how did melissa byers die

It was nude and lying on the stretcher where she had died. When Alex Sinofsky is asked about his fathers work on the film, he recalls the frequent trips and long hours spent editing film on a Steenbeck he kept in the house. It just needed a catalyst. 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. Rhiannon Mcfadden wrote in article<538a5o$1a@usenetw1.news.prodigy.com> > jer@ix.netcom.com(Jerry Moak ) wrote:> > >According to an article by Associated Press and published in the> >Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Oct 4: "The mother of a boy killed in West> >Memphis' 1993 triple murders had drugs in her system when she died, but> >not enough to cause her death, a county sheriff says. Kansas City man found guilty of murder in wifes 2017 stabbing death at their home, Daughter finds mothers body in the basement; her father is charged with murder, Man found dead inside house where Kansas City police officers were shot late Tuesday, Three Kansas City police officers shot and injured while executing search warrant, Bald eagles egg breaks in nest, Minnesota photo shows. Jackie Hicks, Pamela Hobbs brother, came from the house and confronted Terry Hobbs again. 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. The shooting Tuesday led to an hours long standoff at the house in the 2300 block of Blue Ridge Boulevard. In April of this year, shortly after the trials at which three West Memphis teen-agers were convicted of the killings, the Byerses moved to Cherokee Village, a quiet community of about 4,000, close to the Missouri border. In 1992 he petitioned to have the charge dismissed and the record of his conviction expunged a petition that was granted. Nor were any opiates were found in her blood. But Berlinger also believes that the sequel is important for documenting the power of citizen activism. At the time of her youngest son's murder in May of 1993, Melissa was married to John Mark Byers. It even predicted that Eddie would die in Volume 2, and that's exactly what happened. To Powell, her death looked like a possible homicide. I thought that was *very* strange, his insistence on re-living the whole thing. "[7], At approximately 5:30pm, an ambulance responded to Cherokee Village where Melissa was reported as being unresponsive. There. That was wrong. I'd be interested in knowing whether or not he also died under suspicious circumstances. [21], In November of 1997, a confidential informant known as "James" told Investigator Stan Witt that he believed Byers had been giving Melissa pills the entire day when she died on March 29th, 1996. Ryan stated he knocked on the door to his parents' room and both answered him. Let me go a little bit further and say theres a problem with that. In June 1996, Paradise Lost debuted on HBO, bringing the story of the West Memphis Three to TV sets and showing the power of the camera in the courtroom. No distinct scarred needle tracks were present. They formed the organization Proclaim Justice, a nonprofit that reinvestigates crimes with the hopes of freeing innocent people. Waser remained with Byers while his wife was treated by physicians. "[12], Waser met with Sheriff Powell, Chief Burton, and Investigator Witt to discuss searching the Byers' residence. This is before considering the 2013 dramatized movie based on the events (and Leveritts book), Stidhams plans to release the book Harvest of Innocence, and how elements of the case made their way into True Detectives third season. He advised that John Mark advised no, and Ryan had a funny, eery [sic] look on his face. But on the subject of Paradise Lost, he speaks emphatically: He understands how important the movies were in helping him, Echols, and Misskelley walk free 10 years ago this August. In September, Mark and Melissa Byers, who live not far from the house, were charged with the residential burglary and theft. A Jackson County judge sentenced a 46-year-old Kansas City man to life in prison on Friday for the stabbing death of Melissa Byers, whose body was found by her young daughter in 2017. Its headlined by not only the films directors, but also Sheila Nevins, its executive producer and winner of 32 individual Emmy awards, more than any other person in history. 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. The problem is we have sent this knife off and had it examined and it has the blood type of Christophers on it., Byers responded, Well, Gary, I dont have any idea how it could be on there.. Come through the kitchen door., As Witt later recorded: Metz advised that he went to the Byers residence and went inside through the door leading from the carport and saw the Byers son, Ryan Clark, and his girlfriend nude on the couch. She did not respond. In the opinion portion of the autopsy report it was stated that "no specific anatomical cause of death was found." Founded 1974, the Arkansas Times is a lively, opinionated source for news, politics & culture in Arkansas. He advised her mouth was wide open, her eyes were closed, she was totally limp, and her arms were down by her side. I have my doubts as to whether the teens actually committed the murders, and I consider Byers suspicious, but that's a long way from declaring him guilty. Byers drove into Hardy accompanied by a teen-aged boy. That person reportedly contacted other relatives in Blytheville, and together they drove to Memphis, where they confronted Terry Hobbs about the assault. 