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. All three boys were found guilty. Melissa is the estate planning paralegal at Legacy Law Center. How many people from this familyhave died / been murdered??!! Mr. The second time he requested a towel. Melissa Byers' death has been a crushing blow to people who knew her through Healing House, a live-in, addiction-recovery program in Kansas City's Old Northeast. At that point. 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. [30], Melissa was described as wearing "a pair of blood-tinged panties". 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. Being sweet, intelligent and loyal are not good traits to have in the Stranger Things universe. > > NightShade HDZ@prodigy.com>. In September, Melissa Byers was charged with disorderly conduct after a neighbor reported that Melissa had threatened to kill her family. Berlinger also concedes Revelations had some ethical problems, chiefly because it raised the possibility that Mark Byers committed the killings. So the minute youre done, you just want to know more. Melissa Byers, Self: Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills. Im seeing the things I experienced, but not through my own point of view. Carter recalled, Mark had a knife after them He wanted them to give him money to buy dope with., When Carter cornered Byers in a closet, ordered him to throw down the knife, and took him in custody, he said Byers vowed, Ill cut your throat.. how did melissa byers die. 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. If convicted, each could receive a sentence of from three to 10 years . That came partially through the exposure they got through this film., But perhaps the best measure of Paradise Losts impact is the work being done by Baldwin today. She's determined to turn over an old leaf and slide right back into the safety of being a wallflow. Supporting the Arkansas Times' independent journalism is more vital than ever. 24 Jun . Her body showed no visible signs of trauma. [28] The coroner noted that rigor was not present, but checked "yes" on lividity. Melissa Gilbert recently became the latest celebrity to fall prey to an online death hoax. 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. The causes most high-profile moment came in 2000, when Trey Parker said the slogan at the MTV Movie Awards while collecting an award for Best Musical Sequence. He responded proudly, 11.. Mark and Melissa Byers, the parents of victim Christopher Byers, embrace outside the courtroom in 1994 HBO. People would drive by and yell at us, Theyre going to burn in hell, Sauls says. As the appeals processes stretched across several years and the buzz of the initial film faded, the directors began looking for ways to keep the story alive. [1] Norm Metz, the neighbor living at 73 Skyline, confirmed that Ryan came back to live with his mother and father two weeks before March 29th. He advised that John Mark advised no and Ryan had a funny eery [sic] look on his face. However, he could not produce any papers showing that he had custody of the kids. For Rollins, it was a moral imperative: Id find myself up at 3:30 a.m. thinking about Damien. Born on 16 Jan 1956. The sheriffs is now investigating an explosion and subsequent fire that destroyed 1976 Dodge Travelmate motor home that was parked in Atwoods driveway.). Growing up and over a 6 foot trellis and trailing back down to the ground, this plant looks incredibly healthy with no leaf loss anywhere. Witt arrived at the hospital about 35 minutes later. He said, Stay where you are. In general, who is most likelyto commit a crime against a child: A family member or A devil worshipingcult? [18], Efforts to locate Ryan Clark were unsuccessful that evening. Times 12/26/97, The Strange Demise of Melissa Byers. Filming the activists work seemed like the best place for Berlinger and Sinofsky to turn their attention; what better way to show the continued plight of the West Memphis Three than to show regular people dedicating their free time to fighting for them? Join us in the fight for truth. Melissa Byers was only 40 years old. By the time the Byerses had been in Cherokee Village six months, police had been summoned to their residence at least eight times. Her body showed no visible signs of trauma. Metz could not remember it but thought it started with the letter D. Metz advised that John Mark Byers also told him he thought her death was a drug overdose and that they were going to accuse him of smothering her. 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 news was devastating beyond just word of his friends suffering. In 1996, a screener for Paradise Lost passed her desk. The IMDb credits page for the first Paradise Lost is modest, but impressive. 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. The first and likely simplest gauge is continued interest in the case. Hicks had gotten Hobbs down on the ground, when Hobbs reached into his pocket, pulled out the gun, and shot Hicks in the abdomen. Metz had been one of the last people to see Melissa Byers alive. He stated he continued CPR until the EMTs arrived and took over. It even predicted that Eddie would die in Volume 2, and that's exactly what happened. "She was a beautiful woman. I agree. [29], On April 1, 1996, the following individuals signed off on the examination and autopsy of Melissa Byers: Stephen Erickson, M.D. The concept of citizen investigations intrigues Berlinger just as much as it did in the 1990s, though today hes often more concerned with the moral implications. He returned to the Byers' home on March 31st, 1996 to interview Ryan. He had had no prior criminal record. He lived with his mother, Melissa Byers, and stepfather, John Mark Byers. Melissa gurgled up some fluid and Metz called for an ambulance. Since moving to Cherokee Village in 1994, the couple had had frequent run-ins with police. The great irony of the 18-year quest to free the West Memphis Three is that it didnt begin as a crusade. Sgt. He said he was at the Byers' residence on March 29th, 1996. Melissa D Byers was born on March 25, 1975. 