"In Texas, the WM3 would be dead by now. In Arkansas, imperfect as the deal may have been, they're free men and living."

Amen.

Rick Perry holds the record for executions by modern day governors. 234 and counting.

Can't WAIT as tonight unfolds in the days ahead.

Kudos to the Arkansas Times and all who participated.

Sainthood for Mara Leverritt.

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What an excellent public event.

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Why did no one from the media ask the tough questions? Do you need help knowing what they are? What a joke man......seriously......the public and media have been bamboozled with the total distortion of the evidence by whats become the main source of information on the case.......the WM3 Supporters.

This deal corrupted the legal system no matter if you think guilty or innocence.....now we have a situation where each dead boy is worth six years and millions of dollars collect on behalf of the convicted.

The lawyers all worked pro-bono......if that is the case wheres all these millions and why hasnt any been disturbed to the victims families.........only three people have no profited off this case in some manner or another and that's steve, chris, and Michael.

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I've had my opinions on this case for years, many of which you all share. I was tempted to be critical of "the deal" as an injustice across the board, but having practiced law for 20 years, and not knowing all the facts as well as those on the inside, I know its best that I keep further thoughts on the matter to myself. I can say, however, that I went to law school with Scott Ellington and, although we were never "friends" so to speak, he was an upstanding guy. As someone who grew up in the Northeast, the word "Mensch" carries greater meaning to me, and I'm glad to hear Max held that opinion of Scott. I dare say had he been the prosecutor originally... well, you know.

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I have believed these young men were innocent for many, many years, and while I am totally happy about the chain of events that led to their freedom, I am glad that at long last, they are out of prison and alive. I agree with Norma; sainthood for Mara.

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I am totally happy about the chain of events that led to their freedom,

That should have read "I am not totally happy..."

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Maybe I'm the only one in Arkansas, but I. Don't. Know.

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Tap,
I think we both agree on I.Don't.Know

B-U-T

we do K-N-O-W

W. Memphis police bungled the investigation and the prosecutor, with Judge Barnett's implicit cooperation, allowed a total miscarriage of justice to occur in a classic "rush to judgment."

So justice in the mildest sense could never be served in this case, not in W. Memphis and not in Jonesboro.

I know McDaniel was paying attention to "...more than 1,100 chairs...filled.." with mostly supporters.

Keep that in mind McDaniel before laying down a filing fee and spending a few million dollars on a higher office, even though it will be OPM.

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I think you nailed it eL. The first trial was a travesty,

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And the second hearing or trial or appeal was a travesty built upon the initial travesty.

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How many have you checked the evidence. If you think one of these coincidenceare not a coincidence they are guilty:


Coincidence List (Updated)
Coincidence No. 1:

Misskelley and Echols are only acquaintances, but in spite of that, Misskelley, when questioned by police, initially names Echols as “capable” of committing the murders. In his allegedly coercedconfession, he names Echols as not only a participant in the crime, but the “ringleader.” In Paradise Lost, one of Misskelley’s relatives makes a comment about Echols that suggests Echols and Misskelley were more than acquaintances;

Coincidence No. 2:

On the night of May 5, 1993, Narlene Hollingsworth, Tabetha Hollingsworth and Anthony Hollingsworth see a male wearing all black clothing, with black hair that looks like Echols, walking on the Service Road near Robin Hood Hills, with an individual who is the same height as Domini Teer, the same build as Domini Teer, has long hair similar to Domini Teer’s and who looks like Domini Teer;

Coincidence No. 3:

Three Caucasian hairs are found on two of the victim’s bodies, several Caucasian hairs are found on the victims’ bodies and under the bindings, and one negroid hair found on the sheet used to wrap Christopher Byers’ body for transport to the morgue. The three Caucasian hairs found on two victims’ bodies are compared to hair from numerous suspects and members of the victims’ families. The three hairs are found to be similar to Echols and one of the hairs is an exclusive similarity;

Coincidence No. 4:

