Melissa left her husband to live with her parents and had only been living at home for two to three weeks before she passed away. The IMDb credits page for the first Paradise Lost is modest, but impressive. When you can get it, Hawley accuses Biden nominee of lying under oath about her political social media posts, Johnson County mom sentenced to 10 years for toddlers fentanyl death in 2020, Not putting anyone else in harms way. Standoff continues after 3 KC police shot, Police respond to several false calls of active shooters at Kansas high schools, Kansas City, Kansas man convicted of murder for killing wife who had protective order, CEO of Kansas hospice care facility arrested for alleged sale of sexual relations. 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. Debates still occur regularly onlinethe West Memphis Three subreddit is fairly active for one on a 28-year-old caseand podcasts have looked at the crime from all angles. Nobody was saying, This is an outrageous case that needs to be looked into.. He went to watch television with Amanda and then he said they went into his bedroom to listen to music. 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. He said, J.B., youre going home, man, youre going home.. Byers drove into Hardy accompanied by a teen-aged boy. She stated that she lived with Byers and "discovered that he was nothing but a pathological liar. She died on March 29, 1996 in Arkansas, USA. The specter of the church looms over Paradise Lost, best represented by an early scene in which Mark Byers leads his congregation in prayer and song. He advised that John Mark advised no, and Ryan had a funny, eery [sic] look on his face. The mother of one of the three boys murdered in West Memphis died, but investigators have yet to figure out how. Lambert, the prosecutor, said he entered the plea agreement with Byers because a key witness in the burglary case was a minor whose mother was reluctant to have him testify, making a successful prosecution difficult. He kept asking me, What is your opinion? He said, I think they ought to have fought it out, dont you?, I said, No, I dont. how did melissa byers die. As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know were dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. On the left side of the bed there was a glass of clear liquid. She died at . 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. x\IoFp_ qw!%J&aE)%l6z[{"A~_w GD3N=l~>}+9g;^ b'#y|S,Zx~ok>~bB'4DkDt. Byers asked to ride in the ambulance with his wife. 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. But officials at the Marshal s Service say Byers was released, and no record apparently exists showing to whom he was released or why. Moreover, that anomaly in the body was matched by an anomaly in the report. Wherever it was screened, Berlinger says, it was followed by intense Q&As from audience members who couldnt believe what theyd just watched. While thats cooled from the days of concerts in the shadows of the Arkansas Supreme Court building, the documentaries still live on HBO Max, where they pull in new viewers to this day. She was laying on her back and was not breathing. I couldnt not watch it at this point. He had been expecting a visitation, but was instead led to the prison chapel office, where inmates were typically brought only if someone close to them had died. It was nude and lying on the stretcher where she had died. And the seemingly endless stream of threats against them and the frequent clashes with Mark Byers did nothing to dissuade them. Paradise Lost also led to a famous citizen-activist campaign championing the release of the three teens that caught on at the dawn of the Internet Age and would eventually pull in Eddie Vedder, Henry Rollins, and a whos who of the rich and famous. Okay. [28] The coroner noted that rigor was not present, but checked "yes" on lividity. [5]Byers said that they heard Ryan knock on the bedroom door around 3:20pm and then they both went back to sleep. According to her family tree, she married Kelly T. Hale on April 30, 1999 in Texas. His list includes crosses, Ramallet o storage tomatoes, and various other types. Even today, years after his name was cleared and authorities ruled Lams death accidental, Morbid still receives threats. Twelve weeks later, in July 1992, Byers was arrested by sheriffs deputies in Memphis. 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. He said that he and Melissa spent the afternoon in bed, beginning at 12pm. It is worth noting that these are the two parents who have made the most TV, print, and film appearances. The Byerses, who did not respond to requests for an interview, have also sought a restraining order against the Kingsburys. Defense lawyers tried to suggest that family violence may have played a role in the killings, rather than satanic blood-thirst, as was alleged. Well, perhaps not nobody. This announcement really makes me wonder about Byers and the deaths of his step-family. Byers asked Metz to come over to the house. There he met with local law enforcement officers and with John Mark Byers, Melissas husband. As of "The Piggyback", 825+ characters are known to have died throughout the show's run. However other needle marks were evident. Stidham says he has a hard time sleeping at night, so convinced is he that his client and the boys convicted with him were victims of what one witness for the defense labeled a satanic panic. He is aware of Byers record, and of the further violence erupting in the family of Steve Branch, but Stidham is careful about throwing stones. [18], Efforts to locate Ryan Clark were unsuccessful that evening. She assists in the drafting of all estate planning documents and works with clients to ensure we have the proper information to include in their documents. American actress, TV director, producer, politician, and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, Melissa Gilbert's cause of death is spreading as a rumor since reports claimed she passed away on October 27, 2022. That included Mojo, who came calling around 2 a.m. that day trying to coax him out of his cell. Her body showed no visible signs of trauma. "[32], Two contusions, ranging from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch, were noted as being located on Melissa's skull. 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. (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.). Byers acted strange, the report noted. Pamela Hobbs told police, she called a relative in Blytheville and told him she believed her jaw was broken. 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. 