terry hobbs 2021

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. every single person in my class was either . When they searched online, they found little to no information about the case. The test results showed that no genetic material on the crime scene evidence was a match to Echols, Baldwin or Misskelley, reported the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. And they used that visibility to help raise funds for the defense. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. With a large population of fundamentalist Christians, the American South was particularly subject to occult paranoia. So when I saw this tiny little article in the Times, I wasnt about to free anybody that was guilty. Once there got to be this global pressure, and there was a big concert here with really big-name musicians within a mile of our Supreme Court building, things started suddenly to change, she says. 25, 2021. It'll be sort of like I'm the West Memphis boogeyman. The knife was thrown into the lake by Baldwin's mother a year before the murders. Hobbs denied seeing the boys that night and questioned why eyewitness evidence surfaced 16 years later. Sauls says that the former Black Flag frontman was one of the few big names who dug deep into the evidence, wanting to learn as many details as he could about the case. To date, no DNA evidence from the crime scene can be linked to Damien Echols, Baldwin, or Jessie Misskelley. When we were driving in the car a lot, wed play a lot of the Metallica album Master of Puppets, says Alex Sinofsky, who became a doctor instead of getting behind the camera himself. Pam Hobbs divorced Terry Hobbs in 2004 and has reversed her position on the West Memphis Three's guilt. It was also revealed in 2012 that Hobbs nephew allegedly told his friends, My Uncle Terry murdered those three little boys," and that the killings were a Hobbs family secret, according to, I still believe in my heart that Jessie, Jason, and Damion Echols [sic] are responsible for what happened to our children, Hobbs told Memphis ABC affiliate. 24 to Jun. The Alford plea is a seldom-invoked and somewhat confusing legal maneuver, but the basics are fairly straightforward. Berlinger also concedes Revelations had some ethical problems, chiefly because it raised the possibility that Mark Byers committed the killings. Their bikes were found by a pipe nearby. However, within the first crucial hours after the bodies were discovered, mistakes were made at the crime scene that negatively impacted the investigation. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. In West Memphis, Hobbs worked as an ice cream delivery man and Hicks worked at a restaurant. Terry Hobbs says he is a church member, a father, and working man and in no way a killer. Terry Hobbs Obituary (1959 - 2021) - Sweetwater, TX - Sweetwater Reporter It was so emotionally taxing to watch and go through it again, he says. After ending his first marriage, he wed Pamela Hicks Branch in 1986, when her son Stevie was almost 2 years old. (WJHG) By Nikki Sheaks Published: Jul. Best selling books such as Lawrence Pazder's Michelle Remembers and disgraced evangelical comedian Mike Warnke's The Satan Seller fueled the madness with tales of ritual abuse and human sacrifice. After ending his first marriage, he wed Pamela Hicks Branch in 1986, when her son Stevie was almost 2 years old. (Echolswho is in better health today, though his eyesight has degenerated and he has premature arthritis from his time in solitary confinementin particular has maintained a relatively public life, through the five books hes published, performing magic for Patreon subscribers, and making TV appearances to discuss other cases he sees as similar to his.) Mojo jumped up, Baldwin recalls. He was just taking in the enormity of the defining event of his life to that point, which had been committed to film and was now playing for him inside the cavernous, auditorium-style visitation room. People would drive by and yell at us, Theyre going to burn in hell, Sauls says. With their 2007 request for a new trial rejected, time was running out for the West Memphis Three. When the pair got the call from Nevins, they mobilized immediately, landing in Arkansas shortly after the arrests. Case Number &colon; 2:21-BK-21177. On the evening of May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. Explore. The concept of citizen investigations intrigues Berlinger just as much as it did in the 1990s, though today hes often more concerned with the moral implications. The judge ruled that Hobbs could not establish actual malice, and ordered Hobbs to pay Maines legal fees amounting to more than $17,000, according to the Associated Press. Theyve had several victories, including the case of Daniel Villegas, who was acquitted of capital murder in 2018 after a 25-year legal saga. eyewitness evidence surfaced 16 years later. How do you measure the legacy of Paradise Lost, which is one of the best reviewed documentaries of all time and considered among the most influential, but whose mission is only partly complete? You still dont really know what happened to these kids. It allowed them to get out of prison after almost 20 years. Id like to see this put to rest. Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of eight-year-old victim Stevie Branch, has been named in documents released in Marian, Arkansas by the attorneys for Pam Hobbs, Stevie's mother. After hours of questioning, a frustrated Morgan blurted out that he had been hospitalized for drug and alcohol abuse and might have committed the murders. That included Mojo, who came calling around 2 a.m. that day trying to coax him out of his cell. Echols' disdain for authority, penchant for black clothes, and propensity to make shocking statements didn't help his plight. Over the years there has been lots of speculation and finger pointing as to who was responsible. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Terry Hobbs to show support. Its no surprise the juries found the prosecutions narrative compelling, Leveritt says: For them, the image of killer satanists headbanging to Metallica was more than plausible. Im not the judge. I kind of enjoy it because now even after I die, people are going to remember me forever. The consequences of that online campaign were ruinous: The person they targeted, a Mexican metal musician who worked under the name Morbid, was harassed into hiding. He just didnt know it would take another 14 years to happen. Griffis also knew how to spot a Satanist. Terry Hobbs USAF Ret. Events. Echols is correct. The Latest CD: 92 YEARS YOUNG: JAMMIN' AT THE GIBBS HOUSE. 2 - The West Memphis 3: Free (2012) . This case was filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, Tennessee Western Bankruptcy. On 04/08/2021 Terry Hobbs was filed as a Bankruptcy - Chapter 13 lawsuit. Jessie took a polygraph. One of those shows, Truth & Justice With Bob Ruff, became the basis for an Oxygen docuseries last year titled The Forgotten West Memphis Three, which took a closer look at the three victims and tried to shine new light on the evidence. Not everyone believes that the West Memphis Three are innocent of the killings of Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and Christopher Byers. They were released after prosecutors agreed to an Alford plea, in which the men maintained their innocence but pleaded guilty. 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. (At one point, Sauls says, it landed on Yahoos list of the top 100 websites.) Mojo was right. Inconsistencies in Terry Hobbs' alibi, as well as revelations about subsequent violent acts, have also led many to believe that he may be the actual killer. 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. Among them was a disoriented, muddy, and bleeding African-American man who stumbled into a West Memphis Bojangles restaurant men's room less than a mile from the crime scene. On August 19, 2011, all three accepted the deal and were immediately released from prison. Produced and directed by filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, the film and its two sequels, Paradise Lost 2: Revelations and Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, gave audiences a unique and detailed look into the case, the accused, and the families of victims. Published: Dec. 21, 2021 at 9:56 PM CST WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. Terry Hobbs Net Worth. Like Misskelley in the first trial, Baldwin received a life sentence. (Despite Misskelleys statement, the coroners examination found no injuries on the victims consistent with sexual assault.) Terry Hobbs was born on November 25, 1969 in Columbus, Georgia, USA. As recounted in Mara Leveritt's book, Devil's Knot, a thorough search of Robin Hood Hills directed by Chief Inspector Gary W. Gitchell of the West Memphis Police Department commenced early on the morning of May 6, 1993. "People probably think I'm in Satanism because what they don't understand they try to destroy or ridicule. The sheer mountain moving amount of money it cost to prove the obvious innocence of Jessie, Jason, and Damien still staggers me. On the morning of June 2, 1993, Jessie Misskelley Jr., a 17-year-old high school drop out with a reported IQ of 73, was taken into custody by Detective Mike Allen. Terry Hobbs Memphis 32, 14-Jun, Superior Funeral Home-Hollywood. Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelly and Jason Baldwin were originally convicted of the killings and released from prison in 2011 after making a deal with prosecutors. Over two decades after the murders, what really happened to Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore on the evening of May 5, 1993, remains a mystery. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. He was 56. "I'd like to see this put to rest. Terry Hobbs | 2:21-BK-21177 | Court Records - UniCourt Despite the best efforts of the police, dozens of volunteers, a search-and-rescue team, and a helicopter dispatched from nearby Memphis, Tenn., searchers came up empty handed. Certain that, under what he felt were ridiculous circumstances, Echols' confidence and, on occasion, flippant attitude during the trial was often misinterpreted as evidence of his coldness toward the victims and their families. Yet, Judge David Burnett accepted Griffis as an expert. Stating that she would ask around, Hutcheson agreed to "play detective.". West Memphis 3 / Terry Hobbs 2022 Update - YouTube They saw the same thing you did. Reaching its apex in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Satanic Panic was a wave of paranoia rooted in the belief that Satanic cults intent on corrupting the souls of the young had infiltrated American society. The first and likely simplest gauge is continued interest in the case. West Memphis 3 / Terry Hobbs 2022 Update New Scott 94.5K subscribers Subscribe 241 Share 20K views 8 months ago https://www.crimeonline.com/2022/05/. As the movement to free the West Memphis Three gained traction, a number of celebrities joined the cause, bringing the case under more scrutiny. A statement he made to the producers of Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills did little to help his public image. Echols tweeted, New technology and evidence in science would now allow us to test DNA in amounts so small that it would have been previously impossible. 