West Memphis Three | The Devil comes to West Memphis | 1

0:00American scandal uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, might be invented, but everything is based on historical research. This episode contains descriptions of murder, violence against children, and discussions of suicide. Listener discretion is advised.

0:34It's the afternoon of May 6, 1993, in West Memphis, Arkansas, a small town on the border with Tennessee. Police Sergeant Mike Allen swats at the mosquitoes, swarming his neck. Squinting into the sunlight, he looks down at a wide stream that flows lazily along a tree-lined gully. Allen has been out all day looking for three missing eight-year-old boys. They've been gone since yesterday evening, and fears are growing for their safety. The search has now taken officers to a small wooded area near the interstate, known as Robin Hood Hills. It's a popular spot with children, who are often seen riding bikes, building forts, and playing games among the trees.

1:14But today, the area doesn't seem so innocent, because one of the other officers in the search team gives out a shout and points downstream. There's something black bobbing on the surface, and from this distance, it's hard to tell, but it looks like a shoe. Sergeant Allen is the nearest, and he doesn't hesitate to wade into the water. Splashing over to the object, he grabs it, and then realizes with horror that it's attached to the naked body of a small boy. Shocked, Allen calls out to his superior, Detective Bryn Ridge. Oh, my God, I found one of them. Allen eases the body to the surface, his breath catching.

1:53Yeah, yeah, it's Michael Moore. Ridge splashes over through the water. I'm coming. Let me see. Uh-oh. Oh, is he tied up? Yeah. Looks like with shoelaces or something. Jesus, poor kid. Ridge looks around the creek. Well, if one of them's there, it's a good bet the others are too. Yeah. Sergeant Allen nods toward the bank. You know, when I was waiting by the shore just now, I felt something bump my foot. Might be nothing, but all right. I'll check it out. Was it over here? Yeah. Yeah, just a little farther. This water is dark as molasses. I can't see a thing. Detective Ridge drops to his knees and crawls a few feet downstream, feeling his way with his hands.

2:35All right, got something here. Feels like a stick. Ridge yanks a branch out of the mud, but there's something wrapped around it. Ridge peels it free. It's a kid's shirt. Is this his? There's something else here, too. Looks like a hat. Yeah, that's part of his Cub Scout uniform. Oh, God. All right. What should we do next? Look for the others? Nah, let's get Michael out first. We can't leave him here just floating like that. You okay to grab his legs? Ridge slid his hands beneath the boy's arms. And together, the police officers lift the boy out of the water. All right, nice and gentle. Let's just lay him here on the bank.

3:13They lower the boy to the muddy shore. Now, and choose his lip. What are we going to say to the parents? Well, let's leave that to the chief, all right? I just can't think of what kind of animal could do this. Yeah, but, you know, for now, let's just find the other two. By the end of the afternoon, three small bodies lie on the shore of the muddy creek. Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and Christopher Byers were all stripped, stabbed, and mutilated before they were placed in the water. But who did this, and why, are mysteries to the police officers on the scene. Their search for answers will destroy three other lives and bring the small town of West Memphis down with them.

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5:34From Wondery, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American Scandal.

5:58On the night of May 5th, 1993, the tiny police department in West Memphis, Arkansas, was swamped with distress calls. Three local eight-year-old boys had gone missing, and no one had a clue where they'd gone. Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and Christopher Byers were second-grade boys from ordinary blue-collar families. They were best friends, members of a local Cub Scout troop, and as inseparable in life as they would be in death. The savagery of their murders shocked their local community. Located on the eastern edge of Arkansas, just across the Mississippi River from Tennessee, West Memphis was the kind of town where everyone seemed to know everyone else, and they all wanted to help find the little boy's killer.

6:40But with a lack of hard evidence and limited resources, local police would struggle to resolve the case, and as pressure mounted, they would cast around for clues with increasing desperation, beginning to entertain any theory, no matter how wild or unsubstantiated. Misled by local gossip, false evidence, and their own preconceptions, investigators would zero in on three teenagers as their primary suspects. There was little evidence tying them to the crime, but that didn't seem to matter. Someone had to pay for what had been done to the murdered boys, and three unpopular outsiders seem like the perfect culprits.

