Abomination: Devil Worship and Deception in the West Memphis Three Murders (20 page)

Allen: You basically know the difference between what they call white magic, vicar, [Wicca] and black magic.

Shane: Yeah, I have done a little study in that area and have looked up quite a few things.

Allen: Was this prior to this, or just over the years.

Shane: Just over the years, Just in general I absorbed, knowledge of just about anything I can get my hands on.....In Wicca there is a downward pointing pentagram but it is used for warding off. For you to know that is what is supposed to be used for. It’s supposed to be used forward that is a warding pentacle. And if its right side up its supposed to be invoking pentacle.

Allen: In what you have gathered from these, talking to these people and stuff, what is you assessment of what happened to the boys as far, now at this point Damien has been charged and it hadn’t been proven guilty at this point say that Damien did do this, you feel that was some kind of a ceremony or something that was being done?
Shane: Due to the graphic nature of what would happen, it might have been, but the thing is there’s not any ceremony that I know of. You know because I do know a few ceremonies, you know and that one seemed generally sexually related, because of you know the certain dismemberment of the bodies...it looks like a ceremony, but it’s not any that I know of.

Allen: Have you ever heard oh, I don't want to just right out ask it, have you ever heard any bi-sexual tendencies of Damien or Jason or anybody that he has associated with?

Shane: I haven't heard of any but you know, I kind of figure if he were in black magic there would be bi-sexual tendencies.

Allen: There be or there wouldn't be?

Shane: There would be because in, in all magic including Wicca there are ceremonies which include bi-sexual sex magic is what it is called. It does include, you know, bi-sexual intercourse.

Allen: Is there anything you would like to add before I conclude this statement?

Shane: No
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June 17th, 1993

Stephanie Dollar

Police Interview

Mrs. Dollar, age 25 in 1993, spoke well of Jessie Misskelley. She would let him babysit her three children, ages 5, 7 and 9. She replied in questioning that she could not believe he was capable of murdering the three boys.
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June 18th, 1993

Charles Ashley, Jr.

Investigative Report

Detective Allen interviewed Charles Ashley, Jr. on June 18th, who stated that he has seen Damien Echols about 2 or 3 times walking by himself coming from the wooded area underneath the overpass at Lakeshore (under I-55).
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June 18th, 1993

James Guy Bailey

Handwritten Statement

I always saw Jason + Damien at the skating rink. He said Damien always wore “a black trench coat all the times I saw him---even if it was hot outside.” Added that he saw Damien once at Vickie’s trailer and Jessie went there “alot...Jessie stayed at his house alot, too.” He had heard that Damien was “a devil worshipper.”
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June 23rd, 1993

Tony Hodges

Police Statement

“I, Tony Hodges, saw Damien the last time about 4 or 5 months ago at the bowling alley with Jason Baldwin.

I heard from Garrot Schwarting that Damien was into Satan worshipping, so I quit speaking to him. Schwarting also told me that Damiens girlfriend, Domini, was pregnant and that the baby would be sacrificed. I have known of Damien since the beginning of the 1991 school year. He went to Marion [High] school then. After Baldwin met Damien his drawings changed to Metallica and Iron Maiden graffiti-like drawings and he started wearing concert shirts all the time. I heard that Damien smoked marijuana, and he asked me the last time I saw him if I had any and I told him I don't do that. I heard that some devil worshippers meet under a bridge on Lehr Street. I have also heard of something called "knights of the lost relm," and under the bridge on Lehr Street. I have seen graffiti that said something like "knights Rule," or something. Damien has never been over my house, but he could have visited Nikki Partoiss next door, she's 15 or 16 yrs. of age. I thought Damien used to live with Alea Teer in Belvedere Apts. After Alea met Damien, she changed her name to "Domini". I used to see Domini at Belvedere Apts. last summer and half the time she would have Damien with her. Liza McDaniels lives in Belvedere Apts. with a baby. I've seen Damien, Domini, L.G. Hollingsworth, and Liza McDaniels talking a few times together. That was last summer. At the beginning of the school year I used to talk to Jason Baldwin all the time, and about 4 weeks before the incident in question he just wouldn't socialize anymore, he just wouldn't say much. I haven't seen Jessie Misskelley in about a year and a half, but in the 8th & 9th grades at school he would always pick fights, and once he stood up and punched a teacher a few times in the jaw.
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June 29th, 1993

