Hobbs hasnt done a TV interview in years, but agreed to sit down with WREGs Sabrina Hall to answer some questions. Baldwin lives in Austin, Texas, where in 2017 he founded the non-profit group Proclaim Justice, which advocates for victims of wrongful convictions. Who Were Victims Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers? talking about." He then gave detectives a pair of sunglasses he thought the man had left behind, while blood samples from the walls and tiles were also taken from the scene. }); Just going to touch back again on this picture that you Stevie's mother, Pam Hobbs, who was married to Terry at the time, says she was told that he was jealous of how much attention she gave to her son compared to how much she gave him. }); Close to three decades later, investigators are still stumped by the brutal murders of three young West Memphis, Arkansas, boys that had left the country reeling. Several, including beating his stepson and wife. Both Michael and Steve had bruises across their bodies, while Christopher had bruises as well as lacerations to various parts of his body, and mutilation to his scrotum and penis. }); None of the DNA matched the three teenagers found guilty of committing these murders. The second Paradise Lost, subtitled Revelations, allows the Three's supporters to suggest the possibility that he killed both her and the kids. West Memphis police believe the killers to be three teenagers in a satanic cult: Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley. The child was near a fence on . Terry Hobbs was born in 1958 and grew up in Northern Arkansas. Why does he hesitate when denying that he does not know what happened to the three boys? Hobbs claimed a private investigator from the defense team told him one of his hairs was discovered in a knot in one of the shoe laces used to tie up the three eight-year-olds. The most significant specimen was a hair found in one of the shoelaces used to tie up the dead boys. Jo Lynn McAughey, Stevie's aunt, said she saw Hobbs doing laundry that nightperhaps, the filmmakers suggest, to clean the mud off his clothes after killing the boys in the woods. WM3 Main Page up a hole or something and they thought they mighta been in that hole so some Terry Hobbs: (Nods yes) He served as a producer for West of Memphis and has helped promote the film. 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 WATN in June 2019. David Jacoby and the Ballards state they saw him with the victims shortly before their disappearance. Echols was subsequently sentenced to death, Misskelley was sentenced to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Baldwin was sentenced to life imprisonment. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! was found at the crime scene. Rain, it seems, had washed away any incriminating trails or threads. In 1993, he was married to Pamela Hobbs and was the step father of Stevie Branch. One scene shows John Mark Byers, the stepfather of another of the murdered boys, taunting Hobbs outside a courtroom. Officer: "You remember about what time that was?" Exhibited violent temperment evening of murders. In the film, Judy Sadler, another of Stevie's aunts, says of Hobbs: "There's always been something that creeped me out about him." New Eyewitnesses: Three Boys Last Seen Alive with Terry Hobbs But the rave reviews miss a dangerous hypocrisy at the heart of the film, which was paid for and produced by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, and directed by Amy Berg. On June 21, 2007, Terry Hobbs was interrogated by the West Memphis Police Department. },false) },false) it on, and not, not let somebody rest from this.". Terry Hobbs: "I know I seen umm a picture, and I don't know if this means anything. But I don't know how, if that were murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas, in 1993. A crucial piece of the West Memphis Three innocence claims was that there was new DNA evidence which proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that another man, Terry Hobbs had committed the murders with his friend David Jacoby. Four new possible suspects in the brutal killings of three boy scouts in Arkansas in 1993 have been named by attorneys in the case - and the stepfather of one of the boys is among them. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); Once they realized it was the child, Assistant Conductor Marcus Higgins quickly jumped off the train to rescue the 3-year-old boy, whose mother said he has autism. Daily Mail Reporter In early 2007, Terry Hobbs mtDNA was found similar to that of a hair collected from the bindings of Michael Moore. Is he pausing because he knows this is not a truthful statement? "A gripping documentary," said the Guardian's review. Hobbs went to Jacoby's house the night the boys disappeared. After the case garnered national and celebrity attention, the three were freed in 2011 after agreeing to an Alford plea, allowing them to maintain their innocence while pleading guilty. At one point, the filmmakers attempt to construct a motive for the crime. Echols, Misskelley Jr., and Baldwin are all free men but have not been exonerated for the murders, which means that, as per their criminal records, they are still murderers and will