100. West Memphis Three – Part 1
Part 1 of our 3-part analysis of the West Memphis Three case.
In this first episode of our three-part analysis of the West Memphis Three case, we look at the events of May 5, 1993. That afternoon, three 8-year-old boys, Michael Moore, Steve Branch, and Christopher Byers, went missing in West Memphis, Arkansas. The next day, they were found in a drainage ditch in an area known as Robin Hood Hills. They had been murdered.
We cover the timeline of their disappearance, the search efforts, and the discovery of their bodies. We also discuss our initial impressions of the crime scene and what it may reveal about the offender.
Additional information and resources for this series:
Primary Case Documents & Legal Records
A primary source source of material was the comprehensive online archive hosted at http://callahan.mysite.com/, which contains a wide range of public documents related to the West Memphis Three case. The materials reviewed include, but are not limited to: police reports, witness statements, trial transcripts, autopsy reports, crime scene sketches, and crime scene photographs.
Linder, D.O. (n.d.). The West Memphis Three Trials (1994). University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Retrieved 2025, from https://famous-trials.com/westmemphis.
Documentary Sources
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) - Directed by Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky, HBO Documentary Films.
Paradis Lost 2: Revelations (2000) - Directed by Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky, HBO Documentary Films.
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011) - Directed by Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky, HBO Documentary Films.
The Forgotten West Memphis Three (2020) - Directed by Randy Quinn, Oxygen Media.
Books & Print Sources
Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three by Mara Leveritt (2002, Atria Books).
The Case Against the West Memphis 3 Killers: Condensed and Revised from Blood on Black and Where the Monsters Go by Gary Meece (2018, CreateSpace).
A Harvest of Innocence: The Untold Story of the West Memphis Three Murder Case by Dan Stidham, with Tom McCarthy (2023, Independently published).
Paragould Daily Press, "Stage set; testimony begins", January 27, 1994, page 1.
The Commercial Appeal, "Boys", July 17, 1994, page 8.
The Commercial Appeal, "Slain", July 17, 1994, page 9.
Podcasts
The Prosecutors - "The West Memphis 3" (Parts 1-24), hosted by Alice LaCour & Brett Talley. Available at www.prosecutorspodcast.com.
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Music: "Light in the Basement" by John Hanske. You can listen to John's music on Spotify.