I should NOT be listening to Christmas music this early. Damn you, Tori Amos! ;)

New Eyewitnesses: 3 Boys Last Seen Alive With Terry Hobbs

October 12, 2009

Three eyewitnesses have come forward and provided sworn statements that they saw Steven Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore with Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of Steven Branch, at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5, 1993, immediately before the time the boys disappeared. Hobbs was calling loudly at the children and ordering them to return to his house. The new evidence establishes that the last person who had custody of the three boys before they vanished and died was Terry Hobbs. Jamie Clark Ballard, who lived only three doors down from Terry and Pam Hobbs, has supplied a sworn affidavit, as have both her mother and her sister.

Based upon this new evidence, a motion on behalf of Damien Echols was delivered today to the Arkansas Supreme Court asking the court to order the matter to the Circuit Court to permit further factual development of Echols’s claims of actual innocence.

Ballard states in her sworn affidavit that, “Between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., I saw Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers playing in my backyard. I am absolutely, completely and totally positive that I saw Terry Hobbs hollering at Stevie, Michael and Christopher to get back down to the Hobbs house at approximately 6:30 pm. If Terry Hobbs said he did not see Stevie Branch, Michael Moore or Christopher Byers on May 5, 1993, he is not telling the truth. I know for a fact that Terry Hobbs saw, was with and spoke to Stevie, Michael or Christopher on May 5, 1993.”

Hobbs has repeatedly said that he never saw the three boys the day they were murdered. In fact, during a recent civil deposition of Terry Hobbs, dated July 21, 2009, Hobbs stated, for the first time under oath, that he never saw his stepson, Steven Branch, at any time on May 5, 1993. Under oath he was asked, “It’s your testimony that you did not see Stevie Branch at all the day of May 5th of 1993. Correct?” Hobbs answer: “Correct.” “Did you see Stevie at all that day, May 5th?” Answer: “No, I did not.” “Did you see any of the three boys that day?” Answer: “No, I did not. No I never seen Stevie that day.”

Police never questioned Terry Hobbs during the original investigation of the crimes, but after new evidence was revealed that his DNA was found at the crime scene in 2007, he was questioned by West Memphis Police Department on June 21, 2007. In that interview he stated numerous times to Detective Mitchell that he did not see the boys at any time that day. Officer Mitchell asked Terry Hobbs about what time he got home from work, and he responds roughly about 3-3:30 p.m. He was then asked if he saw Stevie anywhere. His answer: “I did not, he wasn’t there.”

According to the motion prepared by Dennis Riordan and Don Horgan, Echols attorneys, “It has previously been established that Hobbs was never questioned by police during the original investigation of the crimes, despite the fact that the lead detective in the investigation of the murders has conceded that when a child homicide occurs, police should always consider the parents of the child as potential suspects, and that it is “statistically proven that homicide victims are usually the result of family, close friends, [and] known acquaintances” DNA evidence submitted to the Circuit Court in the § 16‑112‑201 proceedings below links Hobbs to the ligature used to bind Michael Moore. A hair linked by DNA testing to David Jacoby, whom Hobbs had visited in the hour before the boys disappeared, was found at the crime scene. Hobbs, moreover, has been accused of assaultive conduct in the past. He has made bizarre and self-incriminating statements concerning his activities on the date the boys went missing. His whereabouts during a key early evening time period on May 5th have never been accounted for. Certain family members recalled that he had acted suspiciously on the date of the disappearance and the days that followed. His wife and other family members have voiced their belief that Hobbs was responsible for the killings.

“Considered in the context of all available evidence in these matters, the new revelations that Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of Steven Branch, had Steven, Christopher, and Michael in his custody just before their disappearance and death, and that Hobbs has deliberately denied and concealed that critical fact, cannot reasonably be reconciled with the conclusion that appellants were responsible for the crimes of which they stand convicted.”

The eyewitnesses, who saw the boys in their backyard prior to returning to the Hobbs home, were never questioned by the police on the day of the murders. According to the affidavit of Jamie Clark Ballard, “Following the murders, the police never came to interview me or my family. In fact, after the murders, I do not recall ever seeing any police vehicles on my street or seeing any police interviewing any of the people in my neighborhood.”

Damien Echols case is currently under appeal in the Arkansas Supreme court seeking a new trial based upon new evidence. Dozens of pieces of evidence found at the crime scene conclusively show that no DNA from the murders matches Echols or the other two men. DNA testing, however, links Terry Hobbs, stepfather of one of the murdered children, to the crime scene, and other evidence has emerged implicating him in the crimes. In addition, scientific evidence from the nation’s leading forensics experts demonstrates that most of the wounds on the victims were caused by animals at the crime scene, after their deaths – not by knives used by the perpetrators, as the prosecution claimed and was the centerpiece of the prosecution’s case. Moreover, evidence presented that a knife recovered from a lake near one defendant’s home caused the wounds was completely discredited by the pathologists.

