port was misleading”(PL2). After all of this new information, a new suspect came into light. John Mark Byers, the stepfather of Chris Byers, had a few points against him. He never had an alibi for the night that the boys were first reported missing. Byers also gave the producers of “Paradise Lost” a knife that appeared to have blood on it. The producers turned it over to the police, and the knife did test positive for human blood consistent with his blood type and his stepson’s. Yet, this evidence mysteriously disappears. During the original trial, it was proven that whoever had sexually mutilated Chris had to “have the skill of a surgeon” (PL1) and Byers was a jewel cutter. In 1994, Byers was arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor and burglary. That summer his neighbors had a restraining order placed on him for whipping their son and firing a gun at their home. McNeal 9In March of 1996, Melissa Byers died mysteriously. Her death still has not been ruled on whether it was a suicide or homicide. Chris Byers had been prescribed the drug Ritalin for his hyperactivity. Chris was supposed to be taking this medicine daily, but his autopsy report showed that there was not a trace of Ritalin in his system. On the contrary, Melissa Byers’ autopsy report showed Ritalin in her system, although it was not a drug prescribed to her. Ritalin has been shown to cause a ‘speed’ effect in adults, while it ‘calms’ hyperactive children. Another interesting point is how John Mark Byers somehow lost all of his teeth after the new bite mark evidence was released. At different times, he had different stories on how he lost them. Byers claimed they fell out because of medication he was on and that they were knocked out during a fight before the murders ever occurred. However, his dental records show that he “had them voluntarily removed” (PL2). An en...
