STIDHAM: Okay. This is Dan Stidham. Today's date is February 8, 1994. It is 3:20 pm on Tuesday. I’m at the Pine Bluff Arkansas Department of Correction Diagnostic Unit, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. I'm talking to Jessie Misskelley, Jr. Jessie can you say you're name for the tape, please?
MISSKELLEY: I'm Jessie Lloyd Misskelley, Jr.
STIDHAM: Do you understand that I am tape recording this?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Okay. Jessie, a few minutes ago I asked you about making some statements to the Officers when they transported you from Piggott to Pine Bluff. You told me that you had told them some stuff. Is that Correct?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: And at first you told me that you were just making it up, that you were lying to them, and then you placed your hand
(Page 1)
on the Bible and told me that you were there when these boys got killed.
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Uh, what's the truth, Jessie? I want to know the truth.
MISSKELLEY: The truth is, me and Jason and Damien done it.
STIDHAM: You were there when the boys were killed?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Now, what's going to be very important is for you to tell me why it was that you have been maintaining that you weren't there all this time?
MISSKELLEY: I was scared.
STIDHAM: what were you scared of?
MISSKELLEY: I always lied and I hadn't ever put my hand on the Bible and swore. Nobody didn't tell me to do that. If they would have told me that at first, I would have done it. Nobody told me to put my hand on the Bible.
STIDHAM: Okay. So basically, you've been lying to me and Mr. Crow for the past seven, or so months - about not being there when in fact you were there?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Okay, Jessie, let's start from the beginning. I understand that you'd received a phone call from Jason some time before the murders, remember when that was?
MISSKELLEY: On a Monday.
(Page 2)
STIDHAM: On the Monday before the Wednesday?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: When did he call you? What time?
MISSKELLEY: It was about 6 o'clock.
STIDHAM: 6 o'clock in the evening?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: And, is that when he said something about going to find some girls or something of that nature?
MISSKELLEY: He asked me to uh, did I want to go to West Memphis with them - find some, uh, find some girls.
STIDHAM: Did any make any mention of hurting some boys, or killing some boys at that time?
MISSKELLEY: No. sir.
STIDHAM: And what happened on Wednesday, May 5th. Did you spend the night with Josh Darby on May the 4th, that Tuesday night?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir. He picked us up in Nettle's Trailer Park in West Memphis, at Josh's mama's house. And we left about 9 that morning, went to West Memphis Roofing.
STIDHAM: Did you (unintelligible) bedroom?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir. And uh, we got off about 12, me and Josh did, and after I got me something to eat I went to Stephanie's. And then uh, Vickie bought us some - -
STIDHAM: Wait a minute, let's stop. You say Josh and Ricky Deese dropped you off at your house about what time? Lunch time?
(Page 3)
MISSKELLEY: It was after 12. I'd say about 12:30.
STIDHAM: Okay. Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: Then uh, I went in the house and got me something to eat and then went to Stephenie's. Stephanie Dollar's.
STIDHAM: Did you babysit the kids, or what?
MISSKELLEY: I babysitted Cody while Stephanie had to go to the school about Courtney.
STIDHAM: Then what time did you leave Stephanie’s?
MISSKELLEY: I stayed there for a while.
STIDHAM: Susie showed up then?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah - after school.
STIDHAM: Okay. Then what happened after Steph — excuse me, Susie got there?
MISSKELLEY: We sit there and talk, watch TV and babysitted Cody.
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: Um, uh, about, about 5:30 Cody got slapped by Connie, and then uh, I went down towards Johnny’s and I called some police officers.
STIDHAM: Johnny Hamilton?
MISSKELLEY: Johnny Dedman.
STIDHAM: Johnny Dedman. Did you talk to a police officer that day?
MISSKELLEY: I told him that, uh, Stephanie and them was down the street. They wasn't at home.
(Page 4)
STIDHAM: Did the cop come in Stephanie Dollar’s yard?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir, he did.
STIDHAM: They drive in?
MISSKELLEY: He drived up in the driveway, but he didn't get out.
STIDHAM: Was it Officer Dollahite, who testified the other day?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir, it was.
STIDHAM: You talked with him?
MISSKELLEY: I told him they was down the street.
STIDHAM: What time was this, do you know?
MISSKELLEY: Um, I'll say it was a little bit after 5:00.
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: And then I set there and - -
STIDHAM: First of all, did you see Louis Hoggard that day?
MISSKELLEY: He was mowing his yard and he asked me what happened and I told him that Cody got slapped by Connie.
STIDHAM: Then what happened? Where did you go then?
MISSKELLEY: Then I went down by - towards Johnny Dedmon's and that's when I seen, uh, Stephanie and Bobby Dollar, and Cody, Justin, Courtney and had Ashley and Charles Ashley.
STIDHAM: So you seen all those people down there by Johnny?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: That was Johnny Dedman?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: He lives at the other end of the trailer park from
(Page 5)
Stephanie, doesn’t he?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Okay, did you talk to any more officers during that day?
MISSKELLEY: No, sir.
STIDHAM: Okay. Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: Then after all, the uh, then Johnny Hamilton, he sent me down there where uh, for some man cause uh, he was going to carry me to Lakeshore. That's why I went down there, uh, down to the end of the street, (unintelligible) Johnny’s.
STIDHAM: Let's back up. Johnny sent you -
MISSKELLEY: Johnny Hamilton.
STIDHAM: - sent you to do what?
MISSKELLEY: He sent me down there to Johnny's to get some man to go Lakeshore.
STIDHAM: Johnny Hamilton sent you to Johnny's house?
MISSKELLEY: Sent me down at Johnny's.
STIDHAM: Johnny Dedman?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: To get some man to take you to Lakeshore?
MISSKELLEY: No, Johnny was supposed to take him to Lakeshore.
STIDHAM: Okay, this man?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: And then, did you do that?
MISSKELLEY: I told him, and he said, okay, and then that's
(Page 6)
when, I stayed down there with the police, you know, I took off and told Johnny, said he’d be on his way.
STIDHAM: Where did you go after that? What - let me stop you there. Johnny Hamilton sent you down to Johnny Dedman's to tell this guy to come to Johnny Hamilton's house so he could take him to Lakeshore. Did you do that?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Who was this guy?
MISSKELLEY: I don’t know his name.
STIDHAM: What did he look like?
MISSKELLEY: He was kind of big, he had a beard and mustache and he had a glass eye.
STIDHAM: A glass eye?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh, (affirmatively indicating} daddy knows him, I don’t.
STIDHAM: Okay, and then did he leave with Johnny Hamilton, did that guy leave with Johnny Hamilton, or do you know?
MISSKELLEY: I don't know.
STIDHAM: What’d you do after you left Johnny Dedman*s, where did you go, what'd you do?
MISSKELLEY: I went down, down towards my house.
STIDHAM: What time was it getting now?
MISSKELLEY: Almost six.
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: Then Vickie went uh, went to the store and bought
(Page 7)
me some liquor.
STIDHAM: Vickie Hutcheson?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Okay, so about 6 o'clock. Is that, where did you run into her at?
MISSKELLEY: I went to her house.
STIDHAM: So you went by (inaudible) to Vickie’s house? This is on May 5th, the day the boys were killed?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: And Vickie went to buy you some liquor?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Where'd she go, did you go with her?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Did you stay at the house when she left, or tell me what happened?
MISSKELLEY: I was standing on the corner talking with Dennis, Dennis Carter.
STIDHAM: Standing on the corner where?
MISSKELLEY: By my house.
STIDHAM: So tell me how you went to Vickie and why she went to get you some liquor?
MISSKELLEY: I asked, no, Dennis asked uh, asked me, you know, did I know anybody to get us something to drink? I told him, Vickie will. So we gave Vickie some money and I went down her house and started talking just a little bit, and I asked her
(Page 8)
would she go to the store and buy me some liquor.
STIDHAM: And she said -?
MISSKELLEY: She said, yes. She said hand me the money, she said, I'll go in a minute. I said, okay.
STIDHAM: You left her house, or what?
MISSKELLEY: I left her house, and me and Dennis went to my house and you know watched as she went around the corner and we sat there on the corner, sat there and talked about, you know, drinking. and stuff.
STIDHAM: So did Vickie bring you some liquor?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, she carried it to her house and me and Dennis went down there and got it.
STIDHAM: What did she buy you?
MISSKELLEY: Evan Williams.
STIDHAM: Evan Williams?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh.
STIDHAM: What is that, wine?
MISSKELLEY: Whiskey.
STIDHAM: Just one bottle?
MISSKELLEY: She bought two bottles.
STIDHAM: How big are the bottles?
MISSKELLEY: About - -
STIDHAM: Fifth?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah, about - -
STIDHAM: About this tall?
(Page 9)
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: Then I started drinking out, uh, Dennis' bottle, and I told him I was going to Lakeshore.
STIDHAM: So, did you go to Lakeshore?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah.
STIDHAM: what happened when you went to Lakeshore?
MISSKELLEY: I met Damien and Jason Baldwin.
STIDHAM: What did ya'll talk about? Did you have your whiskey bottle with you? ‘
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir, I did.
STIDHAM: How'd you carry it?
MISSKELLEY: Carried in the front of my pants.
STIDHAM: Did you meet anybody, I assume you walked?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: What time did you get to Lakeshore?
MISSKELLEY: About 6:30.
STIDHAM: You know how to tell time, don't you?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah.
STIDHAM: Did you carry anything else? Just this bottle of whiskey?
MISSKELLEY: Just the bottle of whiskey.
STIDHAM: was it in a paper sack?
MISSKELLEY: It was in a paper sack.
STIDHAM: Do you know where Vickie got that for you?
