West Memphis Three

WildChildRoseWildChildRose Posts: 568
edited September 2010 in A Moving Train
I was on the West Memphis Three site earlier this week and was surprised that there are not that many signatures on the petition. Thought I'd send out a link so people can sign. These guys really need a break. I can't understand how they're still in prison with the DNA evidence.

http://freewestmemphis3.org/

http://freewestmemphis3.org/index.php?o ... &Itemid=91

Also check out the letters from Damien. He writes so well and they are really interesting.

Happy Friday.
"I'll ride the wave where it takes me.."
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • I really need to read about this case. I will sign the petition first, however, because I trust Pearl Jam's opinion on it.
  • just signed it.
  • fuckfuck Posts: 4,069
    I really need to read about this case. I will sign the petition first, however, because I trust Pearl Jam's opinion on it.
    haha you're gonna get a lot of hate on here for "not comin up with your opinion" but fuck em!

    thanks for posting this, I signed it as well. our justice system is a thing of beauty, isn't it?
  • _outlaw wrote:
    I really need to read about this case. I will sign the petition first, however, because I trust Pearl Jam's opinion on it.
    haha you're gonna get a lot of hate on here for "not comin up with your opinion" but fuck em!

    thanks for posting this, I signed it as well. our justice system is a thing of beauty, isn't it?

    that's right! fuck em! :D

    Its not just PJ's opinion I trust btw. A very educated friend of mine read up on it back when the whole case first came out, and I trust her opinion as well. But I should read up on it. just too lazy at the moment. and too damn busy in general! oh, trust me dude. I will eventually get all the facts and dissect the entire story.
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    Signed. Absolutely horrifying case, how these people can sleep at night knowing that there is no credible evidence is beyond me. More to the point, the real killer(s) is still out there.
  • whygohomewhygohome Posts: 2,305
    I was on the West Memphis Three site earlier this week and was surprised that there are not that many signatures on the petition. Thought I'd send out a link so people can sign. These guys really need a break. I can't understand how they're still in prison with the DNA evidence.

    http://freewestmemphis3.org/

    http://freewestmemphis3.org/index.php?o ... &Itemid=91

    Also check out the letters from Damien. He writes so well and they are really interesting.

    Happy Friday.


    I don't know enough about the case, therefore no signature form me (hard to say no to the OP, hehe). Also, I don't want to be like many members of society and make a choice/statement without being knowledgeable. I'll read up on it though.
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    whygohome wrote:
    I was on the West Memphis Three site earlier this week and was surprised that there are not that many signatures on the petition. Thought I'd send out a link so people can sign. These guys really need a break. I can't understand how they're still in prison with the DNA evidence.

    http://freewestmemphis3.org/

    http://freewestmemphis3.org/index.php?o ... &Itemid=91

    Also check out the letters from Damien. He writes so well and they are really interesting.

    Happy Friday.


    I don't know enough about the case, therefore no signature form me (hard to say no to the OP, hehe). Also, I don't want to be like many members of society and make a choice/statement without being knowledgeable. I'll read up on it though.

    Definitely read up on it. To be honest it's not even an ambiguous thing where you're more inclined to believe one way or another - there genuinely isn't any hard evidence at all.
  • haffajappahaffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    whygohome wrote:
    I was on the West Memphis Three site earlier this week and was surprised that there are not that many signatures on the petition. Thought I'd send out a link so people can sign. These guys really need a break. I can't understand how they're still in prison with the DNA evidence.

    http://freewestmemphis3.org/

    http://freewestmemphis3.org/index.php?o ... &Itemid=91

    Also check out the letters from Damien. He writes so well and they are really interesting.

    Happy Friday.


    I don't know enough about the case, therefore no signature form me (hard to say no to the OP, hehe). Also, I don't want to be like many members of society and make a choice/statement without being knowledgeable. I'll read up on it though.

    Definitely read up on it. To be honest it's not even an ambiguous thing where you're more inclined to believe one way or another - there genuinely isn't any hard evidence at all.
    not only that but didn't the local police completely botch the crime scene before federal investigators came?
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • matabelematabele Posts: 277
    What is the official line why they have not been released? Is there an official line?
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    haffajappa wrote:
    not only that but didn't the local police completely botch the crime scene before federal investigators came?

