Death Row Wedding
Second in a two-part series
This article was published on Saturday, December 22, 2007 9:10 PM CST in Columns
By John Brummett
THE MORNING NEWS
Women in a book club in Little Rock were talking about what they might read next. One suggested Mara Leveritt's "Devil's Knot" because Damien Echols and that West Memphis case fascinated her.
There was an odd quiet.
Later, during kitchen cleanup, someone mentioned to the woman who had made the suggestion that one of their club members, that perfectly charming Lorri Davis, the landscape architect from New York City, was Damien Echols' wife.
You just don't tend to think that the woman next to you at the book club is married to a convicted child murderer.
You cannot begin to tell Echols' story without mentioning his wife of eight years, even as the woman clings tenaciously to a low profile.
"She doesn't want to become a freak show, the crazy woman married to a Death Row inmate," Echols told me in a two-hour interview on that very Death Row last week.
Davis was living in New York City in 1995 when she got invited to an art house for an advance showing of "Paradise Lost." That's the HBO documentary about the hysteria in West Memphis over that supposed satanic ritual that led to Echols and two other outcast teenagers getting convicted in the torture and killing of three little boys in 1993.
The story moved her. She wrote Echols and enclosed a red thread she'd found on a New York City sidewalk, calling it a symbol of human connection.
Echols had been on Death Row for more than a year. He said he'd given up and was ready to die. But he said he knew instantly that this woman was communicating with him "in a way that was totally new to me -- that I'd been searching for."
He wrote back. She responded. Then she wrote that she was coming to see him.
"I was in love with her already," he said. Was he nervous? "Scared to death."
She moved to Little Rock and began coming to see him every week, visiting through this very kind of glass.
"We couldn't touch," he said. "We'd each pull a hair out and give it to each other. We'd lean down to the screen and blow, to share our breath."
After four years of touchless courtship, "I'm pretty sure we had the only Buddhist wedding ceremony in the history of Arkansas Death Row," he said.
This political movement to get him freed, all this legal research, this public relations campaign, all these celebrities who have come to Echols' aid -- Lorri Davis has done that.
"These have been the happiest 12 years of my life," Echols said.
When I burst out laughing at the very idea of Death Row being better than childhood, he laughed, too.
Echols has a son, 14-year-old Seth, by a teenage girlfriend. The boy lives in Arizona and comes to visit maybe once a year.
Echols told me: "When he was 10 or 11, he was into rap and he said, 'I'm a pimp.' I said, 'No, you're not. If I'd wanted a black child, I'd have adopted one from Africa. Pull your pants up and quit talking like that.' I don't want him turning out like me."
Did he mean that he didn't want his kid winding up on Death Row on a highly controversial conviction?
"No, I don't want him to be a dropout, considered weird by his style and taste in music (Metallica, in Echols' case)," he said.
What if a governor commuted his death sentence to life in prison?
"That would be worse than meaningless," Echols said. "If you're going to do that, just kill me now instead of doing it slowly."
Echols seems uncommonly bright. He is remarkably self-educated. He is thoughtful, if, at times, still a bit of the smart-aleck. He is strikingly articulate, save his one "I had saw" comment.
Is it possible that Echols was such a bizarre creature at 18 that he committed this crime? Yes, I guess it's possible. But the authorities didn't make the case. And there was a mad rush to frenzied, predisposed judgment.
The thought never occurred to me over a two-hour interview that I was inches from a child murderer. I wanted to shake his hand upon leaving, but, of course, couldn't.
John Brummett is a columnist and reporter for Stephens Media in Little Rock.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Echols' Pursuit of "Magic" by John Brummett
Echols' Pursuit Of 'Magic'
This article was published on Friday, December 21, 2007 6:27 PM CST in Columns
By John Brummett
THE MORNING NEWS
Editor's Note: This is first of a two-part series. The second part will be published Sunday.
The first thing that strikes you about Damien Echols is his hollow, pale, frail appearance.
That hair, much shorter now than when he got convicted of capital murder 14 years ago at age 19, remains jet black. His big, darting eyes are nearly as dark.
That provides a striking contrast against Echols' alarmingly washed-out complexion.
He's all skin and bones, especially in the sparse and chiseled face that was so round and fat in those news videotapes from 1993.
"I haven't seen the sun in five years," he says in an East Arkansas drawl from the other side of the glass, where the Death Row guard at the Varner Unit has just deposited him.
This is for what will be a two-hour interview. I am here because there's a new burst of activity from well-meaning people trying to build public sentiment in his behalf.
We will cover spirituality, love and marriage, art, literature, politics and, above all, the pursuit of "magic."
No, not black magic. It may well have been Echols' tragic lot to be misunderstood. It becomes apparent that, by magic, he refers to grandly ambitious pursuits of creativity and learning in search of a higher meaning, or God, within himself.
From Death Row, he became an ordained Buddhist. But he likes Catholicism and says he never misses mass. He has maintained that fateful childhood interest in Wicca, a religion extolling nature and the supernatural, and which, let us stress, isn't Satanism. He embraces none of those exclusively, but applies all generally, he says, to seek "divinity through discipline."
He writes not-bad poetry. He wrote an autobiography. He writes songs. He reads books, thousands of them. He has a wish list at amazon.com. People have sent so many books he has to have them stored in a mini-warehouse. He draws. He does yoga. He meditates. For a while, he ran in place for more than two hours at a time, until his feet bled.
If he gets out of prison, he plans to learn first-aid, ballroom dancing and "every swim stroke imaginable," just for starters. His goal is to live large, not live dead, as he believes so many in his family and childhood circle lived.
He says his father stared into the distance over morning coffee as Damien's mom begged him to communicate. Then dad disappeared for 10 years.
Echols was a bright, troubled, disadvantaged, rebellious and irreverent kid in West Memphis who dropped out of high school but frequented the public library. He cut an eerie image in an old black trench coat that he found in the closet of an ancient house.
Even now, more pensive but still given to calling people "bleeping morons," he sees clothes as an expression. If he gets out of prison, he says, he'll look for leather pants and silk shirts.
"I mean, if you're going to just wear jeans and a ball cap, I don't see the point in getting dressed at all," he says.
Like all Death Row inmates, Echols is permitted to go to a caged, roofed, concrete-floored "yard" five hours a week. But he declines. He says the sun can't get through anyway. He says there are too many pigeon droppings out there. He says mosquitoes nearly carried him off.
Echols says he weighs 145 pounds, down about 60 pounds from his paunchy state when charged with and convicted with two other outcast teenagers of torturing and killing three little boys in what police called a Satanic act.
"It's partly bad health," he says of the weight loss. He's arthritic and his eyesight is failing.
"But part of it is what I ate back then," he says. "It was chocolate cereal with sugar for breakfast, pizza for lunch and a hamburger for dinner."
Tomorrow: Though he aches to get out of prison, Echols says his last 12 years, all on Death Row, have been the best of his life, far better than his miserable childhood. It's because of a woman.
John Brummett is a columnist for the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock. His e-mail address is jbrummett@arkansasnews.com; his telephone number is (501) 374-0699.
About this columnist: John Brummett has been writing about Arkansas and national politics for three decades and as a regular columnist since 1986. Last year he won first place in commentary writing from the national Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors. This year he took second place in humorous commentary in an 11-state Southern competition sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists. Email Brummett at jbrummett@arkansasnews.com. Check out Brummett's blog for the latest in Arkansas political news.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article was published on Friday, December 21, 2007 6:27 PM CST in Columns
By John Brummett
THE MORNING NEWS
Editor's Note: This is first of a two-part series. The second part will be published Sunday.
The first thing that strikes you about Damien Echols is his hollow, pale, frail appearance.
That hair, much shorter now than when he got convicted of capital murder 14 years ago at age 19, remains jet black. His big, darting eyes are nearly as dark.
That provides a striking contrast against Echols' alarmingly washed-out complexion.
He's all skin and bones, especially in the sparse and chiseled face that was so round and fat in those news videotapes from 1993.
"I haven't seen the sun in five years," he says in an East Arkansas drawl from the other side of the glass, where the Death Row guard at the Varner Unit has just deposited him.
This is for what will be a two-hour interview. I am here because there's a new burst of activity from well-meaning people trying to build public sentiment in his behalf.
We will cover spirituality, love and marriage, art, literature, politics and, above all, the pursuit of "magic."