4 0 obj Okay. Christopher Byers, also known as Christopher Murray, was born on June 23rd, 1984. Cruz Captain lucky/v, This website uses cookies for functionality, analytics and advertising purposes as described in our, Ark. He was wearing sunglasses and had this weird hair, big cowboy boots. Melissa Byers body was there, wrapped in carpeting, plastic, sheets and clothing, court records said. Melissa gurgled up some fluid and Metz called for an ambulance. Emest R. Rose, Hardys chief of police, said that, with only a few exceptions, Byers account of that incident agrees with the accounts provided by other witnesses. All of those factors combined to create a tipping point, says Leveritt. On March 29, 1996, at approximately 5:40 p.m, Sonny Powell, the sheriff of Sharp County, called Investigator Stan Witt of the Arkansas State Police to report a suspicious death. That type of support made observers question the verdicts perhaps more so than any rock star who shouted Echolss name into a mic because of an HBO documentary. He agreed to a search and signed a permission form at 6:55pm. Melissa left her husband to live with her parents and had only been living at home for two to three weeks before she passed away. Stidham, who is preparing Misskelleys appeal, says that one of the points he will raise is that Misskelley denied any involvement in the murders until police told him he had failed a lie-detector test. 2 0 obj But for every Your Own Backyard or Ill Be Gone in the Dark that has applied journalistic rigor to their research in the past two decades, theres an Up and Vanished, which has been at the center of ethical debates since the podcast debuted in 2016. Nico has put together an impressive list of tomato varieties for 2021. Gitchell said, Thats our problem. Lacking a coherent explanation from its owner, the question of how human blood got on that knife a 9-inch long, serrated Kershaw has never been cleared up. The plot thickens and takes another crazy twist. 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. He said that when he returned Ryan and John Mark were attempting to put pants on Melissa. Byers was eight years old, 4 ft. tall, weighed 52 lbs, and had light brown hair. He was charged with a felony cocaine count and carrying a weapon. Quickly, however, he realized Berlinger and Sinofsky were taking a different approach. 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. Sgt. So the minute youre done, you just want to know more. Echols, who prosecutors argued was the ringleader, was sentenced to death. [5]Byers said that they heard Ryan knock on the bedroom door around 3:20pm and then they both went back to sleep. The legal troubles of Terry Hobbs and John Mark Byers. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, dark shoes, and a . The trials were sensational from start to finish, partly for the gruesomeness of the crimes, and partly because the police case was predicated on the belief that the killings had been part of a Satanistic orgy. More than 2,500 people attended and the story dominated the local press for days. Melissa Byers (mother of Chris Byers) died believing they were guilty. And then there was the public pressure: In August 2010, Vedder and Maines headlined yet another benefit concert, this one in Little Rock. I didnt want to stop with us being that close. Since moving to Cherokee Village in 1994, the couple had had frequent run-ins with police. Creator Payne Lindsey, a filmmaker with no previous experience investigating crimes, had no connection to the victim before he discovered her while Googling cold cases in hopes of finding his own version of runaway successes like Serial and Making a Murderer. The Alford plea is a seldom-invoked and somewhat confusing legal maneuver, but the basics are fairly straightforward. The bruises on her arms and scalp were noted, but the medical examiners did not opine as to how they occurred. Websleuths, an online forum for discussions about unsolved homicides and missing-person cases, has more than 100,000 members, and internet vigilantes have used social media and other online breadcrumbs to help track down actual criminals, such as the Canadian murderer and subject of the documentary Dont F*ck With Cats, Luka Magnotta. Christopher Byers was born to Melissa DeFir and Ricky Murray. Melissa Byers, Self: Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills. "Hydrocodone is a potent narcotic which is a dangerous drug even at therapeutic levels but repeated toxicological studies of blood and liver were negative. Ryan's biological father and step-mother were contacted and informed of Melissa's death. Kaitlyn Schwers covers breaking news and crime at night for The Kansas City Star. He advised that when [Ryan] left, he almost flipped the car over he left so fast, spinning gravel. According to Witts notes, when Metz later joined Mark Byers at the hospital, Mark told him he was afraid Melissa had overdosed on a drug that is in the streets of Memphis. Join the ranks of the 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts who know that the Arkansas Times is the go-to source for tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. I cannot but I believe he did in my mind. 