    Oh yeah, evidence went missing too, they also failed to respond in time to a call from a fast food resataurant the day the boys were found, where a man had walked into the women's toilets covered in blood. They took scrapings of the blood found in the toilets, but lost it! It was really poorly investigated, and yet still they won't admit that the case needs to be re-opened. More than the injustice of three innocent men being locked up, it's an absolute insult to the three boys who died.
  • cincybearcatcincybearcat Posts: 16,497
    _outlaw wrote:
    I really need to read about this case. I will sign the petition first, however, because I trust Pearl Jam's opinion on it.
    haha you're gonna get a lot of hate on here for "not comin up with your opinion" but fuck em!

    thanks for posting this, I signed it as well. our justice system is a thing of beauty, isn't it?

    Well, you really deserve crap if you sign a petition without knowing anything about it. You would be one of the people giving the crap if it was a different petition, and you would be right.

    That said, he/she later says that a friend knows about it and he/she trusts his/her judgment, that seems far more reasonable than trusting anyone you don't know...like Pearl Jam.
    hippiemom = goodness
  • JonnyPistachioJonnyPistachio Florida Posts: 10,219
    i'll check out that petition as well.
    I think I heard recently that their appeals were shot down, so they're running out od time I guess.
    Hopefully this thing in Arkansas that Eddie is attneding will get some more attention for these cases:

    viewtopic.php?f=4&t=139053
    Pick up my debut novel here on amazon: Jonny Bails Floatin (in paperback) (also available on Kindle for $2.99)
  • GL88154GL88154 Posts: 46
    Didn't the one guy confess twice? Once with and once without his attorney? I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I read that.
  • tinkerbelltinkerbell New Zealand Posts: 2,161
    Signed.
    all you need is love, love is all you need
  • JonnyPistachioJonnyPistachio Florida Posts: 10,219
    GL88154 wrote:
    Didn't the one guy confess twice? Once with and once without his attorney? I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I read that.

    That was a rather questionable confession from what i understand. Apparently the kid (Jesse Miskelley, about 16 yrs old/IQ - 72, i think) was questioned by the cops for hours without his parents or attorney and he denied involvement constantly until he was run down. I don't know if he confessed again or not though. His confession contained deatils that were inaccurate to the actual crime (like time tables). There was otherwise literally zero evidence linking any of the three boys that were convicted to the scene.
    Pick up my debut novel here on amazon: Jonny Bails Floatin (in paperback) (also available on Kindle for $2.99)
  • GL88154GL88154 Posts: 46
    GL88154 wrote:
    Didn't the one guy confess twice? Once with and once without his attorney? I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I read that.

    That was a rather questionable confession from what i understand. Apparently the kid (Jesse Miskelley, about 16 yrs old/IQ - 72, i think) was questioned by the cops for hours without his parents or attorney and he denied involvement constantly until he was run down. I don't know if he confessed again or not though. His confession contained deatils that were inaccurate to the actual crime (like time tables). There was otherwise literally zero evidence linking any of the three boys that were convicted to the scene.

    Here is what is says in Wikipedia....which is not authoritative, but what I read.

    Shortly after Misskelley's original confession, police arrested Echols and his close friend Baldwin. Eight months after his original confession, on February 17, 1994, Misskelley made another statement to police with his lawyer Dan Stidham in the room continually advising Misskelley not to say anything. Misskelley ignored this advice continually and went on to detail how Damien and Jason abused and murdered the boys, while he watched until he decided to leave. Misskelley's attorney, Dan Stidham, who was later elected to a municipal judgeship, has written a detailed critique of what he asserts are major police errors and misconceptions during their investigation.[21]
  • whygohomewhygohome Posts: 2,305
    What if they're guilty?
  • JonnyPistachioJonnyPistachio Florida Posts: 10,219
    GL88154 wrote:
    Here is what is says in Wikipedia....which is not authoritative, but what I read.

    Shortly after Misskelley's original confession, police arrested Echols and his close friend Baldwin. Eight months after his original confession, on February 17, 1994, Misskelley made another statement to police with his lawyer Dan Stidham in the room continually advising Misskelley not to say anything. Misskelley ignored this advice continually and went on to detail how Damien and Jason abused and murdered the boys, while he watched until he decided to leave. Misskelley's attorney, Dan Stidham, who was later elected to a municipal judgeship, has written a detailed critique of what he asserts are major police errors and misconceptions during their investigation.[21]


    Oh, I didnt know about that second one. Either way, the first one was a shady confession and didnt add up.
    Other than that, there isnt really any evidence against the three who were convicted. In fact, there was so little evidence at the spot where the bodies were found that there are a lot of theories that they were killed elsewhere. I find it difficult to believe that these three teenagers cold cover this up that well.
    whygohome wrote:
    What if they're guilty?

    There is always that possibility. But the issue at stake is whether or not the evidence against them was sufficient. It wasnt, and this whole thing just stinks of a crappy, failed justice system.
    Pick up my debut novel here on amazon: Jonny Bails Floatin (in paperback) (also available on Kindle for $2.99)
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    whygohome wrote:
    What if they're guilty?