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. This article was updated after publication to add more context about the honorariums paid to the families of the victims and the West Memphis Three and also to correct the time frame in which Berlinger and Sinofsky informed HBO about the changing scope of the documentary. Byers agreed to the autopsy and signed a form giving consent. [17] A later interview with a woman identified as "Fern" revealed that Mandy was Byers' girlfriend. By going into the courtroom and sticking with the case for its entire duration, Berlinger and Sinofsky were able to capture what may have otherwise been lost to time or left out of transcripts. A former neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said she reported Byers about that time to child abuse authorities, because he was whipping Christopher [who was two at the time] so badly I was afraid for his life. The woman said she reported the incidents again during the investigations into the murders, but was never asked to testify. But on that early morning in 1997, Jason Baldwin wasnt concerned with Berlinger and Sinofskys craft, or legal precedent, or crusading celebrities. At the same time Byers was informing for the police during late 1992 and early 1993 he was also being investigated by the Arkansas State Police for what they concluded was a scam involving a shipment of Rolex watches. That story line would make up the bulk of 2000s Paradise Lost 2: Revelations, a rare sequel for a documentary, especially before the streaming era proved that true crime series like Making a Murderer and The Staircase could maintain audience interest for years. Melissa also had traces of Lithium, valproic acid (used to treat seizures and post traumatic stress disorder), and marijuana in her urine. Mojo had a different idea of what might get the man he affectionately called J.B. out of prison. 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. This story was originally published April 26, 2019, 9:48 PM. In 1996, a screener for Paradise Lost passed her desk. Before the three teens were arrested, Beyers was giving the police the names of pawnbrokers and drug dealers as possible suspects (he's a police drug informant), claiming that there were a lot of people with grudges against him (diverting attention from himself? By subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers and expand our coverage. Once there got to be this global pressure, and there was a big concert here with really big-name musicians within a mile of our Supreme Court building, things started suddenly to change, she says. By staying on this subject for the next couple of decades, they gave these men a chance and really decades of freedom afterward. And without substantial physical evidence, police zeroed in on a pair of teens they knew well: Echols, a self-professed Wiccan who wore all black and read Stephen King, and his best friend Baldwin, who was considered an outsider because of his love of drawing and bands like Metallica. Waser noted that there was a glass containing white liquid on the nightstand located to the right of the bed. Sauls says that the former Black Flag frontman was one of the few big names who dug deep into the evidence, wanting to learn as many details as he could about the case. The puncture marks on the top of her right and left foot were not covered. There. She's determined to turn over an old leaf and slide right back into the safety of being a wallflow. She was in the bedroom on the floor. But none of that support has been able to fully exonerate the trio, something theyre still fighting for. They werent telling me I was lying, even if they may have been saying that in their minds. The nonprofits work hasnt always been easyfundraising is hard, and because hes a convicted felon, hes unable to visit clients in prison or discuss pleasbut its been essential for him as he strives to live the words by 14th-century Persian poet Hafez that he keeps as an email signature: The small man builds cages for everyone he knows / While the sage, who has to duck his head when the moon is low / Keeps dropping keys all night long for the beautiful rowdy prisoners. Baldwin says hes learned that justice isnt a computer programthat you can input all the evidence and testimony and still get the wrong results. Join the ranks of the 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts who know that the Arkansas Times is the go-to source for tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. 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. 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. "Hydrocodone is a potent narcotic which is a dangerous drug even at therapeutic levels but repeated toxicological studies of blood and liver were negative. But inside, he was just another prisonerBaldwin didnt know who he could trust. He had, in fact, passed it, but it was after that that Misskelley gave his damning confession.z. Byers was not arrested nor was the case against him revealed. He advised her mouth was wide open, her eyes were closed, she was totally limp, and her arms were down by her side. She is known for Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996). She was described as "a friend of the family". "[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. ", >That same large number of people here feel that Mark Beyers is guilty of, >the 'Paradise Lost' murders because of skimpy evidence and the fact that. That same year, Byers was arrested and charged with terroristic threatening for an assault on his former wife. 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. Waser wrote, "They went to bed, spent time talking, had intercorse (intercourse) and went to sleep, at approximately 2:30PM they went to sleep". "[24], In December of 1997, Mandy Beasley told Investigator Stan Witt that while she was at the Byers' residence on the day Melissa died, John Mark told her that he hoped the investigators would not find the three syringes that were located in the bottom drawer of a dresser in the bedroom. Misskelly and Baldwin were sentenced to life in prison, and Echols, who was identified as the ringleader, was sentenced to death by lethal injection. The third boy, Byers, had died of loss of blood suffered during the removal of his penis. The news was devastating beyond just word of his friends suffering. Bakken immediately showed her friends Burk Sauls and Grove Pashley, who were both equally gripped by what they had just watched. Melissa, the mother of Christopher Byers, the most brutalized of the West Memphis victims, was 40 years old. Police admit that the case against the teen-agers was circumstantial, based almost entirely upon a confession from Misskelley, a boy who is borderline mentally retarded. Jackie Hicks, Pamela Hobbs brother, came from the house and confronted Terry Hobbs again. Byers drove on, but then turned around and returned to the bridge, where witnesses said he asked the boy from Hardy if he had a problem, and suggested that he take it over in the shade and settle it like a man., The group of seven people six juveniles, as Rose put it, and Byers then moved to a spot by the river known as the Pecan Grove. The plot thickens and takes another crazy twist. In September, Mark and Melissa Byers, who live not far from the house, were charged with the residential burglary and theft. Autopsies revealed that two of the boys had drowned where they had been thrown, hog-tied, into the water. 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