Abomination: Devil Worship and Deception in the West Memphis Three Murders (13 page)

Detectives presented to Jessie a shocking picture of one of the dead boy’s in the coroners office. Jessie looked hard at the picture and said it was of the "Moore Boy" and that it was one of the boys in the Polaroid pictures. Jessie told police that he didn't want to be a part of this, that Damien and Jason killed the boys, he did not.

Jessie Misskelley was immediately arrested at 2:44 PM on the afternoon of June 3rd, 1993 on three capital murder charges. The police then took his first statement, which lasted from 2:44 PM to 3:18 PM. Riddled with confusing inaccuracies, the validity of the initial confession would be contested by the defense throughout the trial and appeals process. Defense attorneys repeatedly argued that he was led to answers by police detectives; however, the seventeen year old Misskelley’s language skills were not even mediocre---in this particular confession, he barely spoke in complete sentences:

Ridge: this is Det. Bryn Ridge of the West Memphis Police Department, currently in the Detective division of the West Memphis police department conducting an investigation of the triple homicide, case file # 93-05-0666. Currently in the office with Jessie Lloyd Misskelley, jr., dob: 7/10/75, Education: 9th grade, the place: Detective division, todays date is 06/03/93, the time is 2:44pm. Present in the interview is Insp. Gary Gitchell and Jessie Misskelley. Jessie, in front of me I have a rights form, and it has your signature at the bottom of it, is that your signature?

Jessie: Yes, sir.

Ridge: Okay, we are informing you that we are Det. Sgt. Mike Allen: And Det. Bryn Ridge, and Det. Sgt. Mike Allen is the one that read this form to you earlier, is that correct?

Jessie: Yes, sir.

Ridge: And I was here when he read it to you.

Jessie: Yes, sir.

Ridge: Alright, we are police officers of the West Memphis Police Department, we are conducting an investigation for the offense capital felony murder, which was committed on or about 05/05/93, before we ask you any questions, you must know and understand your legal rights, therefore, we warn and advise you, that you have the right to remain silent , do you understand that?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: And those are your initials on the line in front of that statement?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: Okay, anything you say can be used against you in court, do you understand that,

Jessie: Yes, I do.

Ridge: And those are your initials?

Jessie: Yes, it is.

Ridge: Alright, you have the right to talk to a lawyer for advise before we ask you any questions, and to have him with you during questioning, do you understand that?

Jessie: Yes, I do.

Ridge: And those are your initals?

Jessie: Yes, it is.

Ridge: If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you before any questions, if you wish, at no cost to you, do you understand that?

Jessie: Yes, I do.

Ridge: And those are your initials?

Jessie: Yes, it is.

Ridge: If you decide to answer questions now without a lawyer present you will still have the right to stop answering at any time, do you understand?

Jessie: Yes, I do.

Ridge: Those are your initials?

Jessie: Yes, it is.

Ridge: You're up here on your own free will, you came up here to answer some questions, and basically we've found out some information during that questioning, is that correct?

Jessie: Yes sir, I did.

Ridge: Okay, at the bottom of the form is a waiver of rights, it says that I've read this statement of my rights, and I understand what my rights are, I am willing to make a statement, and answer questions, I do not want a lawyer at this time, I understand and know what I am doing. No promises or threats have been made to me, and no pressure or force has been used against me, is all of that correct?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: Okay, and you signed the bottom of the form?

Jessie: Yes, I did.

Ridge: Witnessed by Michael Wayne Allen and myself, Det. Bryn Ridge. Okay, Jessie, let's go straight to that date, 05/05/93, Wednesday, early in the morning. You received a phone call is that correct?

Jessie: Yes, I did.

Ridge: And who made that phone call?

Jessie: Jason Baldwin

Ridge: Alright, what occurred, what did he talk about?

Jessie: He called me and asked me if I could go to west Memphis with him and I told him, no, I had to work and stuff. He told me that he had to go to west Memphis so, him and Damien with and then I went with them.

Ridge: Alright, when?

Jessie: Wednesday.

Ridge: Alright, when did you go with them?

Jessie: That morning.

Ridge: 9 o'clock in the morning?

Jessie: Yes, I did. I went with them and then.

Gitchell: Now, where you in a car? Whose car where you all in?

Jessie: We walked.

Gitchell: You all walked?

Jessie: Right, we walked and then uh...

Ridge: Where did you go?

Jessie: We went up to Robin Hood.

Ridge: You went to the Robin Hood, explain to me where those woods are.

Jessie: By uh, Blue Beacon truck wash.

Ridge: A little patch of woods.

Jessie: A little patch of woods.

