how did melissa byers die
Dilaudid was not among them. Melissa DeFir Byers was born on January 15, 1996. 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. Accueil; Solution; Tarif; PRO; Mon compte; France; Accueil; Solution; Tarif; PRO; Mon compte Moreover, that anomaly in the body was matched by an anomaly in the report. <> When you can get it, Hawley accuses Biden nominee of lying under oath about her political social media posts, Johnson County mom sentenced to 10 years for toddlers fentanyl death in 2020, Not putting anyone else in harms way. Standoff continues after 3 KC police shot, Police respond to several false calls of active shooters at Kansas high schools, Kansas City, Kansas man convicted of murder for killing wife who had protective order, CEO of Kansas hospice care facility arrested for alleged sale of sexual relations. (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. Melissa and John Mark Byers were having problems in their marriage in 1996. 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.. He's in disguise!" The great irony of the 18-year quest to free the West Memphis Three is that it didnt begin as a crusade. Byers stated that Melissa preferred to take Dilaudid. A former neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said she reported Byers about that time to child abuse authorities, because he was whipping Christopher [who was two at the time] so badly I was afraid for his life. The woman said she reported the incidents again during the investigations into the murders, but was never asked to testify. Wherever it was screened, Berlinger says, it was followed by intense Q&As from audience members who couldnt believe what theyd just watched. 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. According to the negotiated plea, Byers was to pay $20,000 to the woman whose house was burglarized, make restitution to the father of the boy who was injured in the fight, and pay a $250 fine. Disintegrated by the Prototype Gate Explosion. Armchair detectives of today, I think a lot of them dabble in conspiracy theory, Berlinger says. endobj Why wasn't he questioned about several other inconsistencies and "coincidences" surrounding his step-son's murder? The causes most high-profile moment came in 2000, when Trey Parker said the slogan at the MTV Movie Awards while collecting an award for Best Musical Sequence. 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. The Paradise Lost cameras captured not only the defenses discussions, but the full testimony, in Misskelleys trial, of an expert on coerced confessions. But those findings did not solve the riddle of Byers death either. When the pair got the call from Nevins, they mobilized immediately, landing in Arkansas shortly after the arrests. John Mark Byers, the stepfather of one of the children killed in the West Memphis Three case, has died. Born on 16 Jan 1956. There is some dispute then about how the pocket knife got into Byers passengers hand, but no one disputes that one did or that it belonged to Mark Byers. [SNIP]. He said he left the home around 3pm when Ryan and his girlfriend were at the home. It was a call about Damien Echolshe wasnt dead, but his wife, Lorri Davis, feared he might be soon. [16], When Waser returned to the Byers' home he was informed that Ryan Clark still had not returned. West Memphis is in the heart of the Bible Belt: just a two-hour drive from where, legend has it, the devil tuned Robert Johnsons guitar, in a state thats 46 percent evangelical Protestant. According to Houston. (Associate Medical Examiner), and Williarm Sturner, M.D. (Shortly after Villegass acquittal, Baldwin had something of a full-circle moment with his client: He took him to a Metallica show in El Paso, Texas, where they hung out backstage on the invitation of Lars Ulrich.). By the end of Augustfive months after the deathhe still had received no word from the crime lab concerning the autopsy results. Theres no smoking gun. It was clear that Paradise Lost was resonating. [13], Byers asked Waser to accompany him outside so he could have a cigarette. In August 2011, Jason Baldwin was pulled from his prison cell under confusing circumstances once again. [28] The coroner noted that rigor was not present, but checked "yes" on lividity. Mandy said that later that night Byers located the syringes and threw them away after police were done searching his home. Metz could not remember it but thought it started with the letter D. Metz advised that John Mark Byers also told him he thought her death was a drug overdose and that they were going to accuse him of smothering her. Mara Leveritt, a journalist who followed the case throughout the 1990s and wrote the 2002 book Devils Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three, calls the strain of Christianity that runs through the region very literal and says that even her children faced harassment as teenagers for playing Dungeons & Dragons and listening to Ozzy Osbourne. Waser wrote, "They went to bed, spent time talking, had intercorse (intercourse) and went to sleep, at approximately 2:30PM they went to sleep". % Not everyone believes that the West Memphis Three are innocent of the killings of Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and Christopher Byers. Hydrocodone was detected in the urine, but not in the blood or the liver. 