    Well then they won't have any probleming reopening the case and actually proving it will they?
  • haffajappahaffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    GL88154 wrote:
    Didn't the one guy confess twice? Once with and once without his attorney? I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I read that.

    That was a rather questionable confession from what i understand. Apparently the kid (Jesse Miskelley, about 16 yrs old/IQ - 72, i think) was questioned by the cops for hours without his parents or attorney and he denied involvement constantly until he was run down. I don't know if he confessed again or not though. His confession contained deatils that were inaccurate to the actual crime (like time tables). There was otherwise literally zero evidence linking any of the three boys that were convicted to the scene.
    Also, if i remember correctly from a couple documentaries, they only have the confession on tape, not the rest of the interview - which was quite a few hours i think... That's a bit suspicious!

    I'm pretty sure that today if this trial had happened - as in, not reopened but if they had been accused recently and tried recently, it wouldn't have been the same outcome...

    Whether or not they're guilty, that investigation was fucked up!
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • byrnzie is pretty knowledgeable on the WM3.

    such a shame he's not posting anymore. at least he educates people.
  • mrpink90mrpink90 Posts: 415
    Just recently have been reading all about this case in the last couple days, i gotta say im leaning towards thinking theyre guilty. And the no physical evidence is not true, they found fibers on the victims clothes that matched fibers found in echols and baldwins home. But the lack of physical evidence is definitely alarming.

    I just cant get past misskelley's confessions. I really find it hard to believe the police could get this kid to admit to being involved in these murders if he had nothing to do with it. This kid was far from a genius but he wasnt a retard. There were definitely some inconsistentsies in his confessions (like the murders taking place at noon when they really took place in the evening), but there was also things he knew that only people who were at the crime scene could have known, unless you believe the police were telling him word for word what to say, which again i have a very hard time believing. He says he was drinking from a bottle of whiskey that he threw away in the woods leaving the crime, and the police found the bottle exactly where he said he threw it out. S.hit like that wouldnt add up if he wasnt mostly telling the truth.

    And he was still confessing to the murders NINE MONTHS after they took place, that just doesnt make any sense to me. Did any of the 3 have alibis that hold up? Im far from an expert on this case but I dont think so, theres nobody that can say "echols was with me, or at so and so's place, when the murders took place", etc.

    THese are links to misskelley's first confession in june, 1 month after the murders, then the other one in feb '94, 9 months later.

    http://callahan.8k.com/wm3/audio.html
  • haffajappahaffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    mrpink90 wrote:
    Just recently have been reading all about this case in the last couple days, i gotta say im leaning towards thinking theyre guilty. And the no physical evidence is not true, they found fibers on the victims clothes that matched fibers found in echols and baldwins home. But the lack of physical evidence is definitely alarming.

    I just cant get past misskelley's confessions. I really find it hard to believe the police could get this kid to admit to being involved in these murders if he had nothing to do with it. This kid was far from a genius but he wasnt a retard. There were definitely some inconsistentsies in his confessions (like the murders taking place at noon when they really took place in the evening), but there was also things he knew that only people who were at the crime scene could have known, unless you believe the police were telling him word for word what to say, which again i have a very hard time believing. He says he was drinking from a bottle of whiskey that he threw away in the woods leaving the crime, and the police found the bottle exactly where he said he threw it out. S.hit like that wouldnt add up if he wasnt mostly telling the truth.

    And he was still confessing to the murders NINE MONTHS after they took place, that just doesnt make any sense to me. Did any of the 3 have alibis that hold up? Im far from an expert on this case but I dont think so, theres nobody that can say "echols was with me, or at so and so's place, when the murders took place", etc.

    THese are links to misskelley's first confession in june, 1 month after the murders, then the other one in feb '94, 9 months later.

    http://callahan.8k.com/wm3/audio.html
    The problem is that, at least on this continent, you are innocent until proven guilty - not the other way around.
    and like I said there were discrepencies between the actual recorded confession and the entire interrogation... why would they interrogate for 12 hours but only have on record his confession? Not saying you don't make very valid points, but it seems that also if the police weren't hiding something, then the paperwork and transcripts should add up as well...
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • EnkiduEnkidu So Cal Posts: 2,996
    I just started re-reading Devil's Knot, the book by Mara Leveritt about the case and I haven't gotten to the confession part, but I remember that his confession is totally wrong at first with the times - like he says they took the boys into the woods at 9 in the morning. It was really late afternoon. He also said they were tied up with rope. And they were tied up with shoelaces. And I guess they have it on tape or the tape is "missing" and hours later in the confession he changes his story about the time and the rope...