7:17This is Episode 1, The Devil Comes to West Memphis.

7:25It's May 6, 1993, at the police station in West Memphis, Arkansas. Chief of Detectives Gary Gitchell holds up in his office. It's been several hours since the bodies of Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and Christopher Byers were found in a stream near the interstate on the outskirts of town, and Gitchell has barely had a moment to think since. He strokes his thick mustache. He's been on the force more than 10 years, but he's never dealt with a case like this before. Things like this just don't happen in West Memphis. As Gitchell considers his next move, the telephone on his desk rings, jolting him out of his daze.

8:01Yeah, Gitchell. Hey, Chief, this is Jim Tucker. Governor, what can I do for you, sir? Well, we just got word about what happened to those three boys. Awful, awful tragedy. I'll be talking to the families individually, of course, but I wanted to let you know that your entire town has my deepest condolences. You're all in my prayers. Well, thank you, sir. I appreciate that. We're doing everything we can to catch the person who did this. Sure you are. You have any leads? Well, it's early days, and we're still waiting on the autopsy reports, but with the lack of blood on the scene, we're guessing that maybe they were just placed in this stream rather than killed there.

8:35Well, please know that you have my full support. I was thinking of sending down the state police to give you a hand, actually. Hmm, I see, sir. They might have a little more experience handling cases like this. You don't get too many murders down there in West Memphis. Well, I appreciate the offer, sir, and I'll be sure to let you know if we need any state help. But for the time being, I think we've got things handled on our own down here. Well, Chief Gitchell, this is a, you know, it's a major story. I understand that, sir. And reporters from all over the country are going to be knocking on your door.

9:06I just, I want to make sure you're ready. We're ready. We can handle it, Governor. Because we can't afford any mistakes. For the family's sake, they deserve justice. Yes, sir. And we're going to give it to them. All right. But, you know, I feel a lot better if you made use of all the resources at your disposal. And we feel strongly about solving this on our own terms. It's our town. So you're telling me no? Well, I'm asking you to give us a chance, sir. All right. I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'll send a few of my guys down there, a few, and just solely to assist. You will still be in charge.

9:38Let them give you a hand. Do some interviews, but it'll all be your call. How's that sound? Sounds okay, sir. You won't regret it. Well, I better not. Just make sure you catch this monster. Despite Gary Gitchell's show of confidence, his investigators don't have much to go on. They've drained the stream where the bodies were found and recovered two of the boys' bicycles. But they haven't found any more of their clothing or the murder weapon. If there was anything else in the gully, the dark waters seemed to have washed it away. But Gitchell is not deterred. Despite the lack of physical evidence, he's sure his men can still find the killer.

10:15It's just going to take some good old-fashioned detective work.

10:22So after his conversation with Governor Jim Tucker, Chief of Detectives Gary Gitchell's next move is to reach out to the local people for help. West Memphis always used to be a close-knit community, a place where people left their front doors unlocked. But that seems to have changed almost overnight. Since news of the murders broke, neighbors have started looking at each other differently. The usual smiles and friendly greetings have been replaced with paranoid stares and whispered gossip. Much of that gossip soon reaches the police. Local residents flood investigators with every stray suspicion that crosses their mind, from the well-meaning to the absurd.

11:00But it takes a lot of police hours to tell the good information from the bad. And the department's lax procedures only make things worse. Some detectives record their interviews properly. Others make handwritten notes but leave them unsigned and undated. And a few hardly document their work at all. But the chaos goes beyond substandard record-keeping. One tip directs police toward the Blue Beacon Truck Wash, a small business located not far from where the victims were found. Someone reports a suspicious white van in the parking lot, and that sets the police off investigating every van they see, no matter what color it is.

11:38Soon, the media catches on as well, and the truck wash becomes a circus. No useful information about the murderer is ever found, but plenty of time and effort is wasted. And with the mountain of tips yet to deliver a useful lead, and detectives still waiting on the autopsy reports, all the police can do is interview the only witnesses they have, the deceased boy's families. They talk to all the parents of the victims, and on the afternoon of May 8th, they call John Mark Byers into the police station. The stepfather of eight-year-old Christopher, he's become the honorary spokesman for the victims' families in the last few days, and he has plenty to tell detectives.