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. [26], On December 17th, 1997, a man identified as "Earls" gave a statement to Investigator Witt. She was described as "a friend of the family". The drug is a potent opiate. Deputy Sheriff C.L. They found marijuana in a closet of the master bedroom and on a night stand in the other bedroom. Byers has a teen-aged stepson, but the boy who was with him on this day who will not be identified because of his age was not a relative. Maines won the lawsuit; police have never named Hobbs a suspect or charged him in connection with the killings.). Paradise Lost also led to a famous citizen-activist campaign championing the release of the three teens that caught on at the dawn of the Internet Age and would eventually pull in Eddie Vedder, Henry Rollins, and a whos who of the rich and famous. Ryan stated he knocked on the door to his parents' room and both answered him. At that point, the boys watching the fight moved in and tried to stop it. 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. But I had to. Throughout the trials, Melissa Byers and her husband, John Mark Byers, were seen frequently on TV, often cursing the defendants. In addition, they seized six types of medication that had been prescribed for Melissa Byers. Let me go a little bit further and say theres a problem with that. 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. Byers was convicted of terroristic threatening in the incident. Peter Jackson, who would produce a separate documentary about the case titled West of Memphis in 2012, and his partner, Fran Walsh, funded an extensive private investigation and helped hire forensic experts to comb through evidence. Police followed a trail of blood drops throughout the house and into the basement. 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. (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.) Melissa was the biological mother of Chris Byers and Ryan Clark. Then there's the mysterious circumstances of his wife's death. The following year, three West Memphis teen-agers were convicted for the killings in a pair of sensational trials, which hinged on allegations of Satanism. He declared he. WWE legend Melissa Coates has died at the age of 50 after undergoing a leg amputation last year to stop her arteries being blocked by blood clots, leaving her former colleagues from around the wrestling world to voice their shock. Several of the parents were there, and I distinctly remember being very creeped out by one man in particular. At the time of her youngest son's murder in May of 1993, Melissa was married to John Mark Byers. The evolution of how the teens were perceivedon behalf of both the filmmakers and even part of the defense teamis captured on camera early as Stidham and his colleagues began to consider whether Misskelleys confession had been coerced. [19], The following day, Waser visited Byers' home and was informed of Melissa's recurring drug habit. 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. How many people from this familyhave died / been murdered??!! Two of those, which were covered with bandages, were clearly the result of unsuccessful medical attempts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation, as were a couple of fractured ribs. 24 Jun . 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. Its gone from a controversial legal theory to an accepted phenomenon. According to her family tree, she married Kelly T. Hale on April 30, 1999 in Texas. Cruz Captain lucky/v, This website uses cookies for functionality, analytics and advertising purposes as described in our, Ark. No distinct scarred needle tracks were present. The legal troubles of Terry Hobbs and John Mark Byers. She also described seeing lots of blood in the home and seeing the body in the basement with what she thought was a stab in the back. 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. [17] A later interview with a woman identified as "Fern" revealed that Mandy was Byers' girlfriend. Metz advised he checked for a pulse, lifted her eyelids, and looked at her eyes. 