THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY REGARDING THE INVESTIGATION OF THE MURDERS OF STEVE EDWARD BRANCH-AGE 8, CHRISTOPHER BYERS-AGE 8, MICHAEL MOORE-AGE 8.

BRANCH, BYERS, AND MOORE, WERE LAST SEEN RIDING TWO BICYCLES TOWARDS A WOODED AREA KNOWN AS ROBIN HOOD HILL. THIS WOODED AREA IS LOCATED AT THE DEAD END OF MCAULEY STREET AND NORTH OF TEN MILE BAYOU IN WEST MEMPHIS, ARKANSAS. THE LAST TIME OF SIGHTING WAS ABOUT 6:00 P.M. 05-05-93.

THE VICTIMS WERE REPORTED MISSING BY THEIR PARENTS AT APPROXIMATELY 8:10 P.M. 05-05-93 AT WHICH TIME A SEARCH WAS INITIATED.

AT ABOUT 1:30 P.M. 05-06-93, THE BODY OF CHRISTOPHER BYERS WAS LOCATED BY SGT. MIKE ALLEN AFTER HE SIGHTED A BLACK TENNIS SHOE LOCATED IN A CREEK APPROXIMATELY 60 YARDS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 55.
BYERS BODY WAS SUBMERGED IN APPROXIMATELY 2-3 FEET OF WATER. BYERS HANDS AND FEET WERE BOUND BY SHOE STRINGS FROM THE TENNIS SHOES AND HE HAD AN OBVIOUS TRAUMA WOUND TO HIS LEFT FOREHEAD.

BRANCH AND MOORE’S BODIES WERE LOCATED SUBMERGED APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET FROM BYERS. BOTH BRANCH AND MOORE WERE BOUND IN THE SAME MANNER AS BYERS. BRANCH HAD AN OBVIOUS GOUGE WOUND TO HIS LEFT CHEEK. MOORE HAD BEEN OBVIOUSLY CASTRATED. HOWEVER, NO OTHER SIGNS OF EXTERNAL INJURY COULD BE LOCATED. ALL THREE VICTIMS’ WERE NUDE WHEN LOCATED.

ALL CLOTHING BELONGING TO THE VICTIMS TO INCLUDE SHIRTS, SHOES, PANTS, AND UNDERWEAR WERE LOCATED IN THE CREEK IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE VICTIMS.

A CRIME SCENE SEARCH FAILED TO LOCATE ANY TRACES OF BLOOD OR OTHER EVIDENCE WHICH WOULD LEAD INVESTIGATORS TO BELIEVE THAT THE VICTIMS’ HAD BEEN MURDERED IN THE AREA WHERE THEIR BODIES WERE LOCATED. A FINGERPRINT AND SEVERAL TENNIS SHOE PRINTS WERE LOCATED IN THE MUD NEAR THE SITE. TWO PLASTER OF PARIS CASTINGS WERE SUCCESSFULLY MADE FROM THE SHOE PRINTS AND THE EARTH CONTAINING THE FINGERPRINT WAS REMOVED FROM THE AREA. THE CREEK WAS DRAINED BY ATTEMPT TO LOCATE ANY PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AT THE BOTTOM WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. THE TWO BICYCLES BELONGING TO TWO OF THE VICTIMS’ WERE LOCATED SUBMERGED IN APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET OF WATER, ABOUT 50 YARDS AWAY IN THE BODT OF WATER KNOWN AS TEN MILE BAYOU. THE CREEK WHERE THE VICTIMS’ WERE LOCATED FLOWS INTO TEN MILE BAYOU.

THE VICTIMS’ WERE REMOVED FROM THE SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 P.M., 5/6/93, AND TAKEN TO THE ARKANSAS STATE CRIME LABORATORY, LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, FOR ANALYSIS. TO DATE, ANALYSIS HAS DETERMINED THAT A KNIFE WITH A SERRATE EDGE WAS USED TO CASTRATE MOORE. A HAMMER OR A ROUND OBJECT WAS USED TO CREATE TRAUMA TO THE HEAD OF ALL THREE VICTIMS. BYERS AND BRANCH WERE ALIVE WHEN PLACED IN THE WATER AND DIED AS A RESULT OF DROWNING. BRANCH APPEARS TO HAVE MARKS ON HIS PENIS WHICH WOULD INDICATE THAT ORAL SEX HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON HIM. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT BYERS MAY HAVE BEEN INJECTED BY A HYPODERMIC NEEDLE. A DARK COLORED HAIR, MOST LIKELY CAUCASIAN, WAS LOCATED ON THE BUTTOCK OF ONE VICTIM AND THE NECK AREA OF ANOTHER. FORENSIC ANALYSIS IS STILL BEING CONDUCTED AND ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES UNIT. THE MEDICAL EXAMINER ALSO ADVISED THAT EVIDENCE WOULD TEND TO INDICATE THAT THE VICTIMS’ HAD BEEN STRUCK WITH A BELT CONTAINING STUDS OR A RAISED SURFACE.

VICTIMS ARE DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

NAME: MICHAEL MOORE
RACE: WHITE
SEX: MALE
DATE OF BIRTH: JUNE 27, 1984
HEIGHT: 4 FEET TALL
WEIGHT: 60 POUNDS
EYES: BLUE
HAIR: BROWN

NAME: CHRISTOPHER BYERS
RACE: WHITE
SEX: MALE
DATE OF BIRTH: JUNE 23, 1984
HEIGHT: 4 FEET 4 INCHES
WEIGHT: 50 POUNDS
EYES: BROWN
HAIR: BROWN

NAME: STEVE EDWARD BRANCH
RACE: WHITE
SEX: MALE
DATE OF BIRTH: NOVEMBER 26, 1984
HEIGHT: 4 FEET 2 INCHES
WEIGHT: 60 POUNDS
EYES: BLUE
HAIR: BLONDE