The West Memphis Three HBO Paradise Lost Purgatory: Victims Parents Plea For No Oscar, Call Film Cruel Hoax
Beverly Hills, CA- Following an announcement that The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is considering the HBO documentary Paradise Lost III : Purgatory, as one of 15 submissions being considered for an Oscar in the documentary category branch of AMPAS, chaired by Rob Epstein- Todd and Diana Moore took action.
The Moores are the parents of James Michael Moore, one of three eight your old victims murdered on May 3, 1993 along with Chris Byers and Stevie Branch. Within days of an exclusive series on the murders appearing on www.blinkoncrime.com which included the discovery of potential new evidence; the nearly 18 year old case that resulted in 9 previous convictions of three suspects took a radical turn.
On August 19th Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols and Charles Jason Baldwin pled guilty to the murders of all 3 children via an Alford plea and were immediately released from jail as convicted murders on parole.
Paradise Lost III produced by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky follows it’s predecessors I and II, released in 1996 after the initial convictions of the West Memphis 3.
Berlinger is a member of AMPAS, and has produced several unreleased documentaries of Hollywood A- listers including Charlize Theron, Hugh Jackman, Oprah Winfrey and Cameron Diaz.
Click below to read impassioned and unedited letter sent to Chairman Epstein.
The following is the unedited letter sent to Chairman Epstein by Todd and Diana Moore:
TODD MOORE
DIANA MOORE
PO Box 721
2004 Main St.
Hughes, AR 72348
November 22, 2011
Chairman Robert P. Epstein
AMPAS
Awards Office
8949 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills CA 90211
Re: Paradise Lost III: Purgatory
Dear Chairman Epstein and members of the Documentary Branch of the Academy:
We are Todd Moore and Dana Moore.
Our cherished eight-year-old son, Michael, was brutally murdered on May 5, 1993 by Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols, and Jason Baldwin. Misskelley was tried and convicted in 1994. Baldwin and Echols were convicted by a separate jury later that year. All three entered Alford pleas to our son’s murder August 19, 2011. They are now, as they have been for the past 17 years, guilty as a matter of law. They have been guilty as a matter of fact since the moment water flooded Michael’s lungs after he was beaten, stripped, hogtied, and then discarded into a stream to drown.
Michael was the joy of our lives. In addition to our son, his murderers also tortured and slaughtered two other children, Christopher Byers and Stevie Branch. These three precious victims were classmates and friends, and their loss was a tragedy felt throughout the entire community.
We are horrified to learn that a documentary that glorifies Michael’s killers, Paradise Lost III: Purgatory, is among 15 documentaries being considered for an Academy Award. Because of public pressure that exploded due to gross misrepresentations of fact in two previous documentaries, Michael’s killers were unjustly able to enter into a plea agreement, were released from prison, and now pose additional threats to society. This third documentary further insulted the families of these three boys and may lead to further injustice. We implore the Academy not to reward our child’s killers and the directors who have profited from one of the greatest frauds ever perpetrated under the guise of a “documentary film.”
We realize that documentaries have a point of view and advocate a position to some degree or another. As with the two before it, this film crossed the line into a cruel hoax that had real-life consequences larger than even those of us who still mourn our horrific losses. It is not art. This film is cynical and exploitative deception that compounds our pain needlessly and rewards those who inflicted it. It and the two films that preceded it are simply tasteless tabloid entertainment presented as social commentary.
We are private individuals. The directors, Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger, are aware of this because we refused to participate in their last two films. We appeared solely in the first film because the directors lied and told us their purpose would be to “protect children.” You can imagine our shock and disgust when the first film opened with gruesome and gratuitous images of the crime scene and remained exploitative and salacious until the credits rolled. It did nothing to promote child welfare. It did everything to support child killers and to benefit monetarily from a ghastly crime.
We were hardly the only people Sinofsky and Berlinger misled or manipulated.
Consider what happened to John Mark Byers. He was Christopher Byers’ adoptive father. Confrontations between Mr. Byers and Echols’ supporters at hearings were staged. Of course, Berlinger and Sinofsky were there to film these episodes. Berlinger and Sinofsky would transport Mr. Byers to the hearings and wire him for sound beforehand. Furthermore, Berlinger and Sinofsky maneuvered Mr. Byers and Echols’ supporters in order to film the anticipated confrontations. Later, after the cameras were packed away, Mr. Byers acted like a different person. Instead of being belligerent, he was affable. When asked about his change in demeanor, Mr. Byers stated that he was supposed to act that way when the cameras were present. Mr. Byers was quoted as saying he received $500 per hour for “exclusive interviews.”
These contrived “confrontations” and other distortions caused many viewers to believe Mark was the “real killer.” It had a terrible impact on his life. We brought this to the attention of HBO. Our complaint was ignored because these falsehoods proved lucrative.
The complete list of distortions would be a long one. The above example is illustrative of the manipulation and distortions that are prevalent throughout the entire Paradise Lost franchise. The films are bereft of ethics, principles, or factual accuracy and basis.
Publicity from the first two films did generate millions of dollars in donations. Much of that money went toward the defense’s investigation of the case. Not a single piece of exculpatory evidence was produced. In other words, between $10,000,000 and $20,000,000 has been collected, although no one knows the exact amount collected or how it was spent. In eighteen years, nothing was found to clear the names of the actual killers. Late last year, the windfall that went toward the legal defense resulted in the granting of an evidentiary hearing which was set to be held a few weeks from now. Instead, the murderers opted to initiate a plea negotiation with the State. As a result, they remain convicted of the deaths of three children.
We have to note that this situation is similar to the one that confronted the Academy when Capturing the Friedmans was nominated for Best Documentary Film of 2003. Two of the Friedmans’ sexual abuse victims presented another Open Letter to the Academy. Capturing the Friedmans had much more artistic merit and integrity than Paradise Lost III: Purgatory, yet it did not receive the award. The Academy made the right decision then, and we pray it does so this time as well.
Sincerely,
Todd Moore Diana Moore
cc: (via eMail)
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My wife Betty has an account here, i dont and i didn’t want 2 comment under her name.
But to answer your question on reading up on the post .I did and all i got to say is Damien Eccols was not a normal 18 year old. HE killed dogs. HE tried to pull a schoolmates eyes out. HE threatened teachers. HE threatened to eat his father.I am just trying to figure out why it’s rude to think someone is pathetic 4 someone to defend this twisted sick animal.
Did I mention HE said his baby would be a Satanic sacrifice?
I did not say you were rude, I mentioned my rules.
I spent weeks researching this case, and a few more writing about it, everything you mention is in that work.
I am personally not a fan of any of these three men, it is my belief after my analysis that they murdered these children and got out of jail and are now cashing in on the crime.
B
Could someone tell me what a Alford plea is? please!
Thank you.
When is prt 4 getting posted?
