Upon review of the materials in the investigation report some questions come to mind. The questions are of such a nature to aid in the formulation of a opinion.
1. Prior to the deaths were there activity known in the area where the bodies were found and if so, what was it?
2. In it is common knowledge that there are known occult holidays, did any call or activity of any type happen in the area prior? Dates.
3. It was hard from the photos to check but where there any drawings, writings on the ground, trees, bodies?
4. Was there any natural substance in any way laid out in a pattern?
5. Did the crime scene indicate the boys laid out in a line or any unique manner?
6. Were there any indicators of a slab or log or device present at the scene?
7. Why were the boys in the area and did they state to anybody what they were going to do or whom they were going with?
8. In school over the weeks prior to this did the boys disclose any activity via writings or drawings. Did they disclose what they had recently gotten into or new friends mostly older youth?
9. Did the parents observe any signs of recent sex abuse on the boys?
10. Did the boys have any new buzz words they were using?
11. Was all the blood accounted for?
In looking at the scene photos, fly over photos and data from the coroner some primary indicators come to focus on.
1. The area was isolated and conducive to various forms of activity including but not limited to rituals. (The fact of trees is for cover but the fact of stream for cleansing is present.)
2. The boys were all three placed in bondage not just bound or immobilized.
RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS OF DR. D.W. GRIFFIS DATED 01-27-94
#I. PRIOR TO THE DEATHS THEIR WERE REPORTS OF SATANIC WORSHIP IN THE AREA THAT INCLUDED SEVERAL CHILDREN HAVING SEEN PERSONS WEARING BLACK AND CHASING THEM FROM THE AREA. SIGNS HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS BEING A PENTAGRAM DRAWN ON THE GROUND NEAR WHERE THE BODIES. A PIECE OF BOARD WAS SEEN ON ONE OCCASION THAT HAD A PAINTED CIRCLE AND STAR ON THE FACE OF IT. THIS BOARD WAS SEEN BY AN ADULT WHO WAS TOLD OF IT BY A CHILD WHO HAD BEEN IN THE AREA AND THE ADULT REPORTED THAT HE DID SEE THE BOARD. ON ONE OCCASION A DOLL HAS BEEN SEEN TO BE HANGING FROM A ROPE THAT WAS SUSPENDED FROM A TREE IN THE AREA. ONE OF THE MOST RECENT REPORTS MADE WAS THAT OF A FRIEND OF THE VICTIMS WHO STATES THAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN WITH THEM ON THE DATE OF THE HOMICIDES. HE REPORTED A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE HOMICIDES THAT HE AND TWO OF THE VICTIMS HAD VISITED THE AREA AND THAT WHILE THERE HAD SEEN FIVE MEN WHO WERE DRESSED IN BLACK AND PAINTED BLACK ON THEIR SKIN AREAS. HE REPORTED TO HIS MOTHER THAT HE HAD HEARD THE FIVE MEN TO BE SPEAKING IN SPANISH AND STANDING IN A CIRCLE. WHEN ASKED HOW HE KNEW IT WAS SPANISH HE STATED THAT HE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THEM AND HE THOUGHT THAT IT MUST BE SPANISH. HE REPORTED THAT THE FIVE MEN HAD BEEN SEEN BY HIM AND TWO OF THE VICTIMS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS PRIOR TO THE HOMICIDES. HE TALKED OF OCCASIONS WHEN THE MEN WOULD BE MEAN TO A DOG AND WHEN ASKED HOW THEY WERE BEING MEAN HE RESPONDED THAT THEY WERE PUSHING IT AROUND BETWEENTHEM. HE FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT THE MEN HAD BEEN SEEN THERE ON EVERY DAY EXCEPT FRIDAY AND HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANY OF THE MEN AT THE LOCATION ON A FRIDAY. THE BOY ALSO EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD SEEN EACH OF THE MEN WITH A KNIFE THAT WAS KEPT IN SOME TYPE OF SHEATH THAT WAS WORN ON THE BELT.
