Mojo was right. The neighbor quoted Melissa Byers as having screamed, You cant watch your family 24 hours, and you are going down.. Waser assisted in photographing Melissa at the hospital and bagging evidence. In September, Mark and Melissa Byers, who live not far from the house, were charged with the residential burglary and theft. Byers also said that Ryan had spent the night at John Mark's brother-in-law's house. This is on mara's new website Sheriff to re-examine Byers 'cold case' Posted by Mara on Friday November 10, 2006 Sheriff Dale Weaver, of Sharp County, Arkansas, said in an October interview that his office intends to do some additional work within the next few months to answer questions that have lingered for more than 10 years over the death of Melissa Byers, (shown in the self-portrait above). The other drugs found in the blood were at low or therapeutic levels which have not been associated with sudden death."[35]. In May of that year, police discovered the bodies of Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and Christopher Byers in the Robin Hood Hills, a small wooded area near the I-40/I-55 exchange. Then there's the mysterious circumstances of his wife's death. He stated that when he touched her she did not feel right. 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. That same year, Byers was arrested and charged with terroristic threatening for an assault on his former wife. To Powell, her death looked like a possible homicide. The great irony of the 18-year quest to free the West Memphis Three is that it didnt begin as a crusade. Waser helped the EMTs move Melissa onto a backboard so she could be placed in the ambulance and taken to the hospital. That was on May 5, a year to the day before the three boys murders. He advised that Byers did not clarify who they were.. Records of what happened next are vague. In July, John Mark Byers was involved in an incident in which a group of teen-agers fought while Byers reportedly stood watch with a rifle to make sure the fight went on. Waser noted in his report that Byers was sitting outside of his home with a woman by the name of Mandy Beasley. [17] A later interview with a woman identified as "Fern" revealed that Mandy was Byers' girlfriend. Byers and his companion got back in their car and drove alongside the victim of the fight, who was still lying on the ground. Byers said he was worried because he had asked Ryan to take his girlfriend, Amanda, home and come right back. The investigator entered several other observations and had the body photographed. That was wrong. Being sweet, intelligent and loyal are not good traits to have in the Stranger Things universe. In April of this year, shortly after the trials at which three West Memphis teen-agers were convicted of the killings, the Byerses moved to Cherokee Village, a quiet community of about 4,000, close to the Missouri border. 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. Everybody Id come in contact with was hostile to the truth, Baldwin says. Interesting article, although I do wish they had released more info (even though I understand why they didn't). But as they did, Rose said, Byers told them to stand back. The killings came at the peak of the so-called Satanic Panic, a time of heightened worries about ritualistic abuse. Twelve weeks later, in July 1992, Byers was arrested by sheriffs deputies in Memphis. It is documented that the morning after his arrest, Shelby County authorities placed Byers in federal custody, in the hands of U.S. marshals. Melissa Gilbert recently became the latest celebrity to fall prey to an online death hoax. Byers was eight years old, 4 ft. tall, weighed 52 lbs, and had light brown hair. He said he and his grandfather looked through it but did not remove anything. Berlinger and Sinofsky, the latter of whom died in 2015 at age 58, were able to gain incredible and immediate access to seemingly everyone the case had touched: the families of the victims and the accused, the judge, the lead investigator, members of the community. 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. The murders shocked West Memphis, but weeks passed without an assailant or assailants being found. endobj 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. As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know were dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. A quarter-century later, what does the documentary tell us about citizen activism, the criminal justice system, and the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and 90s? When someone in the group noticed the knife, and hollered out, He has a knife, Byers companion threw the knife an Uncle Henry bone-handled, 5-inch pocket knife aside. 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. 24 Jun . The plot thickens and takes another crazy twist. Melissa Byers was born on 16 January, 1956 in 1956, is an Actor. No distinct scarred needle tracks were present. [19], The following day, Waser visited Byers' home and was informed of Melissa's recurring drug habit. )+B]{uApptJ'\`\R@=]%m=VWrZ$K" 4 0 obj 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. In the joint trial of Baldwin and Echols, which took place separately from Misskelleys, Berlinger and Sinofsky filmed the surreal moments that juries were actually present for: a rundown of the books Echols checked out of the library, a parade of band T-shirts worn by the pair, a copy of a Blue Oyster Cult record found in Damiens girlfriends house that became evidence because of the word cult and song titles like Dont Fear the Reaper. What the cameras couldnt capture, however, was the introduction of physical evidencethe prosecution didnt offer much of that aside from a knife that was never directly linked to the crimes and fabric threads deemed microscopically similar to items found in Baldwins and Echolss homes, an assertion that has been questioned in the years since the trials. Nor were any opiates were found in her blood. She was pronounced dead after efforts to revive her failed. Peter Jackson, who would produce a separate documentary about the case titled West of Memphis in 2012, and his partner, Fran Walsh, funded an extensive private investigation and helped hire forensic experts to comb through evidence. Sgt. Byers has a teen-aged stepson, but the boy who was with him on this day who will not be identified because of his age was not a relative. Not everyone believes that the West Memphis Three are innocent of the killings of Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and Christopher Byers. Norm Metz gave a statement to Investigator Stan Witt, stating that he received a phone call from John Mark Byers at about 5pm. We have never seen this, Bullying of referees leads to entire student section being thrown out of Iowa game, Burger King brings back fan-favorite sandwich but not for long. The bruises on her arms and scalp were noted, but the medical examiners did not opine as to how they occurred. Hopper mentions in "The Weirdo on Maple Street" the last suicide in Hawkins prior to Benny Hammond was an unnamed person in 1961. I couldnt not watch it at this point. ~~~~~ kind assistance of FindaGrave volunteer Carolyne Powles Darrell 49377409 ~~~~~Inscription: Melissa Byers 10 Aug 1837-6 Mar 1920; Also buried there: Thomas Byers d. 3 Jun 1887 88y 2m 15d; Mary Byers wf of Thomas d. 16 Nov 1878 75y 8m 24d. 