He says his students seem to have a better grasp on the idea of coerced confessions than any of his peers in 1994. He arrived at the home around 1pm and "partied with them, drinking Crown Royal, and taking valium, xanex, and that he saw Mark Byers with a sandwich baggie of K-4 dilaudid." The woman told Investigator Steve Huddleston that she had known the Byerses for years, that the couple had recently been estranged, and that Melissa had been taking Dilaudid, a powerful narcotic that, when diverted to the black market, is one of the most popular illegal drugs in the country. Seed saving is a great way to ensure the survival of your plants, and it's also an economical choice. Witt arrived at the hospital about 35 minutes later. Ryan said Byers then began CPR on Melissa. [6] Metz had to go back to his own home to make the call because he did not have his glasses. Melissa Byers was born on January 16, 1956. how did melissa byers diesigns he still loves his baby mama | 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. The investigator entered several other observations and had the body photographed. He has since been released from the hospital. Byers accepted those terms, but has not made the required payments. Stranger Things Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. [34], The final cause of death for Melissa was listed as "undetermined". As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know were dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. 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. But we stuck with it, and every so often something would happen, and little by little, people would come around., They spread word about the website through online discussion groups and by hanging flyers in the art houses that screened Paradise Lost, and by 2000, WM3.org was getting 4,000 to 8,000 hits a day. Ryan had been living with his biological father for the past six months. Autopsies revealed that two of the boys had drowned where they had been thrown, hog-tied, into the water. Misskelley and Echols were 36; Baldwin was 34. NO PEACE YET: Melissa and John Mark Byers, now facing criminal charges themselves, hold a picture of their murdered son Christopher in their new home at Cherokee Village. He just didnt know it would take another 14 years to happen. Melissa's return to the home coincided with her son's. She's determined to turn over an old leaf and slide right back into the safety of being a wallflow. She stated that she had no reason to believe Byers murdered his wife, but that she felt that she should come forward with the information about the syringes. He had, in fact, passed it, but it was after that that Misskelley gave his damning confession.z. Misskelley, who reportedly had an IQ of 72, changed his story several times, and only a small part of his statements was recorded. I think this must be this Byers guy, because near the end, he got all teary and was hollering, "How would you like to know that your son was [attempted detailed recitation of various sexual mutilations]." The presence of this drug in the urine indicates recent use and it cannot be ruled out that this drug did not play a contributory role in death with a delay between a toxic reaction and death allowing clearing of the drug into the urine. While a Sharp County deputy took a statement from John Mark Byers and got his permission to search his home, Witt began taking notes about the condition of Melissa Byers body. Byers got up to get some milk and asked if Melissa wanted anything. I thought that was *very* strange, his insistence on re-living the whole thing. The 1998 Arkansas Times Academic All-Star Team nominees. It is worth noting that these are the two parents who have made the most TV, print, and film appearances. Much of Cecil Hotel focuses on the amateur investigators who turned coincidences into conspiracy theories, ultimately accusing an innocent person of her death. Pamela Hobbs told police, she called a relative in Blytheville and told him she believed her jaw was broken. The medical examiner's office said Melissa Byers, 47, died as a result of multiple. Melissa DeFir Byers was born on January 15, 1956. We made a promise early on that we would never pretend to be law enforcement or detectives, Sauls says. Filming the activists work seemed like the best place for Berlinger and Sinofsky to turn their attention; what better way to show the continued plight of the West Memphis Three than to show regular people dedicating their free time to fighting for them? He was last seen wearing blue jeans, dark shoes, and a . I agree. Byers was later charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. By subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers and expand our coverage. Byers drove into Hardy accompanied by a teen-aged boy. Injuries sustained from the impact of a telekinetically thrown car, Crushed by a telekinetically thrown metal door, Succumb or die instantly to gunshot wounds, Burned in their crib after a shelling was ordered on their home, Injuries sustained after a shelling was ordered on their home, Repeatedly smashed against the ground and ripped in half, Killed due to their hive mind connection to the demodogs. That was more than the people deciding the case were able to hearthe presiding judge made the expert give most of his testimony without the jury in the courtroom because he questioned its relevance. stream He advised that when the EMTs got to the residence, Mark kept telling them, Theyve got to bring her back. Metz advised that Ryan kept mumbling something and he did not seem coherent. Defense lawyers tried to suggest that family violence may have played a role in the killings, rather than satanic blood-thirst, as was alleged. "[27], The coroner report noted that John Mark Byers stated he had intercourse with Melissa around 3pm on March 29th, 1996. He told Mark he was going to call EMS., When Metz returned to the room, Witt wrote, Ryan was trying to help John Mark put