@vicki
Lol, I am the author this work. You should try and read it sometime. Other than that, if you cannot follow a simple etiquette, you can find plenty of other sites where you can feel more at home.
@ 49.Randy says:
February 7, 2012 at 5:54 pm
-snipped-
The Alford Plea is a legal maneuver in which the defendants say they are innocent. They did not commit the crime, but, the state may have enough evidence to convict them of the crime therefore they enter a guilty plea.
http://www.katv.com/story/15299682/what-is-an-alford-plea
Been reading the exhibit 500! I remember this case and have always knew they were guilty! Do you guys know that Damiens probation officer removed the dog and cat skulls from his bedroom and expressed and great concern for acts against others. He felt the natural evolution of his violence was going to be humans 18 months prior to the murders.The exhibit “500″, as in 500 pages of medical records tells the story the prosecution could not tell.
Damien was told at the hospital that he could be the next Ted Bundy, he replied I always knew that.
Graceinthehills.
Hello again, thank you for taking to the time to share your thoughts and experiences. I agree with your assessment on the difference between knowing and KNOWING IRT the pathology and all the rest.-
Thank you for allowing us to benefit from your experience Grace.
Also thanks- I really appreciate your kind thoughts on my posts and research. If you do have the time to review Joe Clark- I would very much like to hear your opinions. I must admit I have never encountered someone who seems to keep the BB compulsion to the lower extremities exclusively…
Ragdoll- thank you for always being around to lift my spirits, and for sharing your point of view on JMs confessions in order to help me gain a different perspective – I appreciate it. If its okay with you I will give you my thoughts at a later time, as unfortunately- I am pressed for time- and I want to be able to address each well thought out point you made, but I would like to respond to some other posts first. Hugs-
ScottH- Hi- I am glad I could be of help- thank you for supplying the link to the YT vid- I did take note of all the things you mentioned.
I hope Thad is not down on himself because he can not recall the second name- as much pain as he was in, and the terror he must have endured, may have caused him to hallucinate, or or perhaps misunderstand “Joe”- It is my understanding that no one else had gone missing from the area…and Thad should feel good for having remembered Chris’ name.
Blink, thank you for all you do here- I know sometimes it must really get you down to be moderator in chief. I appreciate everything you do to ensure BOC is a respectable place.
Sandy, Hi… I am not sure where anyone got offended over anyone voicing their opinions about the 3 men having killed little Chris, Mike and Stevie, not lately anyway… but yes this case and all aspects of it seem to provoke strong opinions and feelings- and sometimes the discussions do seem to get kindof heated, which seems to be making poor Blinks job harder.
In a perfect world your thoughts regarding an innocent person getting out- or the correct evidence getting the right bad guy would apply, but unfortunately- we do not live in a perfect world – many innocent people have been convicted and many guilty murderers are never held accountable.
Keith- Hello- It is my understanding that before the Alford Pleas Blink was going to have a 4 part Series on The case- but after the Plea, Blink stated that she would only have one more article- part 3. Blink hoped to be able to publish it last month, but due to some issues, which she said she will address in the piece-, she has yet been unable to complete the series.
Hello Tom/Betty- from your posts I can see that you are very troubled at what has happened in this case- and it is very apparent that you believe the 3 are the killers- and because you believe this so strongly you feel that justice was undone and the victims and their families have been re-victimized. I get it- and I appreciate voice your thoughts and your agreement of others posters
I am sorry if you felt like you were outnumbered or that you werent being heard- Thank you for bringing Publicenemynumerounos post to my attention, I had overlooked it previously.
Dont feel to bad about posting under more than one hat, you are not the only one that has ever been called on it– many sites allow it, but Blink does not- If you want to change your name, you can alert Blink and she will take the matter under consideration.
I know you may feel embarrassed but you dont have to- Raggdoll is a kind and gentle soul with a penchant for being a comedian- we love her here– if I may, I will try to make you and everyone have a laugh over your faux pa- when I read Rag Dolls joking comment and your two choices for “hats” I immediately thought of a scene from a movie heres the clip-
Tom/Betty-Shrug it off and have a laugh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz1rjq5emKY
AJMO Peace
oops sorry for the extreme amount of typos and errors in my previous post-
Publicenemynumerouno,
hello, I apologize for not responding to your post. I missed it the first go around.
You wrote:
Mom 3.0
You make points that really mean nothing to anybody familiar with more than one crime.
Either this is the only case you have ever studied or it’s the only one you’ve become capable of regurgitating from online resources or a television movie.
Confessions are almost never completely candid with respect to admitting culpability and often place blame for third parties. Even the certainty of death isn’t always enough to evoke a completely honest and truthful confession.
PE#1,
Thanks for saying i made some points- Im sorry you tfind them to be unworthy of consideration.
I respect your right to your opinions, but you are mistaken- I have researched many cases- including that of Ted Bundy.
I am aware of the dynamics of actual, with out a doubt- crooks and killers confessing to only part of the truth or to their own versions of the truth, as well being aware of their penchant for trying to provide enough truth to be believed, but at the same time directing the blame toward others- thereby lessening their own culpability- and I am also aware of them refusing to admit to a particular truth, despite the facts- possibly for their own selfish reasons.
Take for instance Karla Holmolka-
She was given a much lighter sentence when she agreed to turn witness against her husband-this deal enabled her to get 12 years for the”manslaughter” deaths of two innocent girls.
The police wrongly believed her to be an unwilling, abused wife who HAD to do what she did- at her husbands beckoning- They believed her and her lies, or they needed her testimony so bad that they didnt care if she was a willing and enthusiastic participant[pant, or the mastermind behind it all-
The conditions of this deal were that she was to tell the complete truth- AND that she was not to be the cause of any victim drawing their last breath-
She agreed and "confessed" to all her wrong deeds which amounted to Paul being the mastermind and she being the poor victim too.
Later the tapes were found- and it became obvious that at the very least, Karla had supplied many of the "presents" for her husband
and had been a joyful participant even in the rape of her unconscious teen friend, more than once- and she had also willingly offered her little sis to Paul- although she participated in her rape- she may have not enjoyed it too much- not because she was her little sister mind you, but because she was mad that her sis was menstruating.
Also contrary to what Karla "confessed" to- it seems she was the one who killed her little sister although it was an "accident"
snipped:
Williams obtained a police interview with Mike Donald, the boyfriend at the time of Lori, the middle sister. Donald suggested Tammy was on thin ice with Karla just a few months before she died. "One night we were all sitting in the [Homolka] rec room and Tammy is snuggling up to Paul and saying, ‘I’m younger than Karla and I’m prettier than Karla and Paul’s going to marry me.’” Donald said Karla told Tammy to “get the fuck out of here and leave Paul alone.”
Tammy was the first to die at the hands of Paul and Karla. And while she may have been Homolka’s youngest sibling, she may also have posed a threat….