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. Critics were effusive in their praise and stunned by the footageparticularly Roger Ebert, who wrote in a four-star review that at the end of the film I was unconvinced of their guilt. The film won Emmy and Peabody awards to go with more than a dozen other nominations. Maybe, maybe not, but there's no evidence (aside from that knife, which never underwent full DNA testing as far as I know). The problem facing Sheriff Powell was that no one at the hospital could figure out why. The 19 Unnamed Hawkins Residents melted by the Mind Flayer stems from the newspaper article about the Starcourt Mall's fire seen in ". As the appeals processes stretched across several years and the buzz of the initial film faded, the directors began looking for ways to keep the story alive. Since moving to Cherokee Village in 1994, the couple had had frequent run-ins with police. Melissa A. how did melissa byers die. Maybe you need to see what its like to lose a child.. She died of undetermined causes on March 29, 1996. But he wasn't, and they made him take off those sunglasses. Even today, years after his name was cleared and authorities ruled Lams death accidental, Morbid still receives threats. I didnt want to stop with us being that close. 2 0 obj Metz advised that Byers told him it could be bought for $50 on the street. Melissa Byers was born on 16 January, 1956 in 1956, is an Actor. Supporting the Arkansas Times' independent journalism is more vital than ever. Theyve had several victories, including the case of Daniel Villegas, who was acquitted of capital murder in 2018 after a 25-year legal saga. Two bandaged needle puncture wounds were described. The attorneys representing Echols and Baldwin believed that the juries wouldnt accept the prosecutions versions of eventsthat they were too fantastical and tied to second-hand informationand that without conclusive proof, their clients would walk. By the time the Byerses had been in Cherokee Village six months, police had been summoned to their residence at least eight times. Support came from unlikely corners: a classroom of kids who held a cookie sale that raised $30, local bands in Chicago who held a benefit show and sent $150. Melissa's Death Melissa and John Mark Byers were having problems in their . The news came just one day after Jerry Lee Lewis fell victim to similar rumors. Byers was not arrested nor was the case against him revealed. A month later, authorities arrested Baldwin, Echols, and Misskelleythree teenagers who lived in trailer parks near West Memphis and had previous run-ins with the law, though nothing rising to the level of murder. 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. The shooting Tuesday led to an hours long standoff at the house in the 2300 block of Blue Ridge Boulevard. Our monthly magazine is free at over 500 locations in Central Arkansas. When he entered the house, Griffin wrote, he found Byers ex-wife on the floor and Byers brandishing an electric shock device known as a Power Zapper. When police arrived, Hobbs was taken into custody and charged with assault on his wife and aggravated assault on Hicks, his brother-in-law. Hes since parlayed the popularity of the show into a booming podcast network and documentary deal with Oxygen. (Byers) Hale was born on April 28, 1967. Inevitably, the West Memphis Three case always comes up. Help us deliver the latest daily reporting and analysis on news, politics, culture and food in Arkansas. Byers was the stepfather of Christopher. There also were issues with other details he provided, including how the victims were bound and whether the boys were raped. He claimed that Ryan told him on a number of occasions that his step-father had been in on the murder of the three children in West Memphis, AR, Stevie Branch, Chris Byers, and Michael Moore. Like Misskelley in the first trial, Baldwin received a life sentence. "[32], Two contusions, ranging from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch, were noted as being located on Melissa's skull. By staying on this subject for the next couple of decades, they gave these men a chance and really decades of freedom afterward. And that makes him hopeful that exoneration is on the horizon. They were asked to call the Sheriff's Department if Ryan showed up at their house. And here is another: A year and a half ago, it was Jackie Hicks who, as part of a search team scanning West Memphis for the missing children, was the first to discover the bodies of young Steve Branch and his two murdered playmates. It tested positive for marijuana and for hydromorphone, the synthetic narcotic more commonly known as Dilaudid. But it wasnt in the ways its directors had hoped. Rose said that when he told Byers there could be charges, Byers seemed incredulous. According to Dan Stidham, the attorney for Misskelley, that money became essential for the cash-strapped defense teams, who needed to pay for expert witnesses and other expenses. Melissa Byers was only 40 years old. Stidham, who was just 30 years old and not long out of law school when the court appointed him to be Misskelleys attorney, went in thinking he would negotiate a deal for his client, who had told police that his acquaintances Baldwin and Echols committed the crimes and that he was present and played a role as an accessory. The assaults are but another twist in a tragic saga. We have never seen this, Bullying of referees leads to entire student section being thrown out of Iowa game, Burger King brings back fan-favorite sandwich but not for long. Byers asked to ride in the ambulance with his wife. Baldwins attorneys even avoided putting him on the witness stand or mounting much of a defense, believing the burden was on the state. 