Cynthia James saw her son standing over Wetzler with a rifle in his hands and went back to her room to finish getting ready for work, Meadows said in court. Meadows of the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office describes the scene he found inside the home of Pazuzu Algarad when he investigated the deaths of Tommy Dean Welch and Joshua Wetzler. View court, arrest, criminal/conviction It was never clear what instrument was used. It is a full moon. Foreclosure proceedings began for the Clemmons home where two bodies were foundburied in the backyard. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. At a later stage, the Satanic philosophy started to bore Pazuzu as he rejected all the philosophy and indulged himself in more brutal satanic rituals and black magic. This section can be locked, requiring permission to Ian McDowell is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which hes proud of and none of which hes ashamed of. Writer/director/producer Patricia Gillespies five-part documentary series The Devil You Know, which premiered Tuesday night on Viceland, is only nominally about the Clemmons serial killer Pazuzu Algarad, whose self-mythologizing claims of Satan-worshipping and cannibalism received more previous media coverage than his victims. On Oct. 5, 2014, Forsyth County Sheriff investigators discovered Wetzlers skeletal remains buried behind a house at 2749 Knob Hill Dr. in Clemmons. Pazuzu Algarad's death Gillespie grew up in the working-class city of Yonkers, New York, where she encountered many of the issues that the people in her series face. The way I think about it now, if I ever get a chance to talk to Amber this is going to be my turning point on how I see her: If it is really Amber, or if she is really crazy as well. In 1998, Cynthia remarried to a Tennessee native, Johnny Larry James. The cause of death was determined to be a self-inflicted wound on his arm. people learn more about others, just like Yelp does for He was first sent there in December 2014 on a safe-keeping order and stayed until mid-April. For at least five years before she was arrested, Burch was living with Algarad in Clemmons, North Carolina. That changed after she met Algarad. 6 entrepreneurs lead the Downtown Winston food scene. With most of the people who witnessed the murders either dead or in jail, FOX8 speaks with Algarad's mother,. Keep it Clean. Here is a look inside the home where the skeletal remains were found buried in the backyard. One of the biggest questions in the case is how did Wetzler and Welch end up at 2749 Knob Hill Drive. Moreover, the devil worshipper himself admitted he never bathed, nor brushed his teeth in years. Investigators say Algarad told them he had shot and killed Wetzler with a .22 caliber rifle in self-defense. I think we live in this throw-away society.. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. Amber Nicole Burch, who, along with her late boyfriend, Pazuzu Algarad, is accused of killing and burying two men in 2009 in the backyard of their Clemmons house, will spend. Please subscribe to keep reading. Creative Greensboro and Shared Radiance Present Romeo and Juliet March 16-19, Seven Local Campaign Partners and Volunteer Honored with United Way Spirit of NC Awards, The Carl Chavis YMCA Celebrates Grand ReOpening of $4.5 million Expansion and Renovation Project with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on March 5, Musical Chairs: Architects, coliseum manager propose new live music venue for downtown Greensboro. Detective C.E. Juvenile shot in the back, critically injured outside convenience store in Winston-Salem, Two Things: Victim's family not surprised by no show; hospital wars in Greensboro and money well spent. The victims were later identified as two men, Joshua Fredrick Wetzler, and Tommy Dean Welch. Im not the kind of person to wish death on anybody, said Burchs friend, who spoke to the Winston-Salem Journal last spring about Burch, and did not want to be named in the articles. I feel like Im not any closer to knowing any details.. Later in 2012, he was convicted of accessory. Boyer said Algarad had significant mental health issues. Two killed in wrong-way wreck on Interstate 40. Cynthia James currently lives in Clemmons, NC; in the past Cynthia has also lived in Pfafftown NC and Winston Salem NC. Forsyth County Housing and Community Development Facebook; . Pentagrams and other Satanic messages were scrawled onto the walls of the house, and there were what appeared to be animal carcasses. In October 2009, Burch killed Welch, and Algarad helped her with that burial. When Algarad killed Wetzler, detectives say James was in her bedroom. Algarad was found dead in his cell Wednesday. A man upset with his order at a Little Caesars in Winston-Salem fires gun at an employee; no one is injured. The last week or so, Amber has been on my mind, she said. Seven years ago, we learned the names of the two men whose bodies were found buried at 2749 Knob Hill Drive in Clemmons, home to Pazuzu Algarad. Algarad, a self-proclaimed Satanist, was found dead around 3 a.m. on Oct. 28, 2015, in Central Prison in Raleigh, unresponsive with a wound to his arm, during a regular inmate check, according to the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office. October 2010 Per her interview with investigators, they say she then returned to her room to continue getting ready for work. MyLife aggregates publicly available information from government, social, and other sources, plus personal reviews written by others. Something people may not be getting from the promos is that, over the course of