The West Memphis Series Part II: Guilty By Plea And Have Been Set Free
Jonesboro, AR- In a shocking development, four days following the first installment of the West Memphis Three on www.blinkoncrime.com, on August 19, 2011 Damien Echols, Charles Jason Baldwin and Jessie Miskelley, through an Alford plea, were convicted of three counts of first degree murder following an agreement made by Prosecutor Scott Ellington and their respective defense attorneys for the murders of eight year old boys James Michael Moore, Christopher Byers ( Murray) and Stevie Branch.
Judge David N. Laser agreed to and imposed suspended sentences for time served to Echols, Miskelley and Baldwin; all were released and immediately declared their innocence during the ensuing press conference.
In Part I of our series, we touched briefly on the development of new evidence and possible murder weapon, the blue handled- mountain ice axe, which inexplicably was never presented at trial. It had been admitted into evidence after being retrieved from its owner, following it’s return by Jason Baldwin’s, younger brother Mathew.
Requests to confirm whether or not the ice axe was maintained in evidence at West Memphis Police Department were non-responsive at the time of this publication. Part II continues first with what the jury never heard. A podcast of my interview on the case following the release of the WM3 can be found here.
Premature Illumination
One of the larger points of contention in the murders was the lack of blood evidence at the scene. The lack of blood or blood spatter at the scene with such gruesome injuries spawned the defense theory the ditch was a dump site or secondary crime scene. This was largely due to the fact that the jury would never hear about the results of luminol tests; it was suppressed by motion of the defense In both trials.
Luminol enhanced chemiluminesence (LCL) technology in 1993 was geared toward examining items of evidence in a lab under black light for optimum photographic results, or its secondary application for use in an enclosed environment which can be manually darkened and a portable black light ( we now call this an alternative light source or ALS) brought to the scene.
LCL when sprayed onto a surface containing remnants of blood, or more specifically the iron in blood, will create a glowing reaction when iron, invisible to the naked eye, is present.
In 1993 under Arkansas law, Luminol testing was considered new, novel, and not accepted as scientific evidence.
While the methods for collection, testing and controls have advanced significantly since 1993 and LCL testing is widely used in criminal case work, analysis of the findings in the instant case flatly dispute the notion that there was no blood associated with the crime scene along the ditch bank of Robin Hood Hills.
Contrary to the misconception that there was no evidence of blood at the scene, the results of two consecutive days of luminol tests at the scene were enlightening.
As Kermit Channell and Donald Smith, from the Arkansas crime lab could not bring the “outside in” they were forced to set up shop in the woods along the banks of the ditch. Also present for testing both days were WMPD Detectives Mike Allen, Tony Anderson and Bryn Ridge.
Donald Smith’s report below in it’s entirety below, The other reports can be found here.
STATE CRIME LABORATORY
P.O. Box 5274
Number 3 Natural Resources Drive
Little Rock, Arkansas 72215
REPORT OF LABORATORY ANALYSIS
Investigating Officer / Agency / Address
Sgt. Mike Allen
West Memphis Police Department
100 Court Street
West Memphis, AR 72301
Laboratory Case Number: 93-05717
Date Received in Lab: 05/07/93
How Evidence Received: M E / Matthew Elliott
Agency Case Number:
Suspect (s):
Victim (s):
Steve Edward Branch
Date of Report; 06/10/93
FIELD INVESTIGATION. WEST MEMPHIS TRIPLE HOMICIDE. MAY 12 and
MAY 13. 1993 LUMINOL:
This analyst and Kermit Channell, Serologist responded to request to perform luminol on
a potential crime scene area on May 12, 1993. We left that afternoon, arriving in West
Memphis at approximately 6:30 P.M., proceeding to the Police Department.
Officers Tony Anderson, Brian Ridge, and Mike Allen accompanied Kermit and myself
to a swampy area in the northern edge of West Memphis where the victims were found.
A general survey of the area in the daylight hours was conducted. Approaching darkness
fresh solutions of luminol reagent were prepared. When the area became dark, using
flashlights for light support, the part returned to the area and proceeded to spray and
locate areas of luminol light emission activity, a presumptive test for the presence of
trace quantities of blood. The following observations were noted:
(1) At a trail along a stream bed an approximately 11 foot high bluff overlooking the
stream positive reactions were noted on either side of a tree with more reaction noted to
the right side of the tree, facing the stream bed.
(2) An Area with used plastic sheeting west of the trail and the bluff gave more positive
reactions were noted.
(3) At the west bank of the stream bed, to the right of some trees, an area gave positive
reaction. It was explained by the Police Department that this was where two of the
victims were placed when they were recovered from the stream bed.
(4) In the stream bed, below the described (at one time) water line, positive luminol tests
indicated where one of the victims was found in the water as related by the West
Memphis Police Department.
(5) On the east bank of the stream bed were a pile of sticks and a depression in the soil
where luminol tests showed a concentrated area of positive reaction.
[PAGE 2]
(6) North of this point luminol tests gave positive reaction to a large area of
concentration (described by West Memphis Police Department where the third victims
was placed upon recovery from the water).
(7) North of the point #6 near some tree roots, another large area of concentration of the
luminol reaction was noted.
(8) Trace amounts of positive luminol reaction was noted on the slope west of the area
where two of the victims were recovered and placed. (reference area #3). The areas north
and south of where the third victims had been placed (5) and (6) were unaccountable
known activity by the Memphis Police Department or rescue / recovery operations.
From these areas of noted luminol reactions for the presumptive presence of trace
amounts of blood the following opinion is rendered:
The traces of presumed blood detected along the trail (2), and at the bluff (1), and one the
slope (8) appear to be transfer of blood by the rescue and recovery teams.
Reaction in the areas where the recovered victims were placed is the apparent result of
trace blood transfer from the victims (3) and (6).
The area below the water level on the west side of the stream was accounted as where
trace amounts of the victimís blood diffused into the mud in the stream bed.
The areas (5) and (7) indicate activity prior to recovery of the victims and relate to
activity to the victims when perhaps they were being attacked.
It should be noted that the luminol testing was performed some days after the discovery
of the victims and at least one rainfall had occurred. There were no visible signs or
indication of blood at any of the locations that we investigated.
[PAGE 3]
Upon the group returning that night to the police headquarters Inspector Gitchell and his
staff were advised of our findings. It is our opinion the crime had taken place where the
bodies of the victims were recovered. Inspector Gitchell was further advised of the
inability to document the luminol reaction of the evening because of the light leaks from
stars and the back scattered light from West Memphis. To document the luminescence
Inspector Gitchell was advised that we would have to place tenting over the areas of
interest and to block out all stray light possible.
The luminescence requires near total darkness to document luminol reactions in the open
field.
It was decided that Kermit and I should stay over the next day perform the tests again
and photograph them.
The morning of May 13, Inspector Gitchell provided us with equipment, supplies and
manpower needed to document the areas of positive luminol reaction. A test with plastic
covering over the canvas was erected and photographs were taken of the positive areas
noted of the previous evening again with fresh luminol application.
Because of the limitations due to some light leakage, physical activity in the area
destroying some of the reaction, the weather conditions of some light rain the night
before and the originally low concentration levels in the areas on the bluff (area #1), along
the trail (area #2), where the victims were placed (area #3), and the area in the stream bed
where the body was recovered (area #4) and the area above the recovery area (area #8)
we were not able to document photography as we observed these areas the evening of
May 12.
The tented area over the areas where the victim’s body was placed (#6) and the
questioned area (#5), subdued the light to a degree that a less than perfect photograph
could be obtained. These photographs still documented the areas of interest, showing
luminol reaction in respective areas. These photographs were without the benefit of flash
painting application to reference the areas photographed. A still photo of the questioned
area from the original camera tripod location does reference the questioned area. The
photographs were processed revealing the luminol reaction at areas where the victim was
place (#6) and the questioned area (#5)
[PAGE 4]
The tent was moved and photographs were taken of the questioned area by the tree root (#7). Photographs of the areas (#4, #5 and #6) with surveyor flags mounted were taken to reference those areas tested and photographed. All photographs were left with Inspector Gitchell.
[signed] Donald E. Smith, Criminalist
Soil samples were submitted on May 14, 1993, but for unknown reasons not tested until 4 months later, and did not react to the luminol.