The photograph of the huge burn on Tammy Homolka’s face … It shows Tammy, on a stainless steel hospital gurney, looking rather peaceful in death except for a red burn obliterating nearly all of her left cheek. I knew she’d been raped and that her death had been attributed to suffocation, the result of inhaling so much vomit into her lungs that she “stopped breathing,” as Homolka put it. According to Homolka’s version, which has become the accepted one, the throwing up was the result of “a terrible mixture of stuff in her [Tammy],” including general anaesthetic, sleeping pills and alcohol, and all on a full stomach. Homolka stood by her claim that the lesion on the cheek was a “rug burn”, the result of Tammy being dragged (while in distress) across a few feet of rec-room carpet into her eldest sister’s bedroom because, as Homolka put it, “we needed more light.”
It was Karla’s hand on the bottle of halothane, a potent general anaesthetic, and Di Maio says it was the halothane that killed Tammy. The nature of the burn is strong proof. It’s right there, he says, in the photo….
Halothane is always supposed to be administered through a vaporizer that calibrates dosage as the liquid chemical mixes with oxygen and turns into a gas. But Homolka didn’t use it that way. Instead, she said, she poured a “very little bit” of liquid halothane onto a cloth and held it “close to [Tammy's] face, not on her face, so she could get a lot of oxygen.” According to Di Maio’s analysis and to those who have seen the videotape of the assault on Tammy, both of those statements are lies. Homolka’s hand is said to be clearly seen holding the halothane-soaked cloth against her sister’s nose and mouth, and Di Maio says the burn indicates that, at some point, she must have used it liberally….
When Tammy’s casket was opened three years after she was buried, it was obvious that even in death the teenager hadn’t escaped her older sister’s obsession with Bernardo and their upcoming wedding. Tucked in beside Tammy was a bizarre array of wedding paraphernalia, including an invitation and a thank-you-for-attending card. On the front of the card in raised black script were the words “Mr. and Mrs. Paul K. Bernardo”. To Skrapec this represents a macabre game of one-upmanship for Karla, who had viewed the younger woman as a real threat to her upcoming nuptials. “It’s like she was pissing in her grave,” Skrapec says. “She’s saying, ‘I won, you lost. I’m marrying Paul, not you.’”
http://www.truecrime.net/karla/case.htm
—
Holmoka also contrary to her confessions was the instigator in many of the attacks and video taped them too- even the one of the Bus stop rapes which paul was thought to have done on his own-
What about the other killings you ask- well it seems they too were most likely at her direction as at least one of them had to be killed so that she and Paul could go to Easter dinner at her mom and dads-
So based on her lies and omissions and known facts i can in good conscioence surmise that Karla may in fact been a hands on killer- afterall, until meeting Karla Paul never abducted and killed anyone- he brutally raped them buthe wasnt a killer-
—So you see, I do understand where you are coming from- bguys lie and often times benefit grossly from the lies.
I understand your points about your JM confessing- and you could be right on every assertion you make- but you must understand that it is at least possible that JM could have been lying because he didnt know- becuase he wasnt there and he could have been lying because he and others killed them- and he just supplied JB and DE names -
I cant know-
What I do know, and what you seem to also know is that Jesse DID lie and he did get details wrong what we MAY disagree on is WHY he lied- where you feel comfortable guessing as to the reasons and you are comfortable chalking the discrepancies on reasons which would point towards guilt – I am not comfortable doing so-
As other just as likely scenarios could be the truth- and not all point toward guilt-
You went on to write-
To somebody who doesn’t have a political agenda the obvious lesson here is that even suspects facing almost certain death who have been convicted of a wealth of crimes with no prospect of release will continue to lie for reasons of their own.
— I am assuming you are referring to Ellington? If so- You most certainly could be right, as it seems many people in this case were very concerned with their political aspirations- so much so that Judge B- decided to go off and run for Senate- thereby abandoning this case and these families which it would seem led to the Alford Plea as well- and lets not forget the Sheriff and jesse’s lawyer and all the rest-
AS for your thoughts on suspects lying, I would tend to agree, and I hope you could agree that innocent people incarcerated would accept the likes of an Alford Plea inorder to free themselves from their 18 year+ sentences…
Also speaking about people who might lie…I would think we could also add to the list which you began with “suspects” we could add LEO or Parole officers or witnesses or attorneys or judges as they are capable of lying too, for many reasons- like inorder to protect themselves- right?
You wrote:
Maybe the easy thing would be for you to admit that even if all three stepped up and on video admitted what they had done you’d still deny their guilt?
First, again let me state for the record- I do not know who killed these little boys- I have never said JM JB and DE were innocent- they may infact be the killers-
What I have said is I have reasonable doubt which is to say- IMO the evidence I have been privy to and the questions and concerns IRT mishandling etc prevents me from being able to reach guilt- ot also prevents me from reaching a conclusion of innocence-
So I am undecided-
I will agree with you though- this would be alot easier for me if I could get rid of my reasonable doubt -
About that video- HMMM, I know if they had video of JB ‘s confession to MC I would believe it- and if they had video of DE confessing at the ball game and threatening those girls Id believe it-
Or if they had a tape of JB or DE making a confession -with definite unknown details about the boys and the crimes, like say for instance they buried the medical bracelet and socks in such a such place- then yeah Id believe a video taped confession like that-
JM on video confessing? Not so much as it seems he is apt to confess and deny and confess- rendering any confession by JM useless in my opinion- unless he saved the murder weapon and it can be matched to the victims and the injuries.
PE#1-
Thanks fo your post and I hope I better explained my reasons for having reasonable doubt-I am not saying you are wrong in your beliefs regarding who killed these innocent little boys- you could be right-
But due to reasonable doubt, which is based on real mistakes, mishandling and real concerns I can not voice that same confidence in their guilt-.
AJMO
Peace
No reasonable doubt! Haven’t you heard? They plead guilty. The End.
Alford Plea is very well defined within the threads of these comments. It expressly allows them to maintain their innocence. If you read any of my work, you would know that I believe them to be guilty regardless.
I have a question- How is it that some are so convinced of their guilt but nobody has not so much as written a letter (respectful and with citations) to the prosecutor, Scott Ellington, the judge or the Supreme Court Justices?
So it is just enough for y’all to to post a comment on a blog, but not enough to cause any action?
B
I have read your first page(the ice axe) and i see you know they are guilty.
It is frustrating that more people do not boycott or write more letters to Scott Ellington! I have and i have posted o his facebook page as well.
Innocent people go to jail sometimes but the west Memphis three are not one of them. The WM3 are guilty. Jessie confessed over and over again. Innocent people do not keep confessing to murder.
After i read the confessions there is NO DOUBT in my mind they’re guilty.
Hi Gail yes Alford plea means they are guilty but have the freedom of speech to say they are innocent. By law they are indeed guilty.