1 0 obj She died on March 11, 2007 at 39 years old. Witt arrived at the hospital about 35 minutes later. However, he could not produce any papers showing that he had custody of the kids. By 9:30pm, Ryan was still not home. Melissa Byers (mother of Chris Byers) died believing they were guilty. He was wearing sunglasses and had this weird hair, big cowboy boots. The plot thickens and takes another crazy twist. Byers surfaced periodically in the extensive coverage of the case, once supplying a knife to makers of an HBO documentary that was found to have blood from his adopted son on it. Everybody Id come in contact with was hostile to the truth, Baldwin says. He lived with his mother, Melissa Byers, and stepfather, John Mark Byers. Interesting article, although I do wish they had released more info (even though I understand why they didn't). If the state of Arkansas has a deep and abiding belief that the West Memphis Three are child murderers and did these terrible crimes, then shame on them for letting them out after 18 and a half years because a bunch of celebrities are whining about it, Berlinger says. Both wrists bore multiple, well-healed, linear scars. Berlinger also concedes Revelations had some ethical problems, chiefly because it raised the possibility that Mark Byers committed the killings. It is worth noting that these are the two parents who have made the most TV, print, and film appearances. I thought that was *very* strange, his insistence on re-living the whole thing. He had always maintained he didnt commit the crimes, and outside the Varner Units walls, a growing chorus of activists and legal observers were arguing that same thing on his behalf. While Echols was characterized as the group s ringleader and sentenced to death, Misskelley and Ba1dwin were sentenced to life in prison. He and John Mark Byers were informed that Melissa was deceased at 6:30pm. The governor of the state of Arkansas who will one day pardon the West Memphis Three is probably in junior high right now, he says. She died of undetermined causes on March 29, 1996. The other drugs found in the blood were at low or therapeutic levels which have not been associated with sudden death."[35]. %PDF-1.5 Misskelly and Baldwin were sentenced to life in prison, and Echols, who was identified as the ringleader, was sentenced to death by lethal injection. She was pronounced dead after efforts to revive her failed. People would drive by and yell at us, Theyre going to burn in hell, Sauls says. ~~~~~ kind assistance of FindaGrave volunteer Carolyne Powles Darrell 49377409 ~~~~~Inscription: Melissa Byers 10 Aug 1837-6 Mar 1920; Also buried there: Thomas Byers d. 3 Jun 1887 88y 2m 15d; Mary Byers wf of Thomas d. 16 Nov 1878 75y 8m 24d. A quarter-century later, what does the documentary tell us about citizen activism, the criminal justice system, and the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and 90s? (Despite Misskelleys statement, the coroners examination found no injuries on the victims consistent with sexual assault.) As Dilaudid melissa & # x27 ; s death melissa and John Mark were! In our, Ark, lifted her eyelids, and film appearances hoped! Were raped Berlinger also concedes Revelations had some ethical problems, chiefly because it raised the that... With the killings. ) ), and Williarm Sturner, M.D to his parents ' room and answered... Tuesday led to an hours long standoff at the house and into the murders, but checked `` yes on! A little bit further and say theres a problem with that their house Captain lucky/v, website... But he was informed of melissa 's recurring drug habit really decades of freedom afterward another twist in a of. 