Abomination: Devil Worship and Deception in the West Memphis Three Murders (44 page)

Status hearing in Jonesboro. Judge Burnett tentatively schedules a September 8 hearing to conduct an Act 1780 hearing for Echols first, then a hearing for Baldwin and Misskelley, if needed. However, he says he could follow the prosecutor's suggestion that the DNA evidence offered by defense attorneys isn't sufficient to order a new trial or overturn the convictions of either defendant and that he could rule in chambers before September 8 and forgo a hearing. Burnett also says he could begin hearings for Misskelley and Baldwin on September 8 to determine if they received ineffective legal counsel at their trials. He also denies the defense's request to recuse from the cases.
September 10, 2008
Judge Burnett issues orders denying, without an evidentiary hearing, Echols' April 11 Motion for a new trial; Baldwin's May 30 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus and Motion for New Trial; Misskelley's June 5 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus and Motion for New Trial.
September 11, 2008
Judge Burnett issues a letter stating that hearings for motions for post-conviction relief pursued by Baldwin and Misskelley on grounds not available to Echols is scheduled to be conducted from September 24 through September 30.
October 2, 2009

Testimony concludes in Baldwin's and Misskelley's Rule 37 hearings.
January 20, 2010
Judge Burnett denies Baldwin's and Misskelley's Rule 37 petitions.
September 30, 2010
The Arkansas Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Echols' appeal.
November 4, 2010
The Arkansas Supreme Court reverses Judge Burnett's September 10, 2008 orders and remands the defendants' cases back to circuit court for evidentiary hearings to consider new DNA evidence and a charge of juror misconduct.
November  30, 2010
Circuit Court Judge David Laser is appointed to preside over the evidentiary hearings ordered by the Arkansas Supreme Court. He replaces retired Judge David Burnett, who presided over the original trials and all subsequent hearings, because Burnett has been elected to the state Senate.
January 4, 2011
Scheduling conference in circuit court in Jonesboro. Judge David Laser orders all parties to file briefs with him by February 18 regarding issues to be addressed at the evidentiary hearings. Laser also decides that a single hearing will be held for all three defendants, which will save time and money for defense attorneys. He also orders a gag order in the case, prohibiting attorneys from talking about the case with the media.
February 18, 2011
All parties file pre-hearing briefs as ordered by Judge Laser. Additionally, attorneys for Baldwin and Misskelley file their respective Rule 37 briefs with the Arkansas Supreme Court.

March 17, 2011
Judge Laser issues an order stating that the evidentiary hearing is "scheduled for December 5, 2011 through December 21, 2011."
April 18, 2011
Judge Laser issues an order authorizing and directing additional DNA and other scientific testing as requested by defendants.
May 5, 2011
The State files briefs in the Baldwin/Misskelley Rule 37 appeal.
May 19, 2011
Attorneys for Baldwin file their Rule 37 reply brief with the Arkansas Supreme Court.
May 24, 2011
Attorneys for Misskelley file their Rule 37 reply brief with the Arkansas Supreme Court.
August 18, 2011
Judge Laser issues a Notice which states that, “The court will take up certain matters pertaining to the cases of defendants Baldwin, Echols and Misskelley on Friday, August 19, 2011. One session will be conducted out of public presence with all defendants present, and another session will be conducted in open court. The session conducted in chambers will likely begin at 10 a.m., followed by a public session, which will begin about 11 a.m."
August 19, 2011
Hearing before Judge Laser. It is announced that as the result of negotiations between prosecutors and defense counsel to resolve the cases Judge Laser vacated the convictions on the condition that the defendants enter guilty pleas pursuant to the U.S. Supreme Court case known as North Carolina v. Alford. Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley enter "Alford pleas" which means that they plead guilty but do not admit to the act, and are allowed to maintain their innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors might have enough evidence to convict them. In accordance with the plea negotiations, Judge Laser sentences all three to time served, followed by a ten-year term of suspended imposition of sentence. If they re-offend they can be sent back to prison for 21 years.
August 24, 2011
Attorneys for Misskelley file a motion to dismiss the Rule 37 appeal that was pending before the Arkansas Supreme Court.
September 8, 2011

The Arkansas Supreme Court grants Misskelley's motion to dismiss the Rule 37 appeal. Attorneys for Echols file a motion to dismiss his federal habeas corpus petition.
September 28, 2011
District Judge Brian Miller issues an order granting Echols' motion to dismiss his
habeas corpus
petition.

BOOKS ABOUT THE WEST MEMPHIS THREE

1995. The Blood of Innocents: The True Story of Multiple Murder in West Memphis, Arkansas. By Guy Reel, Marc Perrusquia, and Bartholomew Sullivan. 418 pages.

2002. Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three. By Mara Leveritt. 417 pages.

2003. Broken Summers. By Henry Rollins. 237 pages. (Behind the scenes look at the making of the CD "Rise Above: 24 Black flag songs to benefit the West Memphis Three" and the subsequent world tour.)

2004. The Last Pentacle of the Sun: Writings in Support of the West Memphis Three. M.W. Anderson & Brett Alexander Savory, editors. 202 pages.

2005. Almost Home: My Life Story Vol 1. By Damien Echols. 151 pages.

2007. West Memphis Witch Hunt: Poems Supporting The West Memphis 3 Defense. Collected and edited by Misti Rainwater-Lites & Michael W. Johnson. 206 pages.

2012. Untying the Knot: John Mark Byers and the West Memphis Three. By Greg Day. 340 pages.

APPENDIX A:

Suspects investigated by West Memphis Police Department and removed from suspicion:

Harold Allison--Child molester,

Robert Andrus--(ran NCIC report), arrested and extradited to Florida,

“King David” Samuel Beasly--religious traveler

Sir Miceal Jones--religious traveler

Robert Burch---rumored to have committed the murders. Not a suspect.