some pants on Melissa, and he asked John Mark if Melissa was dead. Founded 1974, the Arkansas Times is a lively, opinionated source for news, politics & culture in Arkansas. A woman was also located. Thats one of the reasons Im arresting you.. Hes subdued when discussing the facts of the case, but he comes alive while recounting his work with the Jaycees while in prison, or buying Metallicas Black Album when it came out in 1991. Mandy said that later that night Byers located the syringes and threw them away after police were done searching his home. The two boys who had exchanged words, reportedly over a girl, now found themselves in a vicious fight, with Byers companion using the folded knife in his hand as what the boys called a fist pack. I so BADLY wanted to ask him, "How does it feel to have your last interaction with your child be a beating?". He says his dad and Berlinger werent seeking notorietydocumentaries certainly werent a means to get rich or famous in those days. "[3], On March 29th, 1996, at 3:30pm, Ryan and his girlfriend, Amanda, were dropped off from school at the Byers' residence. Stidham says he has a hard time sleeping at night, so convinced is he that his client and the boys convicted with him were victims of what one witness for the defense labeled a satanic panic. He is aware of Byers record, and of the further violence erupting in the family of Steve Branch, but Stidham is careful about throwing stones. Melissa DeFir Byers was born on January 15, 1956. He stated that when he touched her she did not feel right. But most notably, his initial timeline of events didnt match what was known about the crimes, and every time he offered a detail that diverged from the accepted chronology, the interrogating officers seemed to steer him back in the direction of the official version. Paradise Lost is a narration-free documentary filmed with a journalistic remove. The Byerses, who did not respond to requests for an interview, have also sought a restraining order against the Kingsburys. Ryan brought the towel into the master bedroom where he observed his mother cough and throw up. The following is a list documenting the deaths of characters throughout the four seasons of Stranger Things. 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. I could not smell any type of intoxicant on his breath, [but] he appeared to have been either on some type of medication or intoxicant [by] the manner in which he was acting.. [9], Waser's report indicated that two EMTs were performing CPR on Melissa when he arrived. Melissa Byers, Self: Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills. Donna and John Kingsbury, who live next-door to the house where the Byerses moved, have sought a restraining order against their new neighbors, alleging that Mark Byers whipped their 5-year-old son with the metal end of a swatter, that shots have been fired at their house, and that Melissa Byers threatened them, saying, Wel1 put you in a hole you cant get out of, and I lost my Christopher. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Family (1) Spouse John Mark Byers (c. 1986 - 29 March 1996) (her death) See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites The origin of the other needle puncture woundsin the groin, arms, and feetwas undetermined. This announcement really makes me wonder about Byers and the deaths of his step-family. John Mark gave a voluntary statement to Waser as well. 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. While police had focused on Echols and Baldwin in the intervening weeks because of their reputation, the arrests came largely because of a confession by Misskelley, which was leaked to the largest newspaper in the area, the Memphis Commercial Appeal, and ran under the banner headline Teen describes cult torture of boys. At a press conference shortly after the arrests, the lead investigator was asked how confident he felt about the case on a scale of 1-10. Some of the boys in the group said that Byers told them, Youd better not mess with me. 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. She said it was one of the highest-rated pieces they had. Then youd try to find it, and it didnt exist, because when we went out to discussion groups, no one knew about the case yet., After learning that the teens were still in prison, Bakken, Sauls, and Pashley decided to make full use of the budding technological revolution. Finally, the boy with Byers asked his opponent, Have you had enough? He had. And the seemingly endless stream of threats against them and the frequent clashes with Mark Byers did nothing to dissuade them. He agreed to a search and signed a permission form at 6:55pm. They even hired experts to examine the case, including a forensic criminal profiler who discovered what appeared to be bite marks on one of the victims that didnt match any of the convicted. Few celebrities at the time did as much as Henry Rollins, however. He met Byers, who was leaving, on his way, and reported that Byers told him, Some smart-ass kid got his ass kicked. When they searched online, they found little to no information about the case. Let me go a little bit further and say theres a problem with that. In general, who is most likelyto commit a crime against a child: A family member or A devil worshipingcult? But as they did, Rose said, Byers told them to stand back. When he was released in 2011, he met John Hardin, who worked with the West Memphis Three support group Arkansas Take Action, and the two bonded over a desire to do for others what had just been done for Baldwin. On the left side of the bed there was a glass of clear liquid. The Hobbses are the mother and stepfather of Steve Branch, who was one of three 8-year-old boys found murdered in May last year, in a wooded area near where the family used to live in West Memphis. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Byers drove on, but then turned around and returned to the bridge, where witnesses said he asked the boy from Hardy if he had a problem, and suggested that he take it over in the shade and settle it like a man., The group of seven people six juveniles, as Rose put it, and Byers then moved to a spot by the river known as the Pecan Grove. As the first in a trilogy of Paradise Lost films about the case, the 1996 movie was a stunning example of cinma vrit, as directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky embedded themselves with the prosecution, the defense, and the families of both the slain and the accused to put human faces on a heart-wrenching tragedy, as well as highlight the overblown worries of satanic rituals and murderous cults that proliferated throughout the 1980s and 90s. Byers asked Metz to come over to the house. I didnt want to stop with us being that close. I spoke with one of the jurors, years later after the trials and convictions, and he said he had no doubt that people could throw their lot in with the devil and be commanded to do things that they wouldnt have done otherwisethat they have basically made the deal with the devil, Leveritt says. She stated that she lived with Byers and "discovered that he was nothing but a pathological liar. By the time she got done watching it, her life was forever changed. Baldwin, the youngest member of the trio that had come to be known as the West Memphis Three, was serving a life sentence after being convicted on charges connected to the 1993 killings of three 8-year-old boys. There is a lot of suspicion surrounding him, especially in light of what's happened to his stepfamily in these past 3 years. 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. While thats cooled from the days of concerts in the shadows of the Arkansas Supreme Court building, the documentaries still live on HBO Max, where they pull in new viewers to this day. 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. 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. He said he was at the Byers' residence on March 29th, 1996. Melissa is the estate planning paralegal at Legacy Law Center. He told him the name of the drug. Memphis' 1993 triple murders had drugs in her system when she died, but not enough to cause her death, a county sheriff says. John Mark Byers asked Waser if Melissa was alive and he responded that the best way he could help would be to let the EMTs do their job. The level of corruption in the American justice system is glaring and sickening.. Melissa gurgled up some fluid and Metz called for an ambulance. Ryan gave his statement and said that Melissa's purse, which he said she had left in the backseat of the family car, was at his grandfather's house. In an interview, the child told police her father had been acting weird and indicated he had been drinking when he picked her up from school on Nov. 28. This year, many gardeners are looking for new varieties of tomatoes to try out in their gardens. Her body showed no visible signs of trauma. This article was updated after publication to add more context about the honorariums paid to the families of the victims and the West Memphis Three and also to correct the time frame in which Berlinger and Sinofsky informed HBO about the changing scope of the documentary. I went to a Baptist school and I got accused of being a devil worshiper because I was trying to learn how to write hieroglyphics, says Sauls, today a screenwriter and VFX designer. Melissa was the biological mother of Chris Byers and Ryan Clark. The second time he requested a towel. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Melissa Byers. To Powell, her death looked like a possible homicide. At approximately 9:40 that night, Witt and eight other officers organized a search at the Byers home. So much progress had been made in the fight for new trials, most notably a November 2010 Arkansas Supreme Court ruling that ordered a hearing on new DNA analysis and other evidence not considered in 1994. She advised that Byers told her that Melissa had knowledge of this and she is dead now and dead people can't talk." John Mark called to Ryan twice. Attorneys for Darnien Wayne Echols, who was sentenced to death last May for the killings, made several efforts to at least raise the possibility that a family member of one of the victims was involved, especially after a knife belonging to Byers was discovered with human blood on it blood that matched the type of both him and his stepson Christopher. I'd be interested in knowing whether or not he also died under suspicious circumstances. Also, what's this about an older boy? We were finally winning, he says. When it didnt, the praise heaped on Paradise Lost felt hollow. You need corroborating evidence.. With the guards blessings, Mojo led Baldwin to Varners visitation room, where everything had been put away aside from two chairs set up in front of a cart holding a small TV and a VCR. She was pronounced dead after efforts to revive her failed. Hicks had gotten Hobbs down on the ground, when Hobbs reached into his pocket, pulled out the gun, and shot Hicks in the abdomen. There he met with local law enforcement officers and with John Mark Byers, Melissas husband. (Byers) Hale was born on April 28, 1967. But none of the conditions the pathologists observed would normally prove fatal, either alone or in combination. Waser described the subsequent events as follows: "After signing the request he apparently passed out and fell towards the counter. "[12], Waser met with Sheriff Powell, Chief Burton, and Investigator Witt to discuss searching the Byers' residence. They asked to see a cut, and they immediately said, Not only are we going to let you use all that music, but were not going to charge you anything for it., Metallica would be the first celebrities to throw their support behind the West Memphis Three, but they were far from the last. To have a better grasp on the idea of coerced confessions than any of his how did melissa byers die in 1994 detectives. 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