Hearings Scheduled for September 8- October 3!

Dear Friends & Supporters:


As most of you know, the State of Arkansas has finally granted a hearing that will hopefully give a fair examination of all new DNA and forensic evidence in the cases of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley.

Filings must be complete by May 30th, 2008, and the State will then have time to review the information. Judge David Burnett has set aside Sept. 8-Oct 3, 2008 to hear the new evidence and all three cases and Rule 37 petitions for Jason and Jessie.

Damien's attorneys Dennis Riordan and Don Horgan filed a motion in State court on April 14, 2008. The filing provides strong scientific evidence that all three men are innocent of the murders for which they were wrongfully convicted in 1993. It includes DNA testing on dozens of pieces of evidence, analysis from the nation's leading forensic science experts, other solid scientific evidence and compelling witness affidavits. There was no credible evidence presented when these three men were on trial; they were convicted based on fear, hysteria and innuendo. With our recent court filing, reliable scientific evidence finally came into this case, nearly 14 years after Damien, Jessie and Jason were wrongfully convicted.

We urgently need your help to make sure this evidence is fully considered in the most important hearing since the convictions in 1994. The harsh reality is that uncovering clear evidence that the West Memphis Three are innocent isn't enough. It must go through the court system, and all three cases have new evidence that needs additional testing and documentation. Funds are required for mounting the best defense possible in Jonesboro come September.

We're encouraged by the commitment and loyalty from supporters we've received over the years. Our day in court is finally upon us, and we need your help more than ever. Please make a donation to the Defense Fund today.

Please make checks payable to:

Damien Echols Defense Fund
PO Box 1216
Little Rock, AR 72203

You can also donate online, through PayPal. It's easy, free and allows you to use your credit or debit card. We also suggest that International Supporters use this option. Please use LDavis11@hotmail.com as the recipient address and kindly include your name and address in the notes box. The button you can click to include your address does not always work.

Over the last several years – and particularly the last several months – we have been overwhelmed by the support and generosity of longtime friends and people just learning about the case. Shortly after we made the new evidence public, a group of supporters in Arkansas began organizing to put political pressure on the Governor, Attorney General and District Attorney. Thousands of people, many of them in Arkansas and Tennessee, came forward to demand that the new evidence be fully considered.

The message is clear: The public wants elected officials to respect the scientific evidence, and most people – even those who once believed that the West Memphis Three were guilty – believe that the case is an intolerable miscarriage of justice. In the months ahead, we will be expanding these organizing and public education efforts, just as we redouble our litigation strategy to exonerate Damien, Jessie and Jason.

Check back for regular updates, much will be happening in the coming weeks/months.

Thanks again,
Lorri Davis
and the Damien Echols Legal Team




Press Inquiries:
Alice Whitman Leeds
Public Relations in the Public Interest
Ph: 212-874-0675
Mobile: 917-523-5029
aleeds@nyc.rr.com

Michael Graves to Perform in Conroe

Punk rocker to perform at church


With a black and white skull painted across his face, Micahel Graves will belt out a tune inside Grace Lutheran Church.


Graves, former lead singer of the horror punk band Misfits, will perform an acoustic and spoken-word show at 8 p.m. Thursday at Grace Lutheran Church, located at 13123 Texas 105 West in Conroe.

"It's just going to be him and his acoustic guitar," said Stacy Lyle, the event organizer and leader of Zion, a youth outreach ministry. "It'll be everything he wrote from his time with the Misfits to this new album 'Illusions.'"

The "Illusions" album was co-written by Damien Echols, a member of the one of the West Memphis Three. The West Memphis Three were arrested 15 years ago as teenagers for the murder of three children, but have maintained their innocence while in prison.

"There was never any physical evidence linking them to the crime," Lyle said. "In the last year, new evidence linking other people to the crime has come up."

Proceeds from the show's $10 tickets will be equally split between the church's youth group and legal funding for the West Memphis Three.

Zion began offering music shows to area youth and their families March 31, 2007 with Everyday Sunday, a popular Christian band, which received its first number one hit that day. Since then, Zion has offered regular events, and Everyday Sunday has earned seven number 1 hits. The group will perform again June 26 at the church.

"I was a musician growing up," Lyle said. "I have a deep passion that music is a gift from God. I want to provide a place the kids can go, their parents don't mind dropping them off at and it's someplace kids want to go.

"We don't preach to the kids while they're here and we don't throw Bibles at them. ... It's neat because you'll see a kid with a cowboy hat next to a kid with a Mohawk. They normally wouldn't socialize at school, but we haven't had any trouble here."

For more information about Zion, visit www.myspace.com/golgothaconroe.

Kassia Micek can be reached at kmicek@hcnonline.com.

Judge in WM3 case "ready to get it over with"

Associated Press
(2008-04-15) The trial judge in the case of three men accused as teenagers of killing three West Memphis second graders said in an appeal hearing Tuesday almost 15 years after their convictions that he was "ready to get it over with."

Circuit Judge David Burnett began the brief hearing before five lawyers for Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley. Burnett said he would set aside three weeks to hear the appeal, most likely in September. Each defendant would have one week, he said.

