{"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":"Q&A #2: Stevie’s Missing Hour, the Splashes & Other Listener Questions","slug":"q-a-2-stevie-s-missing-hour-the-splashes-other-listener-questions","published_at":"2026-07-07T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/crooked-tree-a-west-memphis-3-podcast-7844947/q-a-2-stevie-s-missing-hour-the-splashes-other-listener-questions","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/crooked-tree-a-west-memphis-3-podcast-7844947","url":"https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/b139abc96e33716a2a74d10a1a8411b709fed38d365b3b8e6449f6b78440fdd4/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJmOTE5ODM5MC0zZGU4LTRjNWItODYxMi1kMTk2YzZiYzM1YTYiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzNmNkMjRlMC02NzEzLTQwNDgtYWY1Zi1lMjdjZGQ5Y2M1ODgiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTJjZjcyNGNkZmZkMjBmNjI3OGUyYzQiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE0YjZlN2FmYWY3NzgwODExODViOTVhL3BhdWxzLXN0dWRpby1XcXFWcS1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTctNl9fMTAtNTktMzgubXAzIn0=.mp3","audio_url":"https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/b139abc96e33716a2a74d10a1a8411b709fed38d365b3b8e6449f6b78440fdd4/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJmOTE5ODM5MC0zZGU4LTRjNWItODYxMi1kMTk2YzZiYzM1YTYiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzNmNkMjRlMC02NzEzLTQwNDgtYWY1Zi1lMjdjZGQ5Y2M1ODgiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTJjZjcyNGNkZmZkMjBmNjI3OGUyYzQiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE0YjZlN2FmYWY3NzgwODExODViOTVhL3BhdWxzLXN0dWRpby1XcXFWcS1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTctNl9fMTAtNTktMzgubXAzIn0=.mp3","summary":"In this Q&A episode of Crooked Tree, Paul and Kristin tackle your thoughtful (and tough) questions about the West Memphis 3 case. They start with an important clarification on the scuff and tool marks found on the east bank of the crime scene and what those marks actually reveal about how the perpetrator(s) tried to exit the area. The conversation then dives into the iconic loud splashes heard by Ryan and the searchers in Devil’s Den, Stevie Branch’s mysterious whereabouts between 4 and 5 PM, Christopher Byers’ skateboard, the shoe prints and lone fingerprint at the scene, and much more. You’ll also hear discussion on registered sex offenders in the neighborhood, the rumor that Terry Hobbs was a confidential informant, updates on Detective Bryn Ridge, theories surrounding the Bojangles man, the other Jason Baldwin, LG Hollingsworth, the strength of the case without Misskelley’s confession, DNA and fiber evidence, knives connected to the case, and a thoughtful debate on the value and limitations of criminal profiling. As always, the hosts share their current thinking, correct earlier miscommunications, and give insight into how they’re approaching the evidence. Note: The second half of the episode contains spoilers for topics not yet covered in the main numbered episodes. Skip ahead or save it for later if you’re listening sequentially and want to stay spoiler-free. Join the conversation and submit your own questions in the Crooked Tree Facebook group. Thank you for listening and for being part of this journey for justice.","meta_description":"In this Q&A episode of Crooked Tree, Paul and Kristin tackle your thoughtful (and tough) questions about the West Memphis 3 case. They start with an i…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3242,"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/q-a-2-stevie-s-missing-hour-the-splashes-other-listener-questions/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/q-a-2-stevie-s-missing-hour-the-splashes-other-listener-questions.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}