No, not black magic. It may well have been Echols' tragic lot to be misunderstood. It becomes apparent that, by magic, he refers to grandly ambitious pursuits of creativity and learning in search of a higher meaning, or God, within himself.
From Death Row, he became an ordained Buddhist. But he likes Catholicism and says he never misses mass. He has maintained that fateful childhood interest in Wicca, a religion extolling nature and the supernatural, and which, let us stress, isn't Satanism. He embraces none of those exclusively, but applies all generally, he says, to seek "divinity through discipline."
He writes not-bad poetry. He wrote an autobiography. He writes songs. He reads books, thousands of them. He has a wish list at amazon.com. People have sent so many books he has to have them stored in a mini-warehouse. He draws. He does yoga. He meditates. For a while, he ran in place for more than two hours at a time, until his feet bled.
If he gets out of prison, he plans to learn first-aid, ballroom dancing and "every swim stroke imaginable," just for starters. His goal is to live large, not live dead, as he believes so many in his family and childhood circle lived.
He says his father stared into the distance over morning coffee as Damien's mom begged him to communicate. Then dad disappeared for 10 years.
Echols was a bright, troubled, disadvantaged, rebellious and irreverent kid in West Memphis who dropped out of high school but frequented the public library. He cut an eerie image in an old black trench coat that he found in the closet of an ancient house.
Even now, more pensive but still given to calling people "bleeping morons," he sees clothes as an expression. If he gets out of prison, he says, he'll look for leather pants and silk shirts.
"I mean, if you're going to just wear jeans and a ball cap, I don't see the point in getting dressed at all," he says.
Like all Death Row inmates, Echols is permitted to go to a caged, roofed, concrete-floored "yard" five hours a week. But he declines. He says the sun can't get through anyway. He says there are too many pigeon droppings out there. He says mosquitoes nearly carried him off.
Echols says he weighs 145 pounds, down about 60 pounds from his paunchy state when charged with and convicted with two other outcast teenagers of torturing and killing three little boys in what police called a Satanic act.
"It's partly bad health," he says of the weight loss. He's arthritic and his eyesight is failing.
"But part of it is what I ate back then," he says. "It was chocolate cereal with sugar for breakfast, pizza for lunch and a hamburger for dinner."
Tomorrow: Though he aches to get out of prison, Echols says his last 12 years, all on Death Row, have been the best of his life, far better than his miserable childhood. It's because of a woman.
John Brummett is a columnist for the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock. His e-mail address is jbrummett@arkansasnews.com; his telephone number is (501) 374-0699.
About this columnist: John Brummett has been writing about Arkansas and national politics for three decades and as a regular columnist since 1986. Last year he won first place in commentary writing from the national Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors. This year he took second place in humorous commentary in an 11-state Southern competition sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists. Email Brummett at jbrummett@arkansasnews.com. Check out Brummett's blog for the latest in Arkansas political news.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Natalie Maines joins LR protest for imprisoned 3
Picture courtesy of Free the West Memphis Three myspace
Natalie Maines joins LR protest for imprisoned 3
BY CATHY FRYE
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007
Email this story | Printer-friendly version
The voice of Natalie Maines, lead singer for the Dixie Chicks, floated across the state Capitol grounds Wednesday as a line of “West Memphis Three” supporters snaked up the steps with a giant banner.
Maines was due to arrive any minute. Meanwhile, those rallying for the release of three men convicted in the 1993 slayings of three 8-year-old boys listened to a recording of the Dixie Chicks’ 2006 hit, Not Ready to Make Nice Forgive, sounds good Forget, I’m not sure I could They say time heals everything But I’m still waiting...
About 150 people — including national media and an HBO film crew — attended the rally. Coordinators of Take Action Arkansas presented the governor’s office with hundreds of letters asking that Gov. Mike Beebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel review the 1994 murder convictions of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley.
Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley — now known as the West Memphis Three — were teenagers at the time of the killings. Echols was sentenced to death; Baldwin and Misskelley are serving life sentences.
The victims were three 8-year-old boys: Chris Byers, Stevie Branch and Michael Moore. Police and prosecutors say they were killed during a satanic ritual, pointing to the boys’ wounds, particularly the genital mutilation of Chris Byers.
Last month, however, a defense team filed a writ of habeas corpus, arguing that new DNA and forensic testing hasn’t yet linked any of the three men to the crime scene. Rather, the defense says hair and fiber evidence suggest the presence of Terry Hobbs, stepfather of Stevie. Six scientists who recently reviewed the evidence say the boys’ wounds and Chris’ mutilation were caused by animals preying on the bodies after the children were killed.
Realizing that the filing had renewed interest in the case — which in the past has resonated primarily with celebrities and out-of-state organizations — Little Rock restaurateur Capi Peck decided to seek support from Arkansans.
In recent weeks, with the help of Echols’ wife, Lorri Davis, Peck organized a letter-writing campaign and petition drive. On Wednesday, Maines arrived in town to speak at the group’s first rally.
Around noon, after 60 to 70 people lined up on the Capitol steps with a banner made from hundreds of postcards demanding the release of the West Memphis Three, the singer addressed a cheering crowd.
“I’m just amazed that these guys are still in prison and that they turned into men in prison,” she said, explaining why she had decided to offer her support and a donation to the group’s defense team.
Too many questions have arisen since the men were convicted, she said. “When you’re putting someone to death, you have to be 100 percent sure.” The recent DNA and forensic results, she said, have “given this case wings.” Davis, who married the imprisoned Echols in 1999, also spoke briefly. Dressed in a tailored brown dress, she nervously approached the podium and thanked supporters for their efforts and donations over the years.
Davis urged the crowd to read about the new science being applied to the case. “It is real. It proves the innocence of these three men. It’s time that Arkansas did take action.” Wednesday’s crowd was diverse, made up of elderly women in sensible shoes, teenagers dressed in black, and men and women in business attire.
Lauren Spencer, 25, of Little Rock said she’s followed the case for years, always believing the trial was a travesty of justice.
“From the very beginning it was ridiculous that they were convicted,” she said. “Now there’s more evidence showing they didn’t do it. It’s icing on the cake.” The rally ended with Maines, Davis and Peck taking about 1, 000 letters to the governor’s office.
Beebe wasn’t there, spokesman Matt DeCample said, but he and several other representatives accepted the bundles.
“They stayed, and we talked for about 10 to 15 minutes,” he said. “They had some questions about the process.” Beebe said Tuesday that he has no intention of intervening in the case while it’s still winding its way through the courts.
Peck said she expected that response, saying the group understands the role of the judicial process. “Our hope is to expedite things,” she said.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Media Alert
Rally at the Arkansas Capitol Wednesday Will Urge Governor and Attorney General to Help Free the ‘West Memphis Three’
Community leaders, supporters and Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines will speak and deliver hundreds of letters and petitions asking elected officials to review the overwhelming evidence of innocence and help secure justice
(LITTLE ROCK, AR; December 17, 2007) – In an unprecedented statement of community support for the men who were wrongfully convicted of murdering three West Memphis boys in 1993, local leaders and community members will deliver hundreds of letters and petitions to the State Capitol at a rally Wednesday in Little Rock.
A cross-section of Arkansans launched the letter-writing campaign and petition drive last month in response to overwhelming new scientific evidence showing that Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin did not commit the 1993 West Memphis murders. That evidence – which includes substantial DNA testing, analysis on other evidence from the nation’s leading forensic science experts, and affidavits from several witnesses and experts – was included in an over 700-page federal court filing in late October on behalf of Echols, who has been on death row for more than 13 years.
“Arkansans of all ages, races and political affiliations, and from every part of the state, have written letters urging the Governor and Attorney General to review this evidence carefully and help overturn these wrongful convictions. The science clearly shows that these three men are innocent, and now the citizens of this state are clearly telling our elected officials that we want them to respect the evidence,” said Capi Peck, a small business owner in Little Rock who is coordinating the campaign.
Community leaders and concerned citizens will gather at 11 a.m. Wednesday morning at the Arkansas Vietnam Veterans Memorial and unfurl a large banner with thousands of postcards from people around the world who support the West Memphis Three. At noon, they will arrive at the front steps of the State Capitol for a rally urging Governor Mike Beeebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel to help overturn the convictions. After the rally, hundreds of letters and petitions will be delivered to Beebee’s office. Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines will speak at the rally, engage in a brief Q&A and help deliver the letters and petitions to Beebe.