The result was considered inconclusive as it was not likely to detect blood from a four month old soil sample in the first place.
Although the luminol reaction results were not admissible in the trials, for analysis purposes, it tells an irrefutable story. The obvious counter-argument could only be that investigators were new to the technique, some of the initial testing was unable to be photographed, or to any conspiracies, that detectives simply made up results for some purpose.
However, as none of the investigators present had the autopsy results prior to the testing, and most certainly did not have Jessie Miskelley’s “account” to draw from, outside of the known injuries and other more circumstantial evidence in this case, these findings certainly further support there were multiple perpetrators in this crime- and that it all went down right there.
In 1998, Damien Echols filed a Rule 37 hearing for causes of incompetent counsel and due to his “actual innocence.” Jessie Miskelley lost his appeal to overturn his conviction also in 1998, but It was not until 2008 that Baldwin and Miskelley filed their Rule 37 petitions. For purposes of evaluation, I am including affidavits , exhibits and testimony excerpts from some of the expert witnesses at all three hearings and subsequent related appearance spanning from 1998- 2008.
Brent Turvey, of Knowledge Solutions, LLC trained under renowned blood spatter expert Dr. Henry Lee, did not consider any of the luminal reports when hired by Dan Stidham in 1998 for his expert opinion in his representation of Jessie Miskelley requesting a new trial. Turvey’s report found (here) was largely the impetus for future defense experts for all three defendants to “weigh in”.
While Turvey’s work was largely unsupported once his infamous “bitemark” was debunked and he bought into the “Baldwin knife” which has since been abandoned by all subsequent defense experts, as the first guy up at bat so to speak, his testimony demonstrated the burgeoning direction to the CSI Effect the West Memphis Three would take toward their ultimate freedom.
I explore Turvey’s initial observations taken directly from his report, in the beginning of each unique victim’s autopsy segment, followed by updated relevant expert information and my subsequent analysis.
Autopsy By Coroner- Autopsy By Proxy
In the interest of brevity, I intend to focus on the dissenting views of the experts, and I stipulate that in no report that I have reviewed, was there evidence of sodomy or object penetration of any of the boys.
While I believe Dr. Perretti’s prior experience with cases that involved same did form his opinion on the possibility as it relates to some of the injuries, I do not believe that such testimony should have been permitted at trial, nor would it be permitted today.
Memphis Triple Homicide May 5, 1993
James M. Moore #ME-329-93
Steve E. Branch #ME-330-93
Chris M. Byers #ME-331-93
LOCATION: On May 6th, 1993, all three victims were found, bound wrist to ankle with shoe laces, in the water of a drainage ditch, in a heavily wooded area called the Robin Hood hills, behind the Blue Beacon Truck Wash in West Memphis, Arkansas. An equivocal forensic examination of all available crime scene and autopsy photos, crime scene video, investigator’s reports, witness statements, family statements, autopsy reports and numerous other sources to be listed as referenced in the endnote section of this report. The purpose of this preliminary examination was to competently assess the nature of the interactions between the victims and their environments as it contributed to their deaths as indicated by available forensic evidence, and the documentation regarding that evidence.
James M. Moore
James Michael Moore autopsy found here.
The following forensic information is taken directly from the official autopsy report filed by Dr. Frank J. Peretti of the Arkansas State Crime Lab, Medical Examiner Division, dated 5-7-93, Case No. ME-329-93 and/ or from The official coroner’s report filed by Kent Hale, Crittenden County Coroner, dated 5-6-97.
The purpose of this section is not to present an all inclusive, detailed account and explanation of every piece of information in these reports, but rather to explore these reports, with the corresponding photos, for consistency, possible omissions, and to review injuries or patterns that this examiner deemed to be significant to the case.
Wound Pattern Analysis
This victim received more traumatic head injuries than any of the other victims in this case. Dr. Peretti states that defense wounds were present on the victim’s hands. These wounds were very few, indicating that victim was incapacitated quickly after the attack began. So the nature of these head injuries, and the limited defensive type wounds, combine to indicate sudden, forceful, and repeated blows that resulted in abraded contusions, multiple lacerations, and multiple skull fractures.
There is an unexplained directional pattern abrasion just below the victim’s right anterior shoulder area.
This unexplained injury does not correspond with any of the physical evidence collected at the location that victim was discovered. It is furthermore inconsistent with any of the naturally occurring elements that exist in that environment. The best conclusion that this examiner can reach is that this pattern abrasion was created by forceful, directional contact with something that was not found at that crime scene, whether it be a weapon, a surface or something else capable of creating that pattern.
The shoelace ligatures used to restrain this victim did not leave deep furrows, and also did not leave abrasions. This indicates that the victim was not struggling while the ligatures were in place. This indicates further that the victim was very much unconscious when the ligatures were affixed to his wrists and ankles.
We know that the victim drowned, that is to say that hemorrhagic edema fluid was present in the victim’s lungs, indicating that the victim was breathing when he was placed into the 2ft of water in the drainage ditch at Robin Hood Hills.
Together, these facts suggest that the purpose of the ligatures in this victim’s case was to keep the victim from moving around or being able to swim should he regain consciousness once he had been thrown into the water. It is this examiners opinion that the assailant in this case demonstrated all manner of awareness and cognizance at this location. The assailant knew that this victim was not dead when they threw this victim into the water, and that the ligatures would assist to complete the act of deliberate homicide should the victim become conscious.
Lack Of Injuries
When compared to the other two victims in this case, who were found at the same location, bound nude with shoelace ligatures in the same fashion, the most striking discrepancy is the lack of injuries suffered by this victim. In the crime scene and autopsy photos made available to this examiner, there were no readily discernible bite marks visible, the genitals have not been visibly disturbed or molested, and there are no discernible stab wounds. This lack of attention is very telling, and will be discussed in the Offender Characteristics section of this report. There is also, again, a lack of mosquito bites to this victim, which, as mentioned earlier, suggests that he received his injuries elsewhere first. This because the injuries took time to inflict, time during which many mosquito bites would have been received, even after death.
Analysis: I find the statement that he had the least amount of injuries, yet the most severe head injuries in dire conflict, as he died from multiple injuries, and drowning. The fractures to his head and lacerations to his left and front right skull were enough to cause his death within minutes on their own, and there can be no doubt that he received them while he was already unconscious because of the lack of injury at the ligature sites. There is very little hemorrhage involvement with the open lacerations, and all lacerations were abraded; one with a dovetail and upside down L producing an ovid fracture. In Jesse Miskelley’s confessions, he says one of them was moving as he was put in the water while he was leaving. I believe the reason he never mentioned that Michael Moore was beat about the head with an instrument of some kind is because he never saw that. Michael was located in the ditch just below the oak with the exposed root that had the luminol result “shaped like a V”, which would be consistent with him struggling to get out of that water, on that bank, with a cast off or blood spatter pattern consistent with someone beating him toward the bank and in front of that tree.
Mosquito bites: Only females take a blood meal, so that potentially reduces the population by 50%, and at no time will they bite a deceased person. They are attracted mostly by carbon dioxide, released from a breathing person. Both Dr. Haskell and Dr. Goff agreed to this ultimately.
What is further curious to me, is that while Turvey was hired by Miskelley, who confessed at least three times by the date of the generation of this report, does he not note the obvious discrepancy for the placement of Mike Moore upstream, or that he was found on his right side with the left side surfacing when in effect dislodged by Det. Mike Allen. Moore was also hogtied differently, with different knots than the other 2 victims, with ONE black shoelace. There is a reason that Turvey was not given Miskelley’s updated confession following his conviction, and instructed to disprove it; he would not have been able to.
Steven Edward Branch
Stevie Branch autopsy found here.
Wound Pattern Analysis
There are numerous violent, traumatic injuries to this victim’s face and head, as well as numerous superficial scratches, abrasions, and contusions noted throughout the rest of his body. Dr. Peretti, however, does not note the presence of extensive defensive wounds.
This indicates a violent, overpowering attack on this victim that he was unable to put up resistance against. The constellation of wounds are very similar to those inflicted on James Moore, however they are much more intense and include the victim’s face.
This level of attention paid to the victim’s face, in terms of depersonalization and rage, is indicative of familiarity and that will be explored later on in this report.