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. None of the three believed that, but Echolss healthand the possibility that even if he survived, he would still be on death row should the fight for retrials failmade it an imperative. Help us deliver the latest daily reporting and analysis on news, politics, culture and food in Arkansas. 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. He was wearing sunglasses and had this weird hair, big cowboy boots. Their main worry was Damien, who was staring down the threat of lethal injection should the appeals fail. But the lawyer quickly noticed inconsistencies in Misskelleys purported confession. %
Supporting the Arkansas Times' independent journalism is more vital than ever. > I'd be interested in knowing whether or not he also died under suspicious, > circumstances. [19], The following day, Waser visited Byers' home and was informed of Melissa's recurring drug habit. When he entered the house, Griffin wrote, he found Byers ex-wife on the floor and Byers brandishing an electric shock device known as a Power Zapper. Berlinger and Sinofsky expected a similar result to come quickly in the West Memphis Three case. Sheriff Powell is keeping his open. Memphis' 1993 triple murders had drugs in her system when she died, but not enough to cause her death, a county sheriff says. While he did that, another state police investigator was questioning a woman who had contacted Cherokee Village police upon hearing that Melissa Byers had been taken to the hospital. The documentarians found me in one of the worst things a person could go through, Baldwin says. What is known is that over the course of the next year, Byers worked as an informant, at least for police in Memphis and West Memphis, and possibly others. In October, Melissa Byers was arrested once again and charged with aggravated assault, this time for pointing a rifle at carpet layers who refused to work in her home until the floors were cleaned. "[27], The coroner report noted that John Mark Byers stated he had intercourse with Melissa around 3pm on March 29th, 1996. Melissa Byers body was there, wrapped in carpeting, plastic, sheets and clothing, court records said. Hobbs refused to talk to the relatives, but instead left the house and went to a truck outside, from which, unbeknown to those inside, he removed a .357 magnum pistol, which he put in his pocket. I'd be interested in knowing whether or not he also died under suspicious circumstances. 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. Byers stated that he would wait in the kitchen. 1 0 obj
Police went to the home and talked to Benjamin Byers, who told police he didnt know where his wife was and and that hed last seen her going to work on Nov. 27. Sheila Nevins, the HBO exec who pushed for Berlinger and Sinofsky to make that initial trip to Arkansas, is most proud of the companys willingness to let her finance three documentaries over 18 years without knowing where they would go. The final scene Berlinger and Sinofsky filmed may have been the piece that stuck with viewers the most: the image of Baldwin and Echols being led out of the courthouse in handcuffs and bulletproof vests, now property of the state. Bakken immediately showed her friends Burk Sauls and Grove Pashley, who were both equally gripped by what they had just watched. Melissa Byers did not have a prescription for Dilaudid. That was wrong. He did not know if John Mark had anything to do with Melissa's death and said that "everyone seemed to be happy and jolly during the partying time. By staying on this subject for the next couple of decades, they gave these men a chance and really decades of freedom afterward. But they werent just voices in the growing choir calling for the West Memphis Threes releasethey were leading the movement. You need corroborating evidence.. I see two possibilities: 1) natural death or 2) murder by asphyxiation. Both wrists bore multiple, well-healed, linear scars. She died of undetermined causes on March 29, 1996. )+B]{uApptJ'\`\R@=]%m=VWrZ$K" The evolution of how the teens were perceivedon behalf of both the filmmakers and even part of the defense teamis captured on camera early as Stidham and his colleagues began to consider whether Misskelleys confession had been coerced. But life was continuing for John Mark Byers. 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.'. In 1992 he petitioned to have the charge dismissed and the record of his conviction expunged a petition that was granted. In September, Mark and Melissa Byers, who live not far from the house, were charged with the residential burglary and theft. Mark Byers also faces charges as the result of an episode July 11 in Hardy. Quickly, however, he realized Berlinger and Sinofsky were taking a different approach. [23] James was asked point blank if he knew that Byers murdered his wife. The deputy signed an agreement stating that, if they did, Byers would not be charged with possession. weaving supposedly anti-Christian and occult messages into their songs, he discovered her while Googling cold cases, funded an extensive private investigation, a November 2010 Arkansas Supreme Court ruling, biggest allies in the years before his 2020 death, acquitted of capital murder in 2018 after a 25-year legal saga. At the time of her youngest son's murder in May of 1993, Melissa was married to John Mark Byers. 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. BabyCenter. Waser wrote, "They went to bed, spent time talking, had intercorse (intercourse) and went to sleep, at approximately 2:30PM they went to sleep". 