie Misskelley to the murders of the boys, Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers. They began attending appeal hearings and visiting Baldwin, Echols, and Misskelley in prison. It was so emotionally taxing to watch and go through it again, he says. Although the bodies were discovered at 1:30 p.m., investigators didn't call the coroner until 3:58 p.m. By the time the coroner arrived, fly larvae were already present in the nostrils and eyes of the victims. Hide Self (6 credits) 2012 48 Hours: Hard Evidence (TV Series) Self. Terry Hobbs Obituary (1988 - 2021) - Memphis, TN - Legacy.com Theres no smoking gun. Also part of the plea was the provision that the three could not sue the state. They werent connected in any direct way, Bakken says. Now, evidence from the case of the West Memphis Three is either missing or destroyed. One person who has come up in the investigation is Terry Hobbs, although police have never named him a suspect or charged him in connection with the case. To send flowers or plant a tree in memory of Terry Hobbs, visit the Tribute Store. 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. To date, no DNA evidence from the crime scene can be linked to Damien Echols, Baldwin, or Jessie Misskelley. 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. Quality. By 2005, Rollins himself had raised $100,000 for the cause. Share Memories & Support the Family. Terry Roland Hobbs, 62, of Sweetwater, passed away on Saturday, September 11, 2021. Berlinger and Sinofsky, the latter of whom died in 2015 at age 58, were able to gain incredible and immediate access to seemingly everyone the case had touched: the families of the victims and the accused, the judge, the lead investigator, members of the community. A graveside service will be conducted on Wednesday, March 17 at Cloverdale Memorial Park beginning at 11am. On August 19, 2011, all three accepted the deal and were immediately released from prison. Hes subdued when discussing the facts of the case, but he comes alive while recounting his work with the Jaycees while in prison, or buying Metallicas Black Album when it came out in 1991. "People probably think I'm in Satanism because what they don't understand they try to destroy or ridicule. 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. The test results showed that no genetic material on the crime scene evidence was a match to Echols, Baldwin or Misskelley, reported the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. New evidence points to new suspects in West Memphis 3 case - Action News 5 We made a promise early on that we would never pretend to be law enforcement or detectives, Sauls says. Terry Hobbs - Sweetwater, Texas , Cate Spencer and Trent Funeral Home If the state of Arkansas has a deep and abiding belief that the West Memphis Three are child murderers and did these terrible crimes, then shame on them for letting them out after 18 and a half years because a bunch of celebrities are whining about it, Berlinger says. "They said close to the crime scene because at one time I did walk near where they had found the kids with Terry Hobbs But I didn't wear hats back then, my hair could have blown around anywhere, Jacoby told Memphis NBC affiliate WMC-TV in 2013. October 13, 2018 - Happy 94th Birthday Terry! Terry Hobbs passed away in Nampa, Idaho. The only possible culprits were 18-year-old Damien Echols, a poor teen with an interest in the occult and a record of mental illness, his friend Jason Baldwin, a quiet kid whose talent for art tended toward dark subjects, and Jessie Misskelley, a 17-year-old misfit with an IQ of 73. After 18 years in prison, the West Memphis Three were finally free, but not exonerated. Well theres been a lot of things that happened over the years. The Alford plea is a seldom-invoked and somewhat confusing legal maneuver, but the basics are fairly straightforward. One of the keys to understanding the West Memphis Three murders is the phenomenon known as the Satanic Panic. They were naked and hog-tied with their own shoelaces, and showed signs of blunt force trauma and mutilation, the latter of which may have been the work of wild animals, reported the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper. To bolster their assertions that the killings were related to occult activity despite virtually no evidence prosecutors brought in their own so-called expert on cult murders. Not everyone believes that the West Memphis Three are innocent of the killings of Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and Christopher Byers. As recounted in Mara Leveritt's book, Devil's Knot, a thorough search of Robin Hood Hills directed by Chief Inspector Gary W. Gitchell of the West Memphis Police Department commenced early on the morning of May 6, 1993. That the slain boys were each 8 years-old was important because eight was a "witch's number." Update: I was totally wrong. . In 2004, Vicki Hutcheson recanted her trial testimony, stating that she had lied on the stand. The second is by looking at it as an act of passion and perseverance. (WJHG) By Nikki Sheaks Published: Jul. (Echolswho is in better health today, though his eyesight has degenerated and he has premature