Furthermore, there is the existence of patterned injuries all over this victim’s face that could be bite marks. Since the ME may have missed this crucial evidence, other areas of his body may show bite mark evidence as well. The autopsy photos of this victim supplied to this examiner were not of sufficient quality to make an absolute determination of any kind, and would require a thorough examination by a qualified forensic odontologist for an informed, conclusive analysis. [note: Dr. Thomas David, board certified forensic odontologist, has confirmed the wound as a human adult bitemark and excluded Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley as the offender using bite impressions obtained from the men in prison] Bite mark evidence is very important in any criminal case because it demonstrates behavior and lends itself to individuation. It can reveal to an examiner who committed the act, because bite marks can be as unique as fingerprints. And, once established, it also reveals the act itself; biting.
Another unidentified pattern compression abrasion can be found on the back of Steve Branch’s head. The source of this injury caused a 3? inch fracture at the base of the skull with multiple extension fractures that terminate in the foramen magnum (that’s the hole at the base of the skull where the spinal cord connects to the brain). Upon close examination, this pattern injury is consistent with compression made from footwear. Again, without better photos supplied to the examiner showing a variety of angles, it’s very difficult to make a positive identification of any kind. But the pattern is consistent with a footwear impression, and would require a footwear impression expert to analyze and make an informed, competent determination.
The shoelace ligatures used to restrain this victim did leave deep furrows, and also did leave patterned abrasions on both the wrists and ankles. This indicates that the victim was struggling while the ligatures were in place. This indicates further that the victim was very much conscious before or after the ligatures were affixed to his wrists and ankles. We know that the victim drowned, that is to say that hemorrhagic edema fluid was present in the victim’s lungs, as well as in the victim’s mouth, indicating that the victim was breathing when he was placed into the 2ft of water in the drainage ditch at Robin Hood Hills.
Together, these facts, again, suggest that the purpose of the ligatures in this victim’s case was to keep the victim from moving around or being able to swim should he regain consciousness once he had been thrown into the water. It is this examiner’s opinion that the assailant in this case demonstrated all manner of awareness and cognizance at this location. The assailant knew that this victim was not dead when they threw this victim into the water, and that the ligatures would assist to complete the act of deliberate homicide should the victim become conscious.
Lack Of Injuries
There is again a lack of evidence to support any sort of strangulation. Dr. Peretti states that his examination of the neck of this victim revealed no injuries, and the photos that this examiner has seen support that conclusion.
Analysis: He missed the wound to Stevie Branch’s penis entirely. While not contained in his formal autopsy report, it was proven during the trial that Dr. Peretti’s colleague was called into evaluate what Turvey was calling “bite marks” and was ruled out. The fact that bite impressions did not match Echols, Baldwin or Miskelley was in no way exculpatory, and I will save you the bite by some animal with a rough tounge report nonsense I had to read .
The 3” fracture at the base of the skull, which “spiderwebbed” into subsequent fractures, also very likely severed his spinal cord, so one must assume this injury was also quite perimortem.
Steve ‘s left face was found to be abraded on the entire left side, and is consistent with someone either stomping on right side of his neck and fracturing it, with an obvious boot print, if the left side of the face was on the ground.
The gouging wounds- likely had to be inflicted following the fracture due to the lack of hemorrhage in comparison to the severity of the wound, and all experts agreed the injury was likely perimortem. So the question becomes- why?
Seems like a very important question, second only to what caused the trauma, based on the constellation of terminal injuries already inflicted on him. Wouldn’t the only thing left to do at that point be to submerge him?
It is my theory- therein lies the problem. Byers was put in the ditch first, and we know he was already deceased, therefore, he sinks. Stevie Branch is placed in the water next to him, and he either begins moving or floats and the suspects thinks he is still alive, and uses an implement to force him into the ditch bottom until he succumbs and stays submerged. I will leave out the specifics of the gouging wound as to why I think that resulted in the usage of the other end of the ice axe on Michael Moore. The luminol result, found in the ditch bed itself, after it was drained, slightly downstream from Byers and Branch, but still upstream from Moore could also support this theory. We know that Byers had already bled out, but Branch was still alive when he was put into the water and the only significant bleeding wound on his person capable of leaving blood evidence in the bottom of the ditch to survive it simply being washed away in the creek, there is a high degree of probability he bled directly into the dirt. He was found face down.
Christopher Byers
Christopher Byers autopsy found here.
It should be noted that this victim’s injuries were the most extensive, most violent, and most overtly sexual of the all the victims in this case. The nature and extent of this victim’s wounds indicate that the assailant spent the most time with this victim.
Additionally, this victim’s toxicology report revealed non-therapeutic levels of carbamazepine in the blood. All of these differences are very important, and will be explored in the later sections of this report.
Wound Pattern Analysis
There are numerous violent, traumatic injuries to this victim’s head, specifically to the base of the skull. There was also evidence of the violent emasculation of the victim’s sex organs, extensive lacerations and bruising to the victim’s buttocks, as well as numerous superficial scratches, abrasions, and contusions noted throughout the rest of his body. Dr. Peretti also noted that there were numerous healed injuries of varying nature on this victim. Dr. Peretti, however, did not note the presence of defensive wounds.
Again, this indicates a violent, overpowering attack on this victim that he was unable to put up resistance against. The general constellation of wounds to this victim is more advanced, more extensive, more overtly sexually oriented and includes the use of a knife.
This knife was used not only to inflict multiple stabbing and cutting injuries to the victim’s inner thighs and genital area, it was used in the emasculation process. There is, unmentioned in either the ME’s or Coroner’s reports, what appears to be a clear impression of the knife handle on the right side of the large gaping defect left behind after the removal of the victims penis, scrotal sac, and testes. This was impression was created when the knife was thrust full length into the victim by the assailant, during the process of emasculation. This indicates forceful, violent thrusts. The nature of this emasculation, as indicated by these wounds, is neither skilled nor practiced. It was a rageful, careless, but purposeful act carried out in anger.
It is the opinion of this examiner that this injury would have resulted in massive, uncontrollable blood-loss, from which the victim could not have survived without immediate medical attention.
It should also be pointed out that the nature of the stab wounds inflicted on the victim’s genital area, separate from those received during the emasculation process, show marked irregular configuration and pulling of the skin. This indicates that either the knife was being twisted as the assailant stabbed the victim, or that the victim was moving as the blade was withdrawn.
The second set of injuries is described as five superficial cutting wounds on the left buttock (pictured on the left in this photo at the right). It should be noted that these injuries are actually lacerations, as indicated by the bridging between the open tissue, and the irregular edges. Both indicators are apparent upon close examination of the photographs. It is the opinion of this examiner that this set of injuries is most consistent with the parental whipping given to Chris Byers by Mark Byers. It is further the opinion of this examiner that after having received this set of injuries, which tore open the skin and would have resulted in some severe bleeding, the victim would have been unable to walk or ride a bicycle without incredible pain and discomfort.
The third set of injuries is the multiple linear superficial interrupted cuts on the right buttock region (pictured in the photo above on the right). These injuries are not consistent with having been made by a belt as they are cuts. The edges are not irregular, and the cuts are interrupted, again indicating movement by the victim or the assailant during the attack.
Furthermore, there is the existence of bruised ovoid compression injuries all over this victim’s inner thigh that could be suction type bite marks. Since the ME may have missed this crucial evidence, other areas of his body may show bite mark evidence as well. The autopsy photos of this victim supplied to this examiner were not of sufficient quality to make an absolute determination of any kind, and would require a thorough examination by a qualified forensic odontologist for an informed, conclusive analysis.
Bite mark evidence is very important in any criminal case because it demonstrates behavior and lends itself to individuation. It can reveal to an examiner who committed the act, because bite marks can be as unique as fingerprints and positively identify a suspect. And, once established, it also reveals the act itself; biting. The shoelace ligatures used to restrain this victim did leave deep furrows, and also did leave patterned abrasions on both the wrists and ankles. This indicates that the victim was struggling while the ligatures were in place. This indicates further that the victim was very much conscious before or after the ligatures were affixed to his wrists and ankles.
We know that this victim did not drown, that is to say that no hemorrhagic edema fluid was present in the victim’s lungs, or well in the victim’s mouth. This indicates that the victim was already dead when he was placed into the 2? ft of water in the drainage ditch at Robin Hood Hills. This is, again, very different from the other two victims in this case.
Dr. Richard Souviron forensic odontologist: all mutilation is peri and post mortem, no knife was used.