Scott H says:
February 4, 2012 at 11:54 am
Blink says:
I feel strongly that an evidentiary hearing would not have netted a new trial in the first place, but if it had, would have resulted in convictions of all 3.
@Blink, a few days ago, you asked for my husband’s thoughts on the pleas. As a sitting judge, he decided to remain mum, as he should. But, I can give you my two cents’ worth, with a little help from my friend, an ADA. A bit of disclosure first – my friend knows one of the professionals involved in the cases. The parties involved were pretty convinced a new trial would have been granted, so it may be fair to say decisions regarding the pleas were at least partially based on this. Here are but a few possible reasons my friend cited: Old cases can be retried but they can be very difficult to retry, and 18 years had passed. Witnesses don’t always testify as they did in the earlier trial. This can take a lot of wind out of the sails. Witnesses die (LS is deceased). Defendants’ attitudes and presentations in court may change. New scientific and medical experts can be added to the witness list. New fact witnesses can be called. Special prosecution teams can always be appointed, so she does not believe a “fear” of being out-lawyered fueled these Alford pleas. These cases were filled with errors at multiple levels, and all that would have been sorted out and some of it brought to light had the cases been retried.
Also, she pointed out that one can never underestimate the effect that time has on the social climate and people’s perceptions of the case. This happened when a case was retried in our jurisdiction, and the defendant was found not guilty. Satanic Panic has totally evaporated – gone with the wind. We now have the CSI effect which, as you know, can be a formidable obstacle in cases with primarily circumstantial evidence. Our State Bar magazine recently devoted a series of articles addressing this very subject and suggesting possible remedies. In the first Paradise Lost documentary, we heard Fogelson and Davis as they spoke with the victim’s families about their concern that the evidence they had at the time of the JB/DE trials might not win convictions. They described it then as a 50/50 chance. That, to me and my friend, spoke volumes about the dearth of evidence. Imagine that evidence after 18 years.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blink says, It is maddening to me for this reason alone, that if people would remove the emotion out of the situation, they would see that multiple trained medical professionals, probation staff, relatives and friends were CLEARLY AFRAID of both Damien Echols, and it was not unfounded.
Well, since I work in a field where I have to have my emotions AND boundaries in-check each and every day I enter my workplace, this is par for the course for me. I keep my emotional distance as I analyze the evidence before me, even when that evidence is horrific to see.
@Blink, respectfully, I could find no evidence that the hospital staff or psychiatrists were afraid of DE. Professionals and non-professionals who work in those environments deal with violent and threatening teens and/or adults on a daily basis. They have seen it all. Employees who are afraid of the patients don’t last long in those environments. I can assure you if staff were truly afraid of DE or the potential danger he might pose to the community if released, there were commitment laws in place that could have been utilized to allow a much longer hospitalization. Discharges occur when the psychiatrist is of the opinion that the patient no longer presents a danger to himself or others. Hospital stays for violent, troubled teens and adults were quite lengthy at that time — and still can be — so there is no reason the psychiatrists could not have petitioned the court for a commitment had they been of the opinion that DE was dangerous.
As far as the probation officer’s fear, I suspect it was created in his own mind and, after a while, approached an obsession (and he wasn’t the only one). Quite misguided, imo. He was so deep into his fear of satanic sacrifice that he even managed to even scare Glitchell. Geez.
AJMO. Thanks for reading.
Grace, I agree about hubby and I forgot about the association or I would not have asked you- please accept my apologies and forward to his honor
Are you differentiating between just professionals being afraid of DE vs. afraid for what he might do, or his actions to himself or others? Meaning they were not afraid for themselves personally? If you are, I would agree with that but I also find that de-sensitization part of their work as well.
Because there is very strong evidence more than a few of his Doctors/ LSW/treatment staff were afraid for what he was capable of, had done, and he was involuntarily committed more than once. Driver was the one who agreed to let DE come back to Ark to serve out his probation instead of Oregon where his parents refused to allow him to return citing concerns for THEIR safety.
I think it really comes down to this- if one is convinced of DE guilt, than analysis of his “500″ is quite “natural” for the path he forged and the outcome. If not, everything stays at the smell test level, imo.
As far as the new trial being granted, the only way that was happening, imo, is via the juror misconduct which had not been ruled on, and surpassed the commitment date to do so. That said, I still maintain that there is no way for a prosecutor to cut a deal like this when he himself has admitted that he had not even read through just the appellate file. There was no way for him to form an opinion on the likelyhood of a successful prosecution without doing his diligence in good faith. He said himself he felt they were guilty- by that virtue alone he is bound by his oath to SEEK to prosecute the case to the best of his ability.
He knew when he ran for office the hand he was going to be dealt.
B
I did not come here to comment but to post this video for the NON Supporters.
I’m not here to read comments either i am only here just post this video incase anyone wants to watch it.You all can talk about it here…I’m Not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc6SDGWHNBE&feature=player_embedded#!
Jesse Misskelly at first denied he had anything to do with these murders-
See Below:
6/3/93 Jessie Misskelly – knowledge of Damien Echols
11:00 minded
AM stated he was sick , (Damien)
listed Friends of Damien:
Jason Baldwin (Allways together)
Girl Friend of Damien’s (Dominie (lnu unknown)
Last time saw Damien: 3 weeks ago
saw Damien at Highland, at Vicky’s
house 34 y.o.a. women (I told her he’s sick)
Heard about (Rumor’s) that Damien &
Robert Burch did it.
stated He was working with Ricky
Deese (roofing) thinks he worked
tues, Wed, thurs the week of the
murders. Jessie Misskelly stated he saw
a boy on a Bike near 7th Street &
when he saw a Police car and hid.
got off at 5:00 P.M., Josh Darby, Ricky
Notes 6/3/93
s/M. Allen
006244
Deese Got Off at 5:00 P.M. that Wednesday
Misskelly stated he went home.
states he goes to skating rink alot
see’s Damien up there nearly everytime
he goes up there. See’s Damien with
Carl Smith & Jason Baldwin.
has seen Jason Baldwin get in Fight
with a guy and got his nose busted
and Damien stuck his Finger in the blood
and licked it. occurred in lakeshore.
states he has known Damien for about
a year.
states that Damien met Vicky after the
murders, Vicky asked Misskelly About
Damien.
states he never has been in Robin Hood.
Notes s/M. Allen
6/3/93
[Note: This page was completed on a blank statement form]
006243
Bryn Ridge (before polygraph):
(Jessie Misskelly
Interview
w/Mike Allen)
INVESTIGATIVE REPORT
OFFENSE:
VICTIM:
COMP# CF# DATE 6/3/93 PG 1 OF 2
Jessie Misskelly (Jr)
Day of Murders
That week worked as Roofer
Boss – Ricky Deese
[worked] with Josh Darby and
got off work at 5:00 PM
went home and stayed at home
Heard that Damien and Robert Burch had done
murders
Damien is Sick (in head)
Drinks Blood
Damien and Jason are close. Jason Baldwin
Hasn’t seen Damien in over two months
Doesn’t know anything about Murders
Doesn’t know much about Robert Burch
Lives Somewhere in West Mphs.
