Just in case anyone doesn't know, the West Memphis 3 were a group of teenagers arrested in 1993 in Arkansas for the murder of three 8 year old boys who were found tied up in a creek.

All I know about the case is an incredibly one-sided story that claims the three boys are innocent. Actually, no matter where I go on the internet there seem to be few people who think they are guilty. One of the men is still on death row while the other two are serving life sentences.

Maybe I don't know the whole story but it seems this case was built on a possibly phony confession from one of the culprits combined with the idea that these boys were involved in a satanic cult.

I know there is other information glossed over, but does anyone have a better feel for this case?

I don't recall it ever being on UM. Perhaps Crystaldawn would know? I've never heard of this case, sounds quite upsetting. Why would only one of the men receive a death sentence instead of life? That alone sounds unfair (though perhaps rests within the particulars of the case). I'm interested in finding more details out about this one.

No never but it was on 48 hours mystery. Very good episode by the way. This would be a very interesting case that UM could feature now except they seem to have no interest in new shows

I don't recall it ever being on UM. Perhaps Crystaldawn would know? I've never heard of this case, sounds quite upsetting. Why would only one of the men receive a death sentence instead of life? That alone sounds unfair (though perhaps rests within the particulars of the case). I'm interested in finding more details out about this one.
There is no shortage of details about this case. Two documentary movies called Paradise lost one and two where made about this case. Tons of info on Youtube also. DNA evidence appears it will set all three free in the near future

There is no shortage of details about this case. Two documentary movies called Paradise lost one and two where made about this case. Tons of info on Youtube also. DNA evidence appears it will set all three free in the near future

I was planning on doing a google search later :) Sounds like it would have been quite high-profile at the time (and even to some degree now with the doubt hanging overhead). I figured there would be a lot online.

The two Paradise Lost documentaries previously mentioned come highly recommended. There have also been talks of a third and fourth film (http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1632489/paradise-lost-team-plans-two-more-west-memphis-three-documentaries.jhtml)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117293/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0239894/

The documentaries are extremely well-made, especially the first one, and should be of interest to anyone at an Unsolved Mysteries forum.

Maybe I don't know the whole story but it seems this case was built on a possibly phony confession from one of the culprits combined with the idea that these boys were involved in a satanic cult.

I know there is other information glossed over, but does anyone have a better feel for this case?

It's pretty much one of the worst investigated high profile cases you can think of. The police department refused help from anyone's Violent Crime Unit, they moved the bodies before the coroner got there, they allowed a lot of people to trample through the area where the boys were found, they didn't call the coroner until 2 hours after the bodies were found, no blood was found where the boys were found, they didn't drain the creek, they lost evidence from the Bojangles restaurant (the night the boys were murdered someone went into Bojangles covered in blood and mud, he left a crapton of physical evidence in the bathroom), they wore their same clothes when going to the Bojangles restaurant, and they screwed it up big time.

They pretty much got it in their heads that Damien Echols was the killer, and that was it. They had no idea what the hell they were doing.

And then you get to the trial, the "confession", and the fact there was no physical evidence linking them to the murders.

This would have been one hell of a "Final Appeal" episode on UM. I'm sure most people who watched the "Paradise Lost" documentaries were absolutely certain that John Mark Byers, the stepfather of one of the victims, was the real killer because of his very odd behaviour. However, a DNA sample found on one of the ropes at the crime scene seems to match Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of one of the other victims, and opinion has started sway that he may be the real guilty party.

For years, I thought Byers was just as guilty-looking as the likes of Chad Noe or Mark Nichols, but he may be innocent after all and has actually gone on record saying that he believes the West Memphis Three were wrongfully imprisoned. What's particularly outrageous is that while Terry Hobbs' DNA sample is not enough to convict him for the crime, it's still much stronger than the evidence that was used to convict the WM3 in the first place!

What's particularly outrageous is that while Terry Hobbs' DNA sample is not enough to convict him for the crime, it's still much stronger than the evidence that was used to convict the WM3 in the first place!

Yep, that ties him to the scene. There was no physical evidence tying any of the West Memphis 3 to the crime or the scene.