On a final note, Mr. Hale states in his supplemental report on Chris Byers that there is a stab wound on his head. This is actually incorrect, and rectified by Dr. Peretti who states in his autopsy report of Chris Byers that the same injury is a 1¼-inch laceration to the left parietal scalp.
There is also, again, a lack of mosquito bites to this victim, which, as mentioned earlier, suggests that he received his injuries elsewhere first. This because the injuries took time to inflict, time during which many mosquito bites would have been received, even after death.
Additionally, unlike Steve Branch, there is no overkill present in this victim’s face. That is to say that this is another of the marked differences between the killings of Steve Branch and Chris Byers which is very important to note, and which will be explored more thoroughly in this report.
Recommendations
It is apparent from the physical evidence in this case that Chris M. Byers was attacked with sudden, violent force from which he defended himself in only a limited fashion. It appears as though this attack took place, at least in part, while his cloths were off and while the shoelace ligatures restrained him. He was sexually assaulted (an assault of a sexual nature, to areas of the body considered to be sexual, that does not include sexual penetration), and associated stab wounds indicate that he may have been conscious during several phases of the attack.
Analysis: How does he miss that the dosage of (car) was sub therapeutic, meaning below the level at which he was described and confuse it as non-therapeutic, in his estimation, as a possible means to subdue him. He completely missed the fact that it is likely that the level, found in his blood, was greatly reduced because there was very little blood volume left in his body. AND, it was a prescribed medication. Turvey does not mention the other factors that support Byers died first, and he died quickly and violently. While he did have stomach contents, he did not have any urine in his blatter and there was substantative evidence his bowels had evacuated at the scene, commonly a result of an immediate violent death.
Consensus or Conundrum- Depends Who You Ask
Regardless of which expert one believes, within the confines of each report, is the absence of the belief with any certainty that the “Baldwin” serrated knife was used. What they all agree on, is that the gouging injuries to Branch and Byers were very similar. They all agree that there was evidence of blunt force trauma, significant curvilinear fractures, what is commonly referred to in Forensic Pathology today as “chop wounds”, other sharp force trauma.
Thoughts onPost Mortem Animal Predation
I agree it is possible that snapping turtles could have caused what looks to be possible claw marks and at least one possible bite mark. I am emphasizing possible because I don’t think one can rule out animal predation 100%
Bryn Ridge himself testified he has seen snapping turtles in that area, some time ago. That said, there was not so much as a crawfish found in that creek as it was being pumped out, and that included a screen.
Dr. Spitz went as far as to suggest that somehow a carnivore of some kind was the cause of the animal predation although all oter evidence suggests that the boys were completely submerged, as well as their clothing, and there was obviously no animal tracks or other artifacts at the scene that would make that theory sound anything remotely believable. Thankfully, he stopped short of suggesting that a new breed of homicidal carnivores with a cleaner crew who could walk upright was responsible.
Fortunately I Dressed For Bushwhacking
Starting with one of the most important parts of the autopsy evidence, is the very fact that detectives knew VERY LITTLE about it outside of the cause of death, until late May at the earliest. So little in fact, that Gary Gitchell, Lead Investigator, wrote a list of follow up questions to the crime lab on May 26. (need link here)
Frank J. Peretti, MD preformed all three autopsies on May 7, 1993, and filed reports on May 10th for cause of death only. Those causes of death btw, were all listed as homicide by multiple injuries, period. Nobody knew that two boys died from drowning, and not all three. This is particularly concerning because the first conversation that Steve Jones and Det Sudbury had with Damien Echols was on May 7th prior to autopsy and in his subsequent interview with Det Bryn Ridge on May 10, when asked by Ridge how he knew about that, Echols told Ridge that Jones told HIM that whoever did this “urinated” in the mouths of the boys.
Urine was found in the stomachs of 2 of the victims, but that information was given by phone only to Gitchell, and not before May 16th, 1993. There is no possible way Damien Echols could have had case- specific information unless he was there or knew someone that was that told him what occurred, as the detective interviewing him at the time was clueless to that fact during the interview.
There are certainly many statements by both Echols and Miskelley prior to arrest that indicate they had prior knowledge of the murders, but I have been able to ride the see saw on those for the most part, like many.
The fact that Echols knew that there was urine in the stomachs of two victims, when it was intentionally ommitted from the report can only mean he was there, or knew someone who was, and in my opinion, both.
To be continued, West Memphis Three Part III
Sources:
Crime lab Index: http://callahan.8k.com/wm3/img/crimelab.html
Chris Byers autopsy:
http://callahan.8k.com/wm3/autcb.html
Michael Moore:
http://callahan.8k.com/wm3/autmm.html
Stevie Branch:
http://callahan.8k.com/wm3/autsb.html
Turvey Report: http://callahan.8k.com/wm3/b_turvey_profile.html
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Blink, as much as I value Morgans posts and her ability to figure out how to bold her important points, 9nice work Morgan) can I please ask a favor- you are always in bold, Blink, and your responses are what I and many look for at first glance, so I ask that only you bold your thoughts? Please? I am confused.
I am not seeing anything bold but mine, and only those processed on my network, not droid, will look again, but yes, only my comments should appear in bold to distinguish, agreed.
B
@Mom 3.0
Respectfully, on that point I disagree. Did the 500 conclude de was capable of these murders? No. I don’t think he was in the system long enough and let’s keep in mind there are parts of his juvenile records we have never seen.
However, the disagree part, lol, I definitely believe those documents and his psych care and evaluations painted.him a ” candidate ” to be a consideration as a potential suspect absolutely. His own parents were afraid for him to come home for fear he would harm them or a sibling. His bio dad took his knives. I know you feel that perhaps his issues were exaggerated potentially (floabw , and forgive me breaking my own rule but I am traveling and only on the HTC I would link).
But putting aside the whole guilt or innocence thing, de had Chronic emotional problems and potential physical health manifestAtions of.same. since he was a toddler.
Does that make him a potential murderer, no, but it certainly was a precursor identified by the folks treating him.
Those opinions have great weight for me.
Sorry as I know this post is going to look like chit but I am nurse on call at the Met Life arena, my baby busted his schnoz.
Is Echols still sick? If they are guilty, which I am inclined to believe, hell yes they are still sick. If guilty they are living a lie and making money off 3 murdered 8 year old boys. To continue the charade is pure sociopathic behavior encouraged by the media and celebrity enablers if they are indeed guilty.
Blink I am so sorry to hear of little Blinky hurting his nose- I hope it is not too serious. My prayers for a swift recovery.
Thanks for the heads up in responding to my post, but I am not exactly sure which one you are responding to, it hasnt posted yet LOL
I see your point Blink and I can even agree up to a point IRT perhaps these meaning more in hindsight – but at the time LE was supposed to be unaware of it and without SJ and Jerry Driver “driving” the satanic angle, I do not think DE and JB would have even been considered as suspects, and not certainly not from the very beginning.
Yes his parents took his knives away, yes he threatened harm to himself and to them- even if only said in the heat of the moment, they would have been wrong not to take his knives and not to alert mental health- professionals.
However, the 500 should not have made him a suspect, nor should his attire or tastes. He never acted on these threats, they were just threats- and were directed at himself and his immediate family- I fail to see how this leads LE and others to the conclusion that DE would be capable of murdering these 3 little boys.
Thanks again Blink, and I do understand your position and I respect it, even though I dont agree with it.
Love ya- and a big wish to little Blinky to Get Well Soon
AJMO
@ Morgan says:
September 26, 2011 at 8:15 am
Big big hugs sunshine. You put a huge smile on my face! Thank you for missing me XOXOXOXOXOXO. Back at you <3
I don't believe he is/was bipolar. He's not manic….and most manics experience these 'highs' where they feel invincible. They tend to spend $$$ they don't have, live beyond their means, can go days w/o sleep (my uncle's case). This phase typically lasts 2 – weeks as does the depressive. It's almost predictable when anticipating the end of one phase and the beginning of another. It does come across that sommeone who is manic depressive is capable of murder. That could be true, but not likely. I would never underestimate the human psyche where mental illness is concerned.
Bipoloar = a distinct mood between depressive and manic episodes. I've read that ppl who receive treatment for bipolar miss their manic episodes. Once the mania has stops, it's a literal 'crash' descent into the depressive phase. It's like 2 different people of opposite extremes, mood wise.