Used to live in Highland trailer Park.
Stated that he will take Polygraph
s/ABR 250
006257
INVESTIGATIVE REPORT
OFFENSE:
VICTIM:
COMP# CF# DATE 6/3/93 PG 2 OF 2
M. Allen will attempt to obtain permission
for Polygraph from Father
Knows that Damien has a girl friend named Domini/lives in Lakeshore
Skinny, Pregnant, Red hair
Spent last night w/ Vicki, has a sone Aaron
stated that three weeks ago he introduced Damien to Vicki
Deny any Satanic activity
Doesn’t knw of any taking place.
Damien drinks Blood
s/ABR 250
006256
Even though MissKelly later “confessed” more than once
It is fact that Jessie Misskelly recanted and never agreed to testify-
There are thousands of cases where INNOCENT people confess to crimes they did not commit- whether anyone has trouble understanding that concept or not, it is the truth.
Interesting article-
http://www.economist.com/node/21525840
Most of these false confessions occur with people 18 years and younger Jesse Misskelly was 17
Most of these false confessions occur with people who are easily led- and want to please- and who can easily be taken advantage of-
This certainly seems to describe JM- as even those who believe he is responsible for beating and bringing MM back – still give him a break by only holding him responsible in the sense that he was led or tricked or that he “felt bad” or his conscience ” got to him” –
Most of these false confessions occur with people who have limited intellectual abilities.- Regardless of exactly what Jesse Misskelley mental abilities were- Ridge lied on the stand when he testified with not being aware of Misskelly being “slow”- obviously Det Ridge thought he was NOT functioning at the level of a “normal” 17 year old-
How many 17 year old males would you be concerned may not know what a penis is? Ridge asked Jesse Misskelley TWICE if he understood what a penis was!?
Even innocent people who do not fit these factors make false confessions-Amanda Knox did and later testified to police bullying her.
“Eddie Lowery lost 10 years of his life for a crime he did not commit. There was no physical evidence at his trial for rape, but one overwhelming factor put him away: he confessed.“I beat myself up a lot” about having confessed, Mr. Lowery said in a recent interview. “I thought I was the only dummy who did that.”
Snipped-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116151333.htm
Confessions, when true, are an important tool in convicting criminals. But false confessions frequently play a major role in convicting innocent people. Experiments show that juries and potential witnesses are influenced by confessions even if they know they were coerced. Also in the lab, experienced polygraph examiners, fingerprint experts, and other experts, when informed of a confession, see what they expect to see — that is, evidence of guilt.
To back up these findings with real-life data, the psychologists thoroughly reviewed the trial records of 241 people exonerated by the Innocence Project since 1992. Of these, 59 — or 25 percent — involved false confessions, either by the defendant or an alleged accomplice. One-hundred eighty — or 75 percent — involved eyewitness mistakes. The analysis revealed that multiple errors turned up far more often in false confession cases than in eyewitness cases: 69 percent versus fewer than half. And two thirds of the time, the confession came first, followed by other errors, namely invalid forensic science and government informants.
Kassin believes the findings “greatly underestimate the problem” because of what never shows up in court: evidence of innocence. Told the suspect confessed, “alibi witnesses back out, thinking they’re mistaken,” police stop searching for the real culprit. “We show that confessions bring in other incriminating evidence that is false. What we don’t see is a tendency to suppress exculpatory evidence.”
The study throws doubt on a critical legal concept designed to safeguard the innocent: corroboration. Appeals courts uphold a conviction even if a false confession is discovered, as long as other evidence — say, forensics or other witness testimony — independently shows guilt. “What these findings suggest is that there may well be the appearance of corroboration,” says Kassin, “but it is false evidence that was corrupted by the confession — not independent at all.”
Already, many states require that interrogations be taped, so that confessions are not coerced or taken when the suspect is in psychological distress. With this study, “Juries and judges have more reason to critically evaluate the conditions under which that other evidence was taken, too.”
see here-
http://www.uiowa.edu/~030116/158/articles/hoffman2.htm
More:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BUE/is_1_136/ai_n18616184/
and
http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2004/Prison-Exonerations-Gross19apr04.htm
If anyone cares to read further let me know as I have much more research about why an innocent person would confess to a crime they didnt commit-
Does any of this mean Jesse is innocent no- but How can anyone be sure he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt?
Take a hard look at his statements and ask yourself if it is at least possible that he was making it up as he went along- with the help of Vicki and police and his imagination etc.
If anyone can say with 100% certainty that JM was there and he saw and participated then I submit that you must be able to travel back in time and witness it all first hand- as that would be the only way to determine any truth of guilt from these statements.
AJMO Peace
Why are some so determined to make this about us vs them-
What good can come from only like-minded people viewing and discussing the case? How is that going to shed light on the truth? How is that going to effect change?
How is alienating others and calling names going to help?
How is any of it helping Stevie Mike and Chris?
IDK
AJMO
It will not. From where I sit perpetuating ignorance just brings about another case just like this one.
Definitely not our goal. I can’t make people see what they don’t wish to friend, just carry on- lol.
B
@Blink
What are your thoughts on what Kim Floresca said?
Link please. You referring to Williams? If so what specifically please.
B
To June-I Agree innocent people do not keep confessing.They are indeed guilty.
To Vicki -Great video! SPOT ON! props to the poster.
14. GraceintheHills says:
February 9, 2012 at 12:50 am
Blink says: Are you differentiating between just professionals being afraid of DE vs. afraid for what he might do, or his actions to himself or others? Meaning they were not afraid for themselves personally? If you are, I would agree with that but I also find that de-sensitization part of their work as well.
Because there is very strong evidence more than a few of his Doctors/ LSW/treatment staff were afraid for what he was capable of, had done, and he was involuntarily committed more than once.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blink, I addressed both aspects in my post. I would not say that staff in hospitals that house potentially dangerous individuals are desensitized to the aggression that occurs. In many hospitals, when a patient assaults staff or another patient, the treatment team will hold “de-briefing” meetings to help staff and/or the other patients process what they witnessed or experienced with the goal of reducing further traumatization/anxieties, etc. Staff is trained specifically to be mindful of and watch for antecedent behaviors that might indicate aggression is about to occur, and are trained to be as proactive as they can be under the circumstances. Some people never feel safe in these types of environments, so they move on to other jobs/careers.
