Celebrities call for release of 'West Memphis Three'

by Mark5019 May 13, 2006 10:12AM PDT

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- An art show featuring work by an Arkansas death row inmate opened this weekend to kick off a series of events this month advocating the release of three convicted killers whose cause has been championed by celebrities.

Damien Echols, 31, was one of three teenagers convicted in the 1993 bludgeoning deaths of three 8-year-old boys whose bodies were found in a ditch near their homes in West Memphis, Arkansas. The convicts became known as the "West Memphis Three."

Supporters claim Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin, were railroaded because they listened to heavy metal, dressed in black clothing and read Stephen King novels. The case has become a cause celebre for a host of musicians and other big names, including Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, punk rocker Henry Rollins and comedian Margaret Cho.

"I think America can do a little better for you than what they got, being thrown in prison on such intense charges with no physical evidence," said Rollins, who spoke at the art show on Friday. "This shouldn't happen in America."

The one-night show and auction

where will it end? thats why you kill thses scumbags
http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/05/13/memphis.three.ap/index.html

Discussion is locked

The Wikipedia entry is interesting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Memphis_3

I find it rare to see this disclaimer on the top of a page:

"To meet Wikipedia's quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup.

Please discuss this issue on the talk page, or replace this tag with a more specific message. Editing help is available.

This article has been tagged since April 2006"

In any case, the next thing I noticed when reading the Wiki summary was how often there are "citation needed" links to various "facts" stated. Many of those "facts" seem to be claims repeated by the WM3 supporters.

Without knowing exactly what testimony was presented at trial, it is difficult to know what to make of Misskelley's confession, but do note that he confessed not once, not twice, but apparently three times. The linked confession over the repeated objections by his attorneys whom, at age 18, he repeatedly stated he understood their advice and wanted to confess anyway. It seems unclear, although the Wiki link does give some more info on the evidence put before the jury.

The claim of NO physical evidence is apparently false. While fiber evidence is not the strongest, it DOES constitute physical evidence.

Echols himself seemed to have slipped up admitting knowing more about the crime than had been publically released/reported.

The guy on death row, Echols, (according to Wiki)
He had spent several months in mental institution in both Arkansas and his mental problems were severe enough to gain him "full disability" status from the Social Security Administration. During Echols' trial, Dr. George W. Woods would testify (for the defense) that Echols suffered from a "serious mental illness characterized by grandiose and persecutory delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, disordered thought processes, substantial lack of insight, and chronic, incapacitating mood swings."

There seem to be many troubling aspects of the case. Apparently some more forensic testing is yet to be completed. But what I don't get is the confession of Misskelley.

Evie

Celebrities call for release of 'West Memphis Three'

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