(Page 10)
MISSKELLEY: No, sir, I don't.
STIDHAM: How much money did you give her?
MISSKELLEY: I gave her a twenty and Dennis gave her a ten.
STIDHAM: Did you get any change back?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, She gave me change, but I don't know how much it was.
STIDHAM: Did you talk to anybody when you left with your whiskey bottle?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: Did you talk with anybody on your way to Lakeshore?
MISSKELLEY: No, I was walking by myself.
STIDHAM: Did you walk down in front of ____'s shop? How'd you get to Lakeshore?
MISSKELLEY: I was walking from my aunt's house. Then walked down towards John Heck's.
STIDHAM: What?
HISSKELLEY: Heck's. Right behind -
STIDHAM: Heck's?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah, right behind the shop.
STIDHAM: What's that, Heck’s?
MISSKELLEY: That's a wrecker service.
STIDHAM: Oh, okay. Did you go under that little railroad thing?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating) And I went up under the underpass, then I Saw Damien and Jason and walked -
(Page 11)
STIDHAM: Where were they at? Were they under the underpass or were they? -
MISSKELLEY: No. They was at Lakeshore.
STIDHAM: Where did you meet them?
MISSKELLEY: In the park by Quinton's house, Quinton Johnson.
STIDHAM: You talk to Quinton that day?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Did you see anybody else outside?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: Somebody seen the two of you talking or something?
MISSKELLEY: But, people don't say nothing when we talk.
STIDHAM: But did anybody see, or did you talk to anybody else?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: So you're in a park?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. By the - by the lake.
STIDHAM: Is there swing sets there or something, or - ?
MISSKELLEY: No, it wasn't a swing set.
STIDHAM: How do you know it's a park?
MISSKELLEY: It's like a field between houses and stuff.
STIDHAM: Just playground equipment there?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-huh. (Negatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Was there anybody else there?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: Damien and Jason were just there?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
(Page 12)
STIDHAM: Did they know you were coming?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah, ‘cause that's when Jason called me, uh, that Monday.
STIDHAM: Told you to be down there Wednesday?
MISSKELLEY: Uh—huh. He said that's we was going to go to Lakeshore and find some girls.
STIDHAM: Go to Lakeshore and find some girls?
MISSKELLEY: No - he called me Monday and asked me to come to Lakeshore, we was going to go to West Memphis, we was going to go find some girls in West Memphis.
STIDHAM: Okay. Did ya’ll talk about hurting boys, or doing anything to boys, or -?
MISSKELLEY: No, sir.
STIDHAM: Up until this time had you ever been to a devil worship meeting?
MISSKELLEY: Yes.
STIDHAM: Where at?
MISSKELLEY: Out at Lakeshore.
STIDHAM: Where at in Lakeshore?
MISSKELLEY: Back on, uh, back there in - at the very back.
STIDHAM: What did ya'll do at this meeting?
MISSKELLEY: Well, uh, people bring candles and make - make a circle and light them. Then Damien would start talking and we listen to him while he talked.
STIDHAM: what'd he talk about?
(Page 13)
MISSKELLEY: He started, you know, talking to the devil, you know, different kind of ways, talk to the devil.
STIDHAM: Do they ever talk about hurting people or killing people, or doing things to people?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Never came up?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: What about this picture of the three little boys?
MISSKELLEY: Damien had a briefcase and I saw - when he opened it I saw a picture, it was a Polaroid picture that had uh, had three boys that was on a bicycle by some white houses.
STIDHAM: Was it a picture of those that qot killed?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: How do you know that?
MISSKELLEY: After I - After I seen them that day then I memorized who they were.
STIDHAM: From the picture?
MISSKELLEY: (response inaudible)
STIDHAM: But Jason and Damien never said anything to you about?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: Who was in this cult meeting? l want to know every-body.
MISSKELLEY: Me, Jason, Damien, Domini. I don't know.
STIDHAM: Keith?
MISSKELLEY: No. I just met him up the (inaudible).
(Page 14)
STIDHAM: He didn't go to these meetings?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh, (negatively indicating) there's another guy - it was a guy - by Lakeshore.
STIDHAM: An old guy? A young guy? Was he a kid?
MISSKELLEY: No, he ain't no kid, he's a guy.
STIDHAM: Older man?
MISSKELLEY: uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: What's he look like?
MISSKELLEY: He's tall, got black hair. He looks just like Damien.
STIDHAM: Do you know where he lives?
MISSKELLEY: I don't now, but he did live out at Lakeshore.
STIDHAM: At which trailer?
MISSKELLEY: Almost on - almost on the last street.
STIDHAM: Did he have a first name? Did anybody ever call him by name, or by nick-name?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating) He didn't have no nick-name.
STIDHAM: Did you guys wear black Coats with hoods on them or anything like that?
MISSKELLEY: No. I ain't got a black - I ain't got no black jacket with no hood.
STIDHAM: Did this other guy that was tall and black headed have long black hair?
MISSKELLEY: It was pretty long.
(Page 15)
STIDHAM: Is your hand still on that Bible, Jessie?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir, it is.
STIDHAM: You're telling me the truth?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir, I am.
STIDHAM: You don't know this other guy's name?
MISSKELLEY: I’ll think of it in a minute. I just can't think of it right now.
STIDHAM: You can take your time. Was it Kenney, Or Kent?
MISSKELLEY: No, he's a kid - Kent is a kid.
STIDHAM: Did he go to these meetings too?
MISSKELLEY: Who? Kent?
STIDHAM: Yeah.
MISSKELLEY: No, I just met him. I've probably known him for about two or three days is how long I've known Kent.
STIDHAM: What else would happen at these meetings?
MISSKELLEY: Uh, we drank.
STIDHAM: Listen to music?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, and drank.
STIDHAM: what about the dogs' legs and stuff?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: Why did you tell the police that?
MISSKELLEY: I just made that up.
STIDHAM: How many cult meetings have you been to?
MISSKELLEY: About three or four.
STIDHAM: And they were all down in Lakeshore?
(Page 16)
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir. Every one I went was.
STIDHAM: what about Vickie Hutchison saying she seen you in a meeting at Turrell-Twist?
MISSKELLEY: I hadn’t never been to Turrell. My hand is still on the Bible, I hadn't never been to Turrell. And Damien ain't got no - Damien don't have no red car.
STIDHAM: Does he even drive?
MISSKELLEY: He don't even own a car. He don't even drive. He don't even drive.
STIDHAM: Did Damien and Jason have any beer when you got there that day? Out at Lakeshore at about 6:30?
MISSKELLEY: Yee, I think it was a l2—pack.
STIDHAM: Were they carrying it in a sack?
MISSKELLEY: It was in a sack. They kept it in a sack.
STIDHAM: What kind of beer?
MISSKELLEY: It was cheap beer.
STIDHAM: Don't know what kind it was?
MISSKELLEY: Nope.
STIDHAM: What kind of sack was it in? Brown paper sack?
MISSKELLEY: It was just a regular brown paper sack.
STIDHAM: Tell me about this briefcase. Were you at a meeting when they had a briefcase?
MISSKELLEY: That - that older guy - he brought it, he brought the briefcase.
STIDHAM: It wasn't Damien’S briefcase?
(Page 17)
MISSKELLEY: No, it was the older guy. It was that guy that looked just like Damien. He brought it, and he had a gun, and had a picture of them three boys that got -that got killed. They was on the bikes by some white houses and in the background you could see some trees.
STIDHAM: Can you remember this older guy's name now?
MISSKELLEY: No, sir. I'm still thinking.
STIDHAM: What did it start with?
MISSKELLEY: I can’t think of it.
STIDHAM: He had long hair?
MISSKELLEY: It was kinda long.
STIDHAM: Mustache, beard?
MISSKELLEY: Mustache.
STIDHAM: You sure?
MISSKELLEY: Mustache and a beard.
STIDHAM: He had a mustache and a beard?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh, at that time he did.
STIDHAM: How can he look like Damien, Damien doesn’t have a mustache and a beard?
MISSKELLEY: When he shaves it he looks like Damien. (Telephone rings)
STIDHAM: Did anybody else go to these meetings besides this older guy, uh, Damien and Jason and Domini? Any other girls?
MISSKELLEY: Um - don't think there was no other girls.
STIDHAM: They’re the only people that went to these meetings
(Page 18)
with y’all?
MISSKELLEY: They's the only ones that went with me.
STIDHAM: what do you mean, went with you?
MISSKELLEY: They's the only people I seen at the meeting with me.
STIDHAM: Anybody else there?
MISSKELLEY: Nope.
STIDHAM: What was this shit about cooking a dog in a wash tub that you told the officers a couple of days ago?
MISSKELLEY: I made that up.
STIDHAM: Now you're not making anything up you're telling me about, are you?
MISSKELLEY: No, sir. My hand is still on the Bible.
STIDHAM: Do you know what devil wotshiping is, Jessie?
MISSKELLEY: It's Satan.
STIDHAM: Did you believe in this stuff or were you just out there -?
MISSKELLEY: I was just out there just - just drinking and having fun.
STIDHAM: Was this older guy the leader of this thing?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating) He always did what Damien told him to do.
STIDHAM: Damien told him what to do, or he told Damien -?
MISSKELLEY: No, he told Damien what to do - he always told Damien what to do.
(Page 19)
STIDHAM: What did he tell Damien to do?
MISSKELLEY: He tells Damien, you know, go kill a dog, or - hurt a kid or something, and he'd do it.
STIDHAM: Did he tell Damien to go hurt these kids?
MISSKELLEY: When I was there, he didn't. He might have told, you know, after, but he didn't tell him when I was there.