The Satanic panic, Damien Echols' arrogance (even by his own admission he was an arrogant jerk during the trial) and the "confession" were the reasons for the Guilty verdict. And the "confession" wasn't even introduced into the trial, the jury foreman read about it, and it swayed his vote. Despite the fact that the "confession" didn't match the facts of the case at all.

This is one of the most interesting cases to me. I lean toward believing the West Memphis 3 are innocent but I am not 100% about this. I can't get over that Misskelley confessed multiple times AFTER the original confession and AFTER he was convicted of this crime, including a confession to his attournies only. Jessie seemed to show remorse for what happened and broke down, something irrelevant to his mental capcity. He confessed a total of 4 times, including one in which he confessed DESPITE the feelings of his attournies not to becuase of the possible jeapordization of his case.

Please read the following from the original transcripts (this is after the supposed coerced confession, when his attournies were present):

http://callahan.8k.com/wm3/jmfeb.html

I feel like Paradise Lost I and II intentionally glanced away from noteworthy evidence during the trial as well, like the fact that Damien failed a polygraph, the police never found Damien's trench coat he was known to always wear, and fibers from the bodies were microscopically similar to items in Jason and Damien's homes. A lot of this information can be found on the Callahan root site above and many people don't even know about.

The contradictory DNA evidence gives me the strongfest feelings supporting their innocence however.

There is a new interview with Jason Baldwin for those interested online on another board:

http://www.wm3blackboard.com/forum/index.php?topic=4233.0

It was never on UM but I agree it would have made a good "Final Appeal" segment.

It was never on UM but I agree it would have made a good "Final Appeal" segment.

The only downside to UM covering the case is that I'm sure their re-enactment of the murders probably would have been nightmare-inducing.

This is one of the most interesting cases to me. I lean toward believing the West Memphis 3 are innocent but I am not 100% about this. I can't get over that Misskelley confessed multiple times AFTER the original confession and AFTER he was convicted of this crime, including a confession to his attournies only. Jessie seemed to show remorse for what happened and broke down, something irrelevant to his mental capcity. He confessed a total of 4 times, including one in which he confessed DESPITE the feelings of his attournies not to becuase of the possible jeapordization of his case.

Please read the following from the original transcripts (this is after the supposed coerced confession, when his attournies were present):

http://callahan.8k.com/wm3/jmfeb.html

I feel like Paradise Lost I and II intentionally glanced away from noteworthy evidence during the trial as well, like the fact that Damien failed a polygraph, the police never found Damien's trench coat he was known to always wear, and fibers from the bodies were microscopically similar to items in Jason and Damien's homes. A lot of this information can be found on the Callahan root site above and many people don't even know about.

The contradictory DNA evidence gives me the strongfest feelings supporting their innocence however.

There is a new interview with Jason Baldwin for those interested online on another board:

http://www.wm3blackboard.com/forum/index.php?topic=4233.0


Good to know, yeah I figured there would have been more information on this case that we don't know about. In the 48hrs. documentary the police did mention that Terry Hobbs was cleared as a suspect in 1993 and in 2007. That segment seemed very one-sided and it would make you want to see some interviews from the prosecutors themselves. There weren't any interviews by the Prosecutors at all which makes me very hesistant to just as well assume the Memphis 3 are innocent. How many times is information - critical and incriminating information - held from us?

Plus Damien was the only one interviewed out of the three boys. Why is that? I realize he was apparently the criminal mastermind and this is why he is on death row, but the other two boys are adults now, what else do they have to do in jail all day that they can't sit down for an interview? Makes me wonder that these confessions are actually real and maybe Damien is the sociopath

I watched the Paradise Lost docs and several other documentaries about the show and it is hard for me to say if I believe they are guilty or innocent. I have a feeling they will never get a new trial.

I heard of this when it happened and saw it again recently on 48 Hours. I am not convinced that these boys are innocent. The "evidence" 48 Hours provides is simply not that compelling (so the step-father's hair was found at the scene. So what? He is their step-father and lives in the same house). He also has lied once or twice about inconsequential things, but that does not prove guilt and would not hold up in court. I was expecting a bombshell and simply didn't find one.