Echols’s also informed the Supreme Court that a prominent Arkansas attorney in a sworn affidavit has revealed improper conversations that the jury foreman held with the attorney while the original trial was in progress, clearly violating the law and the rights of Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin to a fair and impartial trial. In those conversations, the jury foreman indicates that he had prejudged Echols’s guilt and was trying to convince other jurors to convict based upon news reports of the false confession of Jessie Misskelley, which was barred from admission at the Echols-Baldwin trial. During one conversation, the jury foreman told the attorney that the prosecution had presented a weak case, and that the prosecution had better present something powerful the next day (the end of the prosecution’s case) or it would be up to him to secure a conviction.

Emphasis mine.

So, I failed to make my goal by like five pounds. UGH. I was so close and then things kind of fell apart, cause let's talk about how I can't bake without licking the spoon. Anyway, not focusing on negative. Instead, new goals!!

Thanksgiving: 140.

Christmas: 135.

I figure with the epic Thanksgiving I've got planned (no way I'm paying what I'm paying at Tavern on the Green and NOT going crazy!) , plus that being about the last five pounds I'm shooting for, it probably will take me all month to lose five pounds. Right now, after a spectacular cheat day...I'm back down to 150. It took me most of the week to get to that. I don't even want to talk about the Halloween party. LOL!

I think 135 is a good goal to shoot for. At this point, being 150... .ithas been my goal for, I dunno, about TEN YEARS. I feel like a re-evaluation is justified. I always thought 150 would be a good spot, but that was when I weighed 190. I've accomplished SO much, but I feel like I'm still carrying extra weight around. With the activities that I do, and the joint problems I have, the less extra weight I have on me, the better off I'll be.

So...re-dedication! Back on track! I know I can do it, if I just stay focused and don't get distracted by cookies. Or cake. :) Also, I need to STAY hydrated and rein in the portions.

My fitness plan for the forseeable future:

Monday : Gym: cardio / Yoga.
Tuesday: Gym: cardio, complexes, working up to doing all 6 sets with weight / Kali (and possibly training in the morning if we can work that out. :)
Wednesday: Gym: cardio, focus on isolation for joint issues
Thursday: Gym: cardio, heavy lifts / Kali
Friday: Training
Saturday: Training / 20 min run, working up to making that a solid run week by week, right now its 2 min run / 1 min walk. Next week 3 min/1min, week after 3 min/30sec.
Sunday: OFF!!

ETA: Right after I wrote this Baby Got Back came on random on the Camping playlist. LULZ.

So I went back to Yoga last night, because I haven't been in awhile and my hips/shoulders/knees/pinched nerve were kind of bugging me so I thought it would be a good time to give my body a good stretch.

It was fanTAStic.

Not only do I feel amazing today, it was SO much easier than it used to be.

I used to gut out every vinyasa and god forbid she asked us to do more than one plank-to-low-pushup in a row.

No, seriously, I busted right through them like it was NOTHING. All those pushups we've been doing in training are SO good for me! My back never even hurt once during the entire session.

My ribs hurt a bit, my neck muscles hurt, but the rest of me feels FANTASTIC.

I think I'm going to start going back on Monday nights semi-regularly until we get a normal training schedule again. :)

( One more... )

I've had a lovely time so far in New Mexico. I installed some computer stuff, worked on my mom's network card which is kind of sucking right now, and installed and configured her Tivo (I KNOW! My mom's in the 21st century!).

I also made pumpkin and butternut squash soup from scratch. And watched the sun rise over the mountains. And saw Where the Wild Things Are (AND LOVED IT!) And pushed my run up to 15 minutes. Also, last night sat down to watch the original 1958 version of The Fly with my mom. She watched it when she was a kid, and can't remember a single dream after. Of course now, having seen how awfully fake his fly face was, she wasn't afraid. She said the worst part was the woman's scream.

Oh, and I went out to the same little Asian place with Jenn for drinks on Saturday and Sunday. ;) Its so good to see her!

Today, I'm off to the Golds in Rio Rancho to get a workout in while my Mom is getting her hair done. And then we're going shopping!

Hope you're all having a great day!

I'm still working my way through an AMAZING number of photos, but I wanted to get some of these out there so the bride and groom as well as other people to see!



( More... )

Congrats again to the happy couple! There are tons more where these came from, stay tuned!