STIDHAM: Can you think of his name?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)
STIDHAM: He wasn't there the day the boys got murdered, was he?
MISSKELLEY: No, he wasn’t there with us. But in that briefcase it was them three boys.
STIDHAM: Do you think he told Damien to do this?
MISSKELLEY: I think he did, because, I didn't know until after I seen a picture in the briefcase, then after the murders happened, then - then I remembered who they were. I seen them at the court meeting.
STIDHAM: What did this older guy’s name - did he drive a car, or - - ?
MISSKELLEY: He always walked, you know, out there to Lakeshore, where we was at he always walked.
STIDHAM: Have you ever seen him drive a car?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Did he work anywhere?
MISSKELLEY: I don't know that either.
STIDHAM: Do you know what his name started with?
(Page 20)
MISSKELLEY: Murphy - no. I can't remember. I can't think of his name.
STIDHAM: Murray?
MISSKELLEY: It started with a M.
STIDHAM: Murray Farris?
MISSKELLEY: Uh -
STIDHAM: Murray Farris doesn't have black hair.
MISSKELLEY: No, it started with a M, I don't know - I don't know his name, it started with a M.
STIDHAM: Do you know who Murray Farris is?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating) I hadn't never saw - I hadn't ever heard that name.
STIDHAM: How about LaTrell. Have you ever of anybody named LaTrell?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)
STIDHAM: You think it started with a M? Michael?
MISSKELLEY: Best of my knowledge it started with an M.
STIDHAM: Keep trying to think of that name.
MISSKELLEY: The best of my knowledge, it started with a M.
STIDHAM: How old was he?
MISSKELLEY: He's - I’d say - I'm going to say he was in his mid-twenties or somewhere closer to his thirties.
STIDHAM: What would he do at the meetings? Was he in charge?
MISSKELLEY: Yes.
STIDHAM: Was he the boss or the (inaudible) honcho, or - ?
(Page 21)
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating) Because he had a briefcase and had a - it was in a white bag, like in a sandwich bag, he had some white stuff.
STIDHAM: What was it? (inaudible) cocaine?
MISSKELLEY: (no audible response)
STIDHAM: Did the older guy ever tell Damien and Jason to do something stupid, did they do it? You said kill a dog?
MISSKELLEY: He always told Damien. He knew - he must knew Damien for a long time ‘cause he didn't ever tell none of us to do that stuff.
STIDHAM: Did you ever see him kill a dog?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: Did you ever kill a dog?
MISSKELLEY: When I was little, but, no.
STIDHAM: You’ve been to about three or four of these meetings?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Okay. May the 5th, you get to Lakeshore about 6:30?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: And you met at this park by Quinton's house?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: You didn't see anybody else there, nobody else was standing around that would have seen you?
MISSKELLEY: No, sir. ‘Cause I always went the back way, you know, towards Jason's house. I always went the back way, not the front way.
(Page 22)
STIDHAM: What happened after you went to the park - now you say you were supposed to meet them there that day?
MISSKELLEY: Supposed to meet them in West-I mean Lakeshore.
STIDHAM: At 6:30 or just whenever you got there?
MISSKELLEY: Whenever I got - I had time.
STIDHAM: Okay.
MISSKELLEY: So, we started walking towards West Memphis -
STIDHAM: How'd you get there?
MISSKELLEY: We walked.
STIDHAM: I mean, did you walk along the interstate or? -
MISSKELLEY: No, we walked over a overpass.
STIDHAM: Overpass?
MISSKELLEY: You go - it's the overpass between Lakeshore and Wal-Mart, is the overpass. We walked over it.
STIDHAM: Did you throw anything down, or pick any thing up, or did anybody see you?
MISSKELLEY: I don't know there was a bunch of traffic going by, I don’t know.
STIDHAM: You didn't see anybody you knew or talk to anybody you knew?
MISSKELLEY: I didn't know nobody.
STIDHAM: Where did you go?
MISSKELLEY: We started walking toward West-uh, to Wal-Mart, I - I - Jason and me, you know -
STIDHAM: Kenny Watkins. Do you know that guy?
(Page 23)
MISSKELLEY: Kenny Watkins?
STIDHAM: Watkins, that man you (inaudible)?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating) I may know if I see his face, but other than that -
STIDHAM: So ya'll started over the overpass, and -
MISSKELLEY: We started walking toward Lakeshore and I asked Jason, you know, - -
STIDHAM: were you walking from Lakeshore?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. I asked Jason, you know, where we're going to find them girls at. He said we just going to walk around and look. And I said, okay. So we started walking. We went down - down Blue Beacon Road, and then by a bridge, we saw a little trail, and we went down that little trail. And we sit there and we started drinking.
STIDHAM: Okay, now did you see - I assume that you walked down from Wal-Mart right there, then walked down across from Missouri Street? Do you know where Missouri Street is in West Memphis, by McDonalds and Krystal?
MISSKELLEY: We didn’t go that far down.
STIDHAM: How far down did you go?
MISSKELLEY: We went from Wal-Mart, stayed on that road all the way down, all the way, went through the red light, over the railroad track and on down to (inaudible) then Blue Beacon and Lowe's.
STIDHAM: Okay. So is there a liquor store there by those
(Page 24)
railroad tracks that you're talking about walking over?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah. It just says Liquor.
STIDHAM: You walked down the service road then? Right?
MISSKELLEY: Yep.
STIDHAM: And it was just the three of you?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: What were you wearing?
MISSKELLEY: I was wearing white and blue Adidas. I had a grey shirt.
STIDHAM: Is that the basketball thing you were telling me?
MISSKELLEY: No. It was grey.
STIDHAM: Grey t-shirt? (telephone ringing)
MISSKELLEY: Uh, sort of, yeah. It had short sleeves.
STIDHAM: Did you cut the sleeves out, or what?
MISSKELLEY: I thought it was made.
STIDHAM: You thought it was a tank top?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh.
STIDHAM: Muscle shirt, we used to call them? A grey muscle shirt?
MISSKELLEY: Well, it - cut off at the - about there.
STIDHAM: So you didn’t buy it that way, you had to cut them off?
MISSKELLEY: No, it was made like that.
STIDHAM: Oh. okay. So it was grey.
MISSKELLEY: Uh—huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
(Page 25)
STIDHAM: Light grey, dark grey?
MISSKELLEY: It was like a light qrey.
STIDHAM: And what kind Of pants did you have on?
MISSKELLEY: My pants? Blue. Blue pants, all greasy.
STIDHAM: Okay. The tape is about to run out, it’s 10 minutes - 9 minutes until four.(End of tape.) (Start new tape.)
STIDHAM: Okay, it's 6 minutes ‘til - excuse me, 8 minutes ‘til 4. And on February 8, talking to Jessie Misskelly, Jr. at the Diagnostic Unit. Jessie, on the tape ran out on the other side, you were talking about the fact that you were wearing a grey t-shirt. Did it have a pocket on it?
MISSKELLEY: I can't remember.
STIDHAM: Okay. Uh, you had blue pants on?
MISSKELLEY: I had blue jeans, they was all greasy.
STIDHAM: Greasy blue jeans, blue and white Adidas, and this grey t-shirt, or the sleeveless t-shirt.
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: What did Damien have on that day?
MISSKELLEY: Um, - like a black pants, black boots.
STIDHAM: Did he have a coat on?
HISSKELLEY: A leather jacket.
STIDHAM: Black leather jacket, a long jacket or just a regular jacket?
MISSKELLEY: It was like a biker's jacket.
STIDHAM: Did he have a hat on?
(Page 26)
MISSKELLEY: To my knowledge, huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Was he carrying a stick?
MISSKELLEY: He carried a stick.
STIDHAM: That day?
MISSKELLEY: Yes.
STIDHAM: What kind of stick was it?
MISSKELLEY: Part of a tree.
STIDHAM: Was it a long limb or a big Stick, like a long and skinny, or big and fat? Or -
MISSKELLEY: It was - I would say it was long.
STIDHAM: Was it any of those sticks that they introduced into your trial the other day?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah.
STIDHAM: Which one was it?
MISSKELLEY: That one that you was holding up and that had the bark off of it.
STIDHAM: Had someone carved it?
MISSKELLEY: Yes.
STIDHAM: Long and skinny?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: That was the one Damien was carrying that day?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Where did he pick it up at?
MISSKELLEY: He carried it with him. From Lakeshore.
STIDHAM: And what was Jason wearing?
(Page 27)
MISSKELLEY: Jason was wearing light blue jeans -
STIDHAM: Was there a design on them or -?
MISSKELLEY: To my knowledge, no. Black boots. Like army boots.
STIDHAM: Was it those boots that were introduced at your trial as evidence, were those the boots he was wearing? or do you remember?
MISSKELLEY: I didn't see them. If they’re black army boots, that's them.
STIDHAM: You say he had light blue jeans on?
MISSKELLEY: I don’t know.
STIDHAM: Light blue, blue jeans - that had holes in the knees or holes in one of them, do you remember?
MISSKELLEY: I don't remember.
STIDHAM: Is there any way anybody could have mixed Damien - I mean excuse me, Jason and Domini up? Do they look anything alike?
MISSKELLEY: Tall.
STIDHAM: She wasn't there that night?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: Did you ever see her that night?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: What kind of shirt did Jason have on?
MISSKELLEY: It was black and had “Metallica” wrote on it. And it had a - like a - like a background like a grave and it had a
(Page 28)
cross.
STIDHAM: So what happened as you were walkinq down the service road and you got to Blue Beacon, what happened next?
MISSKELLEY: We started walking a little bit further and then we went over a bridge, and then I seen a little trail going down, down the bank. We went down there and started drinking.