Alvis Clem Bly

Police Interview

Mr. Bly, a 36 year old former resident of Lakeshore Trailer Park, provided astonishing inside information about the workings of the cult to West Memphis police. Detective Allen took his testimony from the Crittenden County Jail, where he was held on charges of raping his eight year-old step-daughter:

Allen: Okay, um, this cult what exactly did it consist of?

Bly: Well we just go out there and one of the guys had a devil worshiping book and we would go by it, which was sacrificing dogs or chicken, we would drain their blood then we would take and cut the heart out and put it in the center of the pentagram and set fire to it and worship the Devil.

Allen: Okay this pentagram what was..., was it...

Bly: It's a devil symbol.

Allen: Where was the pentagram?

Bly: On the floor.

Allen: Okay, how would they, how would they make the pentagram?

Bly: They had some chalk, some white powder chalk and some blue chalk like carpenters chalk and would draw it with it.

Allen: Okay, who all was, who all was involved in this, in this, group, this cult?

Bly: There would be about 20 of us at a time out there.

Allen: Okay, um, name some of the people that participated in this?

Bly: I can't remember for 1 minute to the other (inaudible) I would say it was Jason (inaudible) Baldwin then uh, Misskelley, um.

Allen: Was it the father Misskelley or the son Misskelley?

Bly: Son.

Allen: You know both of them?

Bly: I didn't know his father.

Allen: Okay, um, you know Misskelley first name?

Bly: Not right off hand I don't. If I hadn't seen it so much on the news I couldn't remember it now.

Allen: Okay, but you remember seeing him involved in this?

Bly: Oh. Yes sir.

Allen: Okay, anyone else? You said uh Baldwin.

Bly: Yes sir, he they call him Davien.

Allen: They called who Damien?

Bly: Baldwin

Allen: Okay, they called Baldwin Damien?

Bly: I'm pretty sure it was him.

Allen: Okay, let me uh, I've I got a newspaper here.

Bly: Yes sir.

Allen: It's got Jessie Misskelley.

Bly: Yes sir.

Allen: and Jason Baldwin's picture here? Okay is this the one they call Damien?

Bly: No sir.

Allen: That's, I'm pointing to Jason Baldwin?

Bly: I see, that's.... that's not Davien, the other boy was Davien, I don't see him on the... there he is that's Davien there.

Allen: Okay, that's the one they call Damien there?

Bly: Yes sir.

Allen: Davien, what ever you know him as...

Bly: Davien---that's a devil name.

Allen: Okay, and this is the person you know as Baldwin?

Bly: Yes sir...

Allen: Pointing to a picture of Jason Baldwin. And this person here is do you recognize him?

Bly: He's the leader, Misskelley, yes.

Allen: Okay, um,

Bly: All I know is Jason or Jes or Jessie something like that.

Allen: You had mentioned some other names, some locations that uh that they had these at. What where were some of the locations where they had some of these cult activities.

Bly: Well there's a barn behind Lakeshore, there's a house out on Nighway 50 North. Then there been Stonehenge.

Allen: The house out on highway 50, does somebody live there?

Bly: No sir, there ain't been nobody in that house in several years. It's a huge house, it's about a ten room house.

Allen: Okay, uh, what color is the house?

Bly: White, that's the reason we would use that chalk so when we got through we could sweep that chalk up instead of using paint like they did out there at Stonehenge.

Allen: Okay, now the barn that you used, are you now I'm familiar with the area out behind Lakeshore, there's a big fence in, there's a big fenced in Arkla, like a pump station.

Bly: No it's right before you get to it, just as soon as you cross that ditch on that wooden bridge, there's a barn right there an old red barn, it ain't very big.

Allen: Okay, it's a red barn you say.

Bly: Yes sir.

Allen: Now there's like two shop buildings out there is that what your talking about?

