Twenty minutes after the last body was found, the police called the Crittenden County Coroner, Ken Hale. By the time he arrived, all three bodies had been removed from the creek by police officers on the scene. By 4 p.m., Ken pronouced all the of boys dead.
The official autopsy reports submitted by Dr. Frank J. Peretti, of the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, and Ken Hale, described the bodies as they were found.
Christopher M. Byers Autopsy
James M. Moore Autopsy
Steven E. Branch Autopsy
The initial conclusion was that the boys had been raped, although the autopsy reports did not verify it. The dilation of the anus was wrongly believed to be evidence of rape, but it was a natural occurence at death. Even though there was no evidence of sexual assault, Ken Hale stated that it was a possibility.
James Moore, born July 27, 1984, died of multiple injuries to the head, torso, and extremities. He was found in a creek or drainage ditch and had drowned in 2 feet of water. He was completely nude and his wrists were bound to his ankles with his shoelaces. James had not defended himself against his attackers and he had not struggled after he was tied up. There was no evidence of sexual assault.
Steven Branch, born November 26, 1984, also died with multiple injuries to the head, torso, and extremities with drowning. He was also naked with his hands tied to his feets with shoelaces. There were several violent injuries to his face and head, and more scratches, abrasions, and contusions to the rest of his body. These injuries were much more intense than the ones found on the body of James Moore. There was a 3 inch fracture at the base of his skull. In the report by Ken Hale, he indicated that Steven may have been sexually assaulted, although there was no evidence to support this.
Christopher Byers, born June 23, 1983, was the victim of the most violent and most sexual injuries. He died of mulitiple injuries to the head, and by the violent removal of his penis, the scrotal sac, and the testes, along with cuts and stab wounds to the genital area. He was also foudn naked with his hands bound to his wrists. The toxicology report indicated non-theraputic levels of the drug Carbamazepine in his blood. There were many old, healed injuries. There were defense wounds and three sets of wounds to his buttocks. Although this murder was sexual in nature, there was no evidence to support that he was sexually assaulted. It was stated as a possibility. Unlike the other victims, Chris did not drown. He was dead before he had been placed in the creek.