What I know is that it is NOT uncommon to see 5 different psychiatrists and get 5 different opinions. This is where we see some inconsistencies, and imo, that is normal. Bipolar itself is difficult to diagnose but I am certain, at least 1 psych would have picked up on the mania. Not 1 expert did wrt DE. That's big. We need to look at what they did agree on (I can't recall details at this point but I remember thinking they weren't that far apart in diagnosis). The 'homicidal' aspect of DE's pychosis is what stands out the most, to me. It should have evolved from a deep, depressive diagnosis to a personality disorder, one that reflects homicidal thoughts, cult like interests, and dark fantasies. I know, personally, spiritual warfare can be a contributing factor in depression, itself. I am not surprised DE succumbed to dark thoughts. He didn't come from a religious or faith based family. He was obviously searching and aware he needed to establish spiritual convictions to cope. He chose, in simple terms, dark over light, most likely b/c it was already familiar to him.
Also, we have come so far in diagosing depression, mental illness and personalities disorders since DE was initially assessed and treated. More research has been done on the brain in various stages of illness, more drug research and production…etc. It's so much easier to get treated and find relief from mental illness today than it was 20 years ago. I've been on meds, myself, for 22. Even my general practitioner, in hindsight, was not experienced with depression and how to treat it, which is why more and more people see psychiatrists than their family doctors, for chronic mental illness. It has become a totally different area of medicinal practice, imo.
Lastly, I'd like to know what DE's mental state was before the divorce. There's nothing out there that tells us what kind of a child he was before the breakdown crisis of his family. A more confident child may handle this more resiliently. They'd be more willing to talk about their feelings and find escape in friends and hobbies. A less confident, anxious child may not. I'm siding that DE was already in a 'delicate' state of mind before the family structure, as he knew it, fell apart. I'm super curious to know what his thoughts were pre family breakup. We could learn so much more about DE with this information. Unfortunately, we only know how and why mental illness became predominant. For what it's worth, I sense he was a loner who didn't make friends easily. He had a small comfort zone and probably struggled with self esteem, confidence and making friends. He was probably high risk for depression (at least) prior to the divorce, but again, the information we have now did not exist back then.
It's so much different today. Now society, including schools, have more tools to use when observing children in class. My son, as a result, had his first mental health assessment in gr.1. He was suffering from long episodes of crying in class. I learned then he was high risk for depression and anxiety b/c of his behaviour and thoughts (turns out, it was seperation anxiety). I am certain his condition is also genetic (most of my dad's side, including my uncles, my cousins and their children, are inflicted with some kind of emotional/mental distress). I'm grateful that we've been able to step in during the developmental years where cognitive and coping skills will set him up for life. He will probably need medication to at some point in his lifeResearch has come so far, and for DE's family, I highly doubt they were in touch with their son's sense of fragility. Even if they were, treating a child for depression was still considered unthinkable.
So, imho, I don't believe he is/was manic depressive. It's usually a crisis that affects our sense of well being and for DE, it was devastating enough to set him on a path which threatened his safety and that of his family and community.
I am encouraged by the posts on BOC WRT DE's mental state. This is where we can learn more about mental illness, the signs and what can trigger a break down. I just think in DE's case, we're not going to find the answers we need. He was treated in a different time. We don't know much about his sense of self as a child. The mental health experts worked with what they knew and had. Personally, I would LOVE to see DE assessed by MH experts today. We'd see an accelerated form of his condition which would lend us more insight as to why he became capable of killing 3 precious, innocent lives. He is not cured. His state of mind has definitely deteriorated since he did not receive treatment of any kind while incarcerated. He is not of sound mind. He is a definite threat to himself and the public. He is extremely manipulative and creative with words, lending most to believe he is highly intelligent and functional. That is a mask, a diversion.
Morgan, I appreciate your interest in my opinion. You've become a valuable contributor, as your informative posts reflect.Thank you for the hard work you're doing in bringing light into DE's state of mind. It will assist the truth.
God bless you, sweet friendy o' mine <3 <3 <3
PS…apollies for anticipated grammar and spelling errors. Doubly so wrt to the pycho babble
@ mom 3.0, I wish this thing had sound because I have just experienced what y’all do constantly- I typed out a page long comment to you on the Droid and I zigged when I should have zagged and poof. It was worth it for the broken English auto correct funzie it was alone.
Anyway, before I toss this thing in the Moonachie, I just wanted to say that was a JETS reference, Sanchez broke his nose yesterday. Had it been blink Jr. , I would still be in spaz mode, not proud of it, I know.
oh okay- I told you I was easily confused. LOL Glad to hear it wasnt actually your baby that busted his nose…
@mom 3.0-
Looks like you are my square dance partner’ today, my pleasure of course.
I agree to the point that his background could not determine him capable, but my comment was that he could be considered a candidate, absolutely. It is a common investigative technique to consider the psych and criminal history when evaluating a potentiAL poi, keep in mind, le was investigating several suspects at that time in much the same way.
De was suspended and probably ultimately expelled for sharpening his nails to points and gouging the face/eye of Divilbliss. He grabbed the gun out of a holster of a cop, and I believe he absolutely killed that dog ( I know it was sick, whatever, I am a dog lover.) These are not acts of an attention seeker, imo, they are overtly aggressive and malicious.
If someone asked me who was capable of committing this crime on their own or with co- conspirators , I would say that would be above my skillsets to date, and then I apply Occam.
So now I have a sort of middle ground question:
What role do you think the Hbo docs played in determining this case outcome and how do you feel about $10 million being spent on the defense and not a dime of restitution or fines paid into any victim funds as per Arkansas law?
Good! Blink Jr. is ok. Scared me for a bit. A broken nose for a little one is not fun.
Based on the information in Morgan’s #33 post, IMO the Arkansas State hospital should have locked up Echols for the rest of his life.
This whole thing regarding the “rich” guys getting involved superceedes anything with reason regarding law. They effectively just thumbed their collective nose at the courts and laws of Arkansas.
They saw a way to make a splash in the media by spending a considerable sum with the intention of at least tripling the investment. It was all a selfish endeavor.
@Ragdoll
That is so very selfless of you to share about your personal experiences in familial mental health issues for us to better understand. I especially appreciate your thoughts on early observations.
XOXO
B
Exhibit 500 doesn’t prove guilt but it does disprove the whole ‘teenage outcasts were wrongfully targeted because they dressed differently’ theory.
The fact that Echols was only 18 at the time helps the defense out significantly. What if Echols was a 40 year old man that had a criminal and mental history like that? I don’t think anyone would have been screaming injustice if someone like that was brought in as a suspect.
Morgan
The link to the reports at the hospital dated Jan.5 93 where it is stated that DE believes that there are two types of people, wolves and sheep, he is a wolf and wolves eat sheep. This is just four months prior to the attacks on the boys.
Sniffing substances such as glue, gasoline, butane and other chemicals is dangerous. Glue sniffing for the aeromatics to get high is something that a few teens try. Butane under sufficient pressure can penetrate the brain area and cause mechanical and chemical dammage.
This tells me that DE has been in mental trouble for a long time. Even though he is now in his mid thirties, he still IMO represents a danger to the public. I just wonder how he may behave when the “rich ones” pull the plug?
IMO, a broken nose is worsened by the two big black eyes that often accompany it! I’m so sorry, Little Blink!
Ragdoll
I know first hand about lithium and why it is used. One of our boys has a friend who went to high school with him. He was not one of those that we took in to help raise. He had a mental problem that was being controlled with lithium.
After graduation, he went to Dallas to live with his grandparents in order to go to college. One of the things that is difficult for these type of problems is the person on the drug will skip the medication unless monitored by a family member. The Grandparents did not monitor his medication.
In the middle of December that year, we recieved a telephone call from the young man telling us a story that was not realistic. We called the grandparents and determined that he was out of control and they didn’t know where he could be found.
He wanted to spend time with our son. After contacting the parents, we drove to the airport and three of us flew to Dallas. In those days the flight was $25.00 per person. We rented a car and drove to the grandparents home to begin the search for the sick one. Took us all night to find him.
When we did find him, the only person that he would listen to was my wife. After several hours, we managed to get him to a doctor and committed to a hospital. What a way to spend a weekend.