#2 IT IS UNKNOWN TO ME IF ANY CULT ACTIVITY HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE AREA ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS. IN TALKING WITH OTHER PARENTS IN THE NFIGHBORHOOD IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE CHILDREN HAD REPORTED TO THEM STRANGE OCCURRENCES, BUT NO POLICE REPORTS ARE KNOWN TO EXIST AND NONE OF THOSE INTERVIEWED COULD GIVE A SPECIFIC DATE FOR THE INCIDENTS.
#3 NO DRAWINGS WERE FOUND ON THE GROUND OR THE TREES. HOWEVER, NEAR THE CRIME SCENE A TREE WAS LOCATED THAT HAD THE INITIALS "M.E." ENGRAVED ON IT. IT MAY BE OF IMPORTANCE THAT ONE OF THE SUSPECTS HAD HIS NAME CHANGED FROM MICHAEL HUTCHESON TO THE NAME DAMIEN ECHOLS.
#4 FROM MY EXAMINATION OF THE CRIME SCENE I COULD NOT FIND ANY ITEMS THAT WERE LAID OUT IN ANY PATTERN.
#5 NO PATTERN TO THE PLACEMENT OF THE BODIES EXCEPT THAT THEY WERE CONCEALED BY BEING PLACED UNDER WATER. THE FIRST BODY WAS FOUND TO BE LAYING ON HIS LEFT SIDE UNDER THE WATER WHILE THE OTHER TWO BODIES WERE FOUND TO BE FACE DOWN ABOUT 25 FEET DOWNSTREAM FROM THE FIRST BODY.
#6 NO SLAB OR LOG WAS FOUND TO BE IN THE AREA HOWEVER, IT COULD BE OF SIGNIFICANCE THAT THERE WAS AN AREA THAT APPEARED TO BE FLATTER THAN THE SURROUNDING AREA AND THAT ON THE EDGE OF THAT AREA WAS A LARGE TREE WITH A WASHED OUT AREA THAT LEFT MANY OF THE ROOTS EXPOSED.
#7 THE AREA IS KNOWN TO BE FREQUENTLY VISITED BY CHILDREN IN THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD OVER A PERIOD THAT SEEMS TO EXTEND INTO SEVERAL GENERATIONS. THE FRIEND OF THE VICTIMS CLAIMS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO GO TO THE AREA TO WATCH THE MEN THAT I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED. HE STATED THAT HE ASKED HIS MOTHER ON THE DAY OF THE MURDERS IF HE COULD STAY WITH HIS FRIENDS AND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO SOME "BOYSCOUT" THINGS. HOWEVER, HIS MOTHER STATED THAT SHE KNEW THAT THE BOYSCOUTS WERE NOT GOING TO MEET ON THAT EVENING AND SHE REFUSED TO ALLOW HIM TO GO. IT MAY BE USEFUL TO YOU TO KNOW THAT A TREE HOUSE WAS KNOWN TO EXIST OVERLOOKING THE AREA WHERE THE HOMICIDE OCCURRED BUT THAT THE TREE HOUSE HAS BEEN TORN DOWN PRIOR TO THE HOMICIDES OR POSSIBLY ON THE DAY OF THE HOMICIDES. HOWEVER NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHO TORE THE TREE HOUSE DOWN OR EVEN WHAT BECAME OF THE BOARDS THAT IT WAS CONSTRUCTED OF. WHEN THE FRIEND OF THE VICTIMS POINTED OUT THE LOCATION WHERE THE TREE HOUSE WAS LOCATED AN EXAMINATION WAS CONDUCTED THAT REVEALED THAT A TREE HOUSE SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN IN THE TREE DUE TO SOME WEAR MARKS ON THE TREE A FEW FEET OFF OF THE GROUND.