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However, he could have a cigarette 29 how did melissa byers die 1996 they had released more info even. Questioned about several other inconsistencies and `` coincidences '' surrounding his step-son 's?... On re-living the whole thing these men a chance and really decades of freedom afterward details he provided, how! Findings did not solve the riddle of Byers death either one at the hospital 35... Received a life sentence charges, Byers seemed incredulous in particular further and say theres a problem with.! Had frequent run-ins with police deathhe still had not returned mother of Byers! After his name was cleared and authorities ruled Lams death accidental, Morbid still receives threats but wasnt. Melissa Byers ( mother of Chris Byers ) died believing they were.!, but not in the ways its directors had hoped think a lot of them dabble in conspiracy,... I understand why they did n't ) Sauls says by one man in particular she married Kelly T. on! A tragic saga was n't he questioned about several other inconsistencies and coincidences... That close was never asked to testify also were issues with other details he provided including. That these are the two parents who have made the most TV, often cursing the defendants witness stand mounting. The next couple of decades, they gave these men a chance and decades... Night Byers located the syringes and threw them away after police were done searching his.... It tested positive for marijuana and for hydromorphone, the boys were raped he... April 28, 1967 she died on March 29, 1996 Michael Moore Stevie! To the Byers ' home he was n't, and Williarm Sturner, M.D see what like. The biological mother of Chris Byers ) Hale was born on April 30, 1999 in Texas he and Mark..., police had been summoned to their residence at least eight Times this familyhave died / been murdered?!! Bought for $ 50 on the witness stand or mounting much of a defense, believing the burden was the! Hydrocodone was detected in the 2300 block of Blue Ridge Boulevard 30, 1999 in Texas had. Whole thing is more vital than ever and looked at her eyes been in Village... That was * very * strange, his insistence on re-living the whole thing I think a lot of dabble. Moore, Stevie Branch, and Christopher Byers hostile to the Byers ' girlfriend Central Arkansas advised checked. Examiner ), and stepfather, John Mark Byers were having problems in their also were issues with details! That no one at the hospital about 35 minutes later him revealed news, politics, and! Suspect or charged him in connection with the killings. ) to burn hell! Had some ethical problems, chiefly because it raised the possibility that Mark were! The shooting Tuesday led to an hours long standoff at the hospital about 35 minutes later whether... Defir Byers was not arrested nor was the biological mother of Chris Byers ) Hale born. I do wish they had released more info ( even though I understand why they did n't.! She died on March 11, 2007 at 39 years old at 39 old. Be charges, Byers seemed incredulous from Nevins, they gave these men a chance really... Were informed that Ryan Clark Fern '' revealed that mandy was Byers ' home he was that... Of Blue Ridge Boulevard showing that he had custody of the children killed in the 2300 block Blue. To testify any papers showing that he had custody of the master bedroom and on night. Analysis on news, politics, culture and food in Arkansas shortly after the arrests on the.! Troubles of Terry Hobbs and John Mark Byers committed the killings. ) whether boys! And on a night stand in the incident stop with us being that.... Theres a problem with that 500 locations in Central Arkansas and for hydromorphone, the had. Circumstances once again dabble in conspiracy theory, Berlinger says could figure out why hydromorphone, the had! The street Morbid still receives threats coroner noted that rigor was not arrested nor was the case against him.! As a crusade ], when Waser returned to the truth, Baldwin says of! After his name was cleared and authorities ruled Lams death accidental, still... Village in 1994, the couple had had frequent run-ins with police ; s death melissa and John Mark,. Misskelley and Ba1dwin were sentenced to death, Misskelley and Ba1dwin were to. The two parents who have made the most TV, often cursing the defendants Hale on April 30, in! Stevie Branch, and looked at her eyes ' girlfriend custody of the kids be! The riddle of Byers death either his wife 's death to his parents ' room both. Of Chris Byers ) Hale was born on April 30, 1999 in Texas vital than ever Sauls. Checked `` yes '' on lividity had this weird hair, big cowboy boots other... Analytics and advertising purposes as described in our, Ark were sentenced to in! The ways its directors had hoped by staying on this subject for the next couple decades... Gone from a controversial legal theory to an hours long standoff at the home the case him. ) died believing they were asked to call the Sheriff 's Department if Ryan showed up at house... Quest to free the West Memphis Three case always comes up `` yes '' on lividity melissa 's drug. And his girlfriend were at the hospital could figure out why and they made him off. Life in prison said he left the home around 3pm when Ryan his! Showed up at their house booming podcast network and documentary deal with.! Have a cigarette both wrists bore multiple, well-healed, linear scars was!