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. In December, Investigator Stan Witt closed his case on Melissa Byers. They began attending appeal hearings and visiting Baldwin, Echols, and Misskelley in prison. Varieties for 2021 Accueil; Solution; Tarif; PRO; Mon compte; France; Accueil; Solution; Tarif; PRO; Mon compte Whether youre growing them in your backyard or buying them from the store, tomatoes can be a great addition to any meal. Theres no smoking gun. There he met with local law enforcement officers and with John Mark Byers, Melissa's husband. For 48 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond with your support, we can do even more. [34], The final cause of death for Melissa was listed as "undetermined". At the end of September 1996, a month after Byers appearance in court, investigator Witt received the medical examiners report on Melissa. According to Dan Stidham, the attorney for Misskelley, that money became essential for the cash-strapped defense teams, who needed to pay for expert witnesses and other expenses. A woman was also located. They formed the organization Proclaim Justice, a nonprofit that reinvestigates crimes with the hopes of freeing innocent people. It had been a long fight to clear their names, and the odds seemed better than ever. [11] He told Waser that he didn't know what to do. 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. She died at . Melissa was carried out of the house unconscious and rushed to a hospital. Byers, 63, was once considered a person of interest in the 1993 killings of Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Steve Branch, all 8. He's in disguise!" 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. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. (Associate Medical Examiner), Charles Kokes, M.D. On the street, it sells as much as $50 per tablet. There. Melissa DeFir Byers was born on January 15, 1956. 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. While Byers went into the local gas company to conduct some business, another boy passed by the truck and he and the boy who was riding with Byers exchanged words. The boy on foot then proceeded to whats known as the old Hardy bridge over the Spring River, where he joined a group of four other friends, ranging in age from 15 to 17 years old. Some of the boys in the group said that Byers told them, Youd better not mess with me. The 28+ Demodogs are seen falling after Eleven closes the gate. Melissa is the estate planning paralegal at Legacy Law Center. 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. Asked if the discovery of an illegal drug in the body of a possible homicide victim was not a finding worth listing, Clark affirmed that, There may be room for some further investigation as to how she obtained the drug. As for the needle marks in the bodys arms, feet, and groin, Clark said, In the pathologists opinion, all those wounds were probably done at the hospital.. He advised that John Mark advised no, and Ryan had a funny, eery [sic] look on his face. One of the boys in the altercation carried a pocket knife belonging to Byers. Two bandaged needle puncture wounds were described. Anyone have any info about how the oldest boy died? With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Berlinger and Sinofsky began to take notice. And then there was the public pressure: In August 2010, Vedder and Maines headlined yet another benefit concert, this one in Little Rock. I so BADLY wanted to ask him, "How does it feel to have your last interaction with your child be a beating?". Christopher Byers was born to Melissa DeFir and Ricky Murray. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. The reason for the credit gets less curious when hes asked about it: He was a huge Metallica fan. But on that early morning in 1997, Jason Baldwin wasnt concerned with Berlinger and Sinofskys craft, or legal precedent, or crusading celebrities. 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. Melissa's Death But they were saying that he was about to die.. John Mark gave a voluntary statement to Waser as well. He served three years probation. Byers said he was concerned that "they were going to accuse him of smothering her." Norm Metz stated that when the EMTs showed up "Ryan kept mumbling something and he did not seem coherent. Melissa Byers, Self: Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills. He and John Mark Byers were informed that Melissa was deceased at 6:30pm. [33], No semen was found. Melissa and John Mark Byers were having problems in their marriage in 1996. Nobody was saying, This is an outrageous case that needs to be looked into.. However other needle marks were evident. BabyCenter. Metz checked for a pulse and told Byers to perform CPR. Arkansas Times reports that Byers was in a single-car crash on Chambers John Mark Byers and Melissa Byers. Their advocates believe the Alford pleas represent their own form of injustice, but correcting that is a less pressing issue than the early battlesthe men are free and have been able to mostly live their lives in the years since their release. 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. In February, Netflix released Berlingers Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, a docuseries that looked at the 2013 death of Elisa Lam, a Canadian student who died while vacationing in Los Angeles. All three boys were found guilty. A later interview with a woman identified as `` undetermined '' had been a fight... Because he had asked Ryan to take his girlfriend, Amanda, and., Self: Paradise Lost: the Child murders at Robin Hood Hills ], final. To an online death hoax home with a woman identified as `` undetermined '' Stan Witt his! 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