Full Gallery ° Slideshow

People have been asking more and more for some advice on how to get healthy and get in shape, so I'm posting a few pieces of advice. Take them for what you will, I'm definitely not an expert in the field, nor do I have any degrees or training.

What I have is personal experience. I read a similar post to this that my martial arts trainer wrote a year ago or so, and many of the things he said made sense, and I can't really argue with those concepts especially when I look where I am now.

I'm sure that people can argue about things, and often do, but all I'm saying is this is what works for me. And again, I'm not a professional. I'm just a girl who lost some weight.

All of my advice is not the same, but I bet if I go search back through smjayman's old posts after I'm done writing this, there will be remarkable similarities.

Anyhow, my advice, if you want it. If you don't, skip it. Exercise your mouse scroll wheel. ;)

( Diet )

( Cardio )

( Cardio that sucks )

( Running )

( Lifting )

( Routine )

( Sooper Seekrit Trick For the Ladies )

( Conclusions )

PS. Boys kick ass too. It just doesn't say so in the icon. ;)

Thugs attack two transvestites... who turn out to be cage fighters wearing fancy dress

Hahahaha, you never know what you're gonna get when you attack someone.

Hopefully the answer is: "your ass beat." ;)

Shot dulcevox and shadowbody's wedding on Saturday. It was absolutely gorgeous. I had a really good time, they're such good people. I love seeing good people happy. It really makes my life, and makes every bit of work I do on wedding days worth it. Now, all the post processing.... haha kidding. ;)

It was really wonderful!

I seriously took almost three thousand photos. Wow!

After the wedding was all said and done, Jay and I went to see Zombieland, which I found to be hysterical and fantastic. Although apparently, there's something at the end of the credits, and damn if we didn't miss it. :(

Yesterday, I spent the entire day re-doing my upstairs. I put my new platform guest bed together, because one miss deliriumdreams and her lovely daughter will need to sleep on it come Halloween time! I had a four poster in the guest room, and anyone who has visited me and had cause to sleep in my guest room can tell you that it TOOK UP THE WHOLE ROOM.

The platform bed is the same size, but lower to the ground and way less dominating. I totally love it. Plus it has drawers. :D

I also put together the new sofabed/futon thing I got (in black, not grey as the link would suggest) in the former gym, because I actually use the GYM as a gym now. ;)

Therefore, I now have sleeping capacity for four guests! Hurray! Just in time for Halloween!

Things I didn't get done this weekend:

Costume alteration.
Halloween Decoration.
Starting a weekly swimming routine (although I did manage to get over to Dick's to buy a fitness swimsuit and cap and goggles, so... baby steps)


So, because of my trip to NM coming up, and because I have so little time to do, I don't know ANYTHING to get ready for the Halloween party, I officially killed my trip to Sleepy Hollow this weekend.

I just can't see doing it. I feel stretched so thin and I'm so stressed out all the time, I really could use some time to unwind, for real.

I'm bummed, but more than anything, I'm relieved.


Now, off to work on photos! And work! and whatever else comes my way today!

LOL! Love ya, RPattz, but no. Just no. You can't replace Johnny. Neither can James Franco or Ryan Gosling. Johnny Depp To Be Replaced In Pirates Franchise?!

---

Also, WOLFMAN trailer!

---

I still haven't seen Inglorious Basterds. WTF is wrong with me?!?

Oh, right. Its my copious amount of spare time.

Brussels was absolutely amazing. We really only had one day there, but we managed to do a lot. We:

-Got up early and had breakfast in the Grande Plaza.
-Walked around to see the little statue of the peeing boy (which is apparently THE MOST POPULAR thing to see in Brussels (wut?)
-Went to a comic book store where I purchased 1) Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone, 2) The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and 3) Sandman: The Dolls House all in French.
-Went to the Beer Museum (where your 6 euro entrance fee buys you a seat for the movie and a cherry lambic and that's about it.
-Ate a Belgian waffle covered in bananas and chocolate syrup for lunch.
-Drank beer made by monks with some locals, who were friend's of Kate's traveling companion, Andrea.
-Got to see a large part of the city with said locals, who's names were Kevin and Crystal.
-Had raspberry beer in a bar that looked like it was decorated in early 1920 and probably was.
-Had peach beer out of a skull in a Vampire themed bar called The Coffin, which had coffins for tables. Hee. Coffin table.
-Went into a crazy shoe store or three. Almost bought some New Rocks and then remembered how much they cost.
-Shopped for chocolate in a mall that wasn't a mall and felt more like a cathedral.
-Had honey beer in the Delirium Tremens pub off of Butcher Street.
-Had grilled sole for dinner on Butcher Street. It was delicious!
-Drank Absinthe with Kate and Andrea after packing my bags for the last time.