the series, we deconstruct the sensationalism surrounding the case, said Gillespie, referring to how articles about murder often obscure what she calls the actionable fact of violence in this country by ignoring both its causes and casualties. Its not clear why James, who attended Thursdays hearing, was not criminally charged for not reporting the killings and subsequent burials to law-enforcement when they happened in 2009. Prosecutors had considered pursuing the death penalty against Burch, but after consulting with the N.C. Attorney Generals Office, they determined there were not statutory aggravating factors that would qualify the case for the death penalty, he said. He certainly had his little group and his following of fellow misfits, poor people who also felt abandoned by society, which is why they were attracted to him. Burch provided transportation, and during one session, the mental health professional pulled Burch to the side and suggested she should get mental health treatment as well, Boyer said. Its easy to blame Satan, Gillespie said. A journalist races to learn the truth when human remains are found in the home of self-proclaimed Satanist Pazuzu. Algarad was born in San Francisco in 1978 and his birth name was John Alexander Lawson. Human remains were found buried in the back yard in 2014. City officials and downtown business owners to meet Thursday. On October 28, 2015, prison guards reportedly discovered self-proclaimed "Satanist" and accused murderer Pazuzu Illah Algarad dead in his cell. He said he asked her to provide by Feb. 13 bids from licensed contractors detailing the scope of the repairs. She didnt report him missing until six months later after he failed to make contact with his family during the Christmas holidays. Low 37F. Tax documents list Cynthia James and Johnny James as co-owners of the property. Law-enforcement officials have said that Algarad had performed satanic rituals and animal sacrifices at the Knob Hill house. A friend of Burchs told the Winston-Salem Journal in 2014 that she and Burch went to Bible study together when they lived in Rock Hill. In 1990, Cynthia married a man named Johnny James and the trio moved into No.2749 Knob Hill Drive. Winston-Salem man charged with having a weapon of mass destruction, a submachine gun. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Carter said Wetzler often hit the road for a few months and that he liked going to music festivals and listening to jam bands such as Widespread Panic and the Grateful Dead. They say several weeks after Wetzlers murder, Algarad contacted Burch and requested her to come to the Clemmons home. I hope it is the case that he was crazy enough to drag her in., wyoung@wsjournal.com (336)727-7369 mhewlett@wsjournal.com (336) 727-7326. "All parents have arguments [with their children] and don't agree," she said of Algarad in "The Devil You Know." "Yes, John had some mental problems, but he wasn't a bad guy," James continued, at one point describing her son as her "little warrior." Forsyth County prosecutors Jonathan Friel and Brian Taylor said there was no clear reason why Burch and Algarad killed Welch and Wetzler. Two bodies found behind the homes at 2749 Knob Hill Drive in Clemmons were identified as Joshua Fredrick Wetzler and Tommy Dean Welch. Snowy Saturday for some, drier Sunday afternoon. Edit. Algarad's mother, Cynthia James, remembers things a bit differently. The couple and Cynthia's son lived in a home at 2749 Knob Hill Drive, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 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She then returned to the room where the shooting took place, and witnessed Algarad shoot Wetzler again to make sure he was dead.. The ex-girlfriend of one of the men whose remains were found buried in a Clemmons yard spoke to a Charlotte TV station about how the loss has , Three people facing charges in connection with the deaths of two men found buried in the backyard of a Clemmons home will have their court app, CLEMMONS Forsyth County Sheriffs deputies, CSI units and the State Bureau of Investigation were back Friday morning at the Knob Hill Drive , CLEMMONS -- Crews from the Clemmons Public Works Department were at 2749 Knob Hill Drive in Clemmons Thursday morning removing debris from the, CLEMMONS In the Knob Hill neighborhood of Clemmons last week, a woman put mulch on her flower beds. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. In weeks prior, Wetzler had been living at Algarads home. Police close Burke Street to investigate shooting death, Diamondback to open lunch spot in Innovation Quarter, Rural Hall officials violated state law, audit finds. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. The housing department in October declared the house unfit for human habitation, documenting mold, feces, decayed animal remains, flies and debris throughout. Low 37F. Pazuzu devilish form started to take a toll on him from 2008. Who's Searching for You, Look Your Best to People Searching for You. In Wetzlers case, she saw her son in July 2009 standing over Wetzler with a rifle in his hand and went back to her bedroom to finish getting ready for work. It is not for me to judge. Krystal Nicole Matlock, 29, is charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and is accused of helping bury Wetzler. