MH man says son didn't implicate uncle in murders

[kma367]

A Mountain Home man says his son never made statements implicating his uncle in the murders of three young boys in West Memphis in 1993. Michael R. Hobbs Sr. of Mountain Home was reacting to new evidence the defense team for the West Memphis Three released today which they claim could exonerate the three teenagers who were convicted of the murders.

Michael Hobbs Sr. is the brother of Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of one of the victims, Stevie Branch. The three boys--Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore--were in the second grade when they were murdered. Several witnesses claimed they saw Terry Hobbs with the three children on the day of the murders but he maintained he never saw them that day.

But in a news release issued today, the defense team for the West Memphis 3--Jessie Misskelly, Jr., Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols, who were convicted of the murders--claims that 20-year old Michael Hobbs Jr. told three of his friends that his uncle, Terry Hobbs, murdered the three boys.

The press release issued by the defense team said the three new witnesses underwent polygraph tests about what they stated and reportedly passed those tests.

But Michael R. Hobbs Sr. told KTLO and Classic Hits 101.7 News that there's "nothing to it". He said his son, Michael Hobbs Jr., never made those statements. Hobbs said two investigators recently visited his son at the school he attends in Orlando, Florida and the son told them he hadn't said that.

Michael Hobbs Sr. said "the defense--the ones that spent 10 million dollars to get three killers out of prison--in order to get them boys exonerated they are going to have to pin it on someone else so they are going after my brother", Terry Hobbs. Michael Hobbs Sr. said the allegations were made up by the defense team.

The three teenagers who were convicted of the murders, now grown men, spent 18 years in prison. After a series of appeals dealing with DNA evidence, the three reached a deal with prosectors in August 2011 that allowed them to enter Alford pleas, a legal manuever which enabled them to assert their innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict them. They were freed from prison with ten-year suspended sentences.

Defense attorneys for the three said the new witnesses who came forward did so after seeing a recording of the CBS News "48 Hours" special on the West Memphis 3 case.

www.ktlo.com/wire/newsfri/01675_MH_man_says_West_Memphis_3_defense_made_up_story_175651.php

[Deleted]

These "witnesses" had an axe to grind. Ridiculous.

[kma367]

Supporters are, of course, eating it up and ignoring the fact that Michael Hobbs, Sr. and Jr. both deny that this every happened.

kma367

[Deleted]

They just keep fishing around. It's like a weird cult of Echols worshipers. I think he wife is truly disgusting. I think she posts on the boards, like a constant propaganda machine.

[Deleted]

This is behind reaching for them. I think they should go back to the turtle theory. But it does prove money can buy you fredom and friends. I think Mr Byers would be anyones side as long as it is popular. I wonder if Mr Hobbs jumped on the WM3 innocent bandwagon. Would they still be going after him. Who would they accuse then Mr Byers dead wife ?

[Deleted]

Pam has asked West Memphis prosecutors to re-open the case, and prosecutor Scott Ellington, who accepted the “plea deal” brokered by West Memphis Three attorneys, said he’s reviewed the “new evidence” provided by WM3 lawyers and it did not persuade him to re-open the case. He said the real killers pled guilty—and I agree as I have said many times since the guilty pleas were entered last August


WM3 Are guilty ! Suporters get your sun glasses on and hide the egg all over your face.
NO REOPENED TRAIL END OF STORY. WM3 fame game is over I feel bad .........NOT

[Deleted]

Isn't this whole Terry Hobbs being a suspect thing mostly from this wild accusation and the hair on the shoelace? I'm being told the West of Memphis movie really focuses on Terry Hobbs as the "real killer" and I'm also told it's presented in a pretty believable fashion. But after reading the nephew's father coming out and saying this is all made up and his son never said that about his Uncle, Terry Hobbs, it makes the movie seem even more ridiculous. I'll watch it of course, but this finger pointing circus is almost laughable. None of these other people, who they want to call suspects, were ever arrested, tried or convicted for this crime.

[Deleted]

It's made even more ridiculous by people continuing to believe admitted untruths! How can the movie even go forward when "smoking gun" statements are recanted.

[kma367]

They're doing the finger pointing, just as they did in PL1, because the actual evidence proves them guilty (you'll see claims of no evidence, which are untrue in West of Memphis, as well as exaggerated claims about the occult evidence, which was presented as evidence of motive, not guilt) and they have no evidence that refutes that original evidence.

kma367

[Deleted]

Why do you think the State let the WM3 walk free?

[kma367]

Because that's the deal they wanted to enter the Alford pleas. It was definitely a mistake, as the prosecutor should've refused to negotiate any deals until AFTER the December, 2011 hearings. Of course, if the three killers had won at the new trial hearings, they would've been in a better negotiating position.

If they were really innocent and had the evidence to prove it, why on earth would they enter guilty pleas (even one that allows them to say they're innocent) just 4 months prior to hearings on their motions for new trial?

kma367