continue to remain so until the real perpetrator is brought to justice. }); They've enlisted private investigators, forensic pathologists, and defense lawyers, none of which would have come cheap. He wants us to believe that a kid and some people were going to check it out but he used the word "think" which means he is not certain if they were going to look for the boys in the manholes. If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. scrapings from inside of door to eventAction: 'click_image_ads' D Dipasupil/FilmMagic. The creators of West of Memphis decide not only what evidence the audience gets to see, but also how it should be interpreted. ga('ads.send', { However, it also could have been the. He's like some wacko cult member," high school teacher Jim Ferguson told, Echols friend, Jason Baldwin, 16, was subsequently wrapped up in the investigation, and a third teenager, Jessie Misskelley Jr., 17, also came under scrutiny. Recently, three young men came forward to say they once heard Hobbs's nephew say that Hobbs was guilty of the crime. But if neither Hobbs nor any of the three killed the boys, then who did? Pam Hobbs divorced Terry Hobbs in 2004 and has reversed her position on the West Memphis Three's guilt. Ridge took blood scrapings The three 8-years-old boys were kidnapped and was later found dead. He's like some wacko cult member," high school teacher Jim Ferguson told The New York Times at the time of the murders. To this day, it is still unclear who is responsible for the killings. Another hair found at the crime scene matched David Jacoby. Until recently, Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were the ones who got the bad rap in this complicated and confounding case. Hobbs says he is not bothered by the . document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ The legal troubles of Terry Hobbs and John Mark Byers As mentioned earlier, Terry Hobbs, like John Mark Byers before him, was fingered as a suspect in 2012's West of Memphis after a hair found at the crime scene was genetically matched to him. Admitted to concentrating his search efforts in the area where the victims were found. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! "I don't know what they's talking about." And when I was attacked. Later in this portion of his interview he would estimate there were "20 to 40" people searching. They reported that the man had been bleeding profusely and had brushed against the restroom walls. In a later appeal, Misskelley argued he had an I.Q. Furthermore, a hair found in one of the ligaturesused to bind the boys was found to be consistent with the DNA of Terry Hobbs, Stevies stepfather, according to court documents obtained by Oxygen.com. Multiple instances of contradictory statements. Hobbs says the entire story is a complete fabrication. Possesses many knives. Let's look at some excerpts and see what Terry Hobbs had to say 14 years after the boys were murdered. Possible source of mtDNA found with binding of Michael Moore. hitType: 'event', One of the 8-year-olds is Hobbs stepson, Stevie Branch. might forward to the prosecuting attorney if, if necessary, ummm," Murders In West Memphis::: - Jivepuppi Hobbs was charged with assault and criminal trespass. Is this mixture of facts, conjecture, and speculation enough to prove Hobbs guilty? Moreover, he also studied Wicca, which incorporates elements of paganism and witchcraft. He was not asked what he heard but was asked about what he "saw." }); Other evidence is even more circumstantial. Residents Jamie Clark Ballard and Carlos Seals were reportedly the last two people to see the boys alive, as reported in Oxygen's "The Forgotten West Memphis Three.". However, a hair found in a knot on one of the shoe strings used to bind one of the boys matched Terry Hobbs. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Terry Hobbs: "Just a lot of neighborhood people. After bringing up the idea the boys may have been playing in some manholes, he quickly tells the officer that he does not know anything about it. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Twice Hobbs uses the phrase "I think" which means he is not committed to what he is saying about this picture. Blonde hair, blue eyes, said Hobbs. 21:46, 28 Mar 2013 The West Memphis Three Trial: Who was the real killer or killers? Terry Hobbs: "Yeah, I've heard about it, but I don't remember if I've seen it, seems like ga('ads.send', { The witness said he contacted the West Memphis police to tell them what he had learned but no one ever returned his call. There are some people who believe in the Jason Baldwin and Damien Echels of "West of Memphis" arrive on the red carpet at the Cinema Vanguard Award Tribute to Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo held at the Arlington Theater on February 4, 2012 in Santa Barbara, California. Since his release, Echols has released three books most recently , Baldwin lives in Austin, Texas, where in 2017 he founded the non-profit group. In 1993, such . This is not a theory of who did this, this is evidence, said an attorney. They were released on Aug. 19, 2011. Its been a while since Ive paid attention to this blog but I have a story to share plus some exciting things happening in the Hobbs