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism After some time in Forsyth, Cynthia fell for a man, Larry James, and decided to tie the knots. John Lawson's mother, Cynthia, spoke of her son's mental health issues, which started at a young age. Pazuzu Illah Algarad was accused of putting his mother, Cynthia Lawson, in a chokehold in the house they shared at 2749 Knob Hill Drive in Clemmons. *Editors note: There was an extra and in the first sentence that was missed while editing. Meadows said the investigation indicated that Wetzler had lived at the house for at least two to three weeks before he was shot to death in July 2009. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Read more: The Journal's Pazuzu Algarad coverage from beginning to end, Black Mountain Chocolate to shut down March 11. Stacey is such a wonderful, lovable person. According to the authorities, the felon died of severe blood loss caused by a deep wound on a major vessel in his left arm and said it was a suicide. It is sad for them and out of respect for them we just wouldnt have any further comment on it, ONeill said. The next day, Krystal Matlock was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact. Cassandra. She said she could not release more information because of the investigation. Be Nice. Pazuzu Allah Algarad, then 31, was charged with accessory after the fact of involuntary manslaughter. Ask SAM: Did Tim McCarver sell cars in Winston-Salem after retiring from baseball? She is scheduled to appear in Forsyth Superior Court the week of April 3. Court documents presented by law enforcement officers alleged that Algarad regularly performed "satanic rituals" and animal sacrifices at the Clemmons home. Patricia Gillespie with cinematographer Adam Kolodny on left and associate producer Kyle Porter on right, Mugshots of Pazuzu Algarad and Amber Burch, Josh Wetzler with his and Stacey Carters son. And then he was ostracized in a lot of communities. This profile was gathered from multiple public and The buried remains of Tommy Dean Welch were also found nearby. He gave me a lot of necessary cultural context, and he has kids growing up in the community, so he has skin in the game.. Burch later testified that Algarad killed Wetzler in July of 2009, with the body remaining in the house for several weeks until Burch helped bury it. Joshua Fredrick Wetzler and Tommy Dean Welch. Because MyLife only collects this data and does not create it, we cannot fully guarantee its accuracy. 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Im pretty sure I witnessed him peeing in the corner.The friend said Algarads behavior was very sexual, very provocative.Walking into the house, trying not to step in excrement, Burchs friend observed Satanic sayings written on the walls and filthy dishes piled up with bugs crawling all over them.Krystal Matlock, 28, of Winston-Salem, was also arrested in connection with the case. The series, which will be featured on Netflix as well tries to get to the bottom of Pazuzu Algarad's story. City officials and downtown business owners to meet Thursday. Both suspects are accused of helping each other bury the bodies of the two men.Algared and Burch have both been charged with first-degree murder and accessory after of the fact of first-degree murder.The rooms and hallways inside Algarad's home are blanketed in trash and animal carcasses. Amber Nicole Burch, girlfriend of the avowed Satanist Pazuzu Algarad, was convicted Thursday morning of fatally shooting one man and helping A. Amber Burch, girlfriend of the late Pazuzu Algarad, is led into the courtroom in shackles to plead guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Tommy Dean Welch, one of two men found buried in the backyard of Algarads house in Clemmons. Algarad was born John Alexander Lawson in San Francisco in 1978. The excrement on the floor might have been both animal and human, the friend said.He was on all kinds of drugs and would drink when I got there, she said. You have permission to edit this article. The house belonged to Cynthia James and was occupied by James, her son Pazuzu Algarad, and Algarads self-proclaimed wife, Amber Burch. Friends, Neighbors, or Classmates. The Pazuzu Algarad house at 2947 Knob Hill Drive in Clemmons was demolished in under two hours Friday, April 24, 2015. They say she heard gunfire, and went to the living area of the home, where she saw her son still holding the weapon. The friend wondered then and wonders now if Algarad brainwashed Burch. She said last year that Burch had gone from being a cheerful woman who people had nicknamed Bubbles to someone who never bathed and who had filed her teeth to give them sharp points. Wetzler disappeared in July 2009, and Welch vanished in October 2009. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Read more: The Journal's Pazuzu Algarad coverage from beginning to end, Black Mountain Chocolate to shut down March 11. A man upset with his order at a Little Caesars in Winston-Salem fires gun at an employee; no one is injured. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. In Wetzler's case, she saw her son in July 2009 standing over Wetzler with a rifle in his hand and went back to her . He did his school education at Sonoma Valley High School. Her warrants allege that she helped Algarad bury an unidentified male in his backyard sometime between June and August of 2009.Based on the arrest warrants, it appears that investigators believe that in July of 2009 Algarad killed Wetzler and that Burch helped him bury that body. Autopsies would later say each man was shot in the head. She said an autopsy has been requested. They are now divorced. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}. 