Green polyester and green cotton fibers found on Michael Moore’s clothing are compared to garments and items from the victims’ homes, other suspect’s clothing, and garments and items from the Baldwin, Echols, Teer, and Misskelley homes and are found to be similar only to a single cotton polyester blend “Geranimals” shirt that belonged to Echols’ half-brother, Tim Hutchison. The Baldwins, Teers, Misskelleys, victims, and other suspects are not found to possess a similar shirt, nor are secondary fiber transfers similar to the questioned fibers found on the garments or items examined from the victims’ homes, the other suspects’ clothing or the Baldwin, Teer and Miskelley homes;

Coincidence No. 5:

Baldwin is named as a participant in the murders by Misskelley in his allegedly coerced confession;

Coincidence No. 6:

One red rayon fiber found on Christopher Byers’ shirt are compared with garments and items from the victim’s homes, other suspect’s clothing and garments and items from the Baldwin, Echols, Teer and Misskelley homes and are found to be similar only to a single red rayon robe that belonged to Gail Grinnell, Baldwin’s mother. The Echols, Teers, Misskelleys, victims and other suspects are not found to possess a similar robe, nor are secondary fiber transfers similar to the questioned fibers found on the garments or items examined from the victim’s homes, the other suspect’s clothing or the Echols, Teer and Misskelley homes;

Coincidence No. 7:

A spot of blood on a tee-shirt belonging to Misskelley is found to be similar to Michael Moore’s blood by HLA-DQ Alpha profile.

Coincidence No. 8:

The blood on the tee-shirt is also similar to Misskelley’s profile. An explanation for the presence of the blood is not official given by Misskelley’s defense, although years later, supporters claim that Misskelley had a nose bleed that left only a small drop of blood on the tee-shirt;

Coincidence No. 9:

A survival knife, similar to one that Echols was known to possess, and one he often carried on his person, is found sticking blade down in the lake 30+ feet directly behind Baldwin’s home in theLakeshore Trailer Park;

Coincidence No. 10:

A spot of blood, discovered on a necklace seized from Echols at the time of his arrest, is similar to Steve Branch’s blood by HLA-DQ Alpha profile.

Coincidence No. 11:

The blood on the necklace is also similar to Baldwin’s profile and Echols claims that Baldwin frequently wore the necklace. Supporters allege that his zits bled on the necklace while he was wearing it. Echols claims that a police photograph documents Baldwin wearing the necklace, but no such photograph ever appears and Echols was wearing the necklace on the night of his arrest;

Coincidence No. 12:

Who confessed to the murders on at least six different occasions (three unofficial and three official) and were also named as participants by Misskelley? Echols and Baldwin.

Although not widely accepted as voluntary, how many suspects were named in Misskelley’s confession? Echols and Baldwin.

Although not conclusive, how many suspects were found to have hair similar to all three of the Caucasian hairs found on two of the victim’s bodies and were named in Misskelley’s confession? Echols.

Although not conclusive, how many suspects were found to possess a garment similar to the green polyester and green cotton fibers found on Michael Moore’s clothing, were the only suspect to be found to have hair similar to all three of the Caucasian hairs found on two of the victims’ bodies, and were named in Misskelley’s confession? Echols.

Although not widely accepted as credible, how many suspects were named by Narlene, Tabetha, and Anthony Hollingsworth as being on the Service Road near Robin Hood Hills on the night of May 5, were found to possess a garment similar to the green cotton and green polyester fibers found on Michael’s clothing, were found to have hair similar to all three of the Caucasian hairs found on two of the victims’ bodies, and were named in Misskelley’s confession? Echols.

Although not widely accepted as conclusive, how many suspects were named as having once owned a knife similar to the “Lake” Knife and were also named as having routinely carried a knife like it, were identified on the Service Road near Robin Hood Hills by Narlene, Tabetha and Anthony Hollingsworth on the night of May 5, were found to possess a garment similar to the green polyester and green cotton fibers found on Michael’s clothing, were found to have hair similar to all three hairs found on two of the victims’ bodies, and were named in Misskelley’s confession? Echols.

Although not widely accepted as conclusive, how many suspects were arrested wearing a necklace with blood similar to Steve Branch’s, were named as owning a knife similar to the “Lake” Knife and were also named as having routinely carried a knife like it, were identified on the Service Road near Robin Hood Hills by Narlene, Tabetha and Anthony Hollingsworth on the night of May 5, were found to possess a garment similar to the green polyester and green cotton fibers found on Michael’s clothing, were found to have hair similar to all three Caucasian hairs found on two of the victims’ bodies, and were named in Misskelley’s confession? Echols.