#8 NO REPORTS HAVE BEEN LOCATED THAT REVEAL ANY NEW OR UNUSUAL ACTIVITIES PRIOR TO THE HOMICIDE. HOWEVER, IT MAY BE OF IMPORTANCE THAT THE FRIEND THAT I NOTED EARLIER HAD RECENTLY MOVED TO A TRAILER PARK WHERE ONE OF THE SUSPECTS LIVES AND HE STATED THAT HE WAS BEING RECRUITED TO BE IN SOME TYPE OF CLUB. ACCORDING TO THE CHILD'S STATEMENT HE WAS TOLD ON ONE OCCASION THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO KILL SOMEONE IN ORDER TO BE IN THE CLUB. A KNIFE WAS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THE CHILD BY THE SUSPECT AT SOME POINT.
#9 THE PARENTS HAVE NOT REPORTED ANY SIGNS OF SEXUAL ABUSE. HOWEVER IT WAS NOTED THAT SOME REPORTS HAVE BEEN MADE THAT ONE OF THE VICTIMS HAS HAD A FASCINATION WITH FIRE. AND THAT ONE OF THE BOYS HAVE BEEN SEEN TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A POSITION IN WHICH IT APPEARED HE HAD HIS PANTS DOWN AND PLAYING WITH HIS GENITAL AREA. ANOTHER NOTE OF POSSIBLE IMPORTANCE IS THAT THE FRIEND OF THE VICTIMS HAS BEEN EXAMINED AND HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE ABSENT OF AN ANAL WINK THAT THE DR. NOTED WAS CONSISTENT WITH SEXUAL PENETRATION OF HIS ANUS.
#10 IT HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED THAT ANY OF THE VICTIMS OR THE FRIEND HAS HAD ANY NEW BUZZ WORDS.
#11 THE VICTIM THAT WAS CUT IN THE AREA OF HIS PENIS WAS KNOWN TO HAVE DIED BY BLEEDING TO DEATH. HOWEVER AT THE CRIME SCENE NO BLOOD WAS FOUND AT ALL. IT WAS FELT THE BLEEDING COULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE WATER OR IF THE BLEEDING WAS DONE ON THE BANK IT WAS CLEANED WITH THE AID OF THE WATER IN THE DITCH. IT MAY BE OF NOTE TO REPORT TO YOU THAT IT WAS AFTER I TESTIFIED IN COURT ABOUT THE FACT THAT NO BLOOD COULD BE FOUND IN THE AREA THAT THE FRIEND REPORTED THAT A BUCKET WAS USED TO CATCH THE BLOOD. NO BUCKET COULD BE FOUND THAT COULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. IT IS NOT KNOWN IF THE TESTIMONY IN COURT COULD HAVE JOGGED THE MEMORY OF THE FRIEND OR IF HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO SAY SOMETHING IN RESPONSE TO THE TESTIMONY.
THIS REPORT IS INRESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTIONS DATED 01-27-94. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IN THE EVENT THAT YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. COMPLETED 01-07-94 AT 2:50PM.
SIR, IT IS ALSO OF INTEREST TO US IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION AS TO WHETHER THE INJURIES TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BRANCH VICTIM'S FACE COULD HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANCE, IF THE TERM "CROSSROADS' COULD HAVE ANY MEANING ASSOCIATED TO THE LOCATION WHERE THE BODIES WERE FOUND, AND IF THE FULL MOON MOON HAD ANY BEARING ON THE SATANIC NATURE OF THE CRIME.
YOUR LIST OF PRIMARY INDICATORS INCLUDES THE IDEA #5 THAT REFERS TO THE TRAUMATIZATION OF THE PENIS OF ALL THREE BOYS. I AM UNCLEAR AS TO HOW YOU CAME TO THAT DECISION IN THAT I AM ONLY AWARE OF INJURIES TO TWO OF THE VICTIM'S GENITAL AREAS. IF YOU HAVE NOTED SOMETHING THAT WF HAVE OVERLOOKED PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL AND EXPLAIN YOUR FINDINGS.