world. The interview was conducted on June 21, 2007. Based on the flimsiest of evidence, including a confession from Misskelley that the filmmakers say was coerced, Misskelley and Baldwin got life sentences while Echols, the supposed ringleader, was sentenced to death. Several neighbors named him as a suspect. }); Multiple instances of contradictory statements. Hobbs was 24 and married to his first wife at the time. Terry Hobbs currently lives in Hudson Falls, NY; in the past Terry has also lived in Aurora CO and Glens Falls NY. He said that one of the boys had likely been mutilated more than others, raising suspicion because, "at the time Echols made the statement, there was no public knowledge that one of the children had been mutilated more severely than the others.". "The film," wrote Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman, "casts a hypnotic spell all its own.". The witness said he learned that Hobbs and Jacoby invited the two teenagers to meet with them to buy drugs. Hobbs says the hair found could be his, all those little boys played at our home.. Echols friend, Jason Baldwin, 16, was subsequently wrapped up in the investigation, and a third teenager, Jessie Misskelley Jr., 17, also came under scrutiny. The manuscript was finalized yesterday! While Stewart sold the two boys the pot, he noticed Hobbs and Jacoby kissing in a pick-up truck across . Could Blue Crush, COACT units hold lessons for MPD? They re-examined the clothes years and years later and what they said was they found a hair that is "not unlike Terry Hobbs'". It also suggested that The West Memphis Three were victims of lingering , The tale of three metal-loving misfits who may have been scapegoated for being different resonated with many, including several. I seen might be pertinent, or, or have some value uhh to this case at all. In Jackson's mind, the courts have already failed. In June 1996, HBO aired Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, the first of three documentaries that took a critical look at the case, highlighting law enforcements questionable investigation tactics and lack of physical evidence tying Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley to the murders. Subsequently, HBO produced three documentary films about the casethe Paradise Lost trilogyall of which strongly insinuate, and in some cases outright argue, that the Three are innocent. (This story was originally published on March 19, 2020 and has been updated with new information.). It also suggested that The West Memphis Three were victims of lingering Satanic Panic, a widespread fear in the 1980s that Satanism would infect society. to which the officer replied "Mark Byers.". The day after Christopher's, Michael's, and Steve's bodies were found, Bojangles' manager Marty King suspected there was a connection between their deaths and the bloody man in the bathroom and reported the incident to the police again. Hobbs says he took it off Stevie earlier that day because he didn't think it wise to let an eight-year-old carry a knife around. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Multiple charges and convictions for theft. They were not reported missing until later that evening. women's bathroom + Entrance hall about it? Officer: "Mark Byers." But the filmmakers aren't answerable to a judge or jury. Hobbs, moreover, has been accused assaultive conduct in the past. Shortly before 5:00 p.m. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. ), The tale of three metal-loving misfits who may have been scapegoated for being different resonated with many, including several prominent musicians, celebrities and activists, including Johnny Depp and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. He then apparently asked "Mark?" Thursday, Hobbstold Action News 5 he didn't do it. Court documents reveal new details in the case of the "West Memphis 3", Mother arrested for leaving children home alone to go to gym, police say. some of the people that was there and check, but I don't know what they's In 1994 . The new documentary West of Memphis has received a lot of praise for the way it tells the story of three men who were convicted, perhaps wrongly, for the murders of three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas in the early '90s. The filmmakers present a series of findings that seem to bode ill for Hobbs. When the men were smoking pot, they saw the three boys spying on them, he said. Multiple old scars on stepson's corpse. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Collette By Miss Elaine Vintage Green Terry Cloth Zip Lounge Robe Housecoat at the best online prices at eBay! Crime and poverty rates are significantly higher than the national average and the Bible Belt city ranked as the most the most dangerous in the state in 2018, reported, Residents Jamie Clark Ballard and Carlos Seals were reportedly the last two people to see the boys alive, as, John Mark Byers, Christophers stepfather, reported the boys missing to the West Memphis Police Department at approximately 8 p.m., reported local newspaper the, The following day, authorities launched an extensive search for the boys where they were last seen playing a wooded area off Interstate 40 known as Robin Hood Hills..