"I want to wrap this up. It's been 15 years. I'm ready to get it over with one way or the other," Burnett told a packed courtroom. "I don't care what the outcome is. I just want the attorneys to do their business so I can do mine."

Burnett gave defense lawyers 45 days to file their pleadings and set an Aug. 20 hearing for lawyers to give him a status report.

None of the defendants, the so-called West Memphis Three who have a loyal following, were at the hearing.

Prosecutor Brent Davis, who successfully prosecuted the case against the three for the 1993 murders of Steven Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers, handled the hearing Tuesday, as well.

Security was noticeable at the Craighead County Courthouse Annex. Sheriff Jack McCann and several of his deputies scrutinized people as they waited for the proceeding to begin. Inside the small courtroom, supporters of the convicted men filled five wooden benches. Among them was Lorrie Davis, Echols' wife.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

SOURCE: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuar/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1260654§ionID=1

OPEN LETTER TO SUPPORTERS OF THE WEST MEMPHIS THREE

OPEN LETTER TO SUPPORTERS OF THE
WEST MEMPHIS THREE

As the lawyers who represent Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jesse
Misskelley in their respective state and federal court challenges to
their 1994
murder convictions, we feel it necessary to reply to questions that have
been
publicly raised recently about whether conflicts have arisen between the
three
defense teams.

Each of us is ethically obligated to vigorously promote the legal
interests of
our individual clients. Nonetheless, despite the fact that the cases of
our clients are
in different procedural postures, we have worked cooperatively whenever
legally
possible because the ultimate interests of Jason, Jesse, and Damien are
the same.
All three are accused of jointly committing crimes of which all three
are innocent.
Evidence that exculpates one therefore exculpates all.

That is plainly true of the critically important DNA testing that has
been
conducted on behalf of our clients in recent years. Our clients obtained
the court
order authorizing that testing only by pledging to underwrite its cost
which, given
its extensive scope, has run into more than a hundred thousand dollars.
The
defense has had to pay those fees thus far because the State of Arkansas
has no
mechanism to fund such testing, which all parties in this case agreed
had to be
conducted by an out of state accredited laboratory. Only the generous
donations of
supporters enabled the defense teams, and the State, to conduct that
testing, which
is on going.

Counsel for all of our clients have participated in obtaining judicial
determinations as to which evidentiary items would be subjected to
testing. All
have benefitted from the discovery that while DNA evidence of potential
suspects
has been recovered from the crime scene, none of that DNA came from
Baldwin,
Misskelley and Echols. All of us have assisted in the development of the
recent
findings by the nationÕs leading forensic pathologists that the victims
suffered pastmortem
animal predation. Those findings have devastated the stateÕs theory that
the victims suffered ritualistic satanic injuries, a theory that the
state employed at
the trials of all three defendants.

We have the greatest thanks for all who in the past have financially
assisted the legal efforts to free Jesse, Jason, and Damien. Much work
remains to
be done. We have complete confidence that Lorri Davis and others who
have
organized past fund raising efforts have done so with integrity and with
the aim of
seeing justice done, and we can assure supporters that arrangements are
being
made to ensure that future contributions will be used to meet the needs
of all our
clients as they prepare for further legal proceedings in state court.

Dennis P. Riordan
Donald M. Hogan
Counsel for Damien Echols

John Phillipsborn
Blake Hendrix
Counsel for Jason Baldwin

Michael Burt
Jeff Rosenzweig
Counsel for Jessie Misskelley

Letter From Jason Baldwin regarding WM3 Innocence Project Inc.

Supporters and friends,

First, I would like to say that I support Damien's
statement on this issue 100 percent. Wm3.org has been
with us since virtually the beginning, working hard,
getting money together to pay for testing and
attorneys, and it is because of them that we now have
the attorneys and support we have now. We have never
turned away any help before and we have welcomed all
dontations from many different people from all walks
of life. However, when people attack Damien's wife and
the good people of the wm3 org, I do not find that
satisfactory, and it takes away from the true goal of
the fund... which is to get the truth out there about
what happened and to get the three of us free.
Therefore, I cannot accept donations from this group,
calling themselves"The WM3 Innocence Project", either.


I would like for everyone to stay focused on what the
main goal is, which is to get the truth out. When
people take away from that by putting forth
accusations and defamations of character, all it does
is take away from what we are trying to do.
Consequences from that can be very bad. I support,
and have always supported, Lorri Davis. I find her to
be an exceptional and honorable woman doing everything
she can to help the three of us. I also fully support
the defense fund that Lorri handles, and the people
behind Wm3.org. It is unfortunate that the focus of
this situation has been shifted to something of this
nature when everyone should be focusing on getting the
truth out, and bringing innocent men home. I urge
supporters to not let this distract you from
continuing to help and contribute, and to trust that
positive things are being accomplished.

With gratitude, Always,

Jason Baldwin


Please make a donation to the Defense Fund today.