Ridge: Behind Blue Beacon?

Jessie: Behind it, right there behind it.

Ridge: Okay, what occurred while you were there?

Jessie: When I was there, I saw Damien hit these one boy real bad, and then uh, and he started screwing them and stuff and then, uh...

Ridge: Alright, you got in front of you a picture, that was taken out of the newspaper i believe, it's got three boys and these are the three boys that were killed on that date in Robin Hood Woods, okay, which one of those three boys is it you say Damien hit? The third picture, which will be...

Jessie: Michael Moore.

Gitchell: This boy right here?

Jessie: Yeah.

Gitchell: Alright, that's uh the Byers boy, that's who you are pointing at?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: If you read the caption, the grizzly slain from left, 8 year old Michael Moore, Steven Branch and Christopher Byers. Okay, so you saw Damien strike Chris Byers in the head.

Jessie: Right.

Ridge: What did he hit him with?

Jessie: He hit him with his fist and bruised him all up real bad, and then Jason turned around and hit Steve Branch.

Ridge: Okay.

Jessie: And started doing the same thing, then the other one took off, Michael Moore took off running, so I chased him and grabbed him and hold him, until they got there and then I left.

Ridge: Alright, when you get the boys back together, where were you at from the creek?

Jessie: I was up there by the service road.

Ridge: Up by the service road?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: Okay, now when this, when he hit the first boy, where are they at when he hits him, are you in the woods, you're on the side of big bayou, you're out in the field, where were you at?

Jessie: I was in the woods.

Ridge: In the woods. Okay, you've been down there in those woods before, can you describe to me what in those woods, what's the location where you were?

Jessie: Uh,

Ridge: Is there a path that you go down?

Jessie: Uh, down a little path.

Ridge: Alright, where does that path go too?

Jessie: It leads out there close to the field, close to the interstate.

Ridge: Okay.

Jessie: Close to the interstate.

Ridge: When he hits the first boy and then Jason hits another boy, and one takes off running, where does he run too?

Jessie: That one, he runs out, out the park and I chased him and grabbed him and brought him back.

Ridge: Which way does he go, I mean, does he go back towards where the houses are, he's going to Blue Beacon, is he going out towards the fields, where's he running too?

Jessie: Towards the houses.

Ridge: Towards the houses?

Gitchell: Where the pipe is that goes across the yards?

Jessie: Yes, he run out there and I caught him and brought him back, and I took off.

Ridge: Okay, and when you came back a little bit later, now are all three boys are tied?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: Is that right?

Jessie: Yes, and I took off and run home.

Ridge: Alright, have they got their clothes on when you saw them tied?

Jessie: No, they had them off.

Ridge: They had already gotten them off. When he first hit the boy, when Damien first hit the first boy, did they have their clothes on then?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: Alright, when did they take their clothes off?

Jessie: Right after they beat up all three of them, beat them up real bad.

Ridge: Beat them up real bad, and then they took their clothes off?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: and then they tied them.

Jessie: Then they tied them up, tied their hands up, they started screwing them and stuff, cutting them and stuff, and I saw it and turned around and looked, and then I took off running, I went home, then they called me and asked me, how come I didn't stay, I told them, I just couldn't.

Ridge: Just couldn't stay.

Jessie: I couldn't stand it to see what they were doing to them.

Ridge: Okay, now when this is going on, when this is taking place, you saw somebody with a knife. Who had a knife?

Jessie: Jason.

Ridge: Jason had a knife, what did he cut with the knife. What did you see him cut or who did you see him cut?

Jessie: I saw him cut one of the little boys

Ridge: Alright, where did he cut him at?

Jessie: He was cutting him in the face.

Ridges: Cutting him in the face. Alright, another boy was cut I understand., Where was he cut at?

Jessie: At the bottom

Ridge: On his bottom? Was he faced down and he was cutting on him, or...

Jessie: He was...

Gitchell: Now you're talking about bottom, do you mean right here?

Jessie: Yes.

Gitchell: In his groin area?

Jessie: Yes.

Gitchell: Okay.

Ridge: Do you know what his penis is?

Jessie: Yeah, that's where he was cut at.

Ridge: That's where he was cut.

Gitchell: Which boy was that?

Jessie: That one right there.

Gitchell: You're talking about the Byers boy again?

Jessie: Yes.

Gitchell: Okay.

Ridge: Are you sure that he was the one that was cut?

Jessie: That's the one that i seen them cutting on.

Ridge: Alright, you know what a penis is?

Jessie: Yeah.

Ridge: Alright, is that where he was cutting?

