Damien EcholsDamien Wayne Echols, was 18 at the time he, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley were arrested for the murder of 3 second graders in West Memphis Arkansas on May 5th 1993. Damien was a prime suspect for the case, because the police didn't like him, and he had been arrested before, for running away, and another time when his mother sent him to a mental institution because she thought he had depression. Damien was an outcast in school, his best friend being Jason Baldwin. Damien wore black trench coats, listened to Metallica, and read Stephen King novels. At the time the murders took place, Satanism had become very popular to the public eye, causing a lot of myths, and stereotypes. Because of this, speculations and theories started to arise around the murders that perhaps the victims were sacrificed by Satanists, And because of the way that Damien dressed, and his social status, that he was the ringleader in an occult. Damien's alibi was that h and Jason were sitting at home watching TV when the murders occurred, but whiteness for this alibi were never brought into court. In trial Damien Echols was found guilty of the accounts of capital murder and sentences to death by lethal injection. After 18 1/2 years on Death row, (10 of which were spent in solitary confinement), New DNA evidence arose that stated that he, and the other s were not connected to the crimes, and they were released on an account of the 'Alford Plea'. A complicated legal maneuver were one pleads guilty, while maintaining their innocence. Today, Damien lives with his wife Lori Davis in New York as an apprentence at a tattoo parlor. While continuing to hire private investigators to help him and the other 2 fully exonerate themselves.
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Jason BaldwinJason Baldwin was 16 at the time he Damien Echols, and Jessie Misskelley were arrested for the murder of 3 second graders in West Memphis Arkansas on May 5th 1993. He was thought to have been guilty because he was friends with Damien Echols who was thought to have murdered the children. During the trial, a whiteness testified that Jason told him about how he murdered the case. And the police believed this even though the whitnisse's doctor stated that the whitniss even told him that he was planning on lieing on the stand to get Jason into trouble. The testamoney ended up being one of the hardest pices of evidence against Jason. But ears later, the whiteniss came back and addmitted that he lied and that he was doing a lot of LSD at the time. He stated that he knew that he was lying, and knew that it was wrong, and also he remmebers asking himself why he was doing what he was doing.Jason's alibi was that him and Damien were sitting at home watching TV when the murders occurred. Damien also said this too. But whiteness to this alibi were never brought into court. Jason was found guilty, and was sentenced to life in prison. 18 1/2 years later a deal was struck that got Jason, and the other two suspects out of prison. It was called the 'Alford Plea'. it is a complicated legal maneuver where one pleads guility, while maintaining their innocence. At first Jason didn't want to take it. He did not want to plead guilty to something that he didn't do. What it al came down to, was new DNA evidence that could prove their innocence. This new information was probably going to lead to a new trial for the 3. But that trial could have been draged out for another 10 years. And Jason's best friend Damien, was sent to death row for the case, and his execution date was coming up, and taking the deal was the only way to save his friend. Because they only way the deal would work, was if all three accepted the deal. Now, Jason is planning to become a lawyer. And praying to be fully exonerated, because until then, Jason isn't aloud to practice law.
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Jessie MisskelleyJessie Misskelley Jr. was 17 at the time him, Damien, and Jason were arrested for the murder of 3 second graders in West Memphis Arkansas on May 5th 1993. (many stories suggest that Damien Jessie and Jason were all best friends, but the truth is, Jessie was only friends with Jason, and he hardly even knew Damien) Jessie was given his own trial because his IQ being only 72, classifying his as being borderline mentally retarded. Jessie's alibi was that he was at a wrestling match during the time the murders occurred. There were many whiteness's to this alibi claiming that they were with and/or saw him at the wrestling match. Jessie's name was also on the register for the wrestling match too. And in addition to that, there was also a picture of Jessie at the wrestling match too, then the murders supposedly occurred. This alibi was brought up in court, but was looked over. When Jessie was arrested, he was interrogated for 12 hours straight. and gave a confession. In the confession, he stated that he was watched Damien and Jessie murder the 3 second graders. But there was a lot of speculation on his confession though. Many believe that his confession was forced upon him, and that the integrator took advantage of him because of his IQ "it is much easier to get someone to say something then thy are only operating at an 8 year old level. The words were put into his mouth by the police." Also, only 45 minutes, out of the 12 hours was actually recorded. Now a days false confessions happen all the time. But back then, people were as aware of them as they are now. But they still had a specialist come in and examine it. The expert stated many flaws in Jessies confession that pointed to the fact that it was forced upon him by the police. Including an interesting part where a police officer keeps changing the times Jessie says to fit the time of when the murders occurred. And years later Jessie explains that he was just saying what they told him to say, and they the police told him, that if he went with what they said, then he would be let go. In trial, Jessie was sentenced to life plus 40 years in prison. After 18 1/2 years though, Jessie was freed on account of an 'Alford Plea', a complicated legal maneuver where he and the other two suspects pleaded guilty while maintaining their innocence. Today, Jessie Misskelley lives with his family and has high hopes of being fully exonerated.
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