STIDHAM: Let me stop you right there. Ya'll decide to go to west Memphis to look for some girls?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Did anybody talk about hurting boys, or killing boys, or doing anything to boys - doing anything to anybody?
MISSKELLEY: No. They didn't tell me nothing like that.
STIDHAM: That never came up?
MISSKELLEY: Nope. But that guy that showed Damien that picture, that's what I figure that's why Damien, he knew what he was doing, because -
STIDHAM: You think Damien knew what he was doing?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. Cause, when I seen that picture at that cult meeting, I didn't know who they were, I hadn't ever seen them until, you know, after we jumped - after I jumped and started beating them, then I realized that -
STIDHAM: After you was what?
MISSKELLEY: Beating them up - beating the kids up, then it went to my mind, a picture came to me, then after that picture came to me and I looked down, that's who it was.
(Page 29)
STIDHAM: Okay. Now let's talk about, uh, you walked down this little trail. What did you see out there, where was this at?
MISSKELLEY: I don't know where it was at.
STIDHAM: Was it on the side of the interstate where the dog track is?
MISSKELLEY: No. Opposite side.
STIDHAM: Opposite side?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: What's by it, what's nearby?
MISSKELLEY: Blue Beacon.
STIDHAM: That's on the same side of the interstate as -
MISSKELLEY: And the Army place.
STIDHAM: Army place?
MISSKELLEY: Or the National Guard place. Where they have army drills.
STIDHAM: What happened as ya'll walked down this little trail?
MISSKELLEY: We sit out there. We sit down and started drinking.
STIDHAM: Okay, tell me about where you were sitting, and what was there, was there anything -
MISSKELLEY: We sit by some trees. By a tree that was, that was leaned over. There was a - like a - I’m going to say like a water pipe.
STIDHAM: Water pipe. What kind of water pipe?
MISSKELLEY: That’s what I’m going to say what it is. I don't
(Page 30)
know what it was.
STIDHAM: Was the pipe going up in the air, pipe going -?
MISSKELLEY: No. Pipe going like this way, makes it a walkway or something, like a little bridge - something like that. And we started drinking. Then we started drinking and then we heard some noise. And then, uh, me and Jason hid, and Damien just sit there, and then all of a sud - he told him to hide and he did. Then these boys came up.
STIDHAM: Now this pipe that came across the water, was it on a creek? Or - describe it to me. Was there trees around? or was it in the open? Or?-
MISSKELLEY: Lots of trees.
STIDHAM: Is there a pipe? - describe it to me, I want to make sure I understand.
MISSKELLEY: Pipe. It's like a sewage type.
STIDHAM: Was it as big around as your leg or big around as your arm, or finger, or?
MISSKELLEY: It’s like a sewage pipe. To my knowledge, I'm going to say it's like that big around. To my knowledge.
STIDHAM: Big enough to walk on?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah.
STIDHAM: Is there any other things going across the water?
MISSKELLEY: Anything going across the water? You mean floating?
STIDHAM: I mean, say there's a pipe going across the water.
(Page 31)
MISSKELLEY: Go - goes towards the - to the other side of the bank.
STIDHAM: So what's on the other side of the bank?
MISSKELLEY: Trees.
STIDHAM: What else is beyond the trees?
MISSKELLEY: There was a club house.
STIDHAM: What kind of club house?
MISSKELLEY: Look like some little kids, you know they went up there and build it.
STIDHAM: what did it look like?
MISSKELLEY: It had a - it's black, and to my knowledge, it had sides, like to keep the wind off of them. It had a top over it, to my knowledge.
STIDHAM: A top over it?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Okay Jessie. I'm going to let you draw me a picture here. I'm going to get it started for you. I'm going to date it up here 2-8-94. I'm going to draw a picture of the service road here. Okay? And we're going to make this right here Blue Beacon Truck Wash.
MISSKELLEY: There's a Army supply - or a Army, National Guard deal.
STIDHAM: Where at? Point to it.
MISSKELLEY: Well, I know its, you know, (inaudible) can't do it like this, So, it's going to be, you know, to my (inaudible)
(Page 32)
there'll be a little slope, there's going to be a bridge going across the road, and there’s the army right here and then there’s a road -
STIDHAM: Let me let you have a red ink pen. That one don’t work too good. Try this one.
MISSKELLEY: That's leaking.
STIDHAM: Yeah, that's not going to work. Okay, this is green. Draw me where the bridge is.
MISSKELLEY: Okay. There's be a - see I could do better, you know.
STIDHAM: Make an X where the dog track was.
MISSKELLEY: Dog track?
STIDHAM: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
MISSKELLEY: Uh, about probably here. That's the dog track.
STIDHAM: That's the other side of the interstate?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh, that's the dog track.
STIDHAM: Where did you put a bridge at?
MISSKELLEY: The bridge? There's a - the Blue Beacon, and there'll be a little - like a little, I'm going to say like a little driveway right up in there.
STIDHAM: Driveway for what?
MISSKELLEY: Going towards the field. You know, for tractors and plowers?
STIDHAM: Okay. Where is the bridge at?
MISSKELLEY: The bridge would be about - about like that - the
(Page 33)
bridge.
STIDHAM: Make the bridge go all the way across this other stuff so you'll know what it is.
MISSKELLEY: This bridge don't go like that. Yeah it does, it goes like that.
STIDHAM: Why is there a bridge there? IS there something under the bridge?
MISSKELLEY: Water.
STIDHAM: Is it a river, or - ?
MISSKELLEY: I'm - I'm going to say it’s something like that, but - -
STIDHAM: Draw me a picture of the - draw me a picture of where the pipe is you were talking about.
MISSKELLEY: The bridge, the trail, water, and trees - like big trees, and right beside that there's - going across, like that.
STIDHAM: Pipe going across?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Is that in the woods or beside the woods?
MISSKELLEY: In it. The woods was there was in it.
STIDHAM: Draw me the creek now.
MISSKELLEY: Creek.
STIDHAM: I see the creek starts there at that bridge?
MISSKELLEY: Creek, all right there's the trail, there's the bridge, there's water going up under it all the way down, then there's trees, like that, then trees, and it goes all the way to
(Page 34)
the pipe, and then it goes on out.
STIDHAM: Where does the creek go?
MISSKELLEY: I don't know where it goes. All I know it just - it just - just flows.
STIDHAM: Are there any houses nearby, or anything?
MISSKELLEY: The houses back - back - back by this way. About - where the driveway's at then there's a field, and you can see through them trees and there are houses.
STIDHAM: Isn't there the bayou, isn't there a bigger river or creek?
MISSKELLEY: By that field, by that - where that driveway is at there's a field and there’s trees and just - like the bayou goes all the way through there, all the way back to towards - back to the (inaudible). That's it.
STIDHAM: Is that a big creek or a little creek?
MISSKELLEY: Pretty big.
STIDHAM: Were the bodies thrown in the big creek?
MISSKELLEY: The bodies was thrown in water. Deep. Big, I'm going to say that comes to over my head?
STIDHAM: That’s where the bodies was thrown in?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating) I'm going to say it comes to over my head. Cause I can't get in water close to my head, ‘cause I have to hold my ears,
STIDHAM: Well, were the bodies thrown in close to that pipe?
MISSKELLEY: Close to that pipe? I’m going to say about fifteen
(Page 35)
or so, probably not even that far to the pipe.
STIDHAM: Fifteen feet?
MISSKELLEY: No, about 15 yards, probably, maybe not even that much. I could - I could tell you if I was, you know, if I was there. It was deep, but can't do it, you know, to my mind. ‘Cause I don't know, I don't know feet, yards or nothing like that. I'm going to say it was pretty close to it.
STIDHAM: Is there any ponds or lakes out there?
MISSKELLEY: Ponds or lakes? Um, no.
STIDHAM: Where's this 76 Truck Stop?
MISSKELLEY: 76? There’s that slope, then there's a road goes up back that way, the slope, then you go back this way and (inaudible) come back out.
STIDHAM: Let's stop there for a minute. It’s nine minutes after 4:00.
(Pause)
STIDHAM: Okay, Jessie it's 13 minutes after 4:00 p.m. on February the 8th, 1994, we're back on the tape. Let's start from the point where you guys walking on this trail off of the service road by Blue Beacon, what happens?
MISSKELLEY: What do you mean?
STIDHAM: I want you to tell me where ya'll walked to and what you did. I don't want to ask you whether you did this or this. I want you to tell me what happened?
MISSKELLEY: I still don't understand.
(Page 36)
STIDHAM: Okay. You were carrying a fifth of whiskey in a paper sack.
MISSKELLEY: Right.
STIDHAM: Who was carrying the beer?
MISSKELLEY: Damien.
STIDHAM: And he was carrying a stick in one hand and the beer in the other?
MISSKELLEY: Well, it was Jason. (inaudible)
STIDHAM: The beer?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: And ya'll walked off the service road going down on the trail?
MISSKELLEY: Right - by Blue Beacon.
STIDHAM: Did the trail go into the woods or did it go beside the woods?
MISSKELLEY: In it.
STIDHAM: Okay. Was there anything in the woods, was there a ditch, or a river, or what was in the woods, besides trees, obviously?
MISSKELLEY: There was like a - I'm going to say like a bayou. And it had a pipe going across to the other side.
STIDHAM: What was on the other side of the pipe? I mean, on the other side of the bayou?
MISSKELLEY: The other side of the bayou - it's like another land, another -
(Page 37)
STIDHAM: Was there a truck stop over there, was there a car over there, or?
MISSKELLEY: On the other side, on down was a, I'm going to say a National Guard place, it had Army trucks, on down past the bridge. But you could see it, though. It wasn't that far down. I could see it.