He is now in his late fifties and as long as he takes the medication as prescribed, he funtions normally. When he doesn’t, he goes bonkers and has to be rehospitalized.
@Ragdoll
Hi, I don’t know too much about bipolar disorder, but when I was reading the declaration of Pam (Echols) Hutchison, it seemed to me like it was a possibility, as she mentions Damien having extreme highs and lows. I’m not sure if you have read her declaration or not, but she discusses a lot of things Damien experienced as a child, as well as her own problems, and his biological father’s problems.
IIRC, The main passage I was wondering about is on page 10, paragraph 26.
http://callahan.8k.com/images/pamh/declaration/declaration_of_pamela_hutchison_09-03-2000_10.jpg
I believe Mr. Echols also mentions the same type of thing in his declaration.
If you haven’t already read these, I was hoping you might take a look. I would be interested in what you think about this.
Thanks,
mjh
Krayon, can you post privately what you have, I may run into some copyright issues so I want to be sure.
Appreciate the offer, thanks
B
Very kind of you Blink. It’s critical to talk about state of mind now more than ever. Whatever it takes to create awareness. <3
I sure hope Blink Jr.'s snout is ok. Bless his wee heart XO.
…and much love and blessings to my BOC friendies. Awesome posts y'all. <3
Ragdoll, it’s doubtful that I deserve such a compliment, but thank you! (blush) Hey, I think we could use an anti-depressant, every once in a while. Some more often than others, perhaps, but still. I heart you dearly for sharing.
Wow! Your response sent my thoughts off in a dozen different directions. The possibility of spiritual warfare has more than once crossed my mind, and before I comment further on that I want to find the information I happened upon a while back regarding Jack Echols and his religious beliefs. I believe it was in Almost Home that I read and got the impression that Damien would have had to ask for Jack’s permission to look into the Catholic religion. As he knew Jack would not approve, due to his own religious beliefs, Damien avoided being specific and more or less told him that he was simply looking for “a church”.
I’ve been trying to ascertain if Damien’s early childhood, depression wasn’t the result of, or exasperated by, continually being told he was bad or evil, or as the old saying goes, “tell a child often enough that he’s bad and he will be” or if his eventual turn toward the occult wasn’t an outright act of rebellion as opposed to an escape to the realm into which he felt he best fit, having come to believe he was evil from a rather young age.
How unfortunate it would be if his depression went undiagnosed and untreated because it was mistaken for a demonic oppression or possession. I’ve seen this happen, and to a child it can be as confusing as it is frightening.
Because I would offend no one I will not be specific but to say that I cannot begin to describe the damage that was done to two of my grade school nephews when their mother began attending certain church meetings where devils and demons were being driven out in droves. It was especially traumatic for the younger of the two who had always been rather “slow” and who suffers from a mild form of cerebral palsy. She had him convinced, and to the point that he became depressed, that he was the most evil of the evil because he would not allow the release of the demons within him; demons she believed were the cause of his learning disability and cerebral palsy. It was never the pastor’s fault that he could not cast them out. In the end, after more than a year of torment, she decided my brother and their children were evil, packed her clothes and walked out. Thank God.
I want to know about Damien and why he was/is the way he is/was. Who or what caused him to become so treacherous, seeing how it is not the result of a cerebral/brain anomaly or a mere chemical imbalance. He referred to himself as having grown up in “abject” poverty, but many an impoverished soul has survived a horrendous childhood without becoming homicidal. He described his step-father as being physically and mentally abusive; perhaps the answer lies there.
@Lucy (and everyone):
Piers Morgan is a huge Twitter freak. If anyone can, why not tweet him the link to this site’s discussions of the case?
Thank you Cickel, I absolutely need that, and it was ok to share, but I respect your request for privacy.
B
@Morgan
Aah. Not blink Jr. My bad , BlinkOnCrime cougar
Is this an auto correct issue?
Lol
@ cbickel-
My kind thanks. I loved it.
Blink several of my posts from today still have not posted just wondering about them.
@ A Texas Grandfather says:
September 26, 2011 at 5:26 pm
-snipped-
One of the things that is difficult for these type of problems is the person on the drug will skip the medication unless monitored by a family member.
The man you described sounds just like my uncle. We all could tell when he was on his meds and when he was off them. Lithium is so effective, it tricks the patient into thinking they’re better. You hit the nail on the head wrt to skipping meds. People who are on meds do need a back up person to ensure they’re taking them. To this day, I still struggle with taking my meds daily. I hate it, regardless of the fact that they help! My husband, God bless him, has been nothing short of an angel. He can look at my bottles (I’m on a cocktail of meds) and determine whether or not I’ve been consistent. Consistency is absolutely crucial to getting better and maintaining the results. Otherwise, it will always be a precarious state of being for the patient.
Your son’s friend was described by his grandparents as ‘out of control’. That is the manic phase of the illness. I could share infinite stories about mental illness and medication. I fear it might come across as self indulgent. I will say my uncle, who’s also in his fifties, is not fairing well. He has not taken his meds for years. He has now deteriorated into a man I no longer know. He’s become aggressive, paranoid, undependable and detached from family. He lost his very first and only job, where he became extremely successful. I just learned he was fired from his job because he simply was not showing up for work anymore. Illogically, he determined he was entitled to come and go from work w/o calling in. He has attempted to commit suicide at least once, that I know of, in his life. Had he stayed on his medication, he’d be functioning rather well. I’m almost certain he could have been stabilized.
I do hope your son’s friend will sustain. It is a life time challenge.
@ Morgan says:
September 26, 2011 at 7:31 pm
Thank you, again, for your heart felt response. What a gem you are to me! XOXO
I’m so so sorry about your nephews. Their mother bought into a very extreme, fear based kind of religion. Every disease and illness is equated to possible possession. I fear this is a whole seperate topic but you did ask a great question. Did DE possess dark thoughts as a child and did he share them with his family, or anyone, for that matter? We’d have to ask him. We don’t know how or if spirituality played a part in his family prior to his initial assessment. You reflect on whether he may have acted out differently as a child, suggesting his parents contributed to his sense of isolation. That’s absolutely possible. I have no doubt in my mind that he was in a fragile state (prior to his parents splitting up) but wore a mask, to not stand out. Personally, I can’t tell you exactly how a crisis will affect any certain individual who may be susceptible to mental illness. It seems those who commit severe acts of violence have had trauma in their childhood, experienced some form of abuse and have come from broken homes. Then again, some children rise above and beat the odds. Nature vs nurture????? There is no formula to pre determine the outcome.
What is evident is that he had no support from his parents. Right or wrong, this contributed to the breakdown of DE’s mental state.
@ mjh says:
September 26, 2011 at 5:59 pm
Hello my friend. I can’t give you an informed answer just yet. I do need to read through the link you provided me. Also, I am going by personal experiences. I’m not a specialistic and if I come across as such, I deeply apologize. What’s funny (or not) is that after my diagnosis and years of therapy, I’ve noticed similiar ailments in family members. I gotta tell ya….my family associates depression and therapy with weakness.
I’ve developed the ability to recognize many in my family are enablers, ragers (yelling and screaming, road rage, etc etc), abusive , depressed (in denial of course) AND self medicating (alcohol, marijuana, prescription meds). I have educated myself via personal experience, reading and from years of therapy. However, I’m not as confident when it comes to DE. A lot of MH professionals can’t easily diagnoise bipolar. This requires months of assessment, therapy and observation. We also need to consider how mania can be mistaken for anxiety, panic or other symptoms. It has never been black and white. It took at least 10 years before my present psych determined I’m not bipolar. I knew I wasn’t. It was never consistent and the mania never lasted more than half a day, with months in between. There can be manic tendencies, which may be DE’s case.
None of the dr.’s who treated DE indicated manic episodes. His depression seemed to over lapse and out last any possible mania. This is inconsistent with bp.
I will post a response to the best of my abilities after I’ve familiarized myself with PH’s statements.
I hope this made some degree of sense.
The armchair body language poster is back and I stumbled upon something rather interesting.
