It's a cause célèbre jamboree, starting with Mumia Abu-Jamal: Guilty! Innocent! Guilty! Innocent! [more inside]
posted by Bookhouse on Feb 21, 2008 - 14 comments

In 1993, Damien Echols, Jesse Miskelley, and Jason Baldwin were tried and imprisoned for the ritual satanic slaying of 3 8 year old boys. I just finished watching Paradise Lost and Paradise Lost 2 and was compelled to check out the West Memphis 3 in more depth.

Echols has written an autobiography. Miskelley, with an IQ of 72, made a confession which believed to have been a textbook example of coercion.
Jason Baldwin is active in petitioning Arkansas Governer Mike Huckabee.

Most articles I've come across are convinced of their innocence and consider this case a result of 'satanic panic'. What's not so convincing, is the innocence of John Mark Byers.
posted by pieoverdone on Jul 16, 2006 - 34 comments