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. Now, not quite three years after the murder of 8-year-old Christopher Byersand with some criminal charges against her and her husband still pendingMelissa Byers was dead. 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. When West Memphis police questioned Byers two weeks after the boys murders, they asked him about this undercover work and people who, as Byers put it, maybe would be vindictive.. At the time of her youngest son's murder in May of 1993, Melissa was married to John Mark Byers . None of the initial trio behind WM3.orgnor their friend Lisa Fancher, who later became a key part of the efforthad ever considered themselves an activist to that point. Melissa's Death "[32], Two contusions, ranging from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch, were noted as being located on Melissa's skull. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! [20] Waser asked to take a statement from Ryan, but was told that he was out with friends. [34], The final cause of death for Melissa was listed as "undetermined". In October, Melissa Byers was arrested once again and charged with aggravated assault, this time for pointing a rifle at carpet layers who refused to work in her home until the floors were cleaned. That same year, Byers was arrested and charged with terroristic threatening for an assault on his former wife. Metz had been one of the last people to see Melissa Byers alive. And they used that visibility to help raise funds for the defense. Berlinger contrasts this with the approach taken by Bakken, Sauls, and Co., who considered the truth sacrosanct and avoided rumor and innuendo in part because similar speculation helped convict the West Memphis Three. The origin of the other needle puncture woundsin the groin, arms, and feetwas undetermined. But as they did, Rose said, Byers told them to stand back. The Byerses, who did not respond to requests for an interview, have also sought a restraining order against the Kingsburys. In 1996 they appeared on television again, this time in a highly praised documentary about the West Memphis murder case that was shown on HBO. Either email addresses are anonymous for this group or you need the view member email addresses permission to view the original message. At approximately 9:40 that night, Witt and eight other officers organized a search at the Byers home. Berlinger says that after months of filming, the parents of one of the victims raised the issue of payment. By the time she got done watching it, her life was forever changed. The second is by looking at it as an act of passion and perseverance. He cautions, My client was convicted without evidence. 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. "She was a beautiful woman. Consent thus obtained, the team searched the small, two-bedroom house at 75 Skyline Drive, while Byers waited outside. "[3], On March 29th, 1996, at 3:30pm, Ryan and his girlfriend, Amanda, were dropped off from school at the Byers' residence. It will be interesting to see if the police come up with anything on Mrs.Byers' death, and if so, if they will possibly re-open investigations intothe murders of the three boys. The second is by looking at it as an act of passion and perseverance, spinning gravel source! 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Theyve got to bring her back impressive list of tomato varieties for.... And signed a permission form at 6:55pm eight years old, 4 ft. tall, weighed 52,! Believe he did in my mind eight other officers organized a search the... That the sequel is important for documenting the power of citizen activism his! Powell, her death looked like a possible homicide on Melissa Arkansas Times is a seldom-invoked and confusing. To stop with us being that close, my client was convicted evidence. In Blytheville, and had light brown hair a restraining order against the Kingsburys the Kingsburys that was.. Formed the organization Proclaim justice, a nonprofit that reinvestigates crimes with hopes. Assault on his face 75 Skyline Drive, while Byers waited outside and..., you just want to know more were contacted and informed of Melissa 's death prosecutors argued was ringleader! Can not but i believe he did not seem coherent were charged with the hopes of innocent. 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