“I am humbled and honored to join thousands of Arkansans from all walks of life who have come together in support of justice and fairness,” Maines said. “These men were convicted based on fear and innuendo, but they will be freed based on science and evidence. "I hope elected officials will listen to the community and follow the evidence, and Wednesday’s rally will deliver that message loud and clear.”
Organizers said the Arkansas Take Action campaign puts a formal structure onto a community movement that has been building over the last couple of months, since new evidence in the case began to emerge. “The more ordinary Arkansans hear about the new evidence in this case, the more outraged they are – and the more committed they are to do something about it. This campaign grew out of conversations we’ve all been having in our own living rooms, shops and restaurants over the last several weeks,” Peck said.
Nearly 2,000 people wrote letters or signed petitions in the first three weeks of the campaign. Following are brief excerpts from a few of the letters:
"I am a 56-year-old professor of English who has taught at UALR for the past 27 years and raised my children in this state, and I do not make a habit of getting involved in "causes" or "movements." However, I believe a terrible injustice has occurred in our state, one that has not only damaged our state's reputation but also deprived three young men of their freedom."
David from Little Rock, Arkansas
"Having served my country in Iraq, having fought to bring justice in a foreign land, I am shocked at the injustice that surrounds the case of the West Memphis Three."
Troy from Cincinnati, Ohio
"Please do what prosecutors did not bother to do in the first place: follow the evidence. Please show the world that Arkansas is not a joke, and that we do know how to do what's right. Please, show some courage and insight. At the very least, please insist upon a new trial."
Marck from Little Rock, Arkansas
"With DNA evidence exonerating more and more falsely convicted prisoners each day, you have even more of a reason to grant these men the benefit of such research in their case. Please let the scientific facts already present in their dockets be examined and speak for themselves. Our justice system owes it to them to listen to the expert witnesses who have examined the case."
Megan from Seattle, Washington
Logistical details for Wednesday’s rally at the State Capitol
What: Rally to urge Governor Beebe and Attorney General McDaniel to support efforts the free the West Memphis Three (followed by delivery of hundreds of letters and petitions). Naltalie Maines will do a brief Q&A with reporters.
Who: Arkansas Take Action campaign leaders;
Natalie Maines, lead singer of the Dixie Chicks; will hold brief press conference
Community supporters.
Where: Supporters will gather at the Arkansas Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Southwest corner lawn in front of the State Capitol;
Rally will be on the front steps of the State Capitol.
When: Wednesday, December 19, 2007;
Supporters will gather by 11:00; rally begins at 12 noon.
Contact: Alice Leeds, 212-874-0675; 917-523-5029
About the West Memphis Three case and the new evidence
On October 30, a 500-page writ was filed in federal court in Little Rock by Echols’ attorneys. It included overwhelming new evidence that Echols is innocent. (While the filing pertains only to the case of Echols, who is on death row, it also shows that Misskelley and Baldwin were wrongfully convicted.) The filing included DNA test results on dozens of pieces of evidence in the case – which showed no link to the three men who were convicted, but did implicated Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of one of the victims. The filing also included in-depth analysis from some of the nation’s leading forensic experts, showing that wounds on one of the victims was caused by animal bites after the murders (not from knives, as the prosecution had contended). Affidavits from several witnesses and experts in the filing contradict every piece of evidence that was used to convict the three men.
Three eight-year-old boys were found dead in a drainage ditch in Robin Hood Hills, a local wooded area near their homes, on May 6, 1993. Less than a month later, 17-year-old Jesse Misskelley “confessed” to the crime and claimed that Echols and Jason Baldwin sexually abused and beat the victims. Police asked Miskelley, a minor with an IQ of 72, to come to the station to “help” with the case, and his interrogation was unconstitutional. Many of the details of his confession (including the time of day the crimes were committed) did not match the facts of the crime. Misskelley was tried and convicted of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder in February 1994. Baldwin and Echols were tried together after Misskelley’s trial, and they were convicted of three counts of murder in March 1994. The following day, Echols was sentenced to die, and he has been on death row ever since. Baldwin and Misskelley are serving life sentences. Since 1995, each of the three has filed a series of appeals on several grounds.
Note to Editors and Producers: For more information or to set up interviews, please contact Alice Leeds, 212-874-0675, aleeds@nyc.rr.com
Alice Whitman Leeds
Public Relations in the Public Interest
52 Riverside Drive, 8-C
New York, NY 10024
Ph: 212-874-0675
Mobile: 917-523-5029
aleeds@nyc.rr.com
Community leaders, supporters and Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines will speak and deliver hundreds of letters and petitions asking elected officials to review the overwhelming evidence of innocence and help secure justice
(LITTLE ROCK, AR; December 17, 2007) – In an unprecedented statement of community support for the men who were wrongfully convicted of murdering three West Memphis boys in 1993, local leaders and community members will deliver hundreds of letters and petitions to the State Capitol at a rally Wednesday in Little Rock.
A cross-section of Arkansans launched the letter-writing campaign and petition drive last month in response to overwhelming new scientific evidence showing that Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin did not commit the 1993 West Memphis murders. That evidence – which includes substantial DNA testing, analysis on other evidence from the nation’s leading forensic science experts, and affidavits from several witnesses and experts – was included in an over 700-page federal court filing in late October on behalf of Echols, who has been on death row for more than 13 years.
“Arkansans of all ages, races and political affiliations, and from every part of the state, have written letters urging the Governor and Attorney General to review this evidence carefully and help overturn these wrongful convictions. The science clearly shows that these three men are innocent, and now the citizens of this state are clearly telling our elected officials that we want them to respect the evidence,” said Capi Peck, a small business owner in Little Rock who is coordinating the campaign.
Community leaders and concerned citizens will gather at 11 a.m. Wednesday morning at the Arkansas Vietnam Veterans Memorial and unfurl a large banner with thousands of postcards from people around the world who support the West Memphis Three. At noon, they will arrive at the front steps of the State Capitol for a rally urging Governor Mike Beeebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel to help overturn the convictions. After the rally, hundreds of letters and petitions will be delivered to Beebee’s office. Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines will speak at the rally, engage in a brief Q&A and help deliver the letters and petitions to Beebe.
“I am humbled and honored to join thousands of Arkansans from all walks of life who have come together in support of justice and fairness,” Maines said. “These men were convicted based on fear and innuendo, but they will be freed based on science and evidence. "I hope elected officials will listen to the community and follow the evidence, and Wednesday’s rally will deliver that message loud and clear.”
Organizers said the Arkansas Take Action campaign puts a formal structure onto a community movement that has been building over the last couple of months, since new evidence in the case began to emerge. “The more ordinary Arkansans hear about the new evidence in this case, the more outraged they are – and the more committed they are to do something about it. This campaign grew out of conversations we’ve all been having in our own living rooms, shops and restaurants over the last several weeks,” Peck said.
Nearly 2,000 people wrote letters or signed petitions in the first three weeks of the campaign. Following are brief excerpts from a few of the letters:
"I am a 56-year-old professor of English who has taught at UALR for the past 27 years and raised my children in this state, and I do not make a habit of getting involved in "causes" or "movements." However, I believe a terrible injustice has occurred in our state, one that has not only damaged our state's reputation but also deprived three young men of their freedom."
David from Little Rock, Arkansas
"Having served my country in Iraq, having fought to bring justice in a foreign land, I am shocked at the injustice that surrounds the case of the West Memphis Three."
Troy from Cincinnati, Ohio
"Please do what prosecutors did not bother to do in the first place: follow the evidence. Please show the world that Arkansas is not a joke, and that we do know how to do what's right. Please, show some courage and insight. At the very least, please insist upon a new trial."
Marck from Little Rock, Arkansas
"With DNA evidence exonerating more and more falsely convicted prisoners each day, you have even more of a reason to grant these men the benefit of such research in their case. Please let the scientific facts already present in their dockets be examined and speak for themselves. Our justice system owes it to them to listen to the expert witnesses who have examined the case."
Megan from Seattle, Washington
Logistical details for Wednesday’s rally at the State Capitol
What: Rally to urge Governor Beebe and Attorney General McDaniel to support efforts the free the West Memphis Three (followed by delivery of hundreds of letters and petitions). Naltalie Maines will do a brief Q&A with reporters.
Who: Arkansas Take Action campaign leaders;
Natalie Maines, lead singer of the Dixie Chicks; will hold brief press conference
Community supporters.