Are there links that indicate the doctors were afraid? If so, I may have missed them, and would be interested in reviewing them. I read Exhibit 500 twice and did not get that impression. I would add that if the doctors were afraid they had a duty, imho, to the people of Arkansas to extend DE’s involuntary commitments until his potential aggressiveness could be adequately assessed and an outpatient treatment plan that specifically targeted potential aggressive behaviors was developed. His hospitalizations were actually quite short for someone that everyone was allegedly so afraid of. If I recall, the longest hospitalization occurred in the summer of 1992 at a Charter Hospital – Little Rock, and the duration was only 24 days.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blink says: I think it really comes down to this- if one is convinced of DE guilt, than analysis of his “500″ is quite “natural” for the path he forged and the outcome. If not, everything stays at the smell test level, imo.
Blink, I totally agree and can understand how those who are convinced of DE’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt would see exhibit 500 as indicative of his pathology AND evidence of antecedent behavior prior to the murders. But, one must remember, it was not admitted into evidence in the guilt/innocence phase of the trial for a reason.
So, I do “get” the mindset of those who think the three are guilty. What I have not been able to “get” after reviewing all the evidence at Callahan and the potential new evidence here, is beyond a reasonable doubt. Like you said before, it is a matter of law, and it doesn’t necessarily follow that I am convinced they are innocent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
19. Gail says:
February 9, 2012 at 12:20 pm
To June-I Agree innocent people do not keep confessing. They are indeed guilty.
To Vicki -Great video! SPOT ON! props to the poster.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@Gail and June, Most people cannot fathom that a person would confess to a crime s/he did not commit, but it does happen for a variety of reasons. If you are interested in learning more about false confessions, you can find plenty of scholarly articles on the internet. Imo, it is a fascinating subject whether or not one believes JM’s confessions were false or not.
What we do know is that once a confession (false or not) is admitted into evidence it becomes the single most compelling piece of evidence in the minds of the jurors, trumping eye witness/expert witness testimony and all other evidence. In other words, studies have shown the proverbial goose is cooked once the confession comes in.
These 3 are some sick twisted murderers!
I found a great blog that is the truth.
http://wm3truth.com/
http://wm3truth.com/jessie-misskelleys-confession-to-kim-floresca-june-2-1993/
The fact that Jessie consistently said in each confession that he chased down the Moore boy is very telling IMO.
Matt!Those confessions are all i need.
Really? Who would confess so many times if they were innocent? If That were the case then everyone who confesses are innocent.Not hardly!
Thanks Matt and Ken for the link.
Forging On Blink- thanks for the pep talk-
Kim Floresca was quoted in the commercial Appeal as saying that the day before the murders Misskelly told her and several others that he “hit the little boy” and the little boy ran off and “he was taking him back to where Damien and the other boy were,” According to Misskelley’s story, “Echols had already killed the two other boys,” she said.
—-Well lets all take a harder look at where this information was quoted and when-
It was from a Commercial Appeal article entitled-
THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL
OFFICIALS FIND SIGNS OF CULT ACTIVITY
CRITTENDEN SITES REVEAL SATANIC GRAFFITI, CARCASSES
Lets keep in mind that The Commercial Appeal was the NP that printed Jessie Misskellys confession transcript-
lets remember too- that according to Channel 8 the person, a woman, who leaked this confession had also contacted Channel 8 and wanted money to give them the same “scoop” that appeared in the Commercial Appeal-
The Television Channel refused because They *DO NOT pay* for stories
So we can surmise that the Commercial appeal has No qualms about paying people for their “stories”
Was this 15 year old girl paid for her story? Was she related to a reporter or a cop or transcriber? IDK as she was never interviewed by police nor was the group of other teens nor were the reporters TMK
Lets take a look at the article-
followed by my questions concerns & thoughts
Memo: Different version, Tenn B1
Edition: Final
Authorities began seeing a marked increase in satanic-related graffiti and reports of animal sacrifice about a year ago, a Crittenden County official said Sunday.
Jerry Driver, chief juvenile officer for Crittenden County, said he’s visited at least five sites in the county where he’s found graffiti and animal carcasses.
— they have seen a marked increase in satanic related graffiti— ? Graffiti like that shown in Channel 8 report on murders which scene at Stone henge is described here:
Camera shows weeds blowing in wind near “Stone Henge” graffiti apparent… “NBG” a heart and ” Gina” Reporter then says in voice over: It appears SATANic worship (camera shows a poorly scrawled pentagram, in black paint on one column) may have played a role in the murders. Next shot of word “SATON” written on different column
and then from Police tapes- Damien is scrawled across the wall with crass stupid sexual remarks- other graffiti shows typical lower income graffiti from that time period I love__ band names- Jason +____ etc) _+ _ forever
Yep definite Satanic graffiti without a doubt (SNARK)
—-
The article goes on:
and “reports” (rumors) of animal sacrifice…( Yeah reports of animal sacrifice from whom? Jerry Driver and his “unnamed” inside informers? from a 13 year-old kid telling tall tales about a black great Dane rumors are classified as RUMORS for a reason they are not fact.
Snipped-
Driver’s comments came the day The Commercial Appeal obtained a copy of a statement given police by one of the teenagers charged with killing three West Memphis boys. In that statement, Jessie Lloyd Misskelley Jr. said he was a member of a cult whose members had sexual orgies and mutilated, killed and ate animals.
—Yep He also said he and DE and other people who obviously were never prosecuted- were in the “cult” for about 3 months and anyone who wanted to join had to eat the meat of a dog and he said they carried girls in the woods for orgies and they played music and boiled/skinned dogs in wash machine type tubs of “like Crisco”
cont:
Echols’s mother Sunday said the talk of Satanism in the case is hurting her son’s right to a fair trial.
—
I think that is the smartest thing I have read in this article so far.
–snipped
Pamela Hutchison took issue Sunday with press and television reports that she said portrayed her son as involved in devil worship.
—
Hmmm like the report from Channel 8 with the baptist minister which was interviewed- decribed below:
“Rev Tommy Stacys church”- reporter turns and motions behind her…and says “is down the street from where the bodies were found”
camera goes in for a close up of reporter.. she says one year ago Damien Echols told the church youth minister(photo of Echols flashed on screen with huge name underneath as ” Michael Wayne “Damien” Echols) back to shot of reporter as she cont-
” He had a PACT with the Devii.. and he was going to Hell.”
Slight pause, next shot of top of a church as Bells toll, close up of the steeple and the huge cross dominates the screen ( excellent camera man- and editing) as the REv begins to speak in a voice over…
“I do know” camera shot of man on screen with title underneath: (REV. Tommy Stacy Second Baptist Church)…he goes on to say that “my Youth director, Talked to Damien extensively, after revival that we had, and he told him that, he could NOt be saaved”
“That he could NoT, give his heart to JEeesuS” and Rev Tommy cont-” “My youth director, then tried to get him to take a bible” motions toward camera in giving gesture… REV cont- “and he made the statement that he could not take the Bible, because if he DID, the REST of em would git ‘im….”
