Happy Easter!

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I hope a happy Easter was enjoyed by all.  Amanda attended Heartsong’s Easter service with me this morning and we were blessed to hear an uplifting message.  Heartsong also sponsored the Shoes for Souls program today and we joined the rest of the congregation in donating to a worthy cause.  Dinner and phone calls to my family rounded out the day.  Happy Easter!

In This Storm

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The years haven’t always been kind to me but they have shown me that there are a lot of really nice people in the world.  One of the things my dad told me when I was a young man was, “Terry Wayne, always try to help somebody out.  That’s what it’s all about.”   I haven’t always followed the path my dad taught me but he did teach me to help people, love them and be compassionate.  There are days that loving and showing compassion do not come easily.  Dark clouds hovering over obscure the sunlight causing me to hum,“I will praise you in this storm” and know that no matter where I am, God is always right there.
A few weeks ago my church, Heartsong, showed me their love during this time of uncertainty.  My pastor took a newspaper with my photo and held it up in front of the congregation.  He told them that the man in the photograph attended Heartsong and asked that the people rally around and show their love and support during this time of trial.  The church has always welcomed me with open arms but that day and every day since then, I have felt the love and compassion of the people as they wrap their arms around me physically and spiritually.  It has been an uplifting experience to know that I am not struggling though this alone.  The love and support of the church hasn’t stopped with me either, they have welcomed Amanda and shown her the same love when she attends. 
If the Heartsong congregation embody the love and compassion of God then there is only one alternative to describe the actions of the defense team.  I thank God daily for my church and for the path he has put me on in this walk of life.  I hope to encourage others who have had to struggle and let them know that they are not in this alone.
 The video above contains the lyrics and music by Casting Crowns. Enjoy it as it has helped me out more than once!  

Confessions

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I would like to say I stand beside the state’s decision. Now, it is time to move forward.  The unprofessional conduct of the defense team, the actions of the Arkansas Take Action group and and the FBI profiler, John Douglas have once again embarrassed themselves.  In addition, do not deny the monies being distributed from Hollywood filmmakers and the affect that the offer of money has on people and their moral principles.  It does not take many dollars to determine the depth of morality.  
Let’s not forget that the defense’s clients pled guilty to their crimes. That speaks for itself. 
I do have a confession. I confess to being tired of the finger-pointing, back-biting, and malicious gossip. Everyone is not “stuck on stupid” like a certain defense team and their clowns seem to be in this case.

Derailing the Gossip Train

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It has come to my attention that people are under the impression this site requires a paid membership in order to post comments. That is not true.  The comments and email have been disabled.  It is possible that the blog will be open for discussion at a later date.

This site does not profit me in anyway.  I am not paying anybody to maintain or monitor the site.  There are not any hidden membership sections, paid advertisements or wish lists– what you see is what you get. I reserve the right to change or alter the site as I see fit in the future.

If you have comments, and I’m sure many of you do, it is my understanding there are various forums on Facebook where you can voice your opinion. 

A Day at the Park

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The only people missing from a perfect day were Bryan’s boys and Stevie.  Amanda’s babies were here this weekend and we decided to have a cookout.   I was happy that both my children and Amanda’s were able to spend the day with me.  Pam heard we were all getting together and decided to come and spend the day with all of us.  Lots of laughter, fun, hamburgers and hotdogs filled our hearts and bellies as we played, ate and visited. 
 

I know that Pam and I have had our differences, but we will still care about one another.  We’ve both said things in anger and hurt.  Today, Pam sent me a text message and I wanted to share it and let others know that we both have faults and we both try to forgive.

 

The pictures were all in fun.  Pam is stabbing me with a fork.  The group photo has Amanda, her baby girl, myself, my son Bryan, Pam with Amanda’s son and two other children who were enjoying the day with us (whom we have blurred out for privacy reasons.

The day was beautiful and we enjoyed it like a regular family.  Nobody was fighting and there wasn’t any drama.  At the end of the day, I’m not sure who was more tired, us or the kids!



 

  

Amanda, myself and Pam talking about nonsense.








Pam and I goofing off. 

Pam’s text:  “Good morning.  Thank God it will be nice and quite 2day.  Thank u for your forgiving heart we know I have said stupid stuff mostly out of anger because I didn’t know sooner my baby didn’t come home.  Forgive me for the hurt my anger caused.  Have a great day!

I hope each of you enjoyed this beautiful Sunday as much as we did.Posted by Picasa

Dinner with Pam

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Friday evening Pam brought our grand babies down to stay with Amanda for the weekend.  It’s always good to spend time with the grand babies and Amanda will have them for us to visit with all weekend.  Since Pam was in town, the two of us went to dinner at Piccadilly’s in Memphis.  We enjoyed talking about the grand babies, how they were doing in school and about life in general.  We visited about 45 minutes before Pam had to head back home.