Where: Supporters will gather at the Arkansas Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Southwest corner lawn in front of the State Capitol;
Rally will be on the front steps of the State Capitol.
When: Wednesday, December 19, 2007;
Supporters will gather by 11:00; rally begins at 12 noon.
Contact: Alice Leeds, 212-874-0675; 917-523-5029
About the West Memphis Three case and the new evidence
On October 30, a 500-page writ was filed in federal court in Little Rock by Echols’ attorneys. It included overwhelming new evidence that Echols is innocent. (While the filing pertains only to the case of Echols, who is on death row, it also shows that Misskelley and Baldwin were wrongfully convicted.) The filing included DNA test results on dozens of pieces of evidence in the case – which showed no link to the three men who were convicted, but did implicated Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of one of the victims. The filing also included in-depth analysis from some of the nation’s leading forensic experts, showing that wounds on one of the victims was caused by animal bites after the murders (not from knives, as the prosecution had contended). Affidavits from several witnesses and experts in the filing contradict every piece of evidence that was used to convict the three men.
Three eight-year-old boys were found dead in a drainage ditch in Robin Hood Hills, a local wooded area near their homes, on May 6, 1993. Less than a month later, 17-year-old Jesse Misskelley “confessed” to the crime and claimed that Echols and Jason Baldwin sexually abused and beat the victims. Police asked Miskelley, a minor with an IQ of 72, to come to the station to “help” with the case, and his interrogation was unconstitutional. Many of the details of his confession (including the time of day the crimes were committed) did not match the facts of the crime. Misskelley was tried and convicted of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder in February 1994. Baldwin and Echols were tried together after Misskelley’s trial, and they were convicted of three counts of murder in March 1994. The following day, Echols was sentenced to die, and he has been on death row ever since. Baldwin and Misskelley are serving life sentences. Since 1995, each of the three has filed a series of appeals on several grounds.
Note to Editors and Producers: For more information or to set up interviews, please contact Alice Leeds, 212-874-0675, aleeds@nyc.rr.com
Alice Whitman Leeds
Public Relations in the Public Interest
52 Riverside Drive, 8-C
New York, NY 10024
Ph: 212-874-0675
Mobile: 917-523-5029
aleeds@nyc.rr.com
John Brummet: That West Memphis case again
Look for a flurry of activity in the next few days from people supporting Damien Echols and those two other men from West Memphis who got sent to prison 14 years ago in part for being very weird, very eerie teenagers.
Most likely, though, this will remain for now a criminal justice matter insulated from any exercise of media and politics. There probably will be a costly and time-consuming legal process before Echols and the others might get freed.
But I predict their release, maybe full exoneration, even if not for years.
It is always possible, I guess, that Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelley, clad in black and talking about witchcraft as they wandered around as misfit 18-year-olds, did in fact torture and kill those three little boys in West Memphis in 1993.
It's too uncertain, though.
The prosecution had no physical evidence and relied solely on sometimes imaginative circumstantial evidence. It extracted easy guilty verdicts from juries predisposed by fear and rage.
Now there are new DNA findings, produced by a sophisticated defense team funded by celebrities like Johnny Depp, who have rallied to Echols' cause. This evidence links none of the three men to the slain boys or the crime scene.
Maybe Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley did all that alleged sodomizing, ritualizing and blood-drinking without leaving a shred of physical evidence. The little boys' bodies were found in water; perhaps the DNA was washed away. Logically, though, I must side with the growing chorus deeming this to have been, at the least, an unsupported judgment driven by emotion stirred by the horror of the crime and the outcast oddness of Echols and the two others.
The police described this as the work of a satanic cult. But outcast kids adults, too can fancy themselves as witches without being Satanists.
Misskelley, with a low IQ, gave the police a confession laced with contradictions and errors.
He recanted hours later. But the police and prosecutors were on their way. Juries convicted all three, sentencing two to life in prison and giving Echols, the scariest-looking and scariest-acting, the death penalty.
These new findings by Echols' defense team make a case that those supposed ritualistic mutilations were actually the postmortem work of animals.
People will tell you that this was an uncommonly vexing case. Every new bit of police information would neither prove nor disprove the guilt of the three.
But convictions are supposed to rise beyond a reasonable doubt.
Anyway, things are starting to percolate anew.
From Death Row, Echols was to give a telephone interview Friday to Larry King. It was to be taped for airing Wednesday night on CNN.
That day, supporters who advocate exoneration and release for Echols and the others will rally at the state Capitol. They intend to make a presentation to Gov. Mike Beebe, or at least someone with his office. It will be of a massive banner made up of supportive postcards from around the world, stretching a city block. Natalie Maines, the Dixie Chick who is no stranger to controversy, is to be on hand.
The matter has been sent back to Crittenden County Circuit Court on pleadings either for vacated verdicts or new trials.
But the state law on new post-conviction DNA evidence allows vacated verdicts only if that evidence provides prima facie proof of innocence. In this case, what we've seen so far only makes it seems even more unlikely or at least unproved that the imprisoned men did these crimes. It doesn't prove conclusively or absolutely that they couldn't have.
Beebe is too much the cautious man to free these three until and unless the argument becomes even more compelling. But Beebe also is the kind of man who would do the right thing eventually. I cannot imagine that he would let Echols get put to death. Commuting the death sentence would seem to be the least, the very least, the state ought to do. Then we could argue about whether he and the others ought to be in jail at all.
(John Brummett is a columnist for the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock. His e-mail address is jbrummett@arkansasnews.com; his telephone number is (501) 374-0699.)
Most likely, though, this will remain for now a criminal justice matter insulated from any exercise of media and politics. There probably will be a costly and time-consuming legal process before Echols and the others might get freed.
But I predict their release, maybe full exoneration, even if not for years.
It is always possible, I guess, that Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelley, clad in black and talking about witchcraft as they wandered around as misfit 18-year-olds, did in fact torture and kill those three little boys in West Memphis in 1993.
It's too uncertain, though.
The prosecution had no physical evidence and relied solely on sometimes imaginative circumstantial evidence. It extracted easy guilty verdicts from juries predisposed by fear and rage.
Now there are new DNA findings, produced by a sophisticated defense team funded by celebrities like Johnny Depp, who have rallied to Echols' cause. This evidence links none of the three men to the slain boys or the crime scene.
Maybe Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley did all that alleged sodomizing, ritualizing and blood-drinking without leaving a shred of physical evidence. The little boys' bodies were found in water; perhaps the DNA was washed away. Logically, though, I must side with the growing chorus deeming this to have been, at the least, an unsupported judgment driven by emotion stirred by the horror of the crime and the outcast oddness of Echols and the two others.
The police described this as the work of a satanic cult. But outcast kids adults, too can fancy themselves as witches without being Satanists.
Misskelley, with a low IQ, gave the police a confession laced with contradictions and errors.
He recanted hours later. But the police and prosecutors were on their way. Juries convicted all three, sentencing two to life in prison and giving Echols, the scariest-looking and scariest-acting, the death penalty.
These new findings by Echols' defense team make a case that those supposed ritualistic mutilations were actually the postmortem work of animals.
People will tell you that this was an uncommonly vexing case. Every new bit of police information would neither prove nor disprove the guilt of the three.
But convictions are supposed to rise beyond a reasonable doubt.
Anyway, things are starting to percolate anew.
From Death Row, Echols was to give a telephone interview Friday to Larry King. It was to be taped for airing Wednesday night on CNN.
That day, supporters who advocate exoneration and release for Echols and the others will rally at the state Capitol. They intend to make a presentation to Gov. Mike Beebe, or at least someone with his office. It will be of a massive banner made up of supportive postcards from around the world, stretching a city block. Natalie Maines, the Dixie Chick who is no stranger to controversy, is to be on hand.
The matter has been sent back to Crittenden County Circuit Court on pleadings either for vacated verdicts or new trials.
But the state law on new post-conviction DNA evidence allows vacated verdicts only if that evidence provides prima facie proof of innocence. In this case, what we've seen so far only makes it seems even more unlikely or at least unproved that the imprisoned men did these crimes. It doesn't prove conclusively or absolutely that they couldn't have.
Beebe is too much the cautious man to free these three until and unless the argument becomes even more compelling. But Beebe also is the kind of man who would do the right thing eventually. I cannot imagine that he would let Echols get put to death. Commuting the death sentence would seem to be the least, the very least, the state ought to do. Then we could argue about whether he and the others ought to be in jail at all.