—gee who are you gonna believe a Rev or Mike “Damien” echols-
even though the Rev had no first hand knowledge and was just relaying something he might have heard from his youth director- and gee Damien attended a rivival- wow- .. and all this very damaging info was obtained?
Why wasnt this Rev and his youth director questioned? They didnt testify in court after placing their hand on the bible did they?
Again this 15 year old girl wasnt questioned by police either, and she didnt seem to be called as a witness either…and neither were any of the others in the group …
Back to that article:
People who know Echols have said he claimed to worship the devil and that he carried around a cat’s skull and called himself Damien, as in the popular Omen movies.
—Yep thats what people say- just because people claim to be something- doesnt mean they are, Griffis claimed to be an expert in the occult he wasnt- Perriti claimed to be an expert on turtles, he wasnt- Clinton claimed to not have sexual relations with that woman…he did…Nixon claimed not to be a crook he was….
more:
Authorities, though, have noted an increase in activity that seems to be related to Satanism. Sunday at one of the sites where the activity has taken place – known to locals as “Stonehenge” after the ancient Druidic monoliths near Cambridge in England – there were the remains of a dead gray cat with tan feet and a plastic bag containing a part of a rattlesnake. ( gee that must mean there have been animal sacrifices there- it certainly can not point to a sick stray cat dying from natural causes and people disposing of their trash in the area…you know like thousand of other such low-income areas around …
The site, which is an abandoned concrete cotton gin, is covered with spray- painted graffiti, including backward swastikas, pentagrams, tridents and references to Lucifer. Besides broken bottles and spent shotgun shells, Stonehenge contained charred logs and several unopened condom packages.
—Gee all that points to a bunch of bored teens telling ghost stories and having premarital sex and lighting fires for warmth…just like in other areas all over the country…
“Kids get involved in this as a joke,” Driver said. “Ninety percent of them are in it for the so-called thrill. There’s a small group that’s in it seriously.”
—gee that info must have come directly from that seminar of Griffis which Driver had attended a year prior…
Snipped-
Drug and alcohol use and sex often are common at the sites, Driver said, which serve as a magnet for kids out for a good time. For many, it’s a fad, he said, “but a dangerous one.”
—Gee I am so glad that seminar paid off for Driver he almost sounds like an “expert” himself doesnt he? Too bad he was deluding himself- as all Stonehenge was is a place for kids to hang out away from parental authority- it was their inspiration point- and that “fad” will never go away-
More:
Driver could not provide an estimate of the number of young people in Crittenden County involved in such activities, but said the great majority are probably on the fringes and not seriously involved in Satanism.
—
Of course he couldnt, despite his best efforts he NEVER found any proof of a cult or of “Lucifer” or of sacrifices –
and what local did the Commercial Appeal find to seemingly “back -up Drivers tales? Kim Florescas- although she seems to back up my comments more LOL-
Snipped:
Local teens often travel to the Stonehenge site at night to socialize and marvel at its legend and chilling atmosphere.
“Sometimes people think it’s funny trying to scare other people,” said Kim Floresca, 15, who just completed 10th grade at Marion High School.
—
“It’s supposed to be a place where cults go out, and they’re supposed to sacrifice virgins and animals and stuff.”
Floresca said she once went to the Stonehenge site about two years ago with a group of teens who included Misskelley.
The night was just a typical night, she said, and Misskelley did nothing out of the ordinary.
–
So this 13 year old went with a bunch of teens to Stonehenge at night and did regular things & misskelly was there- gee that must make Kim a member of the cult then right?
–
Floresca said she never heard of the other two suspects visiting the site.
Floresca said Misskelley told her and other students the day before he was arrested that he participated in the killings.
WOW BOMBSHELL- right?- okay Misskelly supposedly told this teen and a group of their friends that he was there and participated- WHERE are these teens why wasnt Kim called in to testify why werent they?
Hmm why not?
- This girl couldnt possibly have been paid to say what she said could she?? She couldnt possibly have been fed some info from the confessions could she?
No, that would be too far fetched its better to believe the confessions of dog boiling and cults and all the rest, then to believe reporters can sometimes get it wrong or be unscrupulous- or that a young girl was simply retelling a story she may have heard -second hand from some kid of an LEO or of leaked info from other sources like scared transcribers kids..or reporters kids etc etc…
No- that is too far fetched… what if Miskelly did say that because like she said “some people” just like to scare others…Could Misskelley have told her a lie to scare her- could he have already been fed info by Vicki? that meeting with DE had already happened the taping had already happened, JM staying over to protect her and Aaron had already happened..Did he already hear details from her and Aaron which he incorporated into his attempt to scare Kim? NOOO thats too far fetched right? He JUST HAD to be telling the truth- he is always telling the truth right?
—
Cont- Kim Said-
A group of students were driving last Wednesday after school to a friend’s house to go swimming when Misskelley began telling his bizarre tale, she said.
—What Misskelly was going to go swimming!!! he cant!! he has an ear problem remember?
cont
“He was saying he hit the little boy and the little boy ran off and he was taking him back to where Damien and the other boy were,” she said.
–Hmm no mention of JB- no mention of the boy scout shirt, no mention of very much
more:
According to Misskelley’s story, Echols had already killed the two other boys, she said.
__Well gee, thats convenient- Damien was capable of killing both boys by himself and in his version they were already dead–when JM brought “the boy” back
Floresca said she didn’t believe Misskelley at the time.
Well who could blame her? especially since she seems to be the girl others like to scare with tale tales…-
More:
Jim Maguire, a Chattanooga clinical therapist and former Massachusetts police officer who consults with police about Satanism, said anyone in the habit of ritualistic cat killing is more than just dabbling in the occult.
—WHo was in the habit of performing ritualistic cat killings ? DE had a cats skull, so what, they seem to be prevalent in West Memphis- Jerry Driver found one right orwas it the reporter??
If it is established that satanistic behavior was a motive for deaths of the three West Memphis second-graders, Maguire said those involved would have worked their way up to killing children with earlier animal sacrifice
— Well that could be true first because most mass murderers begin with killing animals…but the Satanic part, well I suppose that could be true- as long as the “establishing” actually happened -based on real facts and real evidence not a bunch of rumors and fears from a town and a jury fed to believe there was no other plausible motive except for dabbling devil worshiping cult murderers run amuck…
http://westmemphisthreediscussion.yuku.com/topic/2832
So in summation Kim Floresca is a young 15 yearold girl who may or may not have been paid for her story
She may or may not have overheard details about the confession from other sources-
Kim Floresca and the rest of the group of teens were never questioned and never testified
Although her tale seems to match up to the details of the confession on 2 points-
one kid was hit and supposedly ran and was brought back-
the facts of DE already killing the other 2 dont match up- and neither does JB not being there-
So I guess it all comes down to perceptions again-
AJMO Peace
-
@ Matt says:
February 9, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Thank you for linking THAT confession and putting it down.