Kenneth Cagle,

Brandon Callaghan,

Haston Glenn Burns--child molester,

Larry Caeser--denied ever being at Bojangles.

Gary Chadwick--removed from list of potential suspects.

Paul Patrick Champagne--removed after investigation.

Carroll Tillman Coleman---removed after investigation.

Otto Bailey, Jr.--made threats to other children; had solid alibi

John Connolly--mental patient removed after investigation.

Steven Brown--removed from potential suspects. Had killed his two month old child in 1977.

Haston Glenn Burns--removed from potential suspects. Was a child molester.

Charles Ray Carter--child molester, removed from potential suspects after investigation.

Richard Cummings, Jr.--accused of drilling “peepholes” in residence. Not involved.

Charles Michael Craig--suspicious character, removed from potential suspects.

Jesse Leo Davidson--trucker, removed after investigation.

Robert DeAngelo--friend of the Branch, removed as suspect.

Timothy Wayne Dodson--local weirdo, passed polygraph

Ronald Keith George--Parolee, sex offender, removed after investigation.

Michael Headlee---removed after investigation

Danny Holbrook---murderer, removed after investigation

James Horner--pedophile, removed after investigation.

Jones Johns---pedophile, removed after investigation.

Victor Johnson--convicted rapist, removed after investigation.

Harold Stanley King--convicted pedophile, removed after investigation.

Bobby Lappradd---burglar, removed after investigation.

Tracy Laxton---transient, removed after investigation.

Daniel Leffler--in vicinity when the murders occurred, removed after investigation.

Michael Leiter--alcohol and drug user, removed after investigation.

Jefferey Looney--local youth, removed after investigation

Edward Lynn Lucas--local resident, removed after investigation.

James Martin, sex offender, removed after investigation

John May

John McNeely--Criminal suspect--removed after investigation.

Steve Menard--Mental patient, removed after investigation.

Charles Metz---removed after investigation.

Christopher Morgan---removed after investigation

Charles Morton--removed after investigation

Jerry Nearns---Removed after investigation

Ricky Lee Murray---removed after investigation

Jones Parks---removed after investigation

Jones Trasher---removed after investigation

Gary Poindexter---removed after investigation

Thomas Polletta--removed after investigation.

Joseph Michael Reneau---removed after investigation

Lance Renshaw---removed after investigation

Richard Runions---removed after investigation

Michael Scott---fit “Bojangles” description, black male, removed after investigation

Arthur Seery, hitchhiker, removed after investigation

Jimmy Sellers, friend of Mark Byers, removed after investigation

Steve Skaggs---removed after investigation

Steve Tatum---removed after investigation

Rufus “Little Al” Thomas, Jr.---removed after investigation

Lonzo Troxell---pedophile, removed after investigation

Floyd Turner---removed after investigation

Jones Valley---convicted sex offender, removed after investigation.

Christopher Wahl---removed after investigation.

Burney Warren---named as friend of Damien Echols, removed as suspect after investigation.

Donald Warwick--removed after investigation

Michael Shawn Webb---removed after investigation

Jones Welch---removed after investigation

Daniel Wilkey---transient, removed after investigation

Miles Woodall---known pedophile, removed after investigation

Tom Woods---pedophile, removed after investigation

All the residents of the Mayfair Apartments, located near the murder site.

“
By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."
²⁸²

Occult societies by their nature are secretive. Dating back into classical history, these groups maintain strict codes of secrecy and often have symbols or hand gestures that signal the maintenance of that code of silence. Aleister Crowley adapted this doctrine of silence into his religious organizational structure and was pictured in magical robes making the gesture of silence.

Aleister Crowley

in ceremonial garb

making Sign of Silence

While on Piers Morgan Tonight on September 29th, 2011, Damien Echols can be seen making the occult sign of silence.

As recently as December 6th, 2012 on the television show The View, Damien Echols can be seen repeatedly making the same hand gesture throughout the interview.
²⁸³

APPENDIX B

JESSIE MISSKELLEY

BIBLE CONFESSION

STIDHAM: Okay. This is Dan Stidham. Today's date is February 8, 1994. It is 3:20 pm on Tuesday. I’m at the Pine Bluff Arkansas Department of Correction Diagnostic Unit, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. I'm talking to Jessie Misskelley, Jr. Jessie can you say you're name for the tape, please?

MISSKELLEY: I'm Jessie Lloyd Misskelley, Jr.

STIDHAM: Do you understand that I am tape recording this?

MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.

STIDHAM: Okay. Jessie, a few minutes ago I asked you about making some statements to the Officers when they transported you from Piggott to Pine Bluff. You told me that you had told them some stuff. Is that correct?

MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.

STIDHAM: And at first you told me that you were just making it up, that you were lying to them, and then you placed your hand on the Bible and told me that you were there when these boys got killed

MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.

STIDHAM: Uh, what's the truth, Jessie? I want to know the truth.

MISSKELLEY: The truth is, me and Jason and Damien done it.

STIDHAM: You were there when the boys were killed?

MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.

STIDHAM: Now, what's going to be very important is for you to tell me why it was that you have been maintaining that you weren't there all this time?

MISSKELLEY: I was scared.

STIDHAM: What were you scared of?

MISSKELLEY: I always lied and I hadn't ever put my hand on the Bible and swore. Nobody didn't tell me to do that. If they would have told me that at first, I would have done it. Nobody told me to put my hand on the Bible.

STIDHAM: Okay. So basically, you've been lying to me and Mr. Crow for the past seven, or so months - about not being there when in fact you were there?