(John Brummett is a columnist for the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock. His e-mail address is jbrummett@arkansasnews.com; his telephone number is (501) 374-0699.)
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Attorney General McDaniel Regarding WM3 case!
Attorney General McDaniel regarding WM3 case
Also Thursday, McDaniel said he was stung by criticism his office and the state have not acted quickly enough to address new DNA evidence in the 1993 case in which three teenagers were convicted of slaying three West Memphis second-graders.
DNA tests not available in 1993 are a matter for the courts, and a federal judge has said so by ordering a new hearing, the attorney general said.
"We have three dead children and three older children convicted as adults," McDaniel said. "Anybody who doesn't give weight to the destruction of six boys' lives shouldn't be in public office."
.......
The attorney general also brought up the case of the so-called "West Memphis Three" during his remarks. All three teens were convicted of capital murder in the deaths of Steve Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore. Two of the teens were sentenced to life in prison and a third, Damien Echols, was sentenced to death.
The case is headed for a new hearing in state courts after a federal judge in Little Rock ruled in November attorneys for Echols have not exhausted all state appeals. Echols' lawyers say new DNA test results would exonerate their client.
Supporters asking for the release of the three defendants have planned a Dec. 19 rally at the state Capitol, during which Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines is scheduled to appear for the unveiling of a banner of postcards from around the world calling for the release of Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley.
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/12/13/news/121407fzwaterqualitysuit.txt
Also Thursday, McDaniel said he was stung by criticism his office and the state have not acted quickly enough to address new DNA evidence in the 1993 case in which three teenagers were convicted of slaying three West Memphis second-graders.
DNA tests not available in 1993 are a matter for the courts, and a federal judge has said so by ordering a new hearing, the attorney general said.
"We have three dead children and three older children convicted as adults," McDaniel said. "Anybody who doesn't give weight to the destruction of six boys' lives shouldn't be in public office."
.......
The attorney general also brought up the case of the so-called "West Memphis Three" during his remarks. All three teens were convicted of capital murder in the deaths of Steve Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore. Two of the teens were sentenced to life in prison and a third, Damien Echols, was sentenced to death.
The case is headed for a new hearing in state courts after a federal judge in Little Rock ruled in November attorneys for Echols have not exhausted all state appeals. Echols' lawyers say new DNA test results would exonerate their client.
Supporters asking for the release of the three defendants have planned a Dec. 19 rally at the state Capitol, during which Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines is scheduled to appear for the unveiling of a banner of postcards from around the world calling for the release of Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley.
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/12/13/news/121407fzwaterqualitysuit.txt
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Dixe Chicks singer to appear at rally for WM3
Dixie Chicks singer to appear at Ark rally on 1993 WM slayingsBy JON GAMBRELL
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The lead singer of the Dixie Chicks is to be on hand to rally supporters asking for the release the three men convicted in the 1993 slaying of three boys in West Memphis.Publicists for Natalie Maines say she'll appear at an event planned for Dec. 19 at the state Capitol.
Supporters say they will unveil a long banner of postcards from around the world calling for the release of Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley, known to sympathizers as the "West Memphis Three."Echols, who celebrated his 33rd birthday this week, was sentenced to death for the slayings of Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore, who disappeared from their tree-lined neighborhood May 5, 1993. Baldwin and Misskelley received life sentences.
The state Supreme Court unanimously affirmed Baldwin and Echols' convictions in 1996, citing what it called substantial evidence of guilt. The court later allowed Echols' lawyers to conduct DNA tests on evidence collected from the killings.A new, wide-ranging appeal on Echols' behalf includes a report saying DNA tests found no trace of the three men. However, a report included in the filing shows much of the evidence failed to yield reportable results.A federal judge has asked a state court to examine the new claims. The state attorney general's office has said it will need time to review the new appeal.
In a letter on the band's Web site, Maines writes that she saw two HBO documentaries outlining the case and felt that the three men were "wrongly convicted.""My heart sank when I learned that the boys were now men and were still in prison. I couldn't believe it," Maines wrote, later asking for donations for their legal fund.
Alice Leeds, a spokeswoman for the campaign trying to free the men, said Maines contacted Echols' wife and asked what she could do to help the effort."We're thrilled she's showing her support in this way," Leeds said.
Matt DeCample, a spokesman for Gov. Mike Beebe, said the governor likely would not be at the Capitol for the planned event. However, DeCample said governor's office staff would plan to attend the event and accept anything offered to Beebe.
This isn't the first time Maines, 33, has attached herself to a high-profile issue. In 2003 before the invasion of Iraq, she told a London audience: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." Many country music stations stopped playing Dixie Chicks music. Despite that, the band went on to win five Grammys in 2006.
On the Net:Dixie Chicks: http://www.dixiechicks.com/A service of the Associated Press(AP)
Monday, December 10, 2007
Media Alert!
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Alice Leeds; 212-874-0675; aleeds@nyc.rr.com
*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
(FOR EVENT TUESDAY, DEC. 11)
Film Screening and Public Forum on ‘West Memphis Three’ Case Tuesday Night Builds on Advocacy Campaign to Free Three Men Wrongfully Convicted in 1993 Murder Case
‘We have been overwhelmed by public support over the last two weeks, and this event will bring together existing supporters while reaching more people who want to learn how they can help correct this grave injustice,’ campaign organizers say
(LITTLE ROCK, AR; December 10, 2007) – People from across Arkansas and Tennessee will gather Tuesday night (Dec. 11) in Little Rock for a film screening and public forum on overwhelming new evidence that the men convicted of murdering three West Memphis boys in 1993 are innocent.
The event is being held on the 33rd birthday of Damien Echols, who is on death row for the murders despite strong scientific evidence of his innocence. Tuesday night’s event will include a film screening on the case and the new evidence, a question-and-answer session on the case and the campaign to help free the three men who were wrongfully convicted, and a group letter-writing session.
The letters and petitions targeting Arkansas Governor Mike Beeebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel are a continuation of a campaign – “Evidence = Innocence. Arkansas Take Action!” – that started late last month to harnesses widespread community support for the West Memphis Three into letters and petitions to state officials who have the legal authority to review the strong new evidence in the case and could support efforts to overturn the convictions. People attending the screening will also write birthday cards and notes to Echols – telling him they hope this will be his last birthday is prison, since the new evidence should finally lead to his exoneration.
“We have been overwhelmed by public support over the last two weeks, and this event will bring together existing supporters while reaching more people who want to learn how they can help correct this grave injustice,” said Capi Peck, a small business owner in Little Rock who is coordinating the campaign. “As we celebrate Damien’s birthday and enjoy the holidays with our friends and families, we are more hopeful than ever that justice will finally prevail in this case. The Arkansas Take Action campaign reflects a growing public consensus that these three men are innocent – and now we’re taking action to correct this injustice once and for all.”
Following are details on Tuesday night’s event:
What: Screening of a specially-created new film that combines highlights from the popular “Paradise Lost” documentary on the case with highlights from a presentation of the new scientific evidence in the case), followed by Q&A session on the case and the Arkansas Take Action campaign.
Petition-signing, letters to the Governor and Attorney General, and cards with birthday wishes to Damien Echols will also be done by the group throughout the evening.
Who: People from across Arkansas and Tennessee are attending the event.
Capi Peck and other organizers of the Arkansas Take Action campaign will speak about the case and campaign.
Damien Echols has prepared special remarks for the event, which will be read after the film.
When: Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 7-10 p.m.
Where: Market Street Cinema
1521 Merrill Drive, Little Rock
Donations of $10 per person to attend the screening will benefit the West Memphis Three
Defense Fund. More information on the case, the powerful new evidence of innocence, and the
Arkansas Take Action campaign is at www.wm3.org.
About the Arkansas Take Action campaign
At the end of November, a cross-section of Arkansans launched an unprecedented campaign to engage the community in helping overturn the convictions of Echols and two other men in the case. Specific components of the campaign include:
· Personal letters from concerned Arkansans asking Arkansas Governor Mike Beeebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel to support efforts to overturn the convictions of Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin. People are sending letters to the campaign organizers, who are collecting them to deliver together.
· A petition drive asking Attorney General Dustin McDaniel to carefully review the new evidence in the case and join efforts to overturn the convictions.
· A statewide visibility campaign, with posters, t-shirts and buttons carrying the “Evidence = Innocence” message and directing people to a website (www.wm3.org) with more information on the case and the campaign.