Although not conclusive, how many suspects were found to possess a robe similar to the red rayon fibers found on Christopher’s shirt and were named in Misskelley’s confession? Baldwin.

Although not widely accepted as conclusive, how many suspects had a knife found sticking blade down in the mud in a lake 30+ feet directly behind their home in Lakeshore Trailer Park, were found to possess a robe similar to the red rayon fibers found on Christopher’s shirt, and were named in Misskelley’s confession? Baldwin.

Although not widely accepted as voluntary, how many suspects confessed to the murders, and told police the names of his accomplices, the injuries to Christopher Byers, the injuries to Steve Branch’s face, and without being prompted that he chased Michael Moore down? Misskelley.

Although not conclusive, how many suspects named by Misskelley were found to each possess a single garment in their homes similar to the red rayon fibers found on Christopher’s clothing, and the green polyester and green cotton fibers found on Michael’s clothing? Echols and Baldwin.

Although not widely accepted as conclusive, how many suspects were found to possess a shirt with a small drop of blood similar to Michael Moore’s, whose co-defendants were included as suspects by the trace evidence, and who confessed to committing the murders? Misskelley.

The medieval philosopher William of Occan formulated the principle known as Occan’s Razor: If two hypotheses purport to explain the same data, then, all other things being equal, the simpler hypotheses is to be preferred.

I could not help but think about the West Memphis Three case, and the often opposing explanations/views from supporters and non-supporters alike. An example would be: Was the Robin Hood Hills area the crime scene or merely a dump site? I tend to believe it is highly unlikely that the boys, who were last seen alive close to Robin Hood Hills, were abducted from that area, murdered, and thenBROUGHT BACK to the same area – an area that was being searched.

I think I´ll have to go with Occan on that one (the simpler hypotheses): The boys were most likely murdered in Robin Hood Hills. Some things never change…

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From Twitter #wm3 comes this GREAT link. Peter "Lord of the Rings" Jackson EVISCERATES the corrupt Arkansas justice system.

http://moviebob.blogspot.com/2011/08/peter…

It is that and that ALONE that is responsible for all that's followed . . . and why the living seem unlikely EVER to know with certainty and finality who killed those boys . . . and why, wherever their innocent souls now happily abide (if souls indeed abide) . . . their remembered lives in earthly hearts will forever remain a haunting reminder of the sometimes (ofttimes?) sorrowful triumph of Corruption over Good.

The stupid, venal, inept, superstitious, backward, ignorant, incompetent, petty, vengeful, corrupt AND ongoing Good Ol' Boy Arkansas justice system -- as widely acknowledged now, for decades, throughout America and the western world.

Or . . . not?

Against all odds, I, for one, believe the WM3 case is not quite over and will -- not too distantly -- reach a devastating closure.

The dead, who've waited, will have their final say, "for one of the most public acts of legal malfeasance in modern American history."

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Thanks, William Reed.

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Mr. Brantley, thank you for organizing the West Memphis Three meeting and for the report today. And Mr. Reed, thank you for your post which is a sobering one that gives me doubts anew. I thought I knew, but now I am reminded that I am like Tap who posted, I.Don't.Know. None of us know, except the West Memphis Three. As for the rest of us, here is what I believe: We.Will.Never.Know.

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Arkansas Times reporters don't have to worry about the petty stories around the state that others call "news" because the WM3 is the news. Insert "Nancy Grace" in the Arkansas Times banner and "Casey Anthony" instead of WM3 and, yay, thats all they need!

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Thank you William Reed.
The trouble is that FACTS do not influence those who "Feel" these boys are innocent even though 2 juries convicted them and all the appeals were rejected by higher courts.
God Bless the three boys that were killed---They are the only ones that are completely innocent in this case!!!

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“I don't know.”

Theses words are often viewed as the beginnings of wisdom.
Unfortunately this phrase is also used to conceal.

I don’t know if there is anthropomorphic climate change
I don’t know that the sun will rise tomorrow.

I don’t know if water boarding is torture.
I don’t know if al-Qaeda was responsible for 9-11.

