Documentaries

Ok, I am pretty sure that I have posted on here before about my love of documentaries, and one that the Hubs and I watched a while back on HBO called Paradise Lost. If not, well, now you know.

Since watching this 3 part series, I seem to have become somewhat obsessed with this case.

If you have no clue what I am talking about, let me give you an idea, and then you should look up the series and watch it, and do your own research and see what you think.

Paradise Lost is about the West Memphis 3, which were three teenage boys who were arrested, tried as adults and convicted of the 1993 tragic murders of three 8 year old Cub Scouts, Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore, all of West Memphis, Arkansas. At the time of their arrests, Damien Echols was 18, Jessie Misskelley, Jr. was 17 years old, Jason Baldwin was 16 years old.

They were believed to have abducted these boys and killed them in a satanic ritual based on the only fact that they wore black, hung out together, and listened to the likes of music such as Metallica, and stuff like that. Before these murders took place, Damien Echols was harassed by the local police for a couple of years, based solely on his appearance. Black hair, black clothes, long black duster, and just happened to live in a poor area, which I might add, is still poverty stricken today in 2013.  

I am not going to go into great depth, but please know that I have done a ton of research on this case. There is NO evidence that links these men to the crime, other than a FORCED confession from Jessie, Misskelley, who in the eyes of the state, has a fairly low IQ, and in the words of many of the investigating officers and other people involved in this, considered "not all there." There is DNA that links one of the victims stepdad and a friend of his to the crime, yet at the time, neither were ever questioned. Still to this day, neither of them have really been investigated by the authorities.

On August 19, 2011, after serving 18 years and 78 days, these men were released from prison with time served after entering an Alford Plea. According to the state of Arkansas this case is closed, but these men are still working to get pardoned and be cleared. They have made great progress.

Since they entered the Alford Plea, they agreed to never sue the state and should they get into any trouble (felony) within 10 years, they will go back to prison for 21 years. Damien Echols is the only person in Arkansas history to be on death row one day, and a free man the next.

I guess one reason this interest me is because of the injustice these men got. I could go on for days, and I am sure I will be writing more about this, and other things similar to it, but right this moment I have to get some things done around here. Until then....if you know about this case, what are your thoughts??