· Community events over the next few weeks to continue building the campaign, culminating with a massive rally at the State Capitol on December 19, when the letters and petitions will be delivered to Beebe and McDaniel.
The campaign puts a formal structure onto a community movement that began in the days after October’s court filing in the case that outlined overwhelming evidence that the three men were wrongfully convicted. “The more ordinary Arkansans hear about the new evidence in this case, the more outraged they are – and the more committed they are to do something about it. This campaign grew out of conversations we’ve all been having in our own living rooms, shops and restaurants over the last month,” Capi Peck said.
About the West Memphis Three case and the new evidence
On October 30, a 500-page writ was filed in federal court in Little Rock by Echols’ attorneys. It included overwhelming new evidence that Echols is innocent. (While the filing pertains only to the case of Echols, who is on death row, it also shows that Misskelley and Baldwin were wrongfully convicted.) The filing included DNA test results on dozens of pieces of evidence in the case – which showed no link to the three men who were convicted, but did implicated Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of one of the victims. The filing also included in-depth analysis from some of the nation’s leading forensic experts, showing that wounds on one of the victims was caused by animal bites after the murders (not from knives, as the prosecution had contended). Affidavits from several witnesses and experts in the filing contradict every piece of evidence that was used to convict the three men.
Three eight-year-old boys were found dead in a drainage ditch in Robin Hood Hills, a local wooded area near their homes, on May 6, 1993. Less than a month later, 17-year-old Jesse Misskelley “confessed” to the crime and claimed that Echols and Jason Baldwin sexually abused and beat the victims. Police asked Miskelley, a minor with an IQ of 72, to come to the station to “help” with the case, and his interrogation was unconstitutional. Many of the details of his confession (including the time of day the crimes were committed) did not match the facts of the crime. Misskelley was tried and convicted of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder in February 1994. Baldwin and Echols were tried together after Misskelley’s trial, and they were convicted of three counts of murder in March 1994. The following day, Echols was sentenced to die, and he has been on death row ever since. Baldwin and Misskelley are serving life sentences. Since 1995, each of the three has filed a series of appeals on several grounds.
Note to Editors and Producers: For more information or to set up interviews, please contact Alice Leeds, 212-874-0675, aleeds@nyc.rr.com
Alice Whitman LeedsPublic Relations in the Public Interest52 Riverside Drive, 8-CNew York, NY 10024Ph: 212-874-0675Mobile: 917-523-5029 aleeds@nyc.rr.com
Contact: Alice Leeds; 212-874-0675; aleeds@nyc.rr.com
*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
(FOR EVENT TUESDAY, DEC. 11)
Film Screening and Public Forum on ‘West Memphis Three’ Case Tuesday Night Builds on Advocacy Campaign to Free Three Men Wrongfully Convicted in 1993 Murder Case
‘We have been overwhelmed by public support over the last two weeks, and this event will bring together existing supporters while reaching more people who want to learn how they can help correct this grave injustice,’ campaign organizers say
(LITTLE ROCK, AR; December 10, 2007) – People from across Arkansas and Tennessee will gather Tuesday night (Dec. 11) in Little Rock for a film screening and public forum on overwhelming new evidence that the men convicted of murdering three West Memphis boys in 1993 are innocent.
The event is being held on the 33rd birthday of Damien Echols, who is on death row for the murders despite strong scientific evidence of his innocence. Tuesday night’s event will include a film screening on the case and the new evidence, a question-and-answer session on the case and the campaign to help free the three men who were wrongfully convicted, and a group letter-writing session.
The letters and petitions targeting Arkansas Governor Mike Beeebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel are a continuation of a campaign – “Evidence = Innocence. Arkansas Take Action!” – that started late last month to harnesses widespread community support for the West Memphis Three into letters and petitions to state officials who have the legal authority to review the strong new evidence in the case and could support efforts to overturn the convictions. People attending the screening will also write birthday cards and notes to Echols – telling him they hope this will be his last birthday is prison, since the new evidence should finally lead to his exoneration.
“We have been overwhelmed by public support over the last two weeks, and this event will bring together existing supporters while reaching more people who want to learn how they can help correct this grave injustice,” said Capi Peck, a small business owner in Little Rock who is coordinating the campaign. “As we celebrate Damien’s birthday and enjoy the holidays with our friends and families, we are more hopeful than ever that justice will finally prevail in this case. The Arkansas Take Action campaign reflects a growing public consensus that these three men are innocent – and now we’re taking action to correct this injustice once and for all.”
Following are details on Tuesday night’s event:
What: Screening of a specially-created new film that combines highlights from the popular “Paradise Lost” documentary on the case with highlights from a presentation of the new scientific evidence in the case), followed by Q&A session on the case and the Arkansas Take Action campaign.
Petition-signing, letters to the Governor and Attorney General, and cards with birthday wishes to Damien Echols will also be done by the group throughout the evening.
Who: People from across Arkansas and Tennessee are attending the event.
Capi Peck and other organizers of the Arkansas Take Action campaign will speak about the case and campaign.
Damien Echols has prepared special remarks for the event, which will be read after the film.
When: Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 7-10 p.m.
Where: Market Street Cinema
1521 Merrill Drive, Little Rock
Donations of $10 per person to attend the screening will benefit the West Memphis Three
Defense Fund. More information on the case, the powerful new evidence of innocence, and the
Arkansas Take Action campaign is at www.wm3.org.
About the Arkansas Take Action campaign
At the end of November, a cross-section of Arkansans launched an unprecedented campaign to engage the community in helping overturn the convictions of Echols and two other men in the case. Specific components of the campaign include:
· Personal letters from concerned Arkansans asking Arkansas Governor Mike Beeebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel to support efforts to overturn the convictions of Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin. People are sending letters to the campaign organizers, who are collecting them to deliver together.
· A petition drive asking Attorney General Dustin McDaniel to carefully review the new evidence in the case and join efforts to overturn the convictions.
· A statewide visibility campaign, with posters, t-shirts and buttons carrying the “Evidence = Innocence” message and directing people to a website (www.wm3.org) with more information on the case and the campaign.
· Community events over the next few weeks to continue building the campaign, culminating with a massive rally at the State Capitol on December 19, when the letters and petitions will be delivered to Beebe and McDaniel.
The campaign puts a formal structure onto a community movement that began in the days after October’s court filing in the case that outlined overwhelming evidence that the three men were wrongfully convicted. “The more ordinary Arkansans hear about the new evidence in this case, the more outraged they are – and the more committed they are to do something about it. This campaign grew out of conversations we’ve all been having in our own living rooms, shops and restaurants over the last month,” Capi Peck said.
About the West Memphis Three case and the new evidence
On October 30, a 500-page writ was filed in federal court in Little Rock by Echols’ attorneys. It included overwhelming new evidence that Echols is innocent. (While the filing pertains only to the case of Echols, who is on death row, it also shows that Misskelley and Baldwin were wrongfully convicted.) The filing included DNA test results on dozens of pieces of evidence in the case – which showed no link to the three men who were convicted, but did implicated Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of one of the victims. The filing also included in-depth analysis from some of the nation’s leading forensic experts, showing that wounds on one of the victims was caused by animal bites after the murders (not from knives, as the prosecution had contended). Affidavits from several witnesses and experts in the filing contradict every piece of evidence that was used to convict the three men.
Three eight-year-old boys were found dead in a drainage ditch in Robin Hood Hills, a local wooded area near their homes, on May 6, 1993. Less than a month later, 17-year-old Jesse Misskelley “confessed” to the crime and claimed that Echols and Jason Baldwin sexually abused and beat the victims. Police asked Miskelley, a minor with an IQ of 72, to come to the station to “help” with the case, and his interrogation was unconstitutional. Many of the details of his confession (including the time of day the crimes were committed) did not match the facts of the crime. Misskelley was tried and convicted of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder in February 1994. Baldwin and Echols were tried together after Misskelley’s trial, and they were convicted of three counts of murder in March 1994. The following day, Echols was sentenced to die, and he has been on death row ever since. Baldwin and Misskelley are serving life sentences. Since 1995, each of the three has filed a series of appeals on several grounds.