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. He and John Mark Byers were informed that Melissa was deceased at 6:30pm. Waser noted that there was a glass containing white liquid on the nightstand located to the right of the bed. (Police questioned Byers several times during the investigation, but never considered him a suspect.) Hicks was hospitalized in critical condition. A spiritual successor to Errol Morriss The Thin Blue Line, and a forerunner of more recent documentaries like Making a Murderer, the film stands today as the most affecting examination of one of the most studied legal cases in U.S. historyone that put heavy metal lyrics and black T-shirts on trial and helped lay the groundwork for the current thinking around false confessions. When told about the finding of blood, Byers changed his statement, claiming that he had used the knife to cut deer meat to make jerky. . 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. 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. Stranger Things Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. But as they did, Rose said, Byers told them to stand back. [31]Other needle puncture wounds were present in the groin area, on the wrists, and the feet. When Rose reached the scene, he questioned the boys involved, none of whom, he said, hes had any trouble with before. Throughout the trials, Melissa Byers and her husband, John Mark Byers, were seen frequently on TV, often cursing the defendants. There is a lot of suspicion surrounding him, especially in light of what's happened to his stepfamily in these past 3 years. The legal troubles of Terry Hobbs and John Mark Byers. The killings came at the peak of the so-called Satanic Panic, a time of heightened worries about ritualistic abuse. Police said they observed injuries to Pamela Hobbs face and to the back of her head. Byers mentioned two people in Memphis whom he put in that category, and he referred to helping authorities at Marion on their investigation into an illegal methamphetamine lab. "She advised he told her a cigarette made a excellent fuse, that you could light it, and due to slow burning, it would give you time to get away. Before she went to the hospital. I deeply admire that and I thought it was worthy of putting on film.. (Byers) Hale had been residing in Mesquite, Dallas County, Texas 75149. Kaitlyn Schwers covers breaking news and crime at night for The Kansas City Star. She said that Byers and Mandy had been hiding drugs in the trunk of Byers' car. A heavy metal test was conducted and none were found. She was previously married to John Mark Byers. We were mainly in it for the aesthetics of filmmaking, but the last scene of Paradise Lost, when Damien is chained up and sent away to death row, that was just heartbreaking and devastating for us, Berlinger says. Melissa was the biological mother of Chris Byers and Ryan Clark. Estate Planning Paralegal. There he met with local law enforcement officers and with John Mark Byers, Melissa's husband. The answer seems obvious. I could not smell any type of intoxicant on his breath, [but] he appeared to have been either on some type of medication or intoxicant [by] the manner in which he was acting.. Speaking by phone last month, he comes across, in many ways, like the person Berlinger says he encountered in prison in 1994: polite, deferential, soft-spoken. Not just because John Mark Byers is so creepy (though he IS), but becausethe Byers boy was the only one who was sexually mutilated, AND Mr. Byerswas the one who reported the boys missing. (At one point, Sauls says, it landed on Yahoos list of the top 100 websites.) 2 0 obj
The right thoracic puncture mark and the right wrist puncture mark were both covered by Band-Aids. West Memphis 3 murders Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. 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. When this was complete, Waser was asked to return to Byers' home because he had "seemed to gain John Mark's trust". Byers was asked if he wanted an autopsy performed. WWE legend Melissa Coates has died at the age of 50 after undergoing a leg amputation last year to stop her arteries being blocked by blood clots, leaving her former colleagues from around the wrestling world to voice their shock. how did melissa byers die dale walksler funeral . 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. The question the police now have to deal with is was it a death caused simply by the heart stopping (which does happen) or was it murder? He was never charged in connection with the deaths. All of those factors combined to create a tipping point, says Leveritt. It can slow breathing, heart rate, and brain activity. [9], Waser's report indicated that two EMTs were performing CPR on Melissa when he arrived. While Echols was characterized as the group s ringleader and sentenced to death, Misskelley and Ba1dwin were sentenced to life in prison. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. And then there was the public pressure: In August 2010, Vedder and Maines headlined yet another benefit concert, this one in Little Rock. But most of defense lawyers efforts to bring that information before the jury never got out of the judges chambers. 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. After roughly 18 months of editing, Paradise Lost debuted at Sundance in January 1996 before heading out to other festivals. Other charges against Mark and Melissa Byers, including those for the residential burglary, were still pending in Sharp County Circuit Court on March 29, 1996, when Melissa Byers mysteriously died. "[12], Waser met with Sheriff Powell, Chief Burton, and Investigator Witt to discuss searching the Byers' residence. 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