Now, evidence from the case of the West Memphis Three is either missing or destroyed. Well, perhaps not nobody. And the seemingly endless stream of threats against them and the frequent clashes with Mark Byers did nothing to dissuade them. Due to marital problems stemming from Stevies death, the couple divorced in 2004, reported CNN. This case was filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, Tennessee Western Bankruptcy. Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of eight-year-old victim Stevie Branch, has been named in documents released in Marian, Arkansas by the attorneys for Pam Hobbs, Stevie's mother. It was clear that Paradise Lost was resonating. Polygraph tests revealed deception in the answers of both men in regard to the crimes. Berlinger also concedes Revelations had some ethical problems, chiefly because it raised the possibility that Mark Byers committed the killings. (Despite Misskelleys statement, the coroners examination found no injuries on the victims consistent with sexual assault.) 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. At the time of the West Memphis Three trial, Griffis claimed to have given seminars to 38,000 police officers all over the globe. It was also revealed in 2012 that Hobbs nephew allegedly told his friends, My Uncle Terry murdered those three little boys," and that the killings were a Hobbs family secret, according to, I still believe in my heart that Jessie, Jason, and Damion Echols [sic] are responsible for what happened to our children, Hobbs told Memphis ABC affiliate. How do you measure the legacy of Paradise Lost, which is one of the best reviewed documentaries of all time and considered among the most influential, but whose mission is only partly complete? Theyve had several victories, including the case of Daniel Villegas, who was acquitted of capital murder in 2018 after a 25-year legal saga. - The West Memphis 3: Free (2012) . 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? Misskelley returned to life in West Memphis. So advocacy and diligence become tantamount, because most people in a similar situation to the one he was in dont have the benefit of filmmakers and musicians fighting on their behalf. "Everyone has a story and this just happens to be mine," said Hobbs. Now, I see they can. As the movement to free the West Memphis Three gained traction, a number of celebrities joined the cause, bringing the case under more scrutiny. I didn't even comprehend that the situation could get this serious that it can go this far. But for every Your Own Backyard or Ill Be Gone in the Dark that has applied journalistic rigor to their research in the past two decades, theres an Up and Vanished, which has been at the center of ethical debates since the podcast debuted in 2016. Now, he was being asked to consider something that he never dreamed he would: accepting a plea deal that would set the West Memphis Three free, but require them to give up their quest for exoneration. Mojo jumped up, Baldwin recalls. Its evidence that Damien Echols attorneys wanted to do new DNA testing on. As more people learned about the case from Paradise Lost and the work of people like Bakken and Sauls, the phrase Free the West Memphis Three caught on as a slogan for progressive musicians and actors in the 1990s, up there with Save the Rainforest and Free Tibet. Eddie Vedder became an early leading voice, soon followed by the likes of Peter Jackson, Johnny Depp, and Natalie Maines from the band then known as the Dixie Chicks. Make a life-giving gesture The sneaker ligatures in which Terry Hobbs' DNA was found in," Soury said . Blood and urine samples from both men were collected and sent to the West Memphis Police Department. He could have been me, he told Rolling Stone in 2011. 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. 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. Two questions plagued the conservative, middle-class community: Why would anyone commit such a heinous act, and, more importantly, who? Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Searching obituaries is a great place to start your family tree research. Case Number &colon; 2:21-BK-21177. Terry Roland Hobbs <p>Terry Roland Hobbs, 62, of Sweetwater, passed away on Saturday, September 11, 2021.</p> <p>Terry was born on September 11, 1959 in Sweetwater, to Jack Harvey and Marjorie Hobbs .Terry graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1977. By the end of Paradise Lost, you cant believe they were found guilty, Bakken says. That the slain boys were each 8 years-old was important because eight was a "witch's number." They saw this movie and they felt like, I have to do something.. Sinofsky family connection aside, Berlinger says this was an important part of the film: The prosecutors had put heavy metal lyrics and Baldwins and Echolss Metallica fandom on trial as much as the teens themselves. Paso Robles, California. 24 to Jun. I kind of enjoy it because now even after I die, people are going to remember me forever. To date, no DNA evidence from the crime scene can be linked to Damien Echols, Baldwin, or Jessie Misskelley. 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. 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 prosecutor would later say, There was a lack of physical evidence to tie anyone or anything to the crime scene, while the lead investigatorthe same one who told the press the case was an 11 out of 10would concede, Youve got a lot of circumstantial evidence is what youve got. The second postulated that they had been slain by one or more strangers. Because I was thinking, if you haven't done anything, then they can't prove you did something you haven't actually done. Hobbs denied seeing the boys that night and questioned why eyewitness evidence surfaced 16 years later. (Shortly after Villegass acquittal, Baldwin had something of a full-circle moment with his client: He took him to a Metallica show in El Paso, Texas, where they hung out backstage on the invitation of Lars Ulrich.). Although the appeals were repeatedly denied, a new batch of DNA testing done in 2007 reignited the investigation. The IMDb credits page for the first Paradise Lost is modest, but impressive. 2012 West of Memphis (Documentary) Self - Steven Branch's Stepfather. Titled West of Memphis, the film, directed by Amy J. Berg, presents an overview of the West Memphis Three's 18 years in prison, the revelation of new evidence, and explores the possibility of an alternate suspect. Here's when clocks will 'spring forward' in 2023. 