STIDHAM: Were there any trees out there that were peculiar, or shaped funny or had any markings on them, or anything?
MISSKELLEY: I didn't pay attention to trees. I didn't see none.
STIDHAM: Did you see anything laying around on the ground? Trash, or - -?
MISSKELLEY: There was a bunch of stuff floating in the - in the water - bunch of stuff.
STIDHAM: Now, is there a big creek, the bayou that the pipe goes across?
MISSKELLEY: It's pretty wide.
STIDHAM: How wide? Can you jump across it?
MISSKELLEY: If you tried, yeah. If you tried, you could.
STIDHAM: Is there a bigger place that you can't jump across?
MISSKELLEY: (No response.)
STIDHAM: How many times have you been there?
MISSKELLEY: That was my first time.
STIDHAM: The only time you'd ever been there?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Negatively indicating) I don't know too
(Page 38)
much about it.
STIDHAM: Did you go back there after the murders? Like you told Gitchell?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)
STIDHAM: How come you told him that?
MISSKELLEY: Just to have something to say.
STIDHAM: This was the first time you'd ever been there?
MISSKELLEY: The first time I'd ever been there.
STIDHAM: Okay. Now you described this pipe? How big a pipe is it?
MISSKELLEY: About that wide. From that wall -
STIDHAM: Could you ride a bicycle across this pipe?
MISSKELLEY: I wouldn’t try it.
STIDHAM: How come?
MISSKELLEY: I just wouldn't.
STIDHAM: Were you guys in the water?
MISSKELLEY: I don't get in water ‘cause I can't - I can't get my ears wet, I ain't getting in no water.
STIDHAM: Did Damien and Jason get in the water?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: How come you told the police that you were in the water and they were going under water and sucking each other?
MISSKELLEY: I didn't tell him that. I just told him they went under the water - I didn't know what they was doing. But they - they - they never went in the water.
(Page 39)
STIDHAM: Ya'll were sitting there by this pipe drinking?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Now, Jessie, is this pipe this big around or was it this big around?
MISSKELLEY: No, it ain't that big.
STIDHAM: How big?
MISSKELLEY: Like I said, about like that.
STIDHAM: Okay, so -
MISSKELLEY: About, about my leg size.
STIDHAM: About as big around as my leg?
MISSKELLEY: Uh, looks like it, yeah.
STIDHAM: It's pretty close?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. Maybe - maybe not quite as big, maybe half, maybe half of it.
STIDHAM: Okay, are there smaller pipes beside the bigger pipe?
MISSKELLEY: Uh - to my knowledge I don't really know.
STIDHAM: Did you see a pond anywhere around the Blue Beacon?
STIDHAM: How deep was the water that they threw boys got thrown into?
MISSKELLEY: I'm going to say deep, real deep.
STIDHAM: Over their heads - over your head?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah.
(Page 40)
STIDHAM: Damien and Jason get in the water?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah. Damien.
STIDHAM: Okay, let’s start at right now, let's go from, ya'll are sitting there by this pipe drinking?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: We hear some noise, me and Jason hid and Damien just sit there, and we hollered for Damien, you know - not real loud, but lightly, and Damien hid. Then that’s when them three little boys came out.
STIDHAM: Did they come up on their bicycles or did they walk up?
MISSKELLEY: They came up on their bicycles and they laid the bikes down.
STIDHAM: Can I stop right there? Did ya'll smoke any dope that day?
MISSKELLEY: Jason uh -
STIDHAM: Jason did, or did didn't.
MISSKELLEY: No, he don't. To my knowledge he don't.
STIDHAM: So ya'll didn't smoke any marijuana that day? Just whiskey and beer? Where's the whiskey bottle?
MISSKELLEY: Whiskey bottle? Busted.
STIDHAM: You busted it?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah.
STIDHAM: When did you do that?
(Page 41)
MISSKELLEY: Going back - when I was going back home. After what I seen what happened made me mad.
STIDHAM: So, was where ya'll were sitting there by the pipe was there trees nearby? Or were you in an open field? Or-?
MISSKELLEY: No, no, we were by the trees. Where I was at, I was by some trees.
STIDHAM: And how close was the nearest tree?
MISSKELLEY: Nearest tree?
STIDHAM: Uh-huh - were ya'll from the pipe?
MISSKELLEY: Pretty close. About from, I’m going to say from here, maybe to that wall.
STIDHAM: Ten feet?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah. That's where I was at drinking.
STIDHAM: The boys came up and laid their bicycles down?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Which side were they laying their bikes on - which side of the bayou or the creek, or whatever?
MISSKELLEY: They came in from by some houses. That’s where they come in from.
STIDHAM: From the houses on which side of the creek - on which side of the pipe?
MISSKELLEY: (Inaudible) From this side.
STIDHAM: The opposite side?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: How did they get their bikes across the pipe?
(Page 42)
MISSKELLEY: Picked them up.
STIDHAM: They picked their bikes up and carried them across the pipe?
MISSKELLEY: (inaudible)
STIDHAM: Who did?
MISSKELLEY: Damien and Jason.
STIDHAM: I mean, you said the boys rode up there on their bikes. Did they ride across the pipe when they come up to where you were at?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah.
STIDHAM: There some - tell me how they did it?
MISSKELLEY: Well they came up from that side. It must have been a trail ‘cause, you know, I couldn't remember cause I was there for one time. (inaudible)
STIDHAM: Well you said you wouldn't ride a bike across that pipe?
MISSKELLEY: No, I wouldn't. You know they, they'd probably done it before. You know, I wouldn't.
STIDHAM: Did you see them ride their bikes across there?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: How many bikes were there?
MISSKELLEY: Two.
STIDHAM: What color were they?
MISSKELLEY: Red - and uh, - a light color, white color, greenish color, somewhere in there -
(Page 43)
STIDHAM: Greenish? Or white?
MISSKELLEY: I'm going to say greenish. It was real light.
STIDHAM: So -
MISSKELLEY: It wasn't a boy’s bike.
STIDHAM: Wasn't?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: So did you see them ride these two bikes across the pipe or did they push them across?
MISSKELLEY: I didn’t see them.
STIDHAM: How did they get there, I mean how, you say they rode their bikes up and laid their bikes down?
MISSKELLEY: Right.
STIDHAM: Did they come across the pipe or did they go all the way down your side of the creek?
MISSKELLEY: They was already on my side.
STIDHAM: Where did they come from, which trail or which direction?
MISSKELLEY: They came from - from back that way.
STIDHAM: Back which way?
MISSKELLEY: From their house. From, I guess where they live at. They come from that way. From where we was at was by the interstate.
STIDHAM: So where you guys were was by the interstate?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah.
STIDHAM: How close was the interstate from where you guys were
(Page 44)
sitting and drinking?
MISSKELLEY: ‘Bout from here - little bit past that white thing way up there. That tall one thing.
STIDHAM: You were sitting right there by that pipe?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. Maybe not even that far.
STIDHAM: They rode up on their bicycles, did they come from the interstate?
MISSKELLEY: No. The opposite.
STIDHAM: The opposite?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Could you throw a rock and hit the interstate from where you were sitting and drinking?
MISSKELLEY: Probably. I don't know.
STIDHAM: Okay. You said over there in (inaudible)?
MISSKELLEY: I’m not too good with my - my -
STIDHAM: I'm going to make a X right here.
MISSKELLEY: I'm not too good with my - whatever you call it.
STIDHAM: There's the X. Now tell me where Blue Beacon is from that X.
MISSKELLEY: From that X?
STIDHAM: Uh-huh. This X means where you guys were sitting by I the pipe and drinking. Make - where’s the Blue Beacon is at?
MISSKELLEY: Right down here.
STIDHAM: Okay. Make an “X," a green “X" for me.
MISSKELLEY: Make a X?
(Page 45)
STIDHAM: Uh-huh. ‘Cause I'm going to write Boys Blue Beacon beside it. Now tell me where the Dog Track is?
MISSKELLEY: The Dog Track?
STIDHAM: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
MISSKELLEY: No, that can't be that right - that can't be right. Blue Beacon -- the Dog Track would be by right there.
STIDHAM: Okay. Now where does the interstate run?
MISSKELLEY: Interstate?
STIDHAM: Uh-huh. 55 and 40. Runs this way?
MISSKELLEY: Runs this way, yeah.
STIDHAM: Runs between Blue Beacon green X and the Dog Track green X. Right?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah. And then there's service roads on each side. ‘Cause they don't -
STIDHAM: Okay. Make - let’s make it right.
MISSKELLEY: ‘Cause Blue Beacon - where we was at - wasn't far from the Dog Track. I mean you could see it, just right there.
STIDHAM: You could see the Dog Track from where you were at?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah, just - uh, well - if you standing on the bridge you can just look at things, it's right there.
STIDHAM: Now show me the place where the bridge is.
MISSKELLEY: You can stand on the bridge and just - just -
STIDHAM: Look across at the dog track?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. Just sit right here at the bridge and just look, straight ahead like this and there it is.
(Page 46)
STIDHAM: Okay. Now show me where the boys came up.
MISSKELLEY: Like - like this way.
STIDHAM: Okay, Jessie. Our tape ran out. It's 4:32, on 2/8/94. You realize we're taping this, right?
MISSKELLEY: Right.
STIDHAM: It's all right with you if we tape it?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Okay, the boys came up and what happened? Tell me exactly what happened.
MISSKELLEY: When the boys came up, Damien grabbed one of them, I don't know which one, and the other two tried to get Damien to stop, and then me and Jason come out and started grabbing them, started hitting them.
STIDHAM: Who hit who?
