The three men known as the West Memphis Three were released from an Arkansas prison today (August 19) after serving 18 years in jail for a crime they claim they were falsely accused of.
The men - Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Jr. and Jason Baldwin - were just teenagers when they were tried and convicted for the murder of three eight-year-old boys - Steven Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore - in eastern Arkansas in 1994.
Misskelley, who is mentally challenged, was quizzed by police for 12 hours following their arrest the previous year. During his police interview, he confessed to the killings, and implicated Echols and Baldwin. He later retracted his confession.
During the court case, prosecutors argued that the three teens, who wore black clothing and were metal fans, killed the children in a satanic ritual, despite a lack of evidence or a motive for the killing. In 1994, Echols, (then 18), was sentenced to death by lethal injection, while Misskelley Jr. (17) and Baldwin (16) were handed life sentences.
But last year, fresh DNA evidence cast doubt on their conviction, and this morning, the three men, who have always maintained their innocence throughout their 18-year stretch behind bars, were released through a complicated and controversial legal procedure called an 'Alford Plea', which allows a defendant to state their innocence while conceding there may be enough evidence to convince a judge or jury to find the them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Many musicians, including Metallica, Pearl Jam, Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor and Henry Rollins, believe that there was a miscarriage of justice and have supported the West Memphis Three throughout their time in prison.
Metallica allowed their music to be used in the 1996 case documentary Paradise Lost. Rollins, meanwhile, was responsible for the charity compilation, Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs To Benefit The West Memphis Three. The album featured guest appearances from members of Queens Of The Stone Age, Slayer, Rancid, Slipknot and The Mars Volta. Money raised from album sales were donated to the WM3 legal support fund.
"I am happy for the guys, but so much has been lost," Rollins told the Los Angeles Times earlier today. "Three boys were killed. In my opinion, the wrong people were incarcerated and the person or persons who did it are still out there, alive or dead, still not brought to justice."
For more information on the case, visit www.wm3.org.
Update, August 20
Damien Echols has released a statement.
"To all my friends and family, my attorneys and advocates, and to those of you from every corner of this earth who have stood beside us these long years, please know that I will forever be indebted to all of you for helping me to become a free man. Each and every day I was the beneficiary of acts of kindness and humanity from people of all walks of life, of all ages, nationalities, religions and political persuasions. The enormity of the support Lorri and I received throughout this struggle is humbling.
"I have now spent half my life on death row. It is a torturous environment that no human being should have to endure, and it needed to end. I am innocent, as are Jason and Jessie, but I made this decision because I did not want to spend another day of my life behind those bars. I want to live and to continue to fight for our innocence. Sometimes justice is neither pretty nor is it perfect, but it was important to take this opportunity to be free.
"I am not alone as there are tens of thousand of men and woman in this country who have been wrongfully convicted, forced into a false confession, sentenced to death or a lifetime in prison. I am hopeful that one day they too will be able stand with their friends and family to declare their innocence.
"This whole experience has taught me much about life, human nature, American justice, survival and transcendence.
"I will hopefully take those lessons with me as I embark on the next chapter in my journey and along the way look forward to enjoying some of those simple things in life like spending Christmastime, Halloween and my birthday with those I love."
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