Of course, I think the convictions were achieved without a lot of evidence, too. The knife theory did not pan out and the prosecution brought in some quack expert witness who got his diploma from a diploma mill to testify about satanism. There is no evidence these boys were satanists (and even if they were, this fact does not make them child killers. The prosecution was clearly playing on the fears of a small conservative Arkansas community during the 80's, early 90's Satanism scare).

However, it's very hard to get around the fact that one of the boys confessed! I don't care how long I am interrogated, I am not confessing to a triple murder if I had nothing to do with it. I don't buy these "coercion" arguments (are people really so weak as to confess to something they didn't do? I am talking about normal people not looking for fame, which there is no indication of here). Either you did it or you didn't. The boy's confession was pretty detailed too from what I remember. He went on about how one of them grabbed one of the kids while the other kid took off running, etc.

The reason this case is even in the news at all is because Hollywood actors have jumped on board in their defense. Unfortunately, we will probably never know the truth beyond a reasonable doubt.

I don't think the boys got anything approaching a fair trial, but I am not so convinced of their innocence either. (Bias disclosure - I am often contrarian).

Watching the documentary (when it first came out), I thought the filmmakers were a bit manipulative - it was just a feeling I had.

I remember one scene where one of the boys was talking with his lawyer (not the slow one, not Damien the celebrity, but the other one), and in their discussions it was like they were tacitly acknowledging that he was complicit in the crime.

Does anyone know of a good site or essay that argues that the boys are guilty?

However, it's very hard to get around the fact that one of the boys confessed! I don't care how long I am interrogated, I am not confessing to a triple murder if I had nothing to do with it. I don't buy these "coercion" arguments (are people really so weak as to confess to something they didn't do? I am talking about normal people not looking for fame, which there is no indication of here). Either you did it or you didn't. The boy's confession was pretty detailed too from what I remember. He went on about how one of them grabbed one of the kids while the other kid took off running, etc.

Yes, people really are that weak when they are questioned relentlessly for hours on end. When you throw in the fact that the confessor is midly mentally ******** and the fact that he was told he could go home after he told the police what they wanted to hear and you've got one hell of a case for a false confession. Jessie also did not have an attorney present during his questioning. People confess to crimes they did not commit all of the time. Some because they are mentally ill and seeking attention, some because they are questioned for lengthy periods of time, some because it is beat out of them. We'd all like to think that only the guilty confess, but that is not the case. Jessie also stated in his confession that one of the murdered boys was raped, this does not match the evidence at all. Even the fools they had working this case could not have missed evidence of sodomy in a child. And if they found it, the whole world would have known about it.

In fact, a great deal of the whole Satanic Panic thing started when parents with children at the McMartin Daycare questioned thier children relentlessly until the children broke and told the parents and police what they wanted to hear. There is are two fantastic books on the subject. One is titled Satanic Panic, the other is Satan's Silence.

I have never believed that Damien, Jessie and Jason are guilty. The trial was several shades of messed up. The evidence was just not there and the police ignored any evidence which pointed away from them. There's the mysterious bloody man spotted at a local restaurant for example. There's the fact that either Jason or Jessie was doing yard work for a relative when the crime supposedly occured. Most of what I've found to support the guilt of these three is based on the fact that they were different. Being different is not a capital crime. Damien is a bit of an ass, but that's not a capital crime either. If it was, several million of us would likely be guests of our respective states.

I have never believed that Damien, Jessie and Jason are guilty. The trial was several shades of messed up. The evidence was just not there and the police ignored any evidence which pointed away from them. There's the mysterious bloody man spotted at a local restaurant for example. There's the fact that either Jason or Jessie was doing yard work for a relative when the crime supposedly occured. Most of what I've found to support the guilt of these three is based on the fact that they were different. Being different is not a capital crime. Damien is a bit of an ass, but that's not a capital crime either. If it was, several million of us would likely be guests of our respective states.

I am not sure on the guilt of these boys, but I have always found that the "bloody man" was a little questionable. Maybe there was a man with blood and mud that came into the restaurant to clean up. If that's the case wouldn't the police have found blood in the bathroom of the three boys after he cleaned up?

Also what if he was a farmer? Or got into an accident? Or had his car stuck in the mud? If I commit a triple murder I highly doubt I would go into a restaurant with witnesses to "clean up"

I am not sure on the guilt of these boys, but I have always found that the "bloody man" was a little questionable. Maybe there was a man with blood and mud that came into the restaurant to clean up. If that's the case wouldn't the police have found blood in the bathroom of the three boys after he cleaned up?