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The Forsyth County housing department is giving the owner of the Clemmons house where human skeletal remains were found buried in the backyard until Feb. 13 to submit proof that she plans to make it inhabitable, according to an official. Plant Memorial Trees Opens send flowers url in a new window Forsyth County prosecutors said she used a .22-caliber rifle to shoot Tommy Dean Welch twice as he sat on a couch in the home the two shared at 2749 Knob Hill Drive in Clemmons. On Oct. 28, 2015, Algarad was discovered dead in his cell at Raleighs central prison, to which hed been transferred on a sealed safekeeping order. She said since Wetzlers body was found, she has been focused on helping with a documentary about the case called American Monster that she hopes will help raise awareness on mental illness. In this episode, Cynthia recounts the changes her son went through, on his way to murder. . Meadows, of the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office. The walls are spray-painted in graffiti, covered in mold and lined with hundreds of satanic photos and drawings.The victims were identified as 37-year-old Joshua Fredrick Wetzler and 36-year-old Tommy Dean Welch.According to a friend of Burch, Algarad, a self-proclaimed devil worshiper, claimed to get a high from eating the still-beating heart of a sacrificial animal and bragged openly about having killed two prostitutes. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). According to interviews conducted, psychiatrists concluded Pazuzu suffered from multiple mental disorders like schizophrenia, agoraphobia, and alcoholism. Pazuzu Allegard and Amber Burch have been charged with murder. On May 28, 2010, Pazuzu Algarad put his mother Cynthia Lawson in a chokehold at the home they shared on 2749 Knob Hill Drive. Having seen a screener of all five episodes of The Devil You Know, I believe it to be a powerful and humane work that, in its best sequences, transcends the true-crime format. Algarad was accused of misleading investigators and allowing a suspect in the shooting to stay at his home. He was born on August 12, 1978 and he was 35 years old at the time of his death. He legally changed his name in 2002, taking Pazuzu from the Assyrian king of demons mentioned in The Exorcist. IMDb Best of 2022. Meadows said James saw Burch and another woman carry Welchs body to the backyard and saw Burch with a rifle in her hand shortly after Burch shot Welch. The backyard of the house at 2749 Knob Hill Drive in Clemmons shows signs of police excavations and writing on the walls of a disused swimming pool. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Pazuzu Algarad pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault on a female and was placed on probation for 12 months. According to a psychiatric report connected to an unrelated criminal case, Algarad told psychiatrists at the now-closed Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh that he had practiced a Sumerian religion that involved the monthly sacrifice of a small animal. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. On March 9, 2017, Burch pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, armed robbery and accessory after the fact to murder. He had very serious mental health issues that presented from a young age, and his family didnt have the money necessary to take care of those problems. According to autopsies, Welch was shot in the back of the head, and Wetzler was shot three times in the head and at least four times around the torso. 19-year-old charged with murder. Juvenile shot in the back, critically injured outside convenience store in Winston-Salem, Two Things: Victim's family not surprised by no show; hospital wars in Greensboro and money well spent. By that time, Gillespie had been working on her documentary, envisioned initially as a 90-minute feature titled American Monster, for almost three years, having arrived in Winston-Salem to begin it in late 2014. Workers attempted unsuccessfully to resuscitate him and he was pronounced dead at 4:20 a.m. Algarad, 36, who was facing a first-degree murder charge, was found unresponsive with a wound to his arm at 3 a.m. Wednesday at Central Prison in Raleigh, where he had been since May 13 on a sealed safe-keeping order. Self: The Devil You Know. Police close Burke Street to investigate shooting death, Diamondback to open lunch spot in Innovation Quarter, Rural Hall officials violated state law, audit finds. When he was convicted of accessory after the fact to involuntary manslaughter in connection to the shooting death of Joseph Emmrick Chandler. By using our site, you agree to our use of cookies. Prison officials tried to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at 4:20 a.m. State prison officials notified the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office at 5:40 a.m. Wednesday. Pazuzu Algarads girlfriend, Amber Burch, was accused of slapping and attempting to choke Algarads mother. Pazuzu Algarad, 35, is accused of killing a man and burying him in the backyard on Knob Hill Drive in July of 2009. She does equine therapy work with an organization called Heart Centered Horsemanship, and she has a number of other side projects to help the community. When she went to leave, Algarad was. Cynthia James is 73 years old today because Cynthia's birthday is on 12/25/1949. A bedroom in the house at 2749 Knob Hill Drive in Clemmons where the bodies of Joshua Fredrick Wetzler and Tommy Dean Welch were found buried in the backyard. Officials said at the time there was no evidence support rumors Algarad bit his own arm to cause the wound. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Pazuzu Algarad, an avowed Satanist accused of killing one of two men buried for five years in the backyard of a Clemmons house, .