Jessie: That's where I seen them going down at, and he was on his back. I seen them going down right there real close to his penis and stuff and I saw some blood and that's when I took off.

Gitchell: Was uh, where you all close to the creek at that point?

Jessie: Yes, sir.

Gitchell: Where was the little boy actually at?

Jessie: He was close.

Ridge: Alright, now you know where the bayou is?

Jessie: Right.

Ridge: Alright, and you know where the little creek is that goes out to the express way, and it doesn't have a lot of water in it, but it's got some water in it, and it's flowing through the, which side of that creek were you on, where you on the Memphis side of the creek or the Blue Beacon side of the creek?

Jessie: Blue Beacon.

Ridge: On the Blue Beacon

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: So, there is like a tall bank, where were you at on that bank?

Jessie: I was up there standing up there on the top.

Ridge: Alright, where were they at?

Jessie: They were at the bottom.

Ridge: On which side?

Jessie: Memphis side.

Ridge: They were on the Memphis side.

Jessie: I was on.

Ridge: Alright, we're going to correct that even further, that's the east side, Memphis side is the east side and you were standing at the top of the bank on the west side, were you looking down at what was going on?

Jessie: I was looking down, and after I seen all of that, I took off.

Ridge: Okay, and when you left, did you hear any more hollering or anything?

Jessie: No.

Ridge: Alright, you went home and about what time was it that all of this took place?

Jessie: About.

Ridge: I'm not saying when they called you. I'm saying what time was it that you were actually there in the park?

Jessie: About 12.

Ridge: About noon?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: Okay, was it after school had let out?

Jessie: I didn't go to school.

Ridge: These little boys.

Jessie: They skipped school.

Ridge: They skipped school?

Jessie: They were going to catch their bus and stuff, and they were on their bikes and so...

Ridge: Alright, they were on their bikes, where were the bikes at?

Jessie: They laid their bikes down when they come out to the, when they hollered for them to come out there.

Ridge: Where did they lay their bikes down at, that's what i'm asking you?

Jessie: I don't know where they laid their bikes down at, cause I was behind Damien and ‘nem, they were way behind them.

Ridge: Okay.

Jessie: When they hollered, when they seen them boys.

Ridge: The little boys came on over?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: Had Damien seen these boys before?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: Has he done things with them before? Or had he just been watching them?

Jessie: He had been watching them.

Ridge: Has he ever had sex with them before?

Jessie: No, he's been watching them.

Ridge: He's been watching them. You mentioned earlier that, one of the meetings you went to with this cult thing, they had some pictures. Describe those pictures for me.

Jessie: They had some houses, trees and stuff.

Ridge: Okay, had somebody taken pictures of these boys?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: Were they in the houses or were they in the trees when they took those pictures?

Jessie: They were in the houses.

Ridge: At the houses? Did they take like one picture of one boy.

Jessie: They were in a group.

Ridge: All, these three.

Jessie: There was a group of pictures of all three of them.

Ridge: All three of them would generally be together?

Jessie: Yes.

Gitchell: How many pictures did you see, altogether?

Jessie: I just saw one.

Gitchell: Okay, and it has these same three boys in it?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: You're certain of that?

Jessie: Yes.

Gitchell: Now, did you say that the boys skipped school that day, these little boys did?

Jessie: Yes, they were going to catch, they were going somewhere and like I said, Damien and nem left before I did, I told them that I would meet them there and stuff, and it was early in the morning and so, they went ahead and met me, they went on up there and then i come up later on behind them.

Gitchell: What time did you get there?

Jessie: I got there about 9.

Gitchell: In the morning?

Jessie: Yes.

Gitchell: Wednesday morning?

Jessie: Yes.

Gitchell: And...

Ridge: What time is it right now?

Jessie: Right now?

Ridge: Yeah, you don't know what time it is?

Gitchell: Do you not wear a watch?

Jessie: It's at home.

Ridge: So.

Jessie: My dad woke me up this.

Ridge: So, your time period may not be exactly right in what you're saying?

Jessie: Right.

Ridge: It was like earlier in the day, but you don't know exactly what time, okay...

Cause I've gotten some real confusion with the times that you're telling me, but now, this 9 o'clock in the evening call that you got, explain that to me.

Jessie: Well after, all of this stuff happened that night, that they done it, I went home about noon, then they called me at 9 o'clock that night, they called me.

Ridge: And what did they tell you on the telephone?

Jessie: They asked me how come I left so early and stuff, and I told them that I couldn't stay there and watch that stuff no more, so I had to do something to get out of there.

Ridge: Okay, who called you?

Jessie: Jason.