    Read the book. There's another book too that's supposed to be less biased, but I read that one too and still had doubts.
  • Gary CarterGary Carter Posts: 14,067
    mrpink90 wrote:
    Just recently have been reading all about this case in the last couple days, i gotta say im leaning towards thinking theyre guilty. And the no physical evidence is not true, they found fibers on the victims clothes that matched fibers found in echols and baldwins home. But the lack of physical evidence is definitely alarming.

    I just cant get past misskelley's confessions. I really find it hard to believe the police could get this kid to admit to being involved in these murders if he had nothing to do with it. This kid was far from a genius but he wasnt a retard. There were definitely some inconsistentsies in his confessions (like the murders taking place at noon when they really took place in the evening), but there was also things he knew that only people who were at the crime scene could have known, unless you believe the police were telling him word for word what to say, which again i have a very hard time believing. He says he was drinking from a bottle of whiskey that he threw away in the woods leaving the crime, and the police found the bottle exactly where he said he threw it out. S.hit like that wouldnt add up if he wasnt mostly telling the truth.

    And he was still confessing to the murders NINE MONTHS after they took place, that just doesnt make any sense to me. Did any of the 3 have alibis that hold up? Im far from an expert on this case but I dont think so, theres nobody that can say "echols was with me, or at so and so's place, when the murders took place", etc.

    THese are links to misskelley's first confession in june, 1 month after the murders, then the other one in feb '94, 9 months later.

    http://callahan.8k.com/wm3/audio.html
    do you really believe a confession from a mentally challenged person. i don't find it hard to believe the police baited a mentally challenged into confession. it is the backwaters of the south afterall.
    Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
    Sammi: Wanna just break up?

  • dasvidanadasvidana Grand Junction CO Posts: 1,349
    Jessie apparently has the mental capacity of a 5 year old child (according to the HBO documentary) so could have easily been coerced into saying anything to get the police off his back.
    It's nice to be nice to the nice.
  • OnTheEdgeOnTheEdge Posts: 1,300
    Signed, and also attached link to my facebook asking my friends to get involved also.
  • Thanks for signing and reading up on the case! Definitely educate yourself before you sign it. :)

    I have to say I think without a doubt, they are innocent. I've read a lot into the case and the new DNA evidence points to the stepfather. There is no physical evidence from these 3 men (boys at the time) that links them to the murders. Justice has not been served.

    On Sept.30th oral arguments will be given for the release of Damien.

    This is from the FB invite:

    The hearing will be streamed live at this link:
    http://arkansas-sc.granicus.com/ViewPub ... ?view_id=2

    Oral arguments are held in the courtroom of the Arkansas Supreme Court, which is located in the Justice Building, 625 Marshall Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. Oral arguments are included as part of the court's proceedings, which are scheduled to begin at 9:00am on the date indicated. These proceedings are open to the general public.

    Oral Arguments - Explained. Click the link below

    http://www.wm3blackboard.com/forum/inde ... 004.0.html

    I encourage you to read letters from Damien too. He is quite intelligent and his letters are really interesting.

    http://www.freewestmemphis3.org/index.p ... 632a4e7aab
    "I'll ride the wave where it takes me.."
  • __ Posts: 6,651
    metsfan wrote:
    do you really believe a confession from a mentally challenged person. i don't find it hard to believe the police baited a mentally challenged into confession. it is the backwaters of the south afterall.

    Yeah, 'cause police coercion NEVER happens in any other part of the country! :roll:
  • haffajappa wrote:
    not only that but didn't the local police completely botch the crime scene before federal investigators came?

    Oh yeah, evidence went missing too, they also failed to respond in time to a call from a fast food resataurant the day the boys were found, where a man had walked into the women's toilets covered in blood. They took scrapings of the blood found in the toilets, but lost it! It was really poorly investigated, and yet still they won't admit that the case needs to be re-opened. More than the injustice of three innocent men being locked up, it's an absolute insult to the three boys who died.

    true that. just saw something also on wikipedia about an African-American hair being found in the sheet that one of the boys was wrapped up in. the man at Bojangles was African-American, and the restaurant was only about a mile, with a direct path from the crime scene.

    The more info like this gets spread around, the more those police and detectives credibility and reputations are on the line. The case has been so controversial, but if these botched up investigation facts went more public, I would think that these men of authority involved would eventually be forced back into the spotlight whether they like it or not. It looks as though a retrial may cause that to happen first. But it amazes me how the police and detectives involved still think they are untouchable and don't owe an apology or any further involvement with the case.
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