arthritis from his time in solitary confinementin particular has maintained a relatively public life, through the five books hes published, performing magic for Patreon subscribers, and making TV appearances to discuss other cases he sees as similar to his.) Luminol tests, which reveal the hidden presence of blood, were not performed at the scene until six days later. The first film gave rise to a movement devoted to reopening the investigation in hopes of exonerating, and ultimately freeing, Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols, and Jessie Misskelley. With their 2007 request for a new trial rejected, time was running out for the West Memphis Three. Terry Hobbs USAF Ret. And they used that visibility to help raise funds for the defense. Terry Hobbs is absolutely terrible. Now a judgewho coincidentally works part time in the courtroom where Misskelley was convictedStidham spends time speaking to law students about the judicial system. They were found nude and hogtied in a creek in a wooded area in West Memphis. Their advocates believe the Alford pleas represent their own form of injustice, but correcting that is a less pressing issue than the early battlesthe men are free and have been able to mostly live their lives in the years since their release. That included Mojo, who came calling around 2 a.m. that day trying to coax him out of his cell. None of the initial trio behind WM3.orgnor their friend Lisa Fancher, who later became a key part of the efforthad ever considered themselves an activist to that point. Terry Lee Hobbs (1964-2021) - Find a Grave Memorial Berlinger says that he counts Errol Morriss The Thin Blue Line as one of his greatest influences, not just for the innovations Morris brought to the documentary genre, but also because it helped free Randall Dale Adams from a sentence for the murder of a Texas police officer that he did not commit. 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. The Messed Up Truth About The West Memphis Three Murders - Grunge.com Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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. We were finally winning, he says. every single person in my class was either . Feigning a romantic interest in Echols, she asked Misskelley to arrange a meeting. La Mirada, California. In fact, for the better part of 1993, it was nearly impossible to find anyone who believed they were innocent. When he was released in 2011, he met John Hardin, who worked with the West Memphis Three support group Arkansas Take Action, and the two bonded over a desire to do for others what had just been done for Baldwin. A hair found on one of the ligatures to bind the boys, however, was found to be consistent with the DNA of Hobbs, according to court documents obtained by Oxygen.com. Pam Hobbs divorced Terry Hobbs in 2004 and has reversed her position on the West Memphis Three's guilt. People in West Memphis are going to tell their kids stories. Like Misskelley in the first trial, Baldwin received a life sentence. I spoke with one of the jurors, years later after the trials and convictions, and he said he had no doubt that people could throw their lot in with the devil and be commanded to do things that they wouldnt have done otherwisethat they have basically made the deal with the devil, Leveritt says. The documentarians found me in one of the worst things a person could go through, Baldwin says. So the minute youre done, you just want to know more. Websleuths, an online forum for discussions about unsolved homicides and missing-person cases, has more than 100,000 members, and internet vigilantes have used social media and other online breadcrumbs to help track down actual criminals, such as the Canadian murderer and subject of the documentary Dont F*ck With Cats, Luka Magnotta. Explore. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. Show more Show more What's next for West. But they werent just voices in the growing choir calling for the West Memphis Threes releasethey were leading the movement. And the seemingly endless stream of threats against them and the frequent clashes with Mark Byers did nothing to dissuade them. It's affected a lot of lives, but for some reason it keeps being brought up," said Hobbs. This is the true story of the West Memphis Three murders. Terry Hobbs Obituary (1957 - 2021) | Caldwell, Idaho - Echovita Terry Gibbs Unaware of what was to come, Allen explained that he just wanted to ask him some questions. However, under pressure, leading questions, and scare tactics, Misskelley wove a contradictory story that first placed him at the crime scene as an eyewitness to the murders and then as an active participant. 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. The West Memphis Police Department interviewed Hobbs, who was dismissive of the findings, claiming the hair could have been picked up during a visit to his home since the victim "played with our little boy regularly," according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. No explanation has yet been given as to why such a seemingly important lead was dropped. Sheriff's deputies in Calhoun County say Terry Hobbs was reported missing on Saturday, April 20, 2019. La Verne, California. Bray asked her if she knew about rumored cult activity in the community. I had a big box. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. According to Griffis, black hair, black T-shirts, and black jeans were signs that a kid was in league with the devil. 2 I dont know if they were questioning it, but they werent mistreating me and telling me that what I was telling them wasnt true., While Berlinger admits that he and Sinofsky may have tilted pro-prosecution in the early days of filming, that quickly changed after witnessing how the cases came together and spending time with the three teens during pretrial jailhouse interviewsparticularly Baldwin, who Berlinger describes as sweet and studious.. Baldwin, who had been coached by his lawyers to avoid speaking to the press, says money was the only reason he agreed to the added pressure of appearing in the documentary, especially when everyone else in a position of authority seemed adversarial toward him. Make a life-giving gesture MEMPHIS, Tenn. (localmemphis.com)More than 25 years after the murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis,a new book gives a first-person account of what was happening behind the scenes. In August 2011, Jason Baldwin was pulled from his prison cell under confusing circumstances once again. eyewitness evidence surfaced 16 years later. In her recantation, Hutcheson stated that when she asked Echols directly if he had killed "those three kids," he replied, "No. A source said the evidence was transferred to shipping containers where there was a fire, and some of the evidence was destroyed. As the first in a trilogy of Paradise Lost films about the case, the 1996 movie was a stunning example of cinma vrit, as directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky embedded themselves with the prosecution, the defense, and the families of both the slain and the accused to put human faces on a heart-wrenching tragedy, as well as highlight the overblown worries of satanic rituals and murderous cults that proliferated throughout the 1980s and 90s. He was 56. The trio assumed that the convictions had already been overturned by the time Bakken received the screenerthis was a modern-day witch hunt, they thought, and surely the state of Arkansas had already corrected the course. Even today, years after his name was cleared and authorities ruled Lams death accidental, Morbid still receives threats. They saw the same thing you did. He was an actor, known for Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988), Fast Food (1989) and In the Heat of the Night (1988). On 04/08/2021 Terry Hobbs was filed as a Bankruptcy - Chapter 13 lawsuit. On Aug. 11, 2011, the West Memphis Three entered the courtroom for the final time. In 1994, Dr. Dale W. Griffis was a retired police officer who had embarked on a second career as a self-styled consultant on occult and cult-related crime. Im seeing the things I experienced, but not through my own point of view. Terry L. Hobbs, 63, of Caldwell, HOBBS, Terry L., passed on March 7,2021 at the age of 63. Terry Hobbs was born in 1958 and grew up in Northern Arkansas. She has since expressed her belief that her ex-husband was involved in the murders,citing the discovery of her son's favorite pocket knife in Terry Hobbs' belongings. Terry Hobbs Obituary All three had been submerged face down in the mud, stripped naked, and bound with their shoelaces. In West Memphis, Hobbs worked as an ice cream delivery man and Hicks worked at a restaurant. (Despite Misskelleys statement, the coroners examination found no injuries on the victims consistent with sexual assault.) Despite an offer of a reduced sentence, Misskelley ultimately recanted his statements and refused to testify against Echols and Baldwin. 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. So when I saw this tiny little article in the Times, I wasnt about to free anybody that was guilty. Terry Hobbs is the one suspected of murder and the wounds that were inflicted on my nephew were where turtles bit his face. That was more than the people deciding the case were able to hearthe presiding judge made the expert give most of his testimony without the jury in the courtroom because he questioned its relevance. They had a daughter together, Amanda Hobbs, who was 4 years old at the time of her brothers death. I think we were the first internet sleuths, but we were not internet sleuths.. Although blood scrapings were taken, the West Memphis police lost the evidence. Further down, it includes names such as Rick Dior, a sound mixer who worked on Apollo 13 and Dirty Dancing, and Bob Richman, a three-time Emmy-nominated cinematographer whose rsum also includes renowned docs like An Inconvenient Truth and Waiting for Superman. . On the surface, 18-year-old Damien Echols, an intelligent, but psychologically troubled teen with interests in Wicca and extreme music, fit the profile. the only grade you receive is from quizzes, exams, and the final. 