I guess Damien Echols should have invested in a “Body Language Guide” as his guilt and disgust at the world shines right through. This is fascinating-A Body Language Expert evaluates a Fox interview (in Memphis in prison). The link to the news story is below. Again, as he did in the “child killer release press release”, he is still covering his mouth a lot among other intricate gestures and micro-expressions. She mentions how he downplays (“doesn’t like to talk about when Eddie Vedder comes to visit” him in death row) but his body language tells he is actually REALLY enjoying the attention and being famous in his head. I just want to vomit when I see him and I wanted to put it on mute when they played one of Vedder’s cover songs in the background-one of my favorites and don’t want to associate it with this monster. Grrrr
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/local/120210-body-language-expert-evaluates-damien-echols-fox13-interview
For anyone who might be interested, I found that Mark McClish has done some statement analysis on the WM3 case.
His analysis includes Jessie Misskelley’s confessions(first 2)and Terry Hobbs’ and Michael Carson’s statements.
I found his analysis very interesting.
http://www.statementanalysis.com/WM3/
Blink, Several posts that I had awaiting moderation yesterday have completely disappeared this morning. Not sure what is happening…
@ Morgan says:
September 26, 2011 at 7:31 pm
-snipped-
I may need an anti depressant now and then.
LOL!!!!!! Life has it’s ups and downs. Food for thought…bananas have a calming affect on the brain. If you have the blues (great for people with milder forms of depression) eat a banana! It helps increase the brains seratonin and dopamine levels.
My son MUST eat 1 a day! It does make a difference.
LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!
@ grace
I am traveling through 3 Pm EST.
I Will look into it when I get in.
b
Graceinthehills- hi Glad to know I am not the only one that has posts missing.
Blink, not to be a bother, but Add me to the list too- my posts from yesterday still have not appeared either.
@ mom 3.0
( and anyone I missed) on location and hope to be able to boot up soon. Sorry
@Ragdoll
Hi again, and thank you for your response. It makes a lot of sense.
I understand that you are not a specialist in these disorders
But, I am impressed by your knowledge of the subject and I trust your opinion.
Although I have had personal experience myself with depression and certain meds, all I really know of bipolar disorder is what a psychologist I worked with told me about it.
Your description was pretty close to his, and I feel that personal experience, especially knowing someone with a particular disorder, does give people a better understanding of it.
I have read that bipolar disorder is sometimes misdiagnosed as schizophrenia. I don’t know if Damien was ever diagnosed with schizophrenia, but IIRC, he wrote it down as a diagnosis, I believe when he was applying for disability. I wasn’t sure if he wrote this because someone told him he was schizophrenic or if his mom told him to put it down because it would make it more likely for him to be approved for disability.
In her declaration, his mom talks about her own problems with depression and panic disorder. She also describes Damien’s biological father as having some type of OCD, and extreme rage.
Damien’s condition is very confusing and hard to figure out. It’s like he inherited all of his parents’ disorders, and then some. I’m sure if his mother had a panic disorder, the “high” episodes Damien was experiencing could be related to panic, as you had mentioned.
It is obvious that he suffered from severe depression. This, I can relate to.
It’s a shame that your family members see depression and therapy as weakness. When I decided to start taking meds for my depression, it helped so much that when I noticed the same symptoms in some of my family members, I encouraged them to talk to their doctor about it and get help, and they did.
I do value your opinion, and I look forward to reading what you think once you’ve had a chance to look at these documents.
Thank you,
mjh
Raddoll
Medication is like food. It must be balanced with the body’s needs. Too much or too little will create problems. Each one of us are as unique as snowflakes. Because of this uniqueness, we are all subject to our genes and our environment.
All of life on our planet is electro-chemical. The human body is a big chemical factory that transforms chemicals found in everything that we injest into helpful or harmful compounds. When something is missing or out of balance, we become ill.
We must also deal with germs and virus attacks on the body.
Stress can be physical or mental. Stress causes the body to react in ways that are not normal. There is no doubt that some people are able to deal with stress better than others.
One day, probably not within my lifetime, our science will progress to the point that prior to birth medical experts will be able to make adjustments to correct the many defects in the human body.
The more I read the interviews and the various analyses of the language, the more I realize that we don’t have the whole story. It will probably never be known. We cannot say beyond all doubt that the convicted are guilty.
What we have is very poor forensics and investigation to work with. Does this mean they cannot be guilty? I don’t think so.
@ragdoll. And when my son began pigging out on black olives, I googled up serotonin as well.
Ragdoll! I’m running out to buy some bananas, right now! Okay so, in a minute, that is. Thank you, you sweetest of all sweet friendlies!
I’ll have to catch up later with all that’s new, like the statement analysis, mjh, as I had to bring some work home with me, this evening that needs to be done by morning. Thanks for the info!
Blink, this isn’t to make you feel guilty or anything but, WE MISS YOU!
@Scout, again, enjoyed your body language post again. I was thinking of something today that goes along with that. Not so much body language, but something that was said. Did you happen to watch the 48 hours show that came out a few weeks ago? Damien and Lorri were sitting together answering questions from Erin Moriarty. Lorri said “If they were guilty, the state would have never let them out”. It seemed like she was trying to convince skeptics but also like she was trying to convince herself that she was not sitting next to a murderer. I wonder if now that he’s out of jail, she’s starting to notice things that may have her doubting. If you didn’t see it, I’m sure you could find it on YouTube. Then you could analyze body language on that interview too and report back on your opinions. That would be interesting.
Ragdoll thanks for the tip. When it becomes hard in the jungle out there i will eat bananas now. It may help. Depression is surely a very nasty disease, i wish you all much healing and thanks for encouraging others.
i was working on a re-analysis and reinterpretation of the analysis and tried to bold or italicize,my interpretation, and something went wrong and it all disappeared .argh!my interpretation in short: jessie is lying because he does not want a murder rap,he is lying about the time because he wants to distance himself from the time of ther murders,”, i left, i took off , ,he gets caught lying about the time and gives it all up except for the weapon,the shoelaces ,he tied the kid up ,and tying the kid up is what caused him to die , being tied up and pushed into the water to drown , he’s not gonna tell who did what,he’ll implicate himself for murder ,he is not gonna make that clear , jessie isnt gonna admit he tied or he pushed ,he’ll get the electric chair ,he is gonna tell it like its a twister game ,because he doesnt want to admit even to himself or his dad what he did,which means its worse than what he’s telling us ,which leads to my interpretation of the discrepancies in his statements , he is in denial that he chopped christoper byers , because he didnt, actually , he tried not to, he already told us he cant hit hard when he’s drunk, yet the kid was out, unconcious,i dont think he wanted to do it , he barely swung it ,he tried to miss , he made a half hearted attempt ,accidently gouged the groin ,and lightly touched the penis with the bladed teeth,but this a knarly weapon ,a half hearted attempt skinned the penis and the head got caught between the far apart teeth and cut it off( le thought they had the weapon ,when they found the lake knife, because its teeth were far apart) ,before dropping it and running and screaming,crying.(damien and jason were yelling at jessie to be quite ,get back and help clean up ,thats the answer to whoever asked why they were yelling at the boys to be quite if their shirts were stuffed in their mouths),jason or damien then finished by cutting the balls . if you can get away with accessory instead 2nd degree wouldnt most accessories to murder, lie and say they left, took off, and runnedaway before the murder took place,wouldnt they change the time of events so their alibi makes it impossible to have been there at that time, ,which is the reason he wanted to make the time earlier so he wouldnt be there at time of death. if you believe he is guilty because of his confessions(?),then it follows that he didnt want to be there, he didnt want to be involved,he didnt want anyone to die,he comes from a loving family ,he knew love, ,he is remorseful and he did confess (to a certain degree).unless its crocodile remorse. but i suspect he is going to recant all on piers morgan. what a shame, i wish jessie would shock us all,he would be forgiven , those three little boys deserve so much better,children are the future.
Scout says:
September 27, 2011 at 1:12 am
The armchair body language poster is back and I stumbled upon something rather interesting.
I guess Damien Echols should have invested in a “Body Language Guide” as his guilt and disgust at the world shines right through. This is fascinating-A Body Language Expert evaluates a Fox interview (in Memphis in prison). The link to the news story is below. Again, as he did in the “child killer release press release”, he is still covering his mouth a lot among other intricate gestures and micro-expressions. She mentions how he downplays (“doesn’t like to talk about when Eddie Vedder comes to visit” him in death row) but his body language tells he is actually REALLY enjoying the attention and being famous in his head. I just want to vomit when I see him and I wanted to put it on mute when they played one of Vedder’s cover songs in the background-one of my favorites and don’t want to associate it with this monster. Grrrr
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/local/120210-body-language-expert-evaluates-damien-echols-fox13-interview
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I watched this clip of the body language expert and thought “man, am I good”. I have always thought that Echols showed his mistruths when he spoke. He is so full of himself that I always expect him to blow a kiss thru the camera to us.
