August 19, 2011
In 1993, three teenagers – Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Jr., and Jason Baldwin – were tried and convicted of the murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. But in 2007, new forensic evidence was presented suggesting that none of the DNA found at the crime scene belonged to any of the convicted teens. Today, the three men, now in their thirties, have been granted their freedom by an Arkansas judge.
State prosecutors and defense attorneys have been working together for the past year to finalize a deal, under which the men will plead no contest to murder charges in exchange for immediate release. The prosecutor in the case, Scott Ellington, says he believes “this case is closed and no other individuals were involved.” The three convicted men say they’ll keep fighting to prove their innocence.
The case has garnered lots of attention over the years, with an in-depth 1996 HBO documentary called “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills,” a follow up called “Paradise Lost 2: Revelations,” which is available on YouTube, and a forthcoming third installment, “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory,” due to screen at TIFF. The release of the documentaries led many high-profile celebrities to join the call to re-examine the convictions – Eddie Vedder was present in the courtroom today, and Peter Jackson has been quietly funding ongoing investigative efforts for the past seven years.