Please make checks payable to:

Damien Echols Defense Fund
PO Box 1216
Little Rock, AR 72203

Letter from Damien Echols

January 18, 2008

Dear Friends and Supporters, It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I write this letter, but it must be done in light of recent events. A man in my situation is allowed to have very little of anything, so the things I do have mean all the more--things like dignity and a personal sense of honor. I write this letter in order to keep that personal sense of honor intact.

The point of this letter is to inform the public, the supporters and the operators of the wm3 "innocence project" website that I will not be accepting anything from the operators of that website.

By making false accusations against my loved ones, my friends and the supporters who have gone out of their way to help me for many, many years the operators of the wm3ip website have caused me tremendous grief. At a time when I should be preparing for the upcoming fight against the charges made against me, I am having to deal with the actions and accusations made by this wm3ip group. I do not think the word "supporter" can be applied to any involved with the wm3ip website.

Sadly it is more like a confederation of individuals who have attempted to further their own agendas by making use of my name, pain and misfortune as well as that of Jason and Jessie.

These individuals are not connected or affiliated with me or my case in any way, and I will not be accepting anything from them due to the insults they have delivered to me, my loved ones and my true supporters. However, your donations and support are now needed more than ever, and anything you can give would be greatly appreciated. It will be needed to fund the upcoming hearing. And again, thank you all very much for your support. It is because of you that we have gotten this far.

Thank You,
Damien Echols

Letter from Lorri Davis

1-2-08 ~ Letter from Lorri Davis


January 2, 2008

Dear Friends & Supporters:

As a new year begins, we are also starting a new round of work to fully – and finally – exonerate the West Memphis Three. Sometimes it's hard to believe that my husband, Damien Echols, has been on death row for nearly 15 years and that Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin have also spent their entire adult lives in prison for a crime they did not commit.

As you know, in late October we filed a 500-page motion in federal court with strong scientific evidence that all three men are innocent of the murders for which they were wrongfully convicted in 1993. This motion includes DNA testing on dozens of pieces of evidence, analysis from the nation's leading forensic science experts, other solid scientific evidence and compelling witness affidavits. There was no credible evidence presented when these three men were on trial; they were convicted based on fear, hysteria and innuendo. With our recent court filing, reliable scientific evidence finally came into this case, nearly 14 years after Damien, Jessie and Jason were wrongfully convicted.

We urgently need your help to make sure this evidence is fully considered. With your help, the strong scientific evidence will have its day in court, and Damien, Jessie and Jason can finally see justice.

The harsh reality is that uncovering clear evidence that the West Memphis Three are innocent isn't enough. A few weeks after we shared this extraordinary evidence with the federal court, we received an order from the judge saying we must resolve claims in state court before the federal courts will look at the evidence. The legal team has spent countless hours developing a strategy and plan to focus the court on this new evidence. Today, our lawyers – some of the nation's best and most dedicated appellate attorneys – formally asked the state court to separate the new evidence from pending claims and review it quickly.

Simply put, today we told the court that this evidence is too important and too powerful to let sit any longer.

In the weeks and months ahead, our lawyers will be preparing to argue this new evidence in either state or federal court. At the same time, our investigators are pursuing even more new evidence that the West Memphis Three are innocent. I need to be honest with you: It is frustrating to come so far, only to see that we have farther to go. As Damien said recently during an hour-long "Larry King Live" interview, "You know, the legal system, they like to drag things out as long as they possibly can. Like I say, I've been here almost 15 years now."

I want to write you a letter simply thanking you – from the bottom of our hearts – for your support and generosity that made it possible for us to uncover this new evidence. We are more grateful than you can ever know, yet we also need your help more than ever. We urgently need financial contributions to help pay for the legal work, investigation and organizing efforts that will correct this grave injustice once and for all. Please make a donation to the Defense Fund today.

Please make checks payable to:

Damien Echols Defense Fund
PO Box 1216
Little Rock, AR 72203

You can also donate online, through PayPal. It's easy, free and allows you to use your credit or debit card. We also suggest that International Supporters use this option. Please use LDavis11@hotmail.com as the recipient address and kindly include your name and address in the notes box. The button you can click to include your address does not always work.

Over the last several years – and particularly the last several months – we have been overwhelmed by the support and generosity of longtime friends and people just learning about the case. Shortly after we made the new evidence public, a group of supporters in Arkansas began organizing to put political pressure on the Governor, Attorney General and District Attorney. Thousands of people, many of them in Arkansas and Tennessee, came forward to demand that the new evidence be fully considered.

The message is clear: The public wants elected officials to respect the scientific evidence, and most people – even those who once believed that the West Memphis Three were guilty – believe that the case is an intolerable miscarriage of justice. In the months ahead, we will be expanding these organizing and public education efforts, just as we redouble our litigation strategy to exonerate Damien, Jessie and Jason.

Thank you for everything you have already done. Without your help, we would not be on the verge of finally securing justice. And thank you in advance for making a donation that will enable us to finally overturn these convictions and free Damien, Jessie and Jason.


Thanks very much,
Lorri Davis
and the Damien Echols Legal Team


Press Inquiries:
Alice Whitman Leeds
Public Relations in the Public Interest
Ph: 212-874-0675
Mobile: 917-523-5029
aleeds@nyc.rr.com

http://wm3.org/splash.php