MISSKELLEY: I - I don't know - if I seen a picture of them I could tell you. I don't know who.
STIDHAM: Well, what happened after everybody started hitting on the kids?
MISSKELLEY: Um, uh, Damien choked - I don't remember which one.
STIDHAM: Now you know, you heard during the trial that the medical examiner said none of the boys were choked.
MISSKELLEY: He didn’t choke him - “choke choked.” Just, you know, just say like just hold their head and choked, not hard enough, just holding him.
STIDHAM: When did the Moore boy run from the scene?
(Page 47)
MISSKELLEY: That's when - after I let him go.
STIDHAM: You were holding the Moore boy?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah, and I let him go.
STIDHAM: Why did you let him go?
MISSKELLEY: After I got through hitting on him I let him go. I let him - just let him go.
STIDHAM: He took off running?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Had any of the boys gotten killed yet? Or -
MISSKELLEY: No, huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Did you know what was going to happen at that point?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: Why did you chase him down and bring him back - or did you?
MISSKELLEY: No, I didn't - until Damien told me, “Get him." And then that’s when I went back after him and got him. Then I brought him back and that's when -
STIDHAM: What was the boy wearing that you went and got and brought back?
MISSKELLEY: Uh - to my knowledge, I'm going to say, the one - I don't know their names, you know, to my knowledge, the one that was wearing, uh, like a boy scout uniform. I don't know, you know, that's to my knowledge. That's what one of them was wearing, I don't know which boy.
STIDHAM: Damien told you to go get him and bring him back?
(Page 48)
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh, (Affirmatively indicating) after I done hit him first.
STIDHAM: Where did you hit him at?
MISSKELLEY: Where did I hit him at? The head.
STIDHAM: And was anybody cut or bleeding at that point?
MISSKELLEY: No. I was - I was too drunk I couldn’t hardly do nothing.
STIDHAM: You sure?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating) I - when I drink I can't hit hard or anything.
STIDHAM: Damien told you to get the Moore boy and bring him back, and you did that?
MISSKELLEY: He - he said - go get him. So I brought him back and just started hitting him some more.
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: Then, uh, Jason pulled out a knife. He took one of them - I don't know which one - cut him on - I think it was on this side of his face.
STIDHAM: Which side are you pointing to?
MISSKELLEY: This is the left.
STIDHAM: Which boy was that?
MISSKELLEY: I don’t know.
STIDHAM: Wasn't the Cub Scout?
MISSKELLEY: No. It was one of them other two. I don't know -
STIDHAM: So he was either the blond headed one, or the Byers
(Page 49)
boy - the one that got cut?
(Knock at door)
STIDHAM: Yes. (pause) Is tape still running?
MISSKELLEY: Yes.
STIDHAM: Okay.
MISSKELLEY: To my knowledge I’m gong to say the blond one.
STIDHAM: The blond one was what?
MISSKELLEY: The one that got that cut on the side of his face, the blond one.
STIDHAM: Left-hand side of the face, you're pointing to?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Cut him with a knife?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Did Damien ever hit anybody with this long stick you're telling me about?
MISSKELLEY: He hit one of them boys in the head, and - I don’t remember which one.
STIDHAM: Okay. When did you realize that somebody was going to get killed?
MISSKELLEY: After I seen Jason cut that one on his left side of his face. I didn't know he's going to get killed until I saw him get on top of - one of them boys and cut him completely.
STIDHAM: What do you mean cut him completely.
MISSKELLEY: He cut his penis off and -
STIDHAM: Is that the first time you realized -?
(Page 50)
MISSKELLEY: That's when I realized that, you know, they're going kill these boys.
STIDHAM: And what did you do?
MISSKELLEY: I just sit there.
STIDHAM: Was you holding the Moore boy while this was going on?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: What happened to him?
MISSKELLEY: Well, he - he - he was knocked out.
STIDHAM: Who knocked him out?
MISSKELLEY: I did, I was hitting him. Just hitting him, steady hitting him.
STIDHAM: Did he fall down and not get up?
MISSKELLEY: He just fell down and didn't get up. I just - I knew he wasn't dead, cause I, you know I went over there and touched him and he was still breathing.
STIDHAM: Okay. So, were the boys making any noise or saying anything?
MISSKELLEY: They - uh, we put a shirt in their mouth.
STIDHAM: Who did?
MISSKELLEY: Damien and Jason did, put their shirt in their mouth.
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: Then they took off their uh, their pants - Jason - Damien and them took off them little boys pants.
STIDHAM: How did they take them off?
(Page 51)
MISSKELLEY: Pulled them. Just pulled them completely off. They (Pause - knock on door).
STIDHAM: Hold on just a second. Okay.
MISSKELLEY: They didn't unsnap them or nothing. They just jerked.
STIDHAM: Pulled them from the legs? By their feet and pulled the legs off - the pants? Or did they -
MISSKELLEY: They was inside out. They pulled them from the top, just - just jerked them off.
STIDHAM: You sure?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Who did that?
MISSKELLEY: Damien.
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: Then he started getting on - uh, started playing with that little boy's penis.
STIDHAM: Which boy?
MISSKELLEY: I don't remember which one.
STIDHAM: It wasn't the Moore boy because -
MISSKELLEY: He was -
STIDHAM: Knocked out?
MISSKELLEY: Right.
STIDHAM: And was it the boy that got his face cut, the blond headed boy?
MISSKELLEY: I can't remember. I don't know which one, but I
(Page 52)
remember it was one of them boys that got his pants pulled completely pulled off from the top.
STIDHAM: Okay. Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: Then Damien started messing, you know, playing around with his penis and stuff.
STIDHAM: What do you mean playing around with it? Tell me exactly what happened.
MISSKELLEY: He put his hand over the top of it, on - you know, squeezing it, at it, squeezing it.
STIDHAM: Okay, was that the boy that got his penis cut off?
MISSKELLEY: No. I can't remember.
STIDHAM: Then what happened after that?
MISSKELLEY: Then Damien stuck - stuck his penis from - behind one of them little boys - I don’t remember which one - but he didn’t stick it all the way in, he just - just - he just stuck it in and pulled it out. That's it.
STIDHAM: He didn't actually - ?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: Raping?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: (inaudible), he just stuck his penis in there?
MISSKELLEY: He just stuck it up there and just pulled it out and that it - he stick it all the way in or nothing.
STIDHAM: How do you know that?
MISSKELLEY: I was sitting there.
(Page 53)
STIDHAM: You seen him do it?
MISSKELLEY: Right.
STIDHAM: Okay, then what happened.
MISSKELLEY: Then he, uh, he shot off on the pants and stuff.
STIDHAM: Who did?
MISSKELLEY: Damien.
STIDHAM: Why did he do that?
MISSKELLEY: To be sick.
STIDHAM: Shot off on the pants?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating) I don't know which one.
STIDHAM: What color were the pants? Was he masturbating, do you know what masturbating is?
MISSKELLEY: Yes. He -
STIDHAM: Jacking off?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Did he wipe himself with the pants or did he? -
MISSKELLEY: No. He wiped it off on the pants.
STIDHAM: What I'm saying, did he squirt it on the pants, or did he wipe himself off with their pants?
MISSKELLEY: He shot on the ground. Then he wiped it off with their pants.
STIDHAM: Okay. And you seen him do this?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: You don't know which boy's pants it was?
(Page 54)
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: What was the little boy doing while Damien was jacking off?
MISSKELLEY: Damien done beat him up.
STIDHAM: Was he dead or was he moving or?
MISSKELLEY: He - I'm going to say he was unconscious.
STIDHAM: Still alive?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah. He was just unconscious. I'm going to say he blacked out or something.
STIDHAM: Was that the blond headed boy?
MISSKELLEY: I don’t remember which one. To my knowledge, I'm going to say the one that got side of his left face, to my knowledge.
STIDHAM: Now, what was Jason doing while Damien was doing his jacking off stuff?
MISSKELLEY: Jason went to that one - to - one of them boys, started beating him up - just hitting him, and he cut off his, you know, penis and the whole work.
STIDHAM: Tell me about that. Tell me what happened. You seen it, right?
MISSKELLEY: Right, Jason got on top of him and started hitting on him. That little boy was squirming, and then Jason stuck the - I’m going to say he stuck his hand over- you know a shirt and then covered his hand over his mouth over the shirt, and he just started kept on hitting him and that boy didn't move no more,
(Page 55)
and Jason was - -
STIDHAM: Did Jason take off his pants?
MISSKELLEY: I didn't see him.
STIDHAM: But you did see him cut the boy's penis off?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah.
STIDHAM: Tell me how it happened. What did you see?
MISSKELLEY: I just seen Jason on top of him and that little boy was still squirming, and next thing I know I just saw a hand come flying like this, that's all.
STIDHAM: Did he do anything else after he cut it off?
MISSKELLEY: He slung something. I don’t know if it was a knife or that little boy's penis or what.
STIDHAM: Where was the little boy laying when this happened? On the bank of the creek? Or was he in the water when this happened? Or up on the service road?
MISSKELLEY: No he wasn't laying in the water, he was laying on the bank by the water, he wasn't laying in no water.
STIDHAM: Blood went everywhere? Is that what you told the officers?
MISSKELLEY: That's what I told them, but I just seen blood, you know.
STIDHAM: Where did he throw it?
MISSKELLEY: I don't know, I just seen him sling his hand. I don't know if it was the knife or - that boy's penis -
STIDHAM: What did they do with the blood?
(Page 56)
MISSKELLEY: Wiped if off in, you know, in water and stuff, real good.
STIDHAM: Did Jason have blood on him?
MISSKELLEY: I imagine so.
