6 posts tagged “west memphis”

The Evening Times
By Laura Smith

Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of one of three West Memphis boys brutally slain in 1993, said he's gotten by during the 14 years since the murders by going to church and spending a lot his time on his knees in prayer.

“That, and being raised in a preacher's home,” he said. “My parents taught me the Bible; there's a whole lot of things in there, if you'll look at them, they'll help get you by and get you through.”

At the time of the murders, Hobbs was married to Pam Hobbs, the mother

of 8-year-old Stevie Branch who was killed with his buddies Christopher Byers and Michael Moore.

The murders changed the course of the lives of the boys' families.

He and Pam, who's from the Blytheville area, were together for 17 years before they divorced in 2003.

“I had a restaurant up there; that's where we met,” he said. “And we had a dream that we would move to the big city, work, save some money and go home and retire. It just didn't happen like that for us.”

John Mark Byers was married to Christopher Byers' mom, Melissa Byers, at the time of the killings. A few years later, the couple moved to Cherokee Village, where Melissa Byers died in 1996. John Mark Byers has reportedly moved to Millington, Tenn. He declined comment for this

article, and accurate details as to Todd and Dana Moore's whereabouts were nil.

But the news of the results of DNA testing on crime scene evidence has brought local and national attention back to the victims' families, to the three men in prison for the murders - Damien Echols, Jessie Miskelley Jr. and Jason Baldwin - and West Memphis itself.

The results found that no genetic material recovered at the crime scene belonged to Echols, Miskelley or Baldwin, and, with the exception of one hair, all of DNA recovered at the scene that was tested belonged to the victims.

The hair was reportedly Hobbs', and police attributed his hair to secondary transfer.

Hobbs said he was recently questioned by police, who have put any speculation of Hobbs' involvement to an end, with Assistant Police Chief Mike Allen noting that Hobbs wasn't a suspect 14 years ago, and he isn't now. In the state's response to a report on the results, Prosecutor Brent Davis said the state stands behind the convictions.

“I went and talked to the police in West Memphis for a follow-up,” Hobbs said. “I've always been willing to cooperate, so I went over and done that.”

He recalled the day Stevie went missing.

“I worked that day like I've worked everyday of my life,” he said. “I got home about 3 or 3:30, and Stevie had gone off riding his bicycle, playing with Michael Moore.”

Stevie was supposed to be home at 4:30, and when he wasn't home Hobbs became concerned. Hobbs picked Pam up at work at Catfish Island at 9 p.m.

“Her dad and mom came down; she went with them to look,” he said. “I went with a friend. At different times we'd go to the police department. We spent all night driving around.”

The bodies of the boys were found a day later, and police arrested Echols, Miskelley and Baldwin a month after the murders. They were convicted of the murders in 1994.

Hobbs said he believes in their guilt.

“I'm more than convinced because [the police are] more than convinced,” Hobbs said. “Mike Allen's a good man, and I believe what I know, and I only know what they tell me.

“I think it's just a sad, desperate attempt for the defense to be doing what they're doing.”

But the recent attention does take its toll, Hobbs said.

“I try to go on the best I can, then something like this comes up, you know, and Hawaii looks pretty good sometimes, just to get away.

“This isn't how things could have been or should have been for all of us. We only came here to live a dream, and it's been a totally different life, living this."

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WHBQ FOX13 myfoxmemphis.com)- After 14 years, new evidence is emerging in the West Memphis Three case. It's a case that's still getting national attention. The new evidence has a mother of one of the three little boy's murdered wondering if the men serving life in prison are innocent.

Watch video here.

WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. (WHBQ FOX13 myfoxmemphis.com)  --  Three teens - now grown men - have all been tried and convicted for the 1993 murders of three little boys. Now 14 years later, DNA evidence could tie one of the victim's family members to the crime scene. FOX13's Cori Lake reports from West Memphis on the reopened investigation.

Watch video here.

Video clip here.