12:16Well over six feet tall and stocky, even sitting down, Byers cuts an intimidating figure. He adjusts his camouflage t-shirt as Chief Gitchell starts asking Byers some basic questions about himself. Never shy, Byers answers at length. He tells the detective he's 36 years old and self-employed. He's been married before with two kids of his own who live with their mother in Missouri. He hasn't seen them since Christmas. He works as a jeweler but explains that his job options are limited by a brain tumor. And because of this medical issue, he's on welfare and money is tight. Gitchell nods and jots down notes on a pad.

12:53He then turns the conversation to May 5th, the day Christopher and the other boys disappeared. He wants a full account from Byers about where he was and when. Byers nods and then launches into his story. He's articulate and at times filled with emotion. He says it was a hectic day. That afternoon, he had a doctor's appointment and returned home around 3 p.m. when he was supposed to let Christopher into the house after school. But the boy didn't show up on time. Byers figured then that Christopher was just out playing with friends, as usual. He was frustrated, but he couldn't wait around. Christopher's older brother, 13-year-old Ryan, had to give evidence as a witness in a traffic case.

13:32So around 4 o 'clock, Byers left the house to drive the older brother to court. After that, he drove across the river into Memphis to pick up his wife from work. By the time they were back in West Memphis, it was close to 5. And that's when Byers saw Christopher out in the street playing on a skateboard. He was lying on it face down, rolling back and forth, and laughing with some friends. Seeing this, Byers grew furious. He stopped the car, got out, and dragged Christopher off the street. When they got back home, he spanked his stepson two or three times with a belt for playing around in the streets when he should have been home.

14:07When telling this part of the story, Byers becomes emotional. He says he was only trying to keep Christopher safe, to make sure he came straight home from school and didn't run off without permission. Now, of course, he wishes he could take the spanking back. Byers looks down at his shoes. Gitchell gently urges him to continue his story. And taking a deep breath, Byers says that after punishing Christopher, he ordered the boy to clean up the carport to make up for what he did. Then, at around 5.30, Byers hopped back in his car and left. He had to pick up Ryan from the courthouse. When they got back, they were going out to a restaurant for dinner, but once again, Christopher was nowhere to be found.

14:47At first, Byers was again angry. But as the family searched the neighborhood, with each passing minute, he became more nervous and afraid. And finally, around 8 p.m., he called the police to report his stepson was missing. When Byers has finished his story, Gitchell pats him on the shoulder and quietly sends him home. The timeline he gave may be helpful, but the rest of their conversation hasn't yielded any other clues. Interviews with the other family members proved just as uninformative, though to later observers, it will seem that detectives were wary of pushing the grieving parents too hard.

15:20The early conversations with them aren't recorded, only minimal notes are made, and none of the relatives are asked to take lie detector tests. By now, almost a week has passed since the murders, and Gitchell is starting to feel concerned. The appeal for information from locals hasn't unearthed anything useful, nor have the interviews with the families. Making matters worse, Gitchell still doesn't have the autopsy reports. Whether it's a bureaucratic holdup or just plain incompetence, this means he doesn't have an official cause of death for the boys. It's obvious that they were stabbed, but he doesn't have precise diagrams of the wounds, and he doesn't know if they were sexually assaulted.

15:56Given that the boys were found naked, investigators have assumed that there was some sexual element to the crime, but without the scientific reports, they don't know for certain. Things are so disorganized in the investigation that police officers outside of West Memphis start offering help. Detective Donald Bray works in the neighboring town of Marion. In May of 1993, he's supposed to be investigating a 32-year-old local woman named Vicki Hutchison. She's under suspicion of overcharging her company's credit card. But during an interview with her, Hutchison happens to mention that her eight-year-old son Aaron knew two of the boys in West Memphis, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers.