STIDHAM: This is where I want to be real particular.
MISSKELLEY: I - I - I'm not saying he was and I'm not saying he didn’t, I'm, you know, I don’t know.
STIDHAM: You say Damien was squeezing -
MISSKELLEY: One of them, I don't know - remember which one it was.
STIDHAM: The blond headed boy, was he the one that got cut on his face, you think?
MISSKELLEY: To my knowledge, I don’t know.
STIDHAM: That'd makes sense if you'd knocked the Moore boy out, Jason was cutting Byer's penis, that means Damien had to have been jacking off and squeezing the other boy's penis. That would be the blond headed boy, right?
MISSKELLEY: To my knowledge. I don't know.
STIDHAM: Okay. What happened after Jason cut this boy's penis off?
MISSKELLEY: Then I seen him sling his hand. I don't know if he slung the knife, or, one of the boy's penis.
STIDHAM: What was Damien and Jason saying while this was going on?
MISSKELLEY: They was just telling them to shut-up and get
(Page 57)
quiet
STIDHAM: Did Jason say why he did this?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: Did he do it -
MISSKELLEY: I ain't talked to Jason, you know, after -
STIDHAM: Did Jason say anything while he was doing it, about why he did it?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: What were you thinking while this was going on?
MISSKELLEY: That's when I stopped. When I seen Jason get on top of that boy and sling his arm like that. That's when I stopped everything. That's when I stopped.
STIDHAM: Well, what did you do?
MISSKELLEY: I just sit there. I didn't - I didn't - I didn't, I just sit there. And then I was going to see what they was going to do with them. Then they tied them - tied their hands - right hand to their right ankle, and their left hand to their left ankle.
STIDHAM: What did they tie them with?
MISSKELLEY: Shoe string.
STIDHAM: Why did you tell the officers it was a brown rope?
MISSKELLEY: I made it up.
STIDHAM: Why?
MISSKELLEY: (silent)
STIDHAM: You don't know why?
(Page 58)
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Did you help them tie them up?
MISSKELLEY: Nope.
STIDHAM: When did you leave?
MISSKELLEY: After they done tied them up.
STIDHAM: Jason do anything with the boy after he cut his penis off?
MISSKELLEY: Not that I seen, he - he didn't. I didn't see him.
STIDHAM: Did you see him or Damien drinking blood or do anything stupid?
MISSKELLEY: No, not, no, no, huh-uh. (Negatively indicating) No.
STIDHAM: So what did they do after they did this?
MISSKELLEY: After they done it, you know, they tied them up, tied them up and put them in the water.
STIDHAM: How come Jason didn't tell you what else he (inaudible)?
MISSKELLEY: That was the only boy he had - he had - Damien had the other one and I had the one that ran - that run.
STIDHAM: Well, okay, so they didn’t bother the Moore boy? The one you knocked out?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. (Negatively indicating)
STIDHAM: What'd they do to then?
MISSKELLEY: I didn't see them do nothing.
STIDHAM: Tell me everything that happened from the time Jason
(Page 59)
cut that boy's penis off.
MISSKELLEY: Then he said he wanted to come over to where I was at, you know, mess with that boy. I told him, no, I done seen enough.
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: Then he went ever there towards - with Damien - that's before that boy get his face cut. Then he went over there with Damien and cut that boy’s face on the left side.
STIDHAM: You told me before that that happened before?
MISSKELLEY: I mean, after - he didn’t cut him - he, you know, scratched him, then he went back. And then sliced him. I'm going to say slice.
STIDHAM: Why did Damien jack off?
MISSKELLEY: I don't know.
STIDHAM: You ever seen him do that before?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: You ever seen him and Damien, uh, him and Jason have sex with each other?
MISSKELLEY: I hadn't ever seen it.
STIDHAM: Did Damien ever suck on that boy's penis?
MISSKELLEY: (long pause) That - the one that he was going to get, you know, screw him from behind. He went on him - he went down on him.
STIDHAM: Damien sucked that little boy's penis?
MISSKELLEY: He didn’t suck on it, he bit it.
(Page 60)
STIDHAM: What do you mean he bit it?
MISSKELLEY: Bit the top - the head of it.
STIDHAM: How do you know he did it?
MISSKELLEY: Not hard, but - I'm - I'm going to say he didn't do it hard.
STIDHAM: How do you know that's what he did?
MISSKELLEY: I seen him - I seen his head going down that way. I don't know, you know, I don't know if he - I don't know if he did or not, but I seen his head go between that boy's legs.
STIDHAM: What's this stuff with the ears that Detective Gitchell was talking about?
MISSKELLEY: The ears?
STIDHAM: Yeah.
MISSKELLEY: I don't remember nobody biting one of them boys on the ears. I don't remember.
STIDHAM: Did you see Damien or Jason actually stick their penis in one of the little boys‘ butts?
MISSKELLEY: Going to it. I don't know if they stuck it in all the way or what, but I seen them, you know, as far as I couldn't see no more.
STIDHAM: Did Damien ever get his penis inside the little boy?
MISSKELLEY: I couldn't say.
STIDHAM: You just don't know?
MISSKELLEY: I just don't know, period.
STIDHAM: Did Jason ever do that to any little boy?
(Page 61)
MISSKELLEY: Not that I seen, he didn’t.
STIDHAM: After Jason cuts this little boy’s penis off and after Damien jacks off and wipes himself with the boys pants, then what happens?
MISSKELLEY: I remember how he grab - Damien grabbed that boy by the ears. I don't remember which one. But when he was, when he was going to get up the butt, he grabbed him by the ears from behind. He grabbed him by the ears.
STIDHAM: Why did he do that?
MISSKELLEY: I don't know.
STIDHAM: Did either of the boys put their mouths on Damien or Jason's penis?
MISSKELLEY: Not that I seen, no.
STIDHAM: Okay. So what happened after, uh, what did Jason say after he cut this boy's penis off, did he say anything?
MISSKELLEY: Now he said he wanted to do the other one. The one I was beating up on.
STIDHAM: What happened?
MISSKELLEY: I told him, "no." I done seen enough and I wasn’t going to let him do that one.
STIDHAM: Weren't you afraid he was going to stab you or something?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah, I was afraid, but, you know, I been stabbed before but, I wasn’t going to let him bother me.
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
(Page 62)
MISSKELLEY: After they done tied them up. You know, I - I - I, you know, I wiped my footprints with a stick, you know, like a zigzag, covering up my footprints and everything. And the blood, they wiped them on, you know, like in the water, make sure all the blood was off the water - make sure the blood was off the leaves and stuff.
STIDHAM: How'd they do that?
MISSKELLEY: Rubbed together, or get their finger and just wipe if off real good. And just wipe that off.
STIDHAM: Anybody have a water hose or anything?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: Buckets of water or anything?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh, (Negatively indicating) by the ditch deal.
STIDHAM: Then how did they get the water up on the bank?
MISSKELLEY: How?
STIDHAM: Splashing it with their hands?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Is that what you're doing?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah.
STIDHAM: How close to the water was Jason and the little boy when he takes his pants off?
MISSKELLEY: To my knowledge I'm going to say he was pretty (inaudible) enough to splash water out, to splash water, that's how close I’m going to say it was. To my knowledge.
STIDHAM: Okay, Jessie, I'm going to show you a diagram of the
(Page 63)
crime scene that was drawn by one of the officers. Get your green marker again for me and see if you recognize any of this stuff. Okay. Can you tell that's the Blue Beacon Truck Wash?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah.
STIDHAM: Okay. Do you know where the bridge is you're talking about?
MISSKELLEY: The bridge?
STIDHAM: Uh-huh, the service road y'all walked down?
MISSKELLEY: Wheat field. Wheat field...
STIDHAM: So here’s Blue Beacon. Seventy-six.
MISSKELLEY: Okay. Seventy-six. I - I - I -
STIDHAM: Here's the service road.
MISSKELLEY: That don't look right. This don't look right.
STIDHAM: What doesn’t look right about it?
MISSKELLEY: To my knowledge it don't look right.
STIDHAM: Where is the trail on the bridge that ya’ll walked down from the service road?
MISSKELLEY: The wheat field between Blue Beacon and by the bridge - where the - where it happened at - the wooded area - there's a bridge and there's a - a field - right there. This don't look right.
STIDHAM: What if I were to tell you that this is right. This is the way it is out there.
MISSKELLEY: I - I can't remember. That's, you know, that's my first time ever been out there. And I never paid attention
(Page 64)
about what’s on Blue Beacon.
STIDHAM: Well make a green mark where the bridge is or whatever else. Make a green mark.
MISSKELLEY: The water was - all out back out that way.
STIDHAM: Underneath the interstate, you mean?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah, go back there?
(Knock at door) Yes. Sure.
STIDHAM: It's 4:58. Okay, Jessie, it's 4:59 p.m. on February 8th. Let's go back to this diagram here. You got your green pen? Show me where you guys were sitting when the boys came up?
MISSKELLEY: To my knowledge, (pause) sitting about right there.
STIDHAM: Where’s this pipe you were talking about, then?
MISSKELLEY: Pipe?
STIDHAM: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating) Said you were sitting at a pipe drinking.
MISSKELLEY: By a pipe, to my knowledge, I say by a pipe. There's the pipe.
STIDHAM: ls that where ya'll were sitting when the boys came up?
MISSKELLEY: It was close by a pipe. So, from there to there.
STIDHAM: Show me where Jason was at when he cut that little boy.
MISSKELLEY: Ooh.
STIDHAM: Well, first of all show me where they threw the bodies in. This here is a bayou, and this here is a little creek that
(Page 65)
goes from the service road down. Where were ya’ll at?