Reward or Buy-off

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It amazes me that the defense team persists in pursuing a closed case.  Posting billboards in the communities where my family live is reprehensible, especially when the billboards offer to buy my family and/or friends. This is harassment, pure and simple.  I’m tired of being continually blamed for a crime I did not commit in an effort to paint three convicted killers in a positive light.  They pled guilty. They refused a new trial.  
This isn’t about the three who have been released; this isn’t about me or my family.  This is about three little boys who were killed, who can never come back. There are three families’ who will never get to watch their children grow up, have their first date, graduate or get married.  It’s time to let those three families remember their loved ones in peace and quit trying to blame them for their children’s deaths.

$100K Reward Offered

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In an article published by the Memphis Commercial Appeal today, it was revealed that a $100,000 reward is being offered to find the murderer of three cub scout boys.   Below is a link to the article by Marc Perrusquia.  Also, watch the 10:00 news on ACTION News 5 for an exclusive interview with Terry Hobbs.

Read Here

Thank You Letter to the Academy

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February 26, 2012
President Tom Sherak
Chief Executive Officer Dawn Hudson
Chairman Robert P. Epstein
AMPAS
Awards Office
8949 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills CA 90211
Re: Paradise Lost III: Purgatory

Dear AMPAS Officers and representatives:

We, the parents of the murdered West Memphis, Arkansas, children, would like to thank the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for not awarding an Oscar to Paradise Lost 3 : Purgatory. Since August 19, 2011, we have witnessed many new and painful injustices. It started with the release of our children’s killers – Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. We are pleased and relieved to know that we did not have to suffer yet another injustice with this film being awarded an Oscar. Your decision not to reward a biased documentary that celebrates convicted child murderers was the right one and the only positive occurrence we have seen since their release. For this we are truly thankful to the Academy.

That said, this documentary never should have been nominated in the first place. From an artistic standpoint alone, it is filled with staged scenes, contrived dialogue, and was closer to fiction than to fact. It is difficult to believe the same institution that honored Harlan County USA, just to cite one example, saw fit to nominate a film that should not share that honor. The documentary feature award category has been cheapened, possibly beyond repair, because of this outrage. This was bad reality television. It was not a documentary as the Academy has honored in the past.

Society has grown coarse. The late Senator Daniel “Pat” Moniyhan was famous for his quote that society was “defining deviancy down.” Sen. Moniyhan had no clue how right he would be proved. When convicted murderers are honored at a worldwide televised event and mingle with an institution’s members as equals, it is difficult to imagine how much further down deviancy can be defined. We hope AMPAS found that bottom this year.

With both gratitude and sorrow,
Todd Moore, father of Michael
Diana Moore, mother of Michael Moore
Steve Branch, Sr., father of Stevie Branch, Jr.
Terry Hobbs, stepfather of Stevie Branch, Jr.

The Real West Memphis Three – Stevie, Michael and Christopher

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For many years I have been documenting the things that have happened to my family since Stevie was murdered in 1993.  Many people have told me to deal with things, to get over death and move forward.  It is much easier said than done.  The journals I have kept during the past 18 years contain my deepest thoughts, my dreams, and most importantly, the struggles and trials I have suffered through the years.  There have been tears, anger, guilt and grief.  Injustice has been served to the victim’s family in a move to discredit the prosecution of those convicted of murder.  Victims and families around the world should be outraged about the course of this case and the additional heartache and pain caused to the families of Stevie, Michael and Christopher.  It is my sincere hope that other families can find peace in their darkest hours.  It is with great anticipation that I have been working with an individual to compile these journals into a story that is begging to be told. The two of us anticipate, one way of the other, to publish this story in the near future.
Sincerely,
Terry W. Hobbs
Overview
In 1993, three eight year old boys were brutally murdered and three teenagers were subsequently convicted and sentenced for this crime.  The three convicted killers spent almost eighteen years in prison and, like most criminals, continued to proclaim their innocence.  While in prison, these three teenagers gained an almost cult-like following of people worldwide, including celebrities, producers and attorneys; all of whom lobbied for the freedom of child killers.  
In the quest for their freedom, fingers have been pointed toward variety of people who could have committed the murders of three cub scouts.  One of those fingers is pointed toward Terry Hobbs, the step-father of Stevie Branch.  This story is about the devastation the murder of a child has on a family and the relentless pursuit to frame Terry for the murders of Stevie Branch and his friends.   The West Memphis Three, Who they really are:  as told by Terry Hobbs.