I don’t know if Hitler had the Jews killed.
I don’t know a cabal controls the world.

I don’t know if there is a God.
I don’t know if God approves.

What do we know?
We know an “Alford Plea” is not justice.


“Justice is incidental to law and order.”
J. Edgar Hoover

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The things that outrage people puzzle me. A jury won't convict in Marianna and its the worst thing ever. Two juries do convict in Craighead county and its the worst thing ever.

The only people who come up empty in this formulation is a schoolteacher and 3 second graders.

Do we at least recognize that Hollywood is going to find "the real killers" from West Memphis about the same time that OJ does.

Maybe the old Blackstone idea that its better for 10 guitly escape than one innocent suffer is in play here?

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There is much we don't know. Here is what I DO know:

I'm glad this didn't happen in Texas regardless of the WM3's guilt or innocence. It's true that probably all three of these guys would be dead by now if they had been convicted in Texas.

Justice is not always about guilt or innocence. Justice is about finding our way when the evidence may be unsure or when it may be incomplete. In this case the evidence was unsure and incomplete. Juries every day are called upon to make judgments based on this kind of evidence. It's the job of the judge to make certain that they make those judgments in "just" ways.

The evil doer here, IMHO, is the judge. He simply didn't do his job and continued for years to do everything in his power to justify his wrongs.

This is one of the many reasons why I'm opposed to the death penalty. Justice is very seldom perfect and we are arrogant to think it always is. The system and our own moral compass require us to be humble enough to allow for errors. The death penalty, once enacted, precludes correction.

Read a little about Rick Perry and how an innocent man was callously executed in Texas and how Perry has gone to extreme lengths to keep the case from being officially investigated, even to the extent of replacing members of the investigatory agency in order to quash said investigation.

http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2011/…

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What Bill Reed is trying to tell all of us is there was not a complete lack of evidence that linked the WM3 to these crimes. There are plenty of people in prison in the US today who were convicted using circumstantial evidence. I agree new evidence has been developed or discovered which does not link the WM3 to these crimes. So far, none of that evidence completely clears them of these offenses.

The State had to concede there was juror misconduct in the Baldwin and Echols trial. The law requires that even though Misskelley had given a statement, that statement should not be considered by their Jury.

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The problem with Reed's "evidence" (as was previously pointed out) is that much of it is based on information from 1993 that has been refuted. There is emotion on both sides of this case, and I am proud to call myself a supporter. However, for the sake of the three men just freed, and for the sake of the three little boys murdered almost 20 years ago, sweeping this under the rug by stating "case closed" is not helpful and is simply not right.

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The Time's headline says the "wm3" "earned their freedom. I think it would be more appropriate to say they "gained" their freedom. In their plea they admit the state has enough evidence to convict them. If there is compelling evidence of their innocence, let's see it.

As for this "From Twitter #wm3 comes this GREAT link. Peter "Lord of the Rings" Jackson EVISCERATES the corrupt Arkansas justice system."

Who really cares what some Hollywood person has to say? Remember BJ from MASH who lobbied so hard to have Wayne Dumond released because he was so obviously "innocent"? Well, we all know what happened after that. AND you never heard from bj again..............

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LDfO, the WM3 were forced to say the state had enough evidence to convict them or else their plea would not have been accepted by the court. Them saying it doesn't mean they believe it to be true nor that it is true.

Re Wayne Dumond- yes, we remember former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (Rethuglican) getting Dumond released. But Dumond's subsequent actions have nothing to do with the WM3. To suggest otherwise is to display a serious lack of knowledge about the two distinct cases.

Unrelated to LDoO's post- what has intrigued me the most about the plea deal was that the prosecutors demanded the plea deal be all-or-nothing. Why? Did the prosecutors think the public would be more convinced of their collective guilt if all 3 were forced to plead guilty to first-degree murder and not just 1 or 2 of them? What if Jason Baldwin had been allowed to stay the course for a new trial, assuming the court had ordered one? If Jason was then found not guilty, that would have cast doubt on the plea deal taken by Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley. TAP, Oddball and our other blog attorneys- do you have any better theories re the all-or-nothing plea deal and why it was insisted upon by prosecutors?