MISSKELLEY: Somewhere close right in here.
STIDHAM: Is that where the bodies were thrown in?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, to my knowledge it was.
STIDHAM: Okay, so where did the boys come up on their bikes?
MISSKELLEY: Where they come up at? Right here. That's that thing they drove over, I guess. I don't know. Could be both.
STIDHAM: So, where were the boys thrown in the water at?
MISSKELLEY: Somewhere along in here. I can't remember. It's been a while.
STIDHAM: Were they in the big creek or in the little creek?
MISSKELLEY: It was deep. That's all I know. That's all I can remember - deep water.
STIDHAM: What did they do with the little boys' clothes?
MISSKELLEY: What did they do with their clothes?
STIDHAM: Uh-huh. First of all, how did Moore get his clothes off?
MISSKELLEY: Jason did (inaudible)
STIDHAM: That's the one that you wouldn't let Jason cut?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: How did he get his clothes off? Who took his clothes off?
MISSKELLEY: I let Jason.
STIDHAM: What did Jason do with him after he took his clothes off?
(Page 66)
MISSKELLEY: He laid them down beside him. Beside the boy.
STIDHAM: Laid his clothes beside the boy?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affitmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: To my knowledge, what I seen. It was hitting.
STIDHAM: Hitting the boy?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affitmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: And then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: He stuck his finger up the boy’s butt.
STIDHAM: Up the Moore boy's butt, the Cub Scout?
MISSKELLEY: I guess that's him.
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
MISSKELLEY: That's about it. The boy was unconscious.
STIDHAM: Then what happened after that?
MISSKELLEY: After they done throwed them in the water and Stuff, I - I didn't see what they done with their clothes, but when I seen them throw them in the water that's when I left.
STIDHAM: What time was it?
MISSKELLEY: I'm - I'm - I'm going to say about 7:30.
STIDHAM: I'm going to turn the tape -
>>>> THE COURT: Is that all of it?
>>>> THE WITNESS: That last one is the one at Joe Calvin's office.
>>>> THE COURT: Let's take a ten-minute recess.
(WHEREUPON, a recess was taken; proceedings resumed as follows,
(Page 67)
to-wit:)
>>>> MR. DAVIS: Judge, I guess for the record, we thought that that fourth section started a new state-ment that was taken on another date. Apparently, there was like eight or ten minutes left of this particular statement.
>>>> THE COURT: All right, this is the one of February 8th, at the penitentiary.
>>>> MR. DAVIS: Yes, sir.
>>>> THE COURT: All right, go ahead.
(WHEREUPON, the conclusion of the audio tape was played in open court as follows, to-wit:)
STIDHAM: So it was about 7:30 when you left?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: The woods there? Did you leave by yourself?
MISSKELLEY: I left by myself. Damien and Jason stayed there. I don't know what they done with the clothes.
STIDHAM: Okay. What did you do with the whiskey bottle?
MISSKELLEY: Well, after I'd done seen what Jason did to - I don't know which boy it was - but he cut his penis and everything, and I was still mad and I still had whiskey in my bottle. I walked down the street drinking whiskey, and all of a sudden I just busted it.
STIDHAM: Where'd you bust it at?
MISSKELLEY: On the overpass.
(Page 68)
STIDHAM: Which overpass?
MISSKELLEY: Going towards - came back that way.
STIDHAM: Did you walk over the top of the overpass?
MISSKELLEY: I went back the same way I came. Up - up under by Lakeshore - where I busted it was at Lakeshore, by the Lakeshore where - between Wal-Mart and Lakeshore, over that overpass. I busted it there.
STIDHAM: On top of the overpass?
MISSKELLEY: No. I was underneath walking. I didn't walk over it, I just walked underneath on the grass and stuff all the way through. And that's when I busted the bottle.
STIDHAM: Underneath it?
MISSKELLEY: Uh-huh. (Affirmatively indicating)
STIDHAM: Directly underneath it?
MISSKELLEY: I just threw it and hit the side.
STIDHAM: Which side? Do you remember?
MISSKELLEY: Which side? Like they was going - I mean the road was going towards -
STIDHAM: Did you throw up? You told the officers that you threw up.
MISSKELLEY: No, I got - I was dizzy.
STIDHAM: Okay, where did you go after you left the overpass where you busted the bottle?
MISSKELLEY: I walked straight home.
STIDHAM: Then what happened?
(Page 69)
MISSKELLEY: I got - went home, got something to eat, and went to - Johnny (inaudible) took me, and we went to Dyess.
STIDHAM: Everybody said you went wrestling about 7:30.
MISSKELLEY: That's about what time I got back. I - I - I don't know - I don't know for sure but -
STIDHAM: Was it dark yet?
MISSKELLEY: It was getting dark.
STIDHAM: When you got back or when you left the woods?
MISSKELLEY: After I left the woods. It was getting dark.
STIDHAM: What about this clubhouse thing. You said you seen a clubhouse with sides and a top?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah.
STIDHAM: Where was this at?
MISSKELLEY: It may not have been that place, I'm not for sure. It could have been somewhere else. I know where I got that clubhouse from.
STIDHAM: Where?
MISSKELLEY: Out in Highland.
STIDHAM: Was Aaron Hutchison there that day this happened?
MISSKELLEY: I didn't see him, no. He might have been, sort of, but I didn't see him.
STIDHAM: Have you ever had sex with Vickie Hutchison?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: Has Dennis Carter?
MISSKELLEY: I don't know.
(Page 70)
STIDHAM: She buy your booze all the time?
MISSKELLEY: If I ask her, yeah. I - I - I remember now where I got that clubhouse from. From Highland Trailer Park. That's where me and Bubba go to - go to the clubhouse, but it ain't got the sides on it no more.
STIDHAM: What happened at wrestling that night that makes you remember that you that you were at wrestling, or do you know?
MISSKELLEY: Hit my head. Bill. I guess that's his name, the ring was up to high and he threw me in there, and I hit my - I hit my head - close to the bottom of the ring.
STIDHAM: Did you ever talk to Buddy Lucas about what happened with those boys?
MISSKELLEY: No.
STIDHAM: Never?
MISSKELLEY: Huh-uh. I hadn't seen Buddy Lucas since I had my haircut. The day I got arrested that's the last time I seen Buddy Lucas.
STIDHAM: Jessie, what you're telling me is different, obviously, from what you've told me for the past several months, seven or eight months, through this trial. Now, you've been telling me all along that you didn't have nothing to do with this, that you weren't there. Is that correct?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Why did you tell me that?
MISSKELLEY: Cause you didn’t never tell me put my hand on no
(Page 71)
Bible.
STIDHAM: You've had your hand on the Bible all this whole time we've been sitting here taping this?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: You're holding it right now?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: The prosecutor wants you to testify against those other boys, what do you want to do?
MISSKELLEY: I - I - I really don't know.
STIDHAM: Do you want to think about it for a while?
MISSKELLEY: More than likely, yeah.
STIDHAM: Okay. We're not going to get in a big hurry, you want to think about this.
MISSKELLEY: I - I - I know, you know, I didn't cut none of them myself.
STIDHAM: Do you want to talk to your daddy before you make any decision?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah. But - but - when they threw them in the water that one was still moving - the one that was cut, his penis was completely cut off, he was moving cause I saw him.
STIDHAM: You sure?
MISSKELLEY: I'm positive.
STIDHAM: Did you see anybody on the way back while you were walking back home?
MISSKELLEY: I can’t remember.
(Page 72)
STIDHAM: and busted the bottle, did you talk to anybody?
MISSKELLEY: I didn't talk to nobody I couldn't remember.
STIDHAM: You walked to the Highland Trailer Park when you got back. Did you talk to anybody? Who was the first person you talked to?
MISSKELLEY: I can't remember that either.
STIDHAM: You remember Jim McNease talking to you and Dennis Carter about not being able to keep the gnats off your ass?
MISSKELLEY: It wasn’t that day.
STIDHAM: Wasn't that day?
MISSKELLEY: No. Dennis Carter don’t know walk that end toward Jim McNease, not unless I'm with him.
STIDHAM: Okay. Do you remember talking to Louis Hoggard that day?
MISSKELLEY: Yeah. I couldn't - I couldn't hear him, and then Susie said, Louis is talking to you. And I said, what, and he told me that, what happened. And I told him that Connie slapped Colton.
STIDHAM: Think what this older guy's name is in the trailer park.
MISSKELLEY: What trailer park?
STIDHAM: Lakeshore Trailer Park, that's in your cult.
MISSKELLEY: I - I can't remember his name. I know he looks just like Damien, you know if he shaved he looks just like Damien.
(Page 73)
STIDHAM: Do you know what kind of car he drives, where he works?
MISSKELLEY: I - I don't even know -
STIDHAM: Did you know what trailer he lived in?
MISSKELLEY: No I do not. All I know he lives out in Lakeshore somewhere.
STIDHAM: Okay, here's what I want you to do. I want you to go back to your cell. I don't want you to talk to anybody about this.
MISSKELLEY: No, I’ll not talk to nobody.
STIDHAM: Nobody. And I'm going to talk to your father and I'm going to talk to the prosecutors and we're going to take it pretty slow here. Okay?
MISSKELLEY: When can I talk to my dad?
STIDHAM: As soon as I can talk to him then I’ll let you talk to him. Okay? But you do not talk to anybody. Do you understand me?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: It's February 8th, it's 5:11 p.m. We're going to conclude this tape. Do you understand that I was taping this, Jessie?
MISSKELLEY: Yes, sir.
STIDHAM: Okay.
(WHEREUPON, the audio tape was concluded; proceedings resumed as follows, to-wit:)