The police lost all that evidence.

I'm not making that up, they lost all the evidence from the Bojangle's Restaurant. So it never had a chance to be tested. Like I said earlier in the thread this may have been the most inept investigation of a high profile crime, ever.

I don't think it was covered but it would have made for a great case. The idea of Mr. Bojangles alone makes for something supremely eerie and creepy.

I too think it would've made for a great UM and don't think they did it. I really want to see Paradise Lost and Paradise Lost 2.

However, it's very hard to get around the fact that one of the boys confessed! I don't care how long I am interrogated, I am not confessing to a triple murder if I had nothing to do with it. I don't buy these "coercion" arguments (are people really so weak as to confess to something they didn't do? I am talking about normal people not looking for fame, which there is no indication of here). Either you did it or you didn't.

Well, Johnny Lee Wilson confessed to his so-called crime even though he was completely innocent and, from all indications, Jessie Misskelley's IQ wasn't much higher than his. When I originally watched "Paradise Lost", the first thing that jumped into mind was the Wilson case, of which there are so many parallels, and that's why I was immediately suspicious of this so-called confession.

Well, Johnny Lee Wilson confessed to his so-called crime even though he was completely innocent and, from all indications, Jessie Misskelley's IQ wasn't much higher than his. When I originally watched "Paradise Lost", the first thing that jumped into mind was the Wilson case, of which there are so many parallels, and that's why I was immediately suspicious of this so-called confession.

Damien confessed to people at a school football game that he was involved in the killings. This was testified at trial by another student under oath. And, yes, I realize Damien claims he was just kidding or looking for attention, but Damien seems like a smart guy and should know better than to do this in the middle of an investigation.

The evidence shows the boys were not molested, which rules out any sexual predator scenario (and let's face it, these crimes are almost always sexual in nature). That means the chances of adults being involved are slim. The step-father scenario would make a lot more sense if there was a sexual element to it (a closet pedofile or whatever). Therefore, one must ask, what would be his motive? All the 48 Hours people can give is a hair (which is not surprising since one of the boys lived in the same household) and some history of being an abusive father. Yes, abuse is bad, but it doesn't necessarily equate to killing the kid and two others for no apparent reason.

To me this seems like a case of two mildly ******** kids being easily swayed by Damien. He is obviously the ring leader of that group and I think the whole thing was his idea -- perhaps as a way to fulfill his perceived outcast role in society (much like Klebold-Harris). I think the motive was simply Damien and his anti-social personality and committing this crime was a way to get back at the society he thought had wronged him. Even now, he just seems rather arrogant just not that believable.

I do think the whole satanic scenario was unfounded, however. The boys may have thought death metal was cool or what have you, but I don't think there is any reason to believe this was an organized ritual slaying.

i have watched most of the documentaries on this case trying to keep an open mind, and to me it really seems like the step-father John Mark Byers is the most suspicious.

- he was the least helpful and most reluctant to answer questions initially, he was giving all kinds of conflicting accounts of what he had witnessed and about the Satanic rituals - and most importantly, the bitemarks on one of the bodies do not match any of the boys in prison, yet before John Mark Byers could be checked to see if the bite marks matched, he went and had ALL of his teeth pulled.

Byers now claims that Damien, Jessie and Jason are innocent. Go figure.

There are two books about the case as well. One is The Blood of Innocents, the other is The Devil's Knot. Both are good reads.

So how about being the parents of that girl who is now married to Damien? Yeah no kidding, he got married!

She seemed a little loopy though, I mean there was a time when the interviewer asked what her opinion would be if someone said "you've never had a normal marriage."

Her response: "Then I would say those people don't know us."

Weird woman overall I just thought. She wasn't hard on the eyes, couldn't she find SOMEONE outside of prison not convicted of a triple murder? Yes it is safe to say that you do not have a normal relationship, not even close, if the spouse is in jail. Remember the George Constanza episode on Seinfeld when he was dating an inmate? He loved it, it was constant freedom!

It was featued on a CNN special recently. Lots of unanswered questions in this case IMO.