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Re Mr. Dickman: "Remember BJ from MASH who lobbied so hard to have Wayne Dumond released because he was so obviously "innocent"? Well, we all know what happened after that. AND you never heard from bj again.............."

That was James Dean Walker that "BJ" advocated for, and Walker also pled to time served. Only Clinton conspiracy theorists publicly lobbied for Dumond.

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Perhaps my memory does fade re: Dumond?Walker.... Have to refresh on that.

Still, never heard from BJ again.......

"But Dumond's subsequent actions have nothing to do with the WM3. To suggest otherwise is to display a serious lack of knowledge about the two distinct cases."

Not suggesting it does. Just don't go blowing horns about celebrities weighing in on these things.

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Very little evidence has been refuted. Much, however, has been disputed. There's a difference.

Like a couple of others, I simply don't know. What I do know is this: I am 100 percent, completely, totally opposed to the state executing its citizens. If an Alford plea is what is takes to prevent the state from acting as the Grim Reaper, then I'm for the Alford plea. One day, we will evolve out of this savagery and into more full, complete human beings. I have faith.

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Mike Farrell, who played B.J. Hunnicutt on MASH, is still an active death penalty abolitionist. In fact, he was the keynote speaker at the annual Arkansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty banquet a few years ago.

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I just hope that everyone continues to realize that there are more than the WM3 who have been railroaded in the Arkansas "justice" system. The main difference is that there are no powerful wheeler and dealers negotiating with Dusty, or money being raised to hire out of state atty.'s., families have paid local atty.'s who say "it's just the way AR. is" or because they have all gone to law school together just let each other slide... Let's face it there is a problem beyond this case.
It must not stop here, there are others who sit year end and year out in the AR. prisons. Gov Beebe casually remarks, "I don't do pardons" well then what do you do Bebee other than get your friends a good job?

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The three men who confessed to the crime committed the murders of three children.

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I will pay Damien Echols $50k a year for the rest of his life if someone can tell me how one adult was able to control the 3 eight year old cubscouts in an open area like the Robin Hood Woods. Did all three of them just stand there as this ficticious adult killed one boy after another. An adult would have been able to kill one boy for sure, and maybe two if the other boy goes into shock, but there is no way that all three boys stood there waiting to be killed by some mysterious adult. The only case close to this took place in 1952 in Chicago when an adult was able to lure 3 pre-teen boys FROM a park and take them to a horse stable and then molest and kill them.

Just why would an adult have taken the time to take their shoelaces off and then hog tie them. The hog tieing of the boys was Damien's idea that he got from reading bondage magazines, plus he wanted to show off.

Mr. Ellington, you got the best deal you could. If Echols had been found innocent on az re-trial there would be no probation for him and his coharts. I don't think Damien can go 10 years without breaking his probation. Misskelly and Baldwin always had to maintain their innocence, because even if they did nothing but stop the cub scouts from leaving, they would have still been accessories and liable for a lengthy prison sentence, so they could not testify against Echols.

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Zarathus, thank you for your outstanding comment blowing the whistle on fence-sitting pseudo-liberal vacuity.

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I'm so sorry you boys got cheated out of a good execution. Don't worry, Arkansas has some mentally retarded guys on death row. Just keep yer popcorn fresh, they'll juice someone else real soon.

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I really don't think you have to know someone or have to have a motive to want to kill anyone if your sadistic. Look at mansion and his crew what was his real motives other than being insane? I am not pointing fingers or accusing anyone but I think that before anyone is convicted or set free the whole case should have been opened back up and fresh eyes and people should have investigated it. Also if there was any semen or any hair or blood DNA is so extensive and conclusive now days that any DNA alone linking anyone would bring out the real killers. In my opinion the cops wanted a quick closing to the case and the boys are not being set free because they are innocent but because the system is tired of dealing with their followers putting pressure on them. I definitely would not walk out of any prison just to be free saying I killed three beautiful boys hell no everyone is so wrapped up in setting someone free or keeping someone in jail rather than finding out who really done these thing what and where this happened and putting whom ever did commit these horrible crimes behind bars. I say where has the justice been for these victims and their families through all of this? And again welcome to America where child and baby murderers walk free god bless America I beg you!

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