Episode 17: God, the Devil, and Damien

<p>In the hours and days after the bodies of Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers are recovered, West Memphis investigators begin receiving tips steeped in the era’s widespread fears of satanic ritual abuse. A call from a Texas Child Protective Services worker about alleged ritualistic killings in Gilmer, TX sets an early tone. Lieutenant James Sudbury and juvenile officer Steve Jones quickly zero in on Damien Echols, interviewing the teenager at his family’s trailer on May 7 based on their shared belief that the crime shows “overtones of a cult sacrifice."<br /><br />By Mother’s Day, May 9, the focus intensifies. Drug Task Force officers follow up on rumors of devil worship at Lakeshore Trailer Park, interview Damien, his pregnant girlfriend Domini Teer, and best friend Jason Baldwin, and administer a pointed questionnaire crafted by Sudbury. A contemporaneous tip from neighbor Narlene Hollingsworth places Damien and Domini near the service road by the Blue Beacon looking dirty—directly contradicting their alibis—and draws in additional names from the local “cult cops,” Jerry Driver and Steve Jones.<br /><br />This episode traces how the occult theory rapidly takes root in the investigation, examines the content and context of those early interviews and questionnaires, and raises the questions still hanging over the case: What was the Covenant of the Divine Light? Who was LG Hollingsworth, and how was he connected? What really happened on the service road the night the boys disappeared? And how did Damien Echols move from alternative teenager to primary person of interest in less than 72 hours?</p>