16:35She tells Detective Bray that the day before they disappeared, Michael and Christopher invited Aaron to go on a bike ride in the woods, not far from where their bodies were found. Sensing that he may have stumbled onto a potential lead in the West Memphis case, Bray changes course. He stops questioning Hutchison about the credit card and starts asking about the disappearance of the three boys. He soon learns that her son Aaron apparently saw Michael Moore talking to an unidentified man on the day he vanished. According to Aaron's story, Michael then drove off with a man from the school parking lot just hours before he was reported missing.

17:11Detective Bray takes detailed notes of everything Hutchison says, and the longer the interview goes on, the more he believes her young son Aaron might just be the key to solving the case.

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19:26In May of 1993, Detective Donald Bray of the Marion Police Department is convinced he's found a promising lead in the murder case that has gripped the nation. Eager to pass along this information, he calls Chief Gary Gitchell over in West Memphis. He tells him all about Vicki Hutchison and what her eight-year-old son Aaron claims he saw on the day of the killings. But to Bray's surprise, Gitchell isn't that receptive. He does bring the Hutchisons in to make statements, and Aaron repeats his story about Michael Moore going off with a strange man after school. But detectives already have their hands full dealing with the thousands of other tips they received from the public, and they don't seem to take Aaron's evidence all that seriously.

20:07That's consistent with standard police protocol. Children are notoriously poor witnesses, and Aaron's statements contradict other evidence that suggests Michael came straight home after school. But Detective Don Bray can't shake the feeling that Aaron may know something important. So although it's not his town and not his case, Bray starts his own unofficial investigation into the murders. And soon he gets another lead. He's at the courthouse in Marion when he bumps into a friend, a man named Jerry Driver. Driver is the county's chief juvenile probation officer. But he's also a self-proclaimed cult expert.

20:44and it turns out he has some theories of his own about the murders in West Memphis, and he's eager to tell Detective Bray. Yeah, come on in, Don. Come on. Driver leads Bray into his cramped office. He hurriedly hides a plate and wipes some crumbs off his desk. Working through lunch again, Jerry? Oh, always. You know me. But sit, please. So, these murders then? Yeah. You spoken to the folks over in West Memphis? Yeah, Gitchell. Yeah, I thought I could help him out, but man, they're barely keeping their heads above water as far as I can tell. He wasn't that interested. Well, I'm in the same situation.

21:20I reached out to them about the clear satanic aspect of the crimes. They haven't bothered to call me back, though. Wait, satanic? You think there's some kind of cult involvement? A triple child murder with mutilation and possible sexual assault? Yeah, that's not a normal crime. But I'm not surprised, though. I've been warning about precisely this sort of thing for years. Yeah, I know you have. I mean, there's a new generation of criminals out here, Don. These kids, they're into some dark stuff. I've seen it. Black Magic, Dungeons and Dragons. Don't get me started on the music they all listen to.

21:50Well, you got any names, kids you think might be involved? Well, sure, I can get you a list if you want. That would be a great help, yeah. Driver pulls a notepad out of a desk drawer and jots down a series of names. Oh, well, here you go. If I was in charge of the investigation, this is where I'd start. One of these kids may have something to do with him. He slides the list across the table, and Bray reads out the name of the top. Damien Eccles? Oh, he's the worst. You don't know him? The name's familiar, but no. Well, he's a high school dropout. Real troublemaker. You know, he once told me he was a witch.

22:25He literally reads books written by Satanists. So if you ask me, if there's a cult at work in West Memphis, then Damien Eccles will be the ringleader. Ringleader, huh? What does he get up to? Well, he's obviously being careful. Mostly, I just see him as little buddies down at the arcade or standing around the mall. But they'll have a clubhouse or something somewhere around here. If we find that, I reckon we'll bust this case wide open. We? We'll bust this case? You're not a cop, Jerry. Well, how much do you know about the occult and Satanism? Do you know the signs we should be looking for? Bray, thanks for a moment.

22:59Well, we'll have to do this by the book, right? You understand? Yeah, of course, of course. I'm not talking about doing anything crazy. And if we learn anything, you're going to take it to the right authorities, right? Bray sits back, a half smile on his face. Yeah, but Gitchell's not going to like it. Well, then he should have listened to us when he had the chance, shouldn't he? I mean, what's more important, protecting the feelings of the West Memphis PD or finding the monsters who did that to those kids?