One thing they forget to mention in the *film* is that Jessie Misskelley, the boy who confessed, is mentally challanged. The police knew this and this is why they harassed him. They knew they could get a confession from him.West Memphis Three Awareness Day is fast upon us...I feel like this video should make the rounds like those damn "OMG I have a tracker" Or Click on this video, it's amazing..but it's just another bulletin type deal.It would mean a lot if this video gets around A LOT.Check out the West Memphis Three Page if you don't know about the case, and the obvious injustice.And PLEASE REPOST :)(I needed to add this information...please read!)
Physical and forensic evidence points to another possible suspect, though, that evidence has been ignored. Mark John Byers, Cristophers stepfather, owned a knife that had bloodstains that could have been Cristophers. He was also taking, among other pharmaceuticals, a drug called Carbamazepine which was found in non-therapeutic volumes in Cristophers blood at the time of his death. Yet, because of his friendly relationship with local police as an informant, Byers was never considered as a suspect.Efforts were made by the defense to obtain a forensics expert to analyze the evidence that was presented by the medical and coroners offices. At the time of the trial, Dan Stidham, Misskelleys defense attorney, had been told no criminal profile of the killer or evidence had been made. This was later revealed to be untrue, that the FBI had made a cursory profile, and instructed West Memphis police to trace Vietnam veterans in the area at the time of the murders. After the trials conclusion, Brent Turvey, a criminal profiler and forensics expert who agreed to take the case pro bono, approached Stidham. Turveys report revealed a wealth of information that had been overlooked, ignored, or misinterpreted by previous examinations.Among the findings, which would surely have resulted in an innocent verdict, had they been submitted at the trials as evidence:The site where the bodies of the little boys were found was a dumpsite, and not where the killings took place. Due to the nature of the killings it would have taken time, privacy, and light to commit, and there were already search parties in the area at the time that the murders would have been committed. Additionally, due to the nature of the injuries, there would have been much more blood at the site. There were no mosquito bites on the body, which there would have been had the murders been committed in such a damp area.
Even more alarming in Turveys report are findings that suggest that the boys knew and trusted their attacker. The fact that three boys were taken together, and that they were transported from the abduction site to the murder site suggests that the attacker was able to gain the boys confidence. The brutality and sexual nature of the attack on Cristopher Byers suggests that there was punitive nature and higher level of anger in the attack on him. The attack on Steven Branch was similar, though not nearly as severe. Evidence shows that Michael Moore was a collateral victim killed simply for being with the other two. Additionally, both Cristopher and Steven showed signs of previous abuse, which might indicate again, a prior knowledge of their killer. This evidence is supported by Christopher Byers medical records, and Melissa Byers suspicions voiced to a school counselor before his death, that Cristopher was being abused. Melissa has since died under mysterious circumstances.
Most compelling in the physical evidence that Turvey reveals is that the lacerations on James Michael Moores face were not knife cuts, as Jessie Misskelleys confession stated, but bite marks! This undeniably negates the veracity of Misskelleys confession, regardless of any other evidence. A jury should not have been able to convict Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley beyond a reasonable doubt.
And yet, all attempts to have a retrial have been refused, all petitions for parole have been denied. Furthermore, the Arkansas courts and the governors office itself have refused to consider any evidence of wrong-doing on the part of the justice system in any capacity, despite the obviously careless handling and ignoring of evidence.The community wanted a culprit and a scapegoat, and it was given three. The bureaucracy washed its hands Arkansas Governer Huckabee refused to reopen or discuss the case, and the judicial system was unwilling to admit the possibility of failure. Meanwhile, the real killer goes free, and three innocent young men face a life of imprisonment, and in the case of Damien Echols, death.There are a number of resources for more information on the West Memphis Three, and what you can do to help, and protect your own rights.Official Site for the West Memphis Three:
http://www.wm3.org/
Where to send donations for the defense fund:The Defense Fund
PO Box 251136
Little Rock, AR 72225
A site with detailed forensic evidence:
http://www.crimelibrary.com/classics/westmemphis/index.html
Paradise Lost and Paradise Lost: Revelations are two award-winning films by Joe Berliner, which aired on HBO and are currently available on videotape