24 to Jun. That November, he says, HBO agreed to give an honorariumroughly $5,000to the families on both sides. Cinemorgue Wiki. Terry Hobbs says he is a church member, a father, and working man and in no way a killer. West Memphis 3 / Terry Hobbs 2022 Update - YouTube Published: Dec. 21, 2021 at 9:56 PM CST WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. Terry. Terry Hobbs | Cinemorgue Wiki | Fandom The governor of the state of Arkansas who will one day pardon the West Memphis Three is probably in junior high right now, he says. Quickly, however, he realized Berlinger and Sinofsky were taking a different approach. I wouldn't do something like that. Echols said in 2012, he will never give up his mission to exonerate himself. 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. Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelly and Jason Baldwin were originally convicted of the killings and released from prison in 2011 after making a deal with prosecutors. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! But on that early morning in 1997, Jason Baldwin wasnt concerned with Berlinger and Sinofskys craft, or legal precedent, or crusading celebrities. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! By staying on this subject for the next couple of decades, they gave these men a chance and really decades of freedom afterward. Published by The Commercial Appeal from Jun. The news was devastating beyond just word of his friends suffering. No charges have been brought against Jacoby, and he has never been named a suspect by the West Memphis Police Department. The following day revealed the unthinkable, when the bloodied and bruised bodies of the three boys were found submerged in a muddy creek in a wooded area called Robin Hood Hills. The three teens were arrested after Misskelley said they committed the crime after 12 hours of interrogation. He says that while he was in the supermax prison in Varner, he would write letters trying to drum up support for not just himself, but also for other inmates he believed were wrongfully convicted. On the morning of June 2, 1993, Jessie Misskelley Jr., a 17-year-old high school drop out with a reported IQ of 73, was taken into custody by Detective Mike Allen. Terry Hobbs was born in 1958 and grew up in Northern Arkansas. California Obituaries - Latest Obituaries in California - Echovita Baldwin remembers the dire circumstances laid out during the call. Auburndale, FL - TSGT Terry Lee Hobbs, USAF, ret. Hobbs said, I still believe in my heart that Jessie, Jason, and Damion, 'Feels Like Home:' electrical failure from a light fixture caused December fire that killed 1, Shelby County reporting an increase in drug-related overdoses, largely due to fentanyl, Severe weather threat is over | Prepare for a sunny weekend, Daylight saving time starts soon. Their bikes were found by a pipe nearby. Evidence in West Memphis Three case missing or destroyed, Judge sets bond for 76-year-old woman accused of killing terminally ill husband, Woman accused of driving into home, killing former pro basketball player Galen Young granted diversion, DA Mulroy says he doubts any drag shows will violate Tennessees new drag bill, MPD finds alleged chop shop operating in plain sight, Congressman Cohen announces $1 million grant for Memphis YMCA, Red hot Memphis womens basketball ready to make a run in AAC Tournament. Echols tweeted, New technology and evidence in science would now allow us to test DNA in amounts so small that it would have been previously impossible. Over the course of the initial investigation, a number of alternate suspects and scenarios came to light that were largely ignored or otherwise dismissed by authorities. Among those active in the cause were singer Eddie Vedder of the band Pearl Jam, the country music trio The Dixie Chicks, punk rock icon and poet Henry Rollins, and actor Johnny Depp. Paradise Lost is a narration-free documentary filmed with a journalistic remove. Inevitably, the West Memphis Three case always comes up. When the pair got the call from Nevins, they mobilized immediately, landing in Arkansas shortly after the arrests. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. He is from USA. Eventually, they began traveling to Arkansasabout 35 trips in total, always on their own dime, Bakken and Sauls sayto collect case documents, which they scanned and uploaded to the site, also transcribing the documents so that the text could be searchable. Everybody Id come in contact with was hostile to the truth, Baldwin says. Hobbs denied the accusation, saying that his family does have secrets, but none of them have to do with murder. https://t.co/dXOtQkmjee. But it wasnt in the ways its directors had hoped. In 2007, new DNA and physical evidence arose that seemed to further distance the West Memphis Three from the murders. Like everyone else who was familiar with the case, they wanted to know who committed the crimes, but their main goal was advocacy, not using the opportunity to play investigators. The next to be found was Stevie Branch, quickly followed by Christopher Byers. With a large population of fundamentalist Christians, the American South was particularly subject to occult paranoia. Rollins not only gave interviews to keep the effort alive in the press, he organized a string of benefit shows and released an album featuring Iggy Pop and Chuck D, with proceeds going to the defense.