Bly: This is, they kept some equipment in it but it's not a shop, it's some kind of little old barn that they store equipment.

Allen: Is that barn usually locked up or?

Bly: Yes sir, we would use it, it's got a, uh roof coming off one side of it, where we get up there.

Allen: Okay, um, where was some other locations that they?

Bly: That's about it.

Allen: Now you mentioned...

Bly: Well that out there on Rich Road, there's a guy he had a shed out there behind his house.

Allen: Rich Road?

Bly: Yes sir, Rich Road North, I'll have to wait till my secretary gets back because I can't remember his name.

Allen: Can you describe this guy you said, how many people, would you all just go over to his house or?

Bly: No sir, uh, we hardly ever we..., we didn't go to his house about twice, while I was in it.

Allen: To Rich, To Rich road your talking about?

Bly: He didn't like having folks around like that.

Allen: Okay.

Bly: I know he would have more people out there, but he wouldn't let us young, you know let all the young one's come out there.

Allen: Okay, and were you like ask to get into this or did you just?

Bly: Yes sir, they asked did I want to get in to it. See how I come up meeting these boys I have ski boat, and um, you know I didn't mind folks going with me so we, I would take them skiing with me.

Allen: Did you ever take un, any of these boys that have been charged in this?

Bly: Yes sir, Misskelley.

Allen: Misskelley.

Bly: Yes sir, he.., he used to go down to Hernando Point with me skiing.

Allen: How long ago has this been?

Bly: Last year around May, between May and September.

Allen: Did he go on more than one occasion?

Bly: Yes sir, more than once, and you know, you know you just, you know, I don't know he we brought it up but I used to not believe in the Bible or the Lord, and he ask me if I was atheist and I told him yes and that's how I come about getting in it [the cult], he told me that Devil would give me more than God ever would.

Allen: Jessie Misskelley told you this?

Bly: Yes, sir.

Allen: Was there anything, at any of these, did you ever see any what you would call illegal activities going on at these, um?

Bly: Killing the dogs was illegal to start with because we would steal the dogs from people and um, that rape where they rape that girl out there I know that was illegal.

Allen: Okay, do you remember where..., did that occur at?

Bly: Stonehenge

Allen: How did that all come about? Can you kind of explain like you know where.

Bly: Well Misskelley came up with the idea of it and then Baldwin went along with it, Baldwin was the first one that raped her, which she kinda went alone with that but when the other guys started doing it she had a fit about it, said she would tell.

Allen: Was she, was she one of these members?

Bly: Yes sir, she was a member.

Allen: Okay.

Bly: I guess that's why she didn't tell.

Allen: Okay, you recall her name?

Bly: Not right off hand I can't.

Allen: Okay, do you recall.

Bly: I'm not sure if that's the name I gave you, I know that girl I gave is a member of the cult, but I don't remember if it's the same girl.

Allen: Okay, you gave me a minute ago, you gave me a girl named Christy.

Bly: Christy McNichols.

Allen: McNichols?

Bly: Yes sir

Allen: How old of girl is she?

Bly: 16

Allen: Okay, and where did this occur at?

Bly: Stonehenge.

Allen: Okay, your talking about Stonehenge where are you talking about there?

Bly: Down the road from the County Court House and stuff on that same road, right down on the right.

Allen: What's, what is it, what is this place what?

Bly: It's an old part of a gin or something that used to be there it's just the rock formation of it left there now.

Allen: Okay, say at any given, um, say any given what exactly from..., from start to finish, what exactly would..., would transpire at one of these?

Bly: Well of the first thing we would draw our pentagram out and then we would hang a dog upside down from these stones.

Allen: Okay, let me, now your talking about an incident that would occur maybe at Stone..., Stonehenge is that right?

Bly: Yes..., yes sir, that's the only place we sacrifice dogs at, we didn't do it behind.

Allen: Let me give you this yellow sheet right here, yellow sheet of paper here um, can you kinda draw out what you would, kinda draw out what you would, would write or your talking about the pentagram or whatever how exactly. Okay, now this would be put where now?