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. Terry Hobbs USAF Ret. You still dont really know what happened to these kids. One of those shows, Truth & Justice With Bob Ruff, became the basis for an Oxygen docuseries last year titled The Forgotten West Memphis Three, which took a closer look at the three victims and tried to shine new light on the evidence. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. In West Memphis, Hobbs worked as an ice cream delivery man and Hicks worked at a restaurant. There are no events scheduled. There have also been several high-profile incidents of laypeople reinvestigating decades-old cold cases in more rigorous, journalistic ways and helping bring them to a resolution. 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. Damien Echols (@damienechols) July 7, 2021 Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of Branch who was under suspicion but never charged, said he welcomes new DNA testing. of Auburndale, FL passed away Monday, August 16, 2021. Terry was born on September 11, 1959 in Sweetwater, to Jack Harvey and Marjorie Hobbs. (WMC) - Its a case that has captured the nation and certainly the Mid-South. Echols is correct. Terry Hobbs passed away in Nampa, Idaho. 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. (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.) I couldnt not watch it at this point. The Messed Up Truth About The West Memphis Three Murders, citing the discovery of her son's favorite pocket knife, One of the prosecution's key pieces of evidence linking Jason Baldwin, With their 2007 request for a new trial rejected, Baldwin is the co-founder of the legal advocacy organization Proclaim Justice. 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. Some believe the West Memphis Three are guilty to this day, and others, including some victims family members, point to their innocence and maintain the real perpetrator is still at large. During the trials of Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols, Griffis drew tenuous links between circumstantial evidence, such as the killings taking place near the date of the pagan festival of Beltane. You need corroborating evidence.. They began attending appeal hearings and visiting Baldwin, Echols, and Misskelley in prison. She says she is too because they believe they are hearing different stories. But Berlinger also believes that the sequel is important for documenting the power of citizen activism. Terry Hobbs (1969 - 2019) Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers (Nightmare Vacation II) (1988) [Rob Darrinco]: Stabbed and hanged (after gaging), off-screen by Pamela Springsteen in Walter Gotell's office; his body is shown afterwards when Carol Martin Vines discovers him. It had been a long fight to clear their names, and the odds seemed better than ever. They couldnt have been cooler, recalls Berlinger, who would go on to direct the 2004 documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster alongside Bruce Sinofsky. Paradise Lost is a narration-free documentary filmed with a journalistic remove. However, in 2010, a series of rapidly unfolding developments turned the tide for Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley. Hide Self (6 credits) 2012 48 Hours: Hard Evidence (TV Series) Self. Hobbs, with the help of an author, put all that journaling intoa book about the 1993 murders of his stepson Stevie Branch, and Branchs friends Michael Moore and Chris Byers. Although Griffis' testimony was dramatic, it showed only a tenuous grasp of occult knowledge much of it, including a reference to a cult called "Crytos," was simply made up. Metallica had never licensed a song for a film before, but when they learned about the case, Berlinger says, they made an exception. 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. Defense attorneys also pointed out that Griffis' doctorate was obtained through a notorious diploma mill and had been awarded with Griffis having never attended a single class. In 2013, Jackson and Damien Echols produced a fourth documentary about the case. Making his way through the muck on his hands and knees, Ridge soon discovered clothing twisted around sticks and thrust into the ditch's bottom. Terry Hobbs Memphis 32, 14-Jun, Superior Funeral Home-Hollywood. February 27, 2023 (76 years old) View obituary. He was just taking in the enormity of the defining event of his life to that point, which had been committed to film and was now playing for him inside the cavernous, auditorium-style visitation room. One of the prosecution's key pieces of evidence linking Jason Baldwin to the crime a survival knife with a serrated edge recovered from a lake behind his home has also come under scrutiny. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Over the years there has been lots of speculation and finger pointing as to who was responsible. WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. 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, Three teenage boys were arrested for the crimes , Baldwin and Misskelley were sentenced to life without parole while Echols received the death penalty. Mike Allen arrived on the scene. In August 2011, Jason Baldwin was pulled from his prison cell under confusing circumstances once again. We didnt see them grow up.. But it wasnt in the ways its directors had hoped. Hes since parlayed the popularity of the show into a booming podcast network and documentary deal with Oxygen. Not everyone believes that the West Memphis Three are innocent of the killings of Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and Christopher Byers. Its gone from a controversial legal theory to an accepted phenomenon. After 18 years in prison, the West Memphis Three were finally free, but not exonerated. Yes, the West Memphis Three are out of prison, but as long as they are considered guilty in the eyes of the state, the case is closed, meaning no further investigation can occur. Echols said in 2012, he will never give up his mission to exonerate himself. Baldwin, the youngest member of the trio that had come to be known as the West Memphis Three, was serving a life sentence after being convicted on charges connected to the 1993 killings of three 8-year-old boys. But the lawyer quickly noticed inconsistencies in Misskelleys purported confession. They werent telling me I was lying, even if they may have been saying that in their minds. He was an actor, known for Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988), Fast Food (1989) and In the Heat of the Night (1988). Updated: 9:42 AM CDT June 11, 2019. The documentarians found me in one of the worst things a person could go through, Baldwin says.