Ridge: And you mentioned that you heard some voice in the background?

Jessie: I heard some dingling.

Ridge: And what else, I think you said that he made the call from his house?

Jessie: He made the call from his house and Damien was hollering in the background saying, we done it, we done it, what are going to do if somebody saw us, what are we going to do?

Ridge: Okay, the knives, was it one knife, two knives, was your knife there?

Jessie: ugh, ugh,

Ridge: Now did somebody take it and used your knife, do you have a knife?

Jessie: I got one knife.

Ridge: Where is it at?

Jessie: It's at home.

Ridge: Okay, the knife that you said Jason was using, where is it?

Jessie: Uh, I don't know what he done with it, cause after I left then they, I don't know what they done with, after I left

Ridge: He didn't tell you that he hid it somewhere?

Gitchell: I've got a feeling here, you're not quite telling me everything, now you know that we're recording everything, so this is very, very important to tell us the entire truth. If you were there the whole time, then tell us that you were there the whole time, don't leave anything out. This is very, very important, now just tell us the truth.

Jessie: I was there until they tied them up and then that's when I left, after they tied them up, I left.

Gitchell: But, you saw them cutting on the boys...

Jessie: I saw them cutting on them, and then.

Gitchell: So, what else left is there, after that?

Jessie: They laid the knife down beside them and I saw them tying them up and then that's when I left.

Ridge: Were the boys conscious or were they...

Jessie: They were unconscious then...

Ridge: Unconscious

Jessie: And after I left they done more.

Ridge: They done more.

Jessie: They started screwing them again...

Ridge: Okay, how were they screwing them when you saw them?

Jessie: They, Jason stuck his in one them's mouth and Damien was screwing one of them up the ass and stuff.

Ridge: Okay, and the one that they were cutting the penis off of, did any of them are cutting the penis or whatever was being done, did they have sex with them at all?

Jessie: No.

Ridge: Did either one of them?

Jessie: Jason did.

Ridge: Jason did?

Jessie: Jason was screwing him while Damien stuck his in his mouth.

Ridge: Okay, how did he have sex with that one?

Jessie: He was holding him down like, and Jason had his legs up in the air and that little boy was kicking, saying, 'don't, no' like that.

Ridge: Okay, he had his legs up in the air, alright, what was to keep the little boys from running off, but just their hands are tied, what's to keep them from running off?

Jessie: They beat them up so bad so they can't hardly move, they had their hands tied down and he sit on them.

Ridge: You said that they had their hands tied up, tied down, were they hands tied in a fashion that they couldn't have run, you tell me.

Jessie: They could run, they just had them tied, when they knocked them down and stuff, they could move their arms and stuff, and hold them down like, wake up and raise up and the other one just put his legs up.

Ridge: Okay, so they had them under control, you were there the whole time that was taking place?

Jessie: I was there.

Ridge: Okay, none [note: this is not clear - it may be 'one'] of them were cut on the face real bad, is that what you said?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: And one of them was being cut on his penis?

Jessie: Yes, sir.

Ridge: Alright,

Gitchell: Did you ever use, did anyone use a stick and hit the boys with?

Jessie: Damien had kinda of a big old stick when he hit that first one, after he hit him with his fist and knocked him down and got him a big old stick and hit him.

Gitchell: What did the stick look like, I mean was it like a big log like that or is it a stick?

Jessie: I would say it was about that big around, I would say about that long.

Gitchell: Okay.

Ridge: About the size of a baseball bat, maybe just a little bit bigger round?

Jessie: Yeah.

Ridge: That's what you're describing with your hands, right?

Jessie: Right.

Ridge: Okay, how long was the knife that Jason was using?

Jessie: About that long.

Ridge: Alright, you're describing a knife that would be about 6 inches long, is that right?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: And, what kind of blade did it have on it?

Jessie: Uh, like a regular knife blade.

Ridge: Was it a knife that you fold up, or was it like a hunting knife?

Jessie: It was.

Ridge: Just one piece.

Jessie: Just a fold up knife.

Ridge: It was a folding knife?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: Okay, uh does Damien have a knife?

Jessie: No.

Ridge: He doesn't have one, he didn't have one that night?

Jessie: He didn't have one that night.

Ridge: Did he borrow yours?

Jessie: No, he didn't borrow mine.

Gitchell: Did they have a briefcase with them?

Jessie: No.

Gitchell: You didn't see a briefcase?

Jessie: I didn't see a briefcase, not unless they left it there at that day before it happened, unless they left it there then but I didn't see one that day.

Gitchell: Have you ever seen them with a briefcase before?