Note to Editors and Producers: For more information or to set up interviews, please contact Alice Leeds, 212-874-0675, aleeds@nyc.rr.com
Alice Whitman LeedsPublic Relations in the Public Interest52 Riverside Drive, 8-CNew York, NY 10024Ph: 212-874-0675Mobile: 917-523-5029 aleeds@nyc.rr.com
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Alternative rock band joins the fight to free the West Memphis Three December 8th, 2007: San Francisco, Calif.— The Cure will be auctioning a customized Schecter RS-1000 acoustic guitar to raise money for the defense fund of three wrongfully-imprisoned Arkansas men.Damien Echols (who is on death row), Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, Jr.—also known as the West Memphis Three—were convicted for murdering three elementary school children in 1994.
This special guitar was not only designed to lead singer and guitarist Robert Smith’s specifications—maple body with spruce top, maple and rosewood neck and specially designed white pearl moon and star inlays—but it was also used in the studio by the musician this year.
The guitar is signed by all four-band members—Smith, Simon Gallup (bass), Jason Cooper (drums), and Porl Thompson (guitar); and features a Cure logo drawn by Thompson, who is responsible for the majority of the band’s artwork down the years. It also includes a “Free the West Memphis Three” message written by Smith.
The auction will last for 14 days—from December 11 (Echols’s birthday) to December 25—one day for each year the West Memphis Three have spent behind bars. The starting bid for the instrument has been set at $999.
“It is my hope that through Skeleton Key Auctions, both funds and awareness will be raised about the travesty perpetrated on these three innocent men,” said Anje Vela, president of Music4Life. “Cases like the West Memphis Three’s are a blemish to our justice system. No innocent man or woman should be left to rot in prison without recourse, just because they lack the financial resources for a fair fight. Skeleton Key Auctions is grateful for bands such as The Cure who have generously donated to this cause.”
For further information about the guitar and to place a bid, log on to www.thecure.com or www.skeletonkeyauctions.com.
Friday, December 7, 2007
November 21, 2007 For those who live in Arkansas-- and anyone else who wants to participate-- Arkansas Take Action and WM3.org urge you to take immediate action by writing a letter to the Governor of Arkansas telling him how you feel about the West Memphis Three case. This new effort was created by Arkansas residents to show state officials their concern for this case and that they want the new DNA evidence to be taken seriously, now. Do your part to alert Governor Mike Beebe to the seriousness of this situation and that the unjust imprisonment of Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley for over 14 years must end. Please write your letters and send them to Arkansas Take Action by December 15th, and they will all be delivered to Governor Beebe on December 18th, 2007. Stay tuned to WM3.org for developments!
This article is reposted from MTV news in 2002, however the CD is still available!Sep 4 2002 10:19 AM EDT
Rollins Raises Black Flag To Salute West Memphis Three
Seminal punk frontman discovers his old 'protest music' fits his cause.
By Jon Wiederhorn
Members of Slipknot, Slayer, Motörhead and Queens of the Stone Age are among the many who have given voice to Rise Above, an album of Black Flag covers benefiting the legal defense of convicted murderers the West Memphis Three.
"If there's anything that makes you mad it's reading about the case, and I figured, what better protest music than Black Flag?" said Henry Rollins, Black Flag's former frontman and the driving force behind Rise Above (see "Slipknot's Taylor, Ice-T, Rollins Support West Memphis Three With LP").
Proceeds from the record will go toward the efforts to clear the names of Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin — a.k.a. the West Memphis Three — who were convicted of killing three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, in 1993. Many artists and celebrities, including members of Metallica, Eddie Vedder and "South Park" co-creator Trey Parker, have argued that the three, who were teenagers when they were tried in 1994, were falsely accused and that the evidence that cemented their convictions is shaky at best. (Misskelley and Baldwin received life sentences, and Echols received the death penalty.)
"I decided, 'OK, if I'm gonna do this, it has to be a whole album's worth of stuff with superstar singers,' which I thought was thoroughly implausible," Rollins said. "So, of course, the next day I went right ahead and started working on it."
After Rollins secured backing from his Rollins Band (a.k.a. Mother Superior), he started lining up guest vocalists for the album, which comes out October 8. He penned a long wish list and started making phone calls, but he soon found himself tied up in red tape. Since none of the artists would be paid for their contributions, many managers failed to pass Rollins' information on to their clients. So Rollins did some investigative legwork to obtain as many of his wish list members' home numbers as possible, which meant lots of phone calls to friends and industry contacts.
"My phone was ringing every 40 seconds, which isn't at all usual for me," Rollins said. "So I just went to work thinking of these three boys who went to prison for nine years. That gave me the strength to keep hitting it."
Most of the artists Rollins talked to were enthusiastic about the project, and the singer was jazzed to get thumbs-up from Public Enemy's Chuck D and Iggy Pop, one of his childhood heroes.
"That was the icing on the cake," Rollins said. "I always keep his phone messages on my machine. I never erase them. When he confirmed it, I'd say, 'Hey, check this out!' to everyone that comes through the office. [impersonating Iggy] 'Hello, Henry. This is Jim. I'm gonna sing 'Fix Me.' Well, OK.' And he hung up."
In the end, Rollins also lined up Ice-T, Mike Patton, ex-X singer Exene Cervenka, Rancid's Tim Armstrong and Lars Frederiksen, Ryan Adams, ex-Black Flag bassists Chuck Dukowski and Kira Roessler and others. As strange as it was for hammerin' Hank to be working with a mixed cast of idols and those who idolized him, it was also bizarre to revisit songs he hadn't played in over 15 years.
"Band practice was the strange part, because we were doing all 24 songs in the band room," he said. "I'm back there singing 'Nervous Breakdown' and 'Rise Above,' and the old breathing for those certain songs comes back. It was quite a trip, because I don't really listen to that music. I don't get into my past like that. I had not revisited these songs in a long time and I forgot how good they are."
One glaring omission from Rise Above seems to be Metallica, who donated music to "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" (1996) and "Paradise Lost 2: Revelations" (2000), two documentaries which chronicled the brutal case. Rollins said he approached the band through its management and through "Paradise Lost" filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, who are currently working on a Metallica documentary (see "Enter Cameraman: Documentary Crew Captures Metallica Drama), and got no reply.
"I don't know what that's about," Rollins marveled. "I have no problems with anyone in Metallica as people or as a band, and James Hetfield has never been anything but cool to me when I've talked to him. So, whatever."
The track list for Rise Above, according to Rollins' publicist:
"Rise Above" (with Public Enemy's Chuck D, Henry Rollins)
"Nervous Breakdown" (with the Circle Jerks' Keith Morris)
"Fix Me" (with Iggy Pop)
"American Waste" (with Clutch's Neil Fallon)
"I've Had It" (with the Mars Volta's Cedric Bixler)
"I've Heard It Before" (with Poison the Well's Jeff Moreira)
"Room 13" (with Slipknot's Corey Taylor)
"Wasted" (with Exene Cervenka)
"Jealous Again" (with Queens of the Stone Age's Nick Oliveri)
"TV Party" (with Henry Rollins)
"No Values" (with Hank Williams III)
"Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie" (with Ween's Dean Ween)
"Depression" (with Amen's Casey Chaos)
"Six Pack" (with Mike Patton)
"Police Story" (with Ice-T)
"Revenge" (with Slayer's Tom Araya)
"Thirsty & Miserable" (with Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister)
"What I See" (with Chuck Dukowski)
"No More" (with Rancid's Tim Armstrong, Lars Frederiksen)
"Black Coffee" (with Henry Rollins)
"Slip It In" (with Henry Rollins, Inger Lorre)
"Annihilate This Week" (with Henry Rollins, Kira Roessler)
"My War" (with Henry Rollins)
"Nervous Breakdown" (with Ryan Adams)
November 27, 2007‘Can an innocent person be convicted?’