( Photo from the Vampire Pub: )

It was a phenomenal weekend/day/whatever. I miss Kate so so much, and we've got several trips that we're looking into on the horizon, and I can't wait to see her again!!


The flight back from Brussels was uneventful and long, and we landed and then I got to go have Sushi dinner with Jessi who was still in town from Caps Con. Bonus!

I forced myself to stay up until 9 PM and then I crashed.

And woke up at 2:45.

And couldn't go back to sleep until 4 AM.



My first day back at work was a haze.

My first day back at training included the ever awesome thewronghands teaching us how to roll like Ninjas. It didn't even matter that I was hazed or tired, I had a fantastic time.


The good news is I only gained one single pound on vacation, and I've already lost it. We've started a new weight loss challenge, and I'm trying to get to 147 by Oct 15th, and 145 by Oct 24th. I'm 153 today, so I think I'm capable. Especially after having been on vacation, I don't feel like I've been depriving myself. In fact, I feel like its probably necessary to deprive myself for awhile, because I feel like I've been going a bit crazy with the cheating, and I feel guilty about my lack of exercise. So, no time like the present!

145 here I come!

Get yours today, girls!!

HAHAHAHAHA!

Packing up the car and driving back to London, for our flight to Brussels. Oktoberfest, here we come!!!

Internet availability is unknown, so expect my communications to continue in the form of picture messages ;)

This morning I woke up early and put myself through the PT session that we usually go through at the beginning of training, because I don't want to come back completely out of shape. I managed to do a fine job of it, except for being incapable of jumping rope in sneakers on carpet. I may as well have not brought my jump rope, cause I ended up having to do fake jump rope, lol!

I'll probably be feeling the walking lunges tomorrow, but the rest of it felt fine. My hip is surviving despite the fact that I went for a short jog around the castle (mostly uphill) on Wednesday, plus all the walking I've been doing. That is heartening. :)

Anyhow, we got out of the castle by 9:15 and hit the coffee shop and the train station in plenty of time. We got a nice seat and sat and watched the countryside go by for a couple of stations before it all sort of became the same. So I busted out my kindle and finished reading HP1. Which was fun to do on a train across Britain. :)

We arrived in Cardiff and went to the castle after a bit of debate and also another coffee.

( More... )

Now that I've been to Hogwarts and Torchwood HQ, I feel like I can leave England fulfilled. There are plenty of things left to do here, including spending way more time in London. However, I've had a fantastic time, and I'm excited to be packing up this lovely castle suite and driving back to London to fly to Brussels tomorrow. Oktoberfest, here we come!

Its a gorgeous fairy tale town, with a medieval wall surrounding the upper part, and loads of tiny little boutique stores, delicatessens, cheese shops, fruit shops and a big emphasis on local produce.

The castle is at the top of the hill, and we are staying in the self catering apartments inside the castle wall.

( More... )

Tomorrow, we're taking the train to Cardiff, because Mark doesn't want to deal with anymore narrow roads than we have to, and also I've never taken a train across Wales. I'm excited!

Although, I'm sad that Torchwood is obviously not filming right now. I'll find a way to entertain myself. Possibly by standing on the sidewalk in front of the Millennium Center. ;) And shopping. And visiting Cardiff Castle.

This morning I bailed on the morning workout, due to the fact that I was out of clean workout clothes (washed them, but they weren't dry yet) and also that I was exhausted. I didn't get to bed until almost 1 am last night, and so 930 seemed like a good time to get up, instead of 730.

Tomorrow I'm definitely working out though, because we've decided to stay in town all day. We have three days left in the country, one with nothing planned, one with a trip to Cardiff, and one where we have to drive to London before 5 pm to catch a flight to Brussels. We don't really care which day we go to Wales, so we decided to take a break from driving for a day and hang out tomorrow and see the castle and shop in town. I want a pair of gloves. And possibly a new pair of boots. ;)

Anyway, Mark is about DONE with the narrow windy roads of Jolly Old, so we're taking the long route to Cardiff on the Motorway. It will probably take a bit longer, but it'll be less stressful for him, and therefore less stressful for ME. ;)

Anyway, TODAY!

We went to HOGWARTS!!



Or, anyway, the interior corridors of Hogwarts. Which is good enough for me. ;)

(PS, that photo makes it look a bit like Myrtle has flooded the 2nd floor bathroom again, doesn't it? I assure you, it wasn't even wet. Weird.)

( More... )

So yeah, tomorrow, we are hanging in Ludlow. Nice chill day full of walking and castles and shopping and hopefully some good food. The Thai food we had tonight was spectacular.

Goodnight!