Jessie: I've seen them once that night, I seen them with it that night.

Gitchell: Okay, what is kept inside of that briefcase?

Jessie: They had some cocaine, and a little gun.

Gitchell: Is that when you first saw the pictures of the boys?

Jessie: Yes, out there in Lakeshore.

Gitchell: And you saw the pictures in the briefcase?

Jessie: Yes, I think when we had that cult.

Gitchell: Okay, now you have participated in this cult, right?

Jessie: Yes.

Gitchell: How long have you been involved in it?

Jessie: I've been in it for about three months.

Gitchell: Okay, what is, tell me some of the things that you all do typically in the woods, as being in this cult.

Jessie: We go out kill dogs and stuff and then carry girls out there.

Gitchell: What do you all do with the girls when you're out there?

Jessie: We screw them and stuff.

Gitchell: Just everybody takes a turn.

Jessie: Everybody, and we have an orgee and stuff like that.

Gitchell: Okay.

Ridge: When you kill a dog, what do you do with that?

Jessie: We usually skin it, then make a barn fire and eat it and stuff.

Ridge: Okay, when you initiating somebody new come into a cult what actually is done to initiate that person into a cult?

Jessie: We usually you know, kill an animals, you know, you have to know how to handle the meat and stuff, after we kill it to see if he knows, if he can't handle it, then he don't get in.

Ridge: Okay, so he kills an animal, you mentioned earlier that he may have to eat part of that animal, what part of the animal would he eat?

Jessie: Uh, the meat off of his leg.

Ridge: The meat off of his leg.

Jessie: If he can't eat it, then he don't get in.

Ridge: Doesn't get into the cult?

Jessie: No.

Ridge: Now these meetings, have they ever been violent, anybody gotten made and got into a fight?

Jessie: No.

Ridge: Okay, the night you were in the woods, uh, had you all been in the water?

Jessie: Yeah, we've been in the water, we were in it that night, playing around in it.

Ridge: You were playing around in the water, alright, what were you doing in the water?

Jessie: Just...

Ridge: Besides just playing, the little boys, had they been in the water? Did they get into the water with you all?

Jessie: No, they didn't get into the water with us.

Ridge: Okay, what were you doing in the water?

Jessie: We were just sitting there, throwing stuff at each other.

Ridge: Were you all having sex?

Jessie: No, I wasn't

Ridge: You weren't?

Jessie: No.

Ridge: Damien and Jason having sex?

Jessie: They took turns going up under the water.

Ridge: Going up under the water, what were they doing up under the water?

Jessie: They were sitting so far away, they were in the water, I would say about five to ten seconds, then come up and then the other one would go down.

Ridge: Okay, so they were just messing around in the water. They called for these boys to come over there?

Jessie: Yeah, they seen them boys and then they hollered, Damien said, hey, the little boys come up there.

Gitchell: Did they call them by name?

Jessie: No, they just hollered at them, they slowed up.

Gitchell: Where did the boys put their bikes?

Jessie: Close to right where there before you come in and they laid them down right there, and after I left I don't know what they done with the bikes.

Gitchell: You didn't do anything to the bikes at all?

Jessie: No.

Gitchell: Are you sure?

Jessie: Positive.

Gitchell: You didn't touch the bikes?

Jessie: I didn't touch them.

Ridge: You've been back to this place since that murder

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: Since it (inaudible) what did you do there? Be truthful.

Jessie: I went down there and sit there, and after what they did to the boys, I just sit there.

Ridge: And did what?

Jessie: Just thought, what happened to them real bad, just thought.

Ridge: Okay.

Jessie: And I left and stuff, and walked home.

Gitchell: When did you go back there?

Jessie: Two or three days after it happened, and I left.

Ridge: You were there by yourself?

Jessie: I was there by myself.

Ridge: Didn't you go there with some more boys once?

Jessie: Me. David.

Ridge: That particular place?

Jessie: No, not to that place.

Ridge: Are you willing to go down there with us and us having a camcorder and show us where these things took place? Would you do that?...Wouldn't have any problem with that?

Jessie: Not that I know of, I wouldn't.

Ridge: But you would be able to point out where these things took place?

Jessie: Yes.

Ridge: Which way the boys came from and where you all were when he hollered for the boys and stuff like that, you wouldn't have a problem with that?

Jessie: After the murder and stuff, I would say about two or three days later after it happened, I went down there and thought about it and I haven't been down there since.

Ridge: Okay, let me ask you something, now this is real serious and I want you to be real truthful, and I want you to think about it before you answer it, don't just say yes or no, real quick. I want you to think about it. Did you actually hit any of these boys?