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Written by: Randy Kemp of The Sun-Times
Next May will mark the 15th anniversary of one of the most controversial crimes in recent Arkansas history. It wasn’t just the murder of three young boys, but the trappings of witchcraft/devil worship, mind control, mutilation and other salacious factors along a muddy ditch over at West Memphis. And people are still talking about it. And interested in it. And lecturing on it. If you are among those for which such crimes hold a continuing fascination, or maybe your are just captivated by all things related to the judicial system or law enforcement procedure, you can get your next “fix” right here at Heber Springs on Tuesday, Nov. 27. Dan Stidham, the attorney who was appointed to represent Jessie Misskelley, will present a case study on the West Memphis Three murders in the Entergy Room at ASU-Heber Springs. He will make his presentation at 1 p.m., with time afterward for Q&A. Admission is free to the public, but if you don’t call Carol Johnson for a reservation, you might have to stand. (Call Carol at 501-362-1205).Stidham, who will transition from attorney to fulltime district judge in January, has been personally involved in this case for over 14 years. He hails from Paragould, just up the road from West Memphis, and he is coming at the invitation of Dr. Dennis Devine, who teaches business courses on the faculty at Cleburne County’s community college.A few weeks after the 8-year-old boys’ murders, police arrested three teenagers after a jarring confession from one of the teen boys claiming that the killings were related to satanic cult activity.Stidham, who holds that his client, Jessie Misskelley Jr. falsely confessed, calls the case a twisted maze. He plans to present a factual overview of the case and discuss the legal issues involved in the case, including police interrogation techniques, false confessions, satanic panic, criminal profiling, and legal lessons to be learned.Dr. Devine of Heber Springs, who also holds a law degree, provided some further information about next Tuesday’s guest speaker:During the 14 years of the investigation, Stidham consulted with some of the world’s leading forensic experts. The case was the subject of a 1996 HBO documentary film entitled Paradise Lost. A sequel to this film, Paradise Lost 2: Revelations, was released in spring 2000. Stidham's work on the case resulted in several appearances on national television including the NBC Nightly News, MSNBC and Court TV's Prime Time Justice. In 1996 his experience in the case was the subject of a cover story in the Arkansas Times magazine. The story has drawn the attention of author Mara Leveritt, who wrote a book called Devil 's Knot telling the story of the murder.So, can an innocent person be convicted? Dan Stidham is certainly convinced of it, and he will present his fascinating and compelling case here on Tuesday. We’d suggest you give Carol a call and get on the list for a good seat. Additional Information about Dan Stidham's presentation can be found on his website, here.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Lorri Davis, wife of Damien Echols speaks out to free her Husband
Photo taken by Grove PaschleyPosted By Shaun ChaiyabhatDamien Echols' Wife Speaks Out
FAST FACTS:
Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, and Jason Baldwin were convicted and sentenced to death for the 1993 killings of three young boys in West Memphis.
Christopher Byers, Steven Branch and Michael Moore were found beaten and mutilated.
For more than 12 years, 'The West Memphis Three' sat behind bars, proclaiming their innocence.
Lorri Davis married Echols 5 years after he was sentenced to death.
shaun.chaiyabhat@wreg.com
(Little Rock, AR 12/05/07)
A rare look at the wife of a convicted killer on death row, as she works to free one of the 'West Memphis Three'.
Damien Echols sits on death row along with two others, convicted of killing three young boys as part of a satanic ritual. 12 years later, Lorri Davis-Echols is giving an hour-long radio interview in Little Rock, speaking candidly about some things, while keeping her lips sealed about others.
In October, lawyers filed a petition that included new evidence, like DNA test results that show no link to the West Memphis Three. Now, Lorri Davis-Echols says it's time to take her campaign to free her husband public. She's hoping to use the radio-waves to sway support for her husband.
"Suddenly everything falls away. The state's case falls away. There were no knife wounds on these victims. So you slowly start taking apart the state's case which is what we worked so hard to do."
"Do you feel comfortable in a little bit about your relationship with Damien," asks a radio host.
"It came out of seeing a documentary," says Davis-Echols, "and then I got very interested in the case."
She says their relationship grew -- slowly -- but she never elaborates exactly what her relationship is like with a husband on death row.
Her goal? to free him. She says Echols, Misskelley and Baldwin all have faith they will get out of prison.
"They do have faith and they're so grateful for all the people that have come forward and are their voices."
Davis-Echols is hoping a letter-writing rally called "Arkansas Take Action" will persuade the state capitol to her the new evidence. One of the victim's fathers, John Mark Byers, is also supporting that cause on December 18th.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
WM3 on the Radio in Little Rock Arkansas
http://www.magic105fm.com/pages/magicmorningshow.htmlFollow this link to listen to this mornings Radio interview with Lorri Davis, wife of Damien Echols, and Capi Peck from Arkanasa Take Action. Video and pictures also available.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Do you know anyone famous?
Who do you know? Help out the West Memphis Three!
Everyone knows someone famous.... or has a friend who knows someone famous. We need signed items from celebrities for a very big online auction to benefit the West Memphis Three's legal defense fund (www.skeletonkeyauctions.com). These items will be available to be bid on worldwide, and each item will run for 10 weeks. We will be listing items on a continuous basis until Damien, Jason & Jessie are free.
We're also interested in artwork, jewelry, clothing, anything that you think someone would be interested in buying.Help out the West Memphis Three and contact your nephew's babysitter's ex-girlfriend's hairdresser who used to hang out with ______(insert appropriate celebrity name here)______ and ask for something to be donated! Contact me if you can help!
Everyone knows someone famous.... or has a friend who knows someone famous. We need signed items from celebrities for a very big online auction to benefit the West Memphis Three's legal defense fund (www.skeletonkeyauctions.com). These items will be available to be bid on worldwide, and each item will run for 10 weeks. We will be listing items on a continuous basis until Damien, Jason & Jessie are free.
We're also interested in artwork, jewelry, clothing, anything that you think someone would be interested in buying.Help out the West Memphis Three and contact your nephew's babysitter's ex-girlfriend's hairdresser who used to hang out with ______(insert appropriate celebrity name here)______ and ask for something to be donated! Contact me if you can help!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Rock for Freedom Weekend
ROCK FOR FREEDOM WEEKENDFREE THE WM3MARCH 7-9This coming March 7-9 a new International West Memphis Three fundraising event will be celebrated: the “Free the WM3: ROCK FOR FREEDOM WEEKEND”. (RFFW MYSPACE:www.myspace.com/rockforfreedomweekendwm3 & RFFW WEBSITE: www.freewebs.com/wm3rockforfreedomweekend)The event will be celebrated, as other fundraising events in the past have, with Supporters, all over the World, holding shows and concerts to raise money for the West Memphis Three Support Fund.The hard work by Supporters over the years to raise money for the Defense Fund that pays for lawyers, investigators, and DNA testing is paying off, as Damien, Jason, and Jessie move closer to freedom. Now is NOT the time to mistakenly think that our work as Supporters is over though! Now, more than ever, Damien, Jason, and Jessie need us to not only continue our fundraising efforts, but to multiply our efforts more so than ever before! With the filing of the new evidence will come even more filings, hearings, possibly more DNA testing and case investigation, all of which the Defense Fund pays for! The legal fees have already skyrocketed and will continue to do so. The funds raised by Supporters putting on events for the ROCK FOR FREEDOM WEEKEND will continue to pave the WM3’s road to home. Without us, without our efforts to replenish the Defense Fund, Damien, Jason and Jessie will remain exactly where they are……falsely imprisoned! Please visit the RFFW site on Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/rockforfreedomweekendwm3 )for details on how to get involved!Damien, Jason, and Jessie are counting on us and we cannot let them down! We have helped bring them this far….let’s see this through to the end! IF WE WORK TOGETHER THERE IS NOTHING WE CANNOT ACCOMPLISH! Free The West Memphis Three!Much love,Nancy (Boohiss), STL (Chandra) &The RFFW Crew
Free the West Memphis Three
Brief Overview
Shortly after three eight-year-old boys were found mutilated and murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas, local newspapers stated the killers had been caught. The police assured the public that the three teenagers in custody were definitely responsible for these horrible crimes. Evidence? The same police officers coerced an error-filled "confession" from Jessie Misskelley Jr., who is mentally handicapped. They subjected him to 12 hours of questioning without counsel or parental consent, audio-taping only two fragments totaling 46 minutes. Jessie recanted it that evening, but it was too late— Misskelley, Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols were all arrested on June 3, 1993, and convicted of murder in early 1994. Although there was no physical evidence, murder weapon, motive, or connection to the victims, the prosecution pathetically resorted to presenting black hair and clothing, heavy metal t-shirts, and Stephen King novels as proof that the boys were sacrificed in a satanic cult ritual. Unfathomably, Echols was sentenced to death, Baldwin received life without parole, and Misskelley got life plus 40. For over 14 years, The West Memphis Three have been imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit. Echols waits in solitary confinement for the lethal injection our tax dollars will pay for. They were all condemned by their poverty, incompetent defense, satanic panic and a rush to judgment. But there’s still hope for them, and you can help.
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