{"podcast":{"title":"Crooked Tree: A West Memphis 3 Podcast","slug":"crooked-tree-a-west-memphis-3-podcast-7844947","podcast_index_feed_id":7844947,"rss_url":"https://api.riverside.com/hosting/IrKJTEIs.rss","website_url":"https://x.com/CrookedTreePod?s=20","image_url":"https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/36cd24e0-6713-4048-af5f-e27cdd9cc588/logos/34a09a4c-2739-4603-9cf5-336ff84d4f8d.jpeg","author":"Paul Day and Kristin Rich","episode_count":20,"summary":"Welcome to this long-form podcast series on one of the most controversial and heavily debated true crime cases in American history: the West Memphis Three. In this series, Paul Day — victim advocate, evidence researcher, and longtime friend of the Byers family — teams up with Kristin Rich, a criminologist and victim advocate who has immersed herself in the case for years. Together, they embark on an in-depth journey that tells the story from the victims’ perspective. Focusing on the three eight-year-old boys — Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Stevie Branch — whose lives were tragically cut short on May 5, 1993, in West Memphis, Arkansas, Paul and Kristin draw on their extensive research, personal connections to the families, and deep knowledge of the victims’ personalities, family dynamics, and the West Memphis community. This series delivers fresh perspectives, previously undiscussed details, and thoughtful analysis that challenges surface-level narratives. Expect detailed timelines, evidence discussions, family insights, and open conversation as the hosts carefully unpack what happened that spring afternoon in 1993 — and why things were not as they first appeared. Whether y…","last_synced_at":"2026-09-09T02:17:33.235330+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/crooked-tree-a-west-memphis-3-podcast-7844947"},"episode":{"title":"Episode 2: Bike Tracks in Devil's Den","slug":"episode-2-bike-tracks-in-devil-s-den","published_at":"2026-05-12T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/crooked-tree-a-west-memphis-3-podcast-7844947/episode-2-bike-tracks-in-devil-s-den","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/crooked-tree-a-west-memphis-3-podcast-7844947","url":"https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/e12a4ad56562ac437636fba423515fcc506f302b1b461f01fcb59efeab2f1ecc/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI4ZDhiNmEwYi1jNjdkLTQyMjYtODk0ZC04ZGVjZTliMDU0YjYiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzNmNkMjRlMC02NzEzLTQwNDgtYWY1Zi1lMjdjZGQ5Y2M1ODgiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTJjZjcyNGNkZmZkMjBmNjI3OGUyYzQiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmEwMmFiM2Q1NmQ2Nzg1MzJlMjJjMWY0L3BhdWxzLXN0dWRpby1XcXFWcS1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTUtMTJfXzYtMjMtMjUubXAzIn0=.mp3","audio_url":"https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/e12a4ad56562ac437636fba423515fcc506f302b1b461f01fcb59efeab2f1ecc/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI4ZDhiNmEwYi1jNjdkLTQyMjYtODk0ZC04ZGVjZTliMDU0YjYiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzNmNkMjRlMC02NzEzLTQwNDgtYWY1Zi1lMjdjZGQ5Y2M1ODgiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTJjZjcyNGNkZmZkMjBmNjI3OGUyYzQiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmEwMmFiM2Q1NmQ2Nzg1MzJlMjJjMWY0L3BhdWxzLXN0dWRpby1XcXFWcS1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTUtMTJfXzYtMjMtMjUubXAzIn0=.mp3","summary":"In this gripping continuation of our deep-dive series on the 1993 West Memphis Three case, Paul Day and Kristin Rich meticulously reconstruct the critical hours after Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Stevie Branch vanished on May 5, 1993. Starting with Christopher’s well-documented movements, the episode follows the frantic searches by the Byers family as daylight fades. You’ll hear how a simple lie about Stevie’s address sent the family looking in the wrong direction, the police encounters that led to official missing persons reports, and the pivotal moment when Dana Moore revealed the boys were last seen riding bikes together. As night falls, the search intensifies. Local teens and parents converge on the wooded area locals called Robin Hood Hills—entering through the ominous “Devil’s Den.” Discover the sudden end of bicycle tracks in the mud, frightening sounds in the darkness (including splashes and a gunshot), the treacherous pipe bridge crossing under moonlight, and the mosquito-plagued search by Officer Regina Meek. This episode pieces together a precise, minute-by-minute timeline using police reports, witness accounts, and firsthand details—revealing how an ordinary spring evening spiraled into one of the most infamous missing children cases in American history. New to the series? Start with our previous episode for full context. A must-listen for true crime fans, West Memphis Three researchers, and anyone interested in police procedure, witness timelines, and the early hours of a haunting disappearance. New evidence and clarified details included.Available now on Spotify, YouTube & Apple Podcasts","meta_description":"In this gripping continuation of our deep-dive series on the 1993 West Memphis Three case, Paul Day and Kristin Rich meticulously reconstruct the critical…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2623,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/crooked-tree-a-west-memphis-3-podcast-7844947/episodes/episode-2-bike-tracks-in-devil-s-den/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/crooked-tree-a-west-memphis-3-podcast-7844947/episode-2-bike-tracks-in-devil-s-den.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}