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. He could have been me, he told Rolling Stone in 2011. Rollins not only gave interviews to keep the effort alive in the press, he organized a string of benefit shows and released an album featuring Iggy Pop and Chuck D, with proceeds going to the defense. Essentially, it allows the accused to assert their innocence while pleading guilty, conceding that the prosecution has an overwhelming amount of evidence to procure a conviction. Im seeing the things I experienced, but not through my own point of view. She has since expressed her belief that her ex-husband was involved in the murders,citing the discovery of her son's favorite pocket knife in Terry Hobbs' belongings. Hobbs said, I still believe in my heart that Jessie, Jason, and Damion Echols are responsible for what happened to our children., He added, You look at what happened and then you wonder, what if this did not happen, where would our boys be today? Armchair detectives of today, I think a lot of them dabble in conspiracy theory, Berlinger says. Terry Roland Hobbs <p>Terry Roland Hobbs, 62, of Sweetwater, passed away on Saturday, September 11, 2021.</p> <p>Terry was born on September 11, 1959 in Sweetwater, to Jack Harvey and Marjorie Hobbs .Terry graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1977. On Aug. 11, 2011, the West Memphis Three entered the courtroom for the final time. Case Details. According to Devil's Knot author Mara Leveritt, the investigation of the murders was divided along three lines. Mojo, however, was considerably more fired up, believing the same thing many of Paradise Losts viewers did: that the movie showed an incredible miscarriage of justice, one that would surely be fixed. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (localmemphis.com)More than 25 years after the murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis,a new book gives a first-person account of what was happening behind the scenes. Griffis also found the devil in nearly every number associated with the crime. As for Paradise Lost, it was the inciting incident in the two-decade chain of events that led to the release of the West Memphis Three. Its evidence that Damien Echols attorneys wanted to do new DNA testing on. The nonprofits work hasnt always been easyfundraising is hard, and because hes a convicted felon, hes unable to visit clients in prison or discuss pleasbut its been essential for him as he strives to live the words by 14th-century Persian poet Hafez that he keeps as an email signature: The small man builds cages for everyone he knows / While the sage, who has to duck his head when the moon is low / Keeps dropping keys all night long for the beautiful rowdy prisoners. Baldwin says hes learned that justice isnt a computer programthat you can input all the evidence and testimony and still get the wrong results. The second is by looking at it as an act of passion and perseverance. The news was devastating beyond just word of his friends suffering. Baldwin is the co-founder of the legal advocacy organization Proclaim Justice. Hobbs has never wavered in his conviction that justice was served the first time around. During the trials of Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols, Griffis drew tenuous links between circumstantial evidence, such as the killings taking place near the date of the pagan festival of Beltane. The boys were so mutilated, investigators thought the murders were part of some kind of Satanic ritual. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. As more people learned about the case from Paradise Lost and the work of people like Bakken and Sauls, the phrase Free the West Memphis Three caught on as a slogan for progressive musicians and actors in the 1990s, up there with Save the Rainforest and Free Tibet. Eddie Vedder became an early leading voice, soon followed by the likes of Peter Jackson, Johnny Depp, and Natalie Maines from the band then known as the Dixie Chicks. I don't know if the other 2 did, but even if they did polygraphs aren't admissible in court. Im not the jury. This is a story of justice delayed and justice denied. That story line would make up the bulk of 2000s Paradise Lost 2: Revelations, a rare sequel for a documentary, especially before the streaming era proved that true crime series like Making a Murderer and The Staircase could maintain audience interest for years. Robin Lynn Jones. They werent connected in any direct way, Bakken says. A murderer was loose in West Memphis. Terry Roland Hobbs, 62, of Sweetwater, passed away on Saturday, September 11, 2021. The case status is Pending - Other Pending. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Terry Lee Hobbs of Auburndale, Florida, born in Winter Haven, Florida, who passed away on August 16, 2021, at the age of 56, leaving to mourn family and friends. The following day revealed the unthinkable, when the bloodied and bruised bodies of the three boys were found submerged in a muddy creek in a wooded area called Robin Hood Hills. California exodus continues as population drops by 500,000 - Los In fact, for the better part of 1993, it was nearly impossible to find anyone who believed they were innocent. Except this was 1996, and home internet was still in its infancy. (Maines briefly became a part of the story when Terry Hobbs, stepfather of another of the victims, sued her for defamation after she wrote a blog post pointing out that physical evidence at the crime scene potentially pointed at him and not the three convicted for the crime. The second postulated that they had been slain by one or more strangers. As part of the deal, they cannot file wrongful-conviction lawsuits, which both Berlinger and Baldwin say couldve cost the state tens of millions of dollars. As rumors of a Satanic sacrifice swept the community, the minds of many in West Memphis were already made up. La Mirada, California. Although the bodies were discovered at 1:30 p.m., investigators didn't call the coroner until 3:58 p.m. By the time the coroner arrived, fly larvae were already present in the nostrils and eyes of the victims. The first film gave rise to a movement devoted to reopening the investigation in hopes of exonerating, and ultimately freeing, Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols, and Jessie Misskelley. More than 25 years after the murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis,a new book gives a first-person account of what was happening behind the sce More than 25 years after the murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis,a new book gives a first-person account of what was happening behind the scenes. Terry Hobbs's income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. There have also been several high-profile incidents of laypeople reinvestigating decades-old cold cases in more rigorous, journalistic ways and helping bring them to a resolution. Terry Roland Hobbs <p>Terry Roland Hobbs, 62, of Sweetwater, passed away on Saturday, September 11, 2021.</p> <p>Terry was born on September 11, 1959 in Sweetwater, to Jack Harvey and Marjorie Hobbs .Terry graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1977. Getting that kind of creative validation was exciting, but we were also extremely frustrated that it didnt move from the entertainment page of the newspaper to the editorial page, Berlinger says. Making his way through the muck on his hands and knees, Ridge soon discovered clothing twisted around sticks and thrust into the ditch's bottom. " Every crime, no matter what it is, gets blamed on Satanism.". This family in-fighting led to him shooting his brother-in-law. Misskelley, who reportedly had an IQ of 72, changed his story several times, and only a small part of his statements was recorded. Their main worry was Damien, who was staring down the threat of lethal injection should the appeals fail. Dec 13th, 2021. And the seemingly endless stream of threats against them and the frequent clashes with Mark Byers did nothing to dissuade them. Today, Berlinger calls Revelations the weakest of the three films in the trilogyadvocacy in search of a story as opposed to the in-the-moment, on-the-ground approach of the first Paradise Lost and the in-depth exploration of new evidence in 2011s Purgatory. Share Memories & Support the Family. But the lawyer quickly noticed inconsistencies in Misskelleys purported confession. Terry Hobbs was born in 1958 and grew up in Northern Arkansas. Minutes later, Sgt. Jesse was gonna take it anyway. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (localmemphis.com) - More than 25 years after the murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis, a new book gives a first-person account of . Hobbs says his book is 25 years in the making, adding it is called Boxful of Nightmares for a reason. Although the Alford Plea set the West Memphis Three free, they are, at least in the eyes of the law, guilty, and therefore, the state of Arkansas is under no obligation to continue investigating the crimes at this time. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. According to Griffis, black hair, black T-shirts, and black jeans were signs that a kid was in league with the devil. While Berlinger says that the work of people like Bakken and Sauls was more impressive than that of any celebrity, its undeniable that the famous and influential brought a megaphone and funding mechanism to this case that most never get. Investigators never found any evidence that tied him, Jason Baldwin, or Jessie Misskelley to the murders of the boys, Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers. of Auburndale, FL passed away Monday, August 16, 2021. Because I was thinking, if you haven't done anything, then they can't prove you did something you haven't actually done. Little kids will be looking under their bed 'Damien might be under there! Terry was born on September 11, 1959 in Sweetwater, to Jack Harvey and Marjorie Hobbs .Terry graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1977. 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. Almost 30 years ago, three eight-year-old West Memphis boys were found murdered and three teenagers were charged in the murders. It had been a long fight to clear their names, and the odds seemed better than ever. Now, I see they can. Other possible suspects includedBrian Holland and Chris Morgan, two young men from Memphis, Tenn., with a history of drug offenses. Its something that Baldwin couldnt envision when he first agreed to let the documentarians interview him in jail in exchange for an honorarium, or even when Mojo played that VHS tape for him in 1997. 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.