Misskelley on the other hand reeks with the need to stand up and scream “we did it”. I thought he was going to on the day they were released. Darn he didn’t…. again !
Baldwin. Now that is some smooth character. Hard for me to get a read on him still.
I think my other posts have slipped into oblivion…
Blink or anyone else: Do you know why LE was initially looking for a Vietnam veteran as a possible suspect? I know they were also looking at truckers (which is logical, given the location near an interstate and truck stop/wash). What about any local sex offenders? It is hard to tell from the documents alone.
Also, at Callahan, I noticed the ice axe had no latents or blood on it when it was tested by the state crime lab. Was it actually entered into evidence, or was it simply seized by warrant for testing as other potential weapons were at the time?
Billy Sinclair has put together the facts to explain how he came to his conclusion these three are guilty. Given this man’s strong opposition to the death penalty, I give his opinion great weight. Regardless, this is succinct and insightful: http://www.capitalpunishmentbook.com/?p=638
It is easy to forget how Damien Echols told investigators one child was more mutilated than the others and he learned this information from the newspaper. Of course, it never had been published, and when confronted with that fact under cross-examination he admitted as much and was revealed as a liar with zero credibility.
Ragdoll
Bananas contain potassium that is important for heart health as well. In fact, a body extremly low on potassium will exhibit symtoms that appear to be a heart attack. I had a friend who went through what was thought to be a heart attack, but it turned out to be low potassium. The doctors put him on four bananas a day for six weeks and cleared the problem. Potassium is a metal. The body needs a certain amount of metals to be healthy.
I appologize for not typing your name correctly on a post yesterday. We had a storm (rain at last 1/2″) with lightning so I pushed the submit button before I proofed the post.
Susanm
In your post #26 you speak of Jessie possibly being the one to use the knife or ice axe and he swung it in a half-hearted manner. You also address the shape of the teeth on one side of the large survival knife recovered from the pond. I don’t think the blow was half-hearted at all. I think the person weilding the axe simply missed the intended target and on the “pull-back” the effect was as you described.
Yes, I agree that the shape of the teeth on either weapon are formidable. The deep portions of the teeth are there to allow a self-clearing action when it is used to cut wood or ice. The deep portions of the blade design are called gullets. Any saw or blade that is designed to cut material fast will have gullets of one type or another.
Most hand saws are designed to cut on the forward stroke (pushed)and clear chips on the backstroke (pulled). This is exactly what happened IMO with the ice axe. Large two person saws,like those used to cut timber,cut and clear in either direction.
Mom3.0
In one of your posts above you speak of the fact that just because the teenagers did not dress and behave as others in their age group, they should not have been penalized by making them suspects.
My experience with teens that do that type of behavior would have made me immediately put them on a persons of interest list. Extreme or out of the norm behaviors always tells me to watch the person carefully. This includes both boys and girls. The behavior may be because they saw something in a movie or a TV show that they chose to emulate. It may be a game or make believe appearance, but until I am satisfied that they are indeed doing a copy behavior and there is no sinister reason they will be watched.
Society, when I was young, used those tools to keep teens under control. Today everyone leans too far towards letting them do whatever they choose. Parents and society in general are responsible for the social behaviors of young people.
@ Grace
The Neally brothers called WMPD when he got back into town from working the circus and heard about the murders and learned the ice axe had been returned.
It was given to them voluntarily with the “throwing knife”.
Although I have repeatedly asked it’s status of WMPD I have never received a response.
Blink says:
September 28, 2011 at 12:02 pm
@ Grace
The Neally brothers called WMPD when he got back into town from working the circus and heard about the murders and learned the ice axe had been returned.
It was given to them voluntarily with the “throwing knife”.
Although I have repeatedly asked it’s status of WMPD I have never received a response.
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Thank you, Blink. I have always been struck by the manner in which these little boys were tied. Not the knots, but the fact that they were tied with their own shoelaces, and that all three were tied hand to foot. I can understand that this type of binding would have prevented them from be able to get out of the water, but still, it almost seems like a ‘signature’.
They were all tied hand to foot, yes, but Byers and Branch were tied with each others laces, both right hand to right foot.
Moore was tied differently, and with one shoelace, presumably from his own shoe, as the other had the only remaining shoelace in it. He was tied right hand to left foot and vice versa. For me, this again supports Jesse ‘s confession, and that Moore was tied last, and at the different side of the bank, again in support. In Jessie’s first confession, ( I cant recall which one and I am not in a position to link ftlog- I appreciate the gifthorse to finally be on my network so I am not looking at his mouth) he misunderstands a question about tying the boys up, or pulling out a shoelace and answers “just one”. I have always believed that to mean that he was referring to the only shoelace left in, which again, how would he know?
All 3 victims knots were believed knotted differently, or by at least two different people, I think this is one of the strongest suggestions that 3 people were present.
B
TGF- although I agree that we as a society have gone too far in letting kids do what they want-
I do not agree that these kids wearing all black and having knife collections and wearing trench coats in the summer or or having interests in wicca ect or not behaving exactly like others in their age group ,means that they should be considered suspects.
Any teacher will tell you that you can not judge a kids behavior by their reputations or by their friends, and not by the clothes they wear, or their hobbies, or their past, especially when that past has been altered through many trips through the rumor mill.
IME It is often the “good” kids who work hard to “fit in” that a teacher finds are most likely to be the bad apples in the bunch- because these kids have learned the game- they have learned to present themselves as safe and surround themselves with friends and they do not stand out at first glance or even second glance ect and mommy and daddy tend not to want to see that their kid is acting up or a bully ect. The ones that are projecting themselves as “bad” through their attire aect are often times the ones that are simply the outcasts that have learned to embrace their “weirdness”- kinda of like a comedian who thinks Ill make a joke of myself, at my own expense before anyone-else laughs AT me anymore…
We all have our comfort zones- some feel most comfortable in jeans and tees others most comfortable in suits and ties, still others have a favorite coat or hat and many will never wear one, nomatter the weather…
So I find it sad that these kids clothes ect were used against them- when we all have our own hang-ups, our own likes and dislikes- especially as teens- I mean how many parents out there have given up on buying clothing presents for our kids because they tend not to wear them for “strange” reasons-? When I was teaching I had a student, a girl, that refused to wear anything but black and red- EVERY Day- she wasnt a devil worshiper and she wasnt in a gang…
We all often times wear masks- keeping our distance, it seems to me that these kids were more upfront and in your face about theirs- and they shouldnt be suspects because of it
AJMO
Blink, I am assuming my previous posts were lost, so if its alright, I will try to repost them when I get a chance.-
Hey, look what i found, lol, I am up and fixed, thanks for everyone’s patience. Posting all pending I could not see right now.
B
I’ve been so busy the past couple of days so have much catching up to do! After supper.
Jack
Thanks so much for the link to Billy Sinclair’s site. This is a very good summary of the facts in the case.
After reading it twice, I cannot find anything that tells me that anyone other than the WM3 are the guilty ones.
Mr. Sinclair raises the possiblilty that DE and JB were seen walking together about 8:30 P.M. near the truck wash and they were thought to be dirty with mud.
The real convincer for me is the discovery of the ice axe with its blade and handle, although it did not appear in the trial, and the fact that the attorneys making the Alford plea would have their clients plead guilty or accept guilt for the crime.
Blink, Ummm Have I been banned? None of my posts are showing up?
Trying again-
I think I might have a new possibility for the x pattern… I have been searching for patterns that may produce x’s -you said the x’s are voids?-
So I have been looking for recessed x’s….
- bicycle tire treads?
Look at the bike tire tread patterns for the “cruiser” shown in this first link, or the tires shown in “F”- or “G” in the second link?
http://lightenupbikes.com/images/SweetskinzTreadTypes.gif
and
http://tinyurl.com/3wusttg
What was the tread on the bikes recovered from the scene? Was it like these patterns?
Perhaps the bikes were used as weapons too?
AJMO
GraceintheHills @ 8:40am ~ maybe ‘not oblivion’ but ‘just running in the hills for a bit of fresh air’