If you recall in my last entry I had made reference to three young men who made headline news for getting out of prison for murder. Murders they say they did not commit and proof to back it up.
Their names are Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin & Jesse Misskelly.
Known as the West Memphis Three.
In May of 1993 the body's of three eight year old cub scout were found brutally murdered in West Memphis Arkansas. About a month later, Damien, Jason and Jesse, young teenage boys at the time were arrested and charged with the crime. The police had very little to go on except a theory that the crime was done as a sacrifice to a cult.
Echols, Misskelly and Baldwin did not do it. Baldwin had a solid alibi for that evening. He was home with his mother and siblings, a fact that I am sure his mother tried to tell the police time and time again.
In June of 1993 Jesse Misskelly was questioned as to how he knew Echols and Baldwin and if he knew anything about the murder's. At the time he had said he knew nothing about it as to who did it and if he had anything to do with or if Baldwin or Echols had any involvement.
This interrogation was with done without an attorney present and without Miranda rights being read.
After hours of questioning, Misskelly who was diagnosed with mild retardation, finally said he had did it along with Echols and Baldwin. Not because he was guilty and wanted to clear his conscience, but to get these detectives off his back.
He had later recanted and during the trials of the three teens it was later stated as a false confession. Echols and Baldwin's trial didn't use the confession.
All three were tried and convicted. Misskelly and Baldwin getting life in prison without the possibilty of parole and Echols sentenced to death. Echols was supposedly the ring leader.
Case Closed? Thankfully no.
Documentary film maker's,Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofky were hired by HBO, a television cable company to do a film on what they thought, in their own words were kids gone wrong.
When Sinofsky and Berlinger got to Arkansas and had the chance to meet with everyone involved, including Damien, Jesse and Jason they soon realised that this was different. These young suspect were not monster's but were innocent.
Flash forward to 1996, three years after the murders and two years since the West Memphis Three were charged and found guilty, the documentary, "Paradise Lost: The Child murders At Robin Hills Estates" aired on HBO.
Immediately, speculation as to the three's guilt were called into question by hundreds of people, myself included.
It is very safe to say, or actually there is no other way to say this but had it not have been for the documentarys these three young men would still be in prison and one of them possibly would have been excuted.
"Paradise" opened the eyes of many people who questioned the verdicts, investigated the case and donated hours upon hours of time and money to get these young free.
It took alot of time, 18 years to be exact, but now these men are free but not exactly cleared.
Now with DNA evidence to back up their claim of innocence , the three are not only searching for who ever might have done this crime, but also looking to clear their names and be exonerated.
That is something I personally have never been able to comprehend. You have people who are tried and convicted for crime they did not do and it leaves the actual perpetrator to get away with murder.
Coward.
When I first saw the 'Paradise' documentary in 1996 I remember thinking two things, one, this case had alot of holes in it and two it seemed like all the West Memphis police department wanted to do was get the people involved and let it go.
I am not in Law enforcement and I am not a Lawyer, but it is safe to say you have to do your job and not just find the first person and think ok, I am satisfied.
I would like to say I am leaving out alot, there is alot more I could write about this, but for the moment I choose not too.
Another thing I remember about the film was at the end thinking to myself, well, if and only if they did it than they got what they deserved, if they did not do it, in time it will be proven and these young men can get their lives back.
Once again, had it not have been for Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky for making the films, there are 3 total, (Paradise Lost2:Revaltions and the most recent, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory which has been nominated for an accedemy award for best documentary) who is to say what would have happened.
Would Echols, Baldwin & Misskelly some how proven their innocence on their own?
Perhaps. Anything is possible
or would they have rotted in prison for the rest of their lives?
Who knows.
But one thing can be said, well alot of things can be said, but to be brief, Berlinger and Sinofsky are life saver's in the minds of alot of people, including mine.
I don't get behind, or support too many cases that involve murder. I tried to once, but I couldn't because my conscience was telling me not to.
If someone kills someone in cold blood and there is a group of people that support the person or person;s that their thing, but for me personally, I couldn't.
I wrote about it in 2010 in an entry entitled 'Are you for or against it' where for the most part I was referring to protesting.
I'll close with this, the west memphis three did not commit the crime they were accused of and to a degree the state of Arkansas agrees. (They took a rare legal move known as an alford plea to be set free and to claim their innocence but at the same time saying they were guilty)
but all that aside, there would have been many lives left alone, the family's of Echols, Misskelly and Baldwin and most importantly the family's of the murdered victims had the real perpetrator either came forward or was caught at the time instead of thinking he or she could get away with murder when the west memphis three were convicted.
You're a coward whoever you are and where ever you are you need to be brought to justice.
I'll write again it, many lives could have been spared if this person or persons were found.
Hell, I'll go one further and say many innocent lives would have been spared had this tragedy never happened at all.
