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Friday, May 7 Children are slain; bodies mutilated Three found in West Memphis ditch. Reports that the bodies of three 8-year-old boys were found Thursday in a water-filled ditch near Interstate 40. WM Police Inspector Gary Gitchell comments that the boys had been slain. Its a homicide, not an accident.

Says a report broadcast was made on police frequencies by West Memphis police [NOTE: Scanners are popular in this area. Its not uncommon for people to listen on police channels on their scanners for entertainment and news.] said the boys hands had been tied behind their back and their genitals removed with a sharp instrument (quotes, but doesnt say who theyre quoting.) Gitchell made a statement that the report was inaccurate, but would not say which aspect of the report was in error.

Police had no suspects Thursday evening. Hale, Country coroner, says bodies had been sent to state medical examiners office, and declined comment.

Names the three boys, and says they were reported missing Wednesday afternoon. Bodies were found around 1:30 pm Thursday. Last seen riding bicycles. Reports the ditch was drained and bodies retrieved at 4:00 pm. Police were searching ditch for additional evidence and a culvert where bicycle tracks and small sneaker prints were found.

Describes ditch as being near interstate 40 near a truck wash. and a few hundred yards north of where children were last seen, and less than a half-mile from childrens homes.

Monday, May 10 - Officers are busy tracking down tips in slaying of three investigator cites promising leads. Front page

Describes plainclothed police conducting interviews and bring in evidence. Recaps names, bodies being found.

Gitchell says all 12 investigators of the 70 person department are working on the case, and that some promising leads have been found, though some havent panned out.

Gitchell comments on a specialist, Dr. L. D. Hunt of Memphis, who had released his opinion that the killer was known by the victims. [see following]. Gitchell declined to dispute or support the theory, saying That person has his opinion based on what he has read or seen on television. He is not here at the crime scene. Notes that FBI is preparing a profile, but it hasnt been completed yet.

Holy Cross Episcopal Church (Moores attended) priest, Rev. Fred Tinsley is reported as saying in his sermon Sunday that the slayings were the incarnation and manifestation of evil.

Tinsley: Were not dealing with the garden variety of sin here. Anyone who would do something like this is not like you or me. Theyve reached the point that they refuse to recognize that anything wrong was done.

Reports on Moore familys grief during sermon.

Specialist says killer was known Little Rock (AP) in box within above article.
A psychologist familiar with criminal cases says the killer was known by at least one of the boys. Notes that Dr. L.D. Hunt of Memphis had not been to crime scene or talked to police, but says killer is someone familiar with town and someone who has not killed before.

Quotes Hunt as saying This is not the crime of a mad genius. This is a much, much lower-level kind of person. I would expect he has a marginal job. And I would expect when he is apprehended nobody will be surprised it was him. Hunt sees a basic personality pattern from the information released through the public media. He says its basically A young white male, in all probability in his late teens and early twenties. and that that opinion was based on the FBI cases he has studied and criminal cases he has participated on. He says it was the killers first murder, because an experienced killer would have taken the bodies away and hidden them better. The killer is a person whose mental abilities are not that great and probably has a history of mental problems or a low IQ. While FBI and police are expanding their investigations across the country because of I-40 and I-55, Hunt says he doesnt think the killer is a drifter because the boys neighborhood is quiet and conspicuous and not the kind of place that attracts attention and that the killer is familiar with West Memphis and the boys neighborhood.

[NOTE: in this article, no explanation is given of who this guy is and why his opinion is being put on the front page. He hasnt visited the crime scene, talked to police, or even (it sounds) gained information on the boys family, and is pulling this profile together based of other cases hes familiar with. It doesnt even say which cases hes worked on, which if any clinic or professional agency that he works for, his qualifications, or anything that gives the reader any idea of the validity of his opinion. Yet many later pointed to this article as describing Damien.]