I’m with John! Misskelly may have come across as a blathering bafoon but COME ON!!!!!!! There were consistencies in his confessions.
Echols statement regarding urine (info only the murderer/s would know):
-snipped-
Urine was found in the stomachs of 2 of the victims, but that information was given by phone only to Gitchell, and not before May 16th, 1993. There is no possible way Damien Echols could have had case- specific information unless he was there or knew someone that was that told him what occurred, as the detective interviewing him at the time was clueless to that fact during the interview.
-snipped-
The fact that Echols KNEW!!!! that there was urine in the stomachs of two victims, when it was intentionally ommitted from the report can only mean he was there, or knew someone who was, and in my opinion, both.
http://blinkoncrime.com/2011/09/02/the-west-memphis-series-part-ii-guilty-by-plea-and-have-been-set-free/
I agree with Judge David Burnett–I Say it was a mistake too!
Really what could anyone do When you have so many people against you and boycotting (and do NOT no what they are doing btw)You are almost forced to set them free.
Here is what Barnet had to say:
WM3 Judge David Burnett breaks his silence after 18 years
JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) – In 1993, Judge David Burnett oversaw the trials of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelley, the so-called “West Memphis Three.” He even postponed a run for state senate to preside over their numerous appeals. For years Burnett refused to comment on the case until now. In an exclusive interview with Region 8 News, State Senator Burnett reveals what he actually thinks about the defendants, the case and the outcome.
In 1993, Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore were found murdered near their West Memphis homes. Three teenagers Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelley were arrested for the crime. All three were found guilty of murder. Baldwin and Misskelley received life in prison. Echols was sentenced to death.
For 18-years the so-called “West Memphis Three” appealed their case. For 18-years, Judge David Burnett denied those appeals and he refused to speak about the case or the men outside of the courtroom. That is until now.
Last August, after weeks of negotiations with prosecutors, Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were released from prison without a retrial. Now a State Senator, Burnett says that was a mistake.
“I’m not real happy with the outcome. I would have preferred to see them have a new trial,” said Burnett.
As for the prosecutors and judges who released them, Burnett says, “They did their job. And I did mine as I saw it.”
While he doesn’t criticize the decision, Burnett does defend his actions through the years. And, he says, he has the state’s highest court on his side:
“Frankly, everything I did was affirmed by the Arkansas Supreme Court.”
But that wasn’t good enough for supporters of the West Memphis Three, who fought to see the men go free. Some traveled from as far away as Australia to attend their hearings. To those who say he should have granted a new trial, Burnett says…”Well, that was my opinion. They didn’t need one. But, I wouldn’t have objected if they’d gotten one. That was my decision at the time.”
On August 19, 2011, the West Memphis Three appeared in a Jonesboro courtroom. Their supporters, including singers Natalie Mains and Eddie Vedder, were in the courtroom when the decision to release them was handed down. Outside on the streets, the three men were greeted with cheers.
Since then, the West Memphis Three have been treated like veritable rock stars. While Misskelley has kept a relatively low profile at his family’s home in Crittenden County, Baldwin and Echols have been spotted alongside celebrities at the premiere of a new documentary examining their case. There’s even talk of Johnny Depp producing yet another movie about the West Memphis Three. For Burnett, it’s a bit much.
“The way it’s ended, it’s now a Hollywood comedy in my opinion and I don’t like that,” said Burnett.
In our exclusive interview, Senator Burnett said he has not had anything to do with the case in two years. He said, “I felt like I did what I was called upon to do at the time, 18 years ago.”
LINK
http://craigheadcounty.kait8.com/news/news/66517-wm3-judge-david-burnett-breaks-his-silence-after-18-years
This case is just so unfair. Celebs should stay out of businesses with the law. Did they not have anything better to do but pick on a small town in Arkansas? It has really made me sick at my stomach and is quite scary.
What has become of people?
Where is their morals?
Where is their conscious or do they have one?
The fact that JM said he chased down a boy, later becoming Michael Moore- is very telling- it tells us that IF he was there he was lessening his own culpability-
JM is a liar- the major consistency in EVERY confession is that He lied and continued to lie and had details wrong and NEVER gave REAl facts that could be substantiated and none of those details were objectively provably Known by only the real killers-
Those who choose to believe he lied to trick the police certainly can believe that- but given the Fact that He was wrong about names and places and method and was fed other details about correct times and correct names and “the bottom?” Etc that is what is very telling-
What info did he give that enabled police to know something they did not already determine or could not be guessed from the evidence such as little Mike was placed in the ditch away from the others- suggesting he wasnt with them-…
As for Echols statement regarding urine which he said Driver or Jones told him about which some sayis
(info only the murderer/s would know):
That is not true- as again it was a well known “telltale ” sign by those who were “experts in the field”
It was part of the seminars which Driver and Jones attended.
Snipped from 20/20: The Devil Worshippers- Griffis was the expert on this show-
Sandi Gallant Police INTELLIGENCE officer- (expert in the field)
The children have spoken about this in almost every instance also feces or drinking the urine or drinking human blood thats part of the rituals….
(former self claimed Satanic Priest-)
I used to have a three inch scar where my friends would cut me and bleed my blood into a cup and drink it mixed with wine and urine…
BTW this urine that was SUPPOSEDLY in the stomachs- this is NOT a FACT- it was a speculative at best – possible just like – be sure to look for candles and all the rest of the “tell tale” signs
Again I will say I do not know who killed this boys but to say thisevidence and these statements Proves they did it- is just not true and does not exceed the threshold of beyond a reasonable doubt.-
AJMO
PSS I also agree with Burnett-
“I’m not real happy with the outcome. I would have preferred to see them have a new trial,” said Burnett.
As for the prosecutors and judges who released them, Burnett says, “They did their job. And I did mine as I saw it.”
Peace
“Urine was found in the stomachs of 2 of the victims”
I thought it was never confirmed that there was urine in the stomachs. I thought it was a rumor going around and then the autopsy showed that there was a substance that “could have” been urine.
Hi Gail!Thanks for sharing that information. I agree with you that The 3 boys killed those poor babies.
Hello Ken and Thanks for the truth link I am already a member over there.
June i agree Innocent people do not confess!
AT Ragdoll-Thanks for sharing that information and link.i will go read about it now because i dont recall reading it before.
Strong evidence indeed! I wish these 3 guilty douche bags were never let go for what they did.They Took those 3 little boys life and do not deserve to be treated like rock stars. It is sickening how things got twisted after the heavy biased film on hbo PL came out.
They are guilty and always will be!! People ca try and change that all they want but the truth is that damien,jason and jessie committed the crime
Misskelley is only deemed retarded when it suits a supporters point of view. They expect him to remember every little detail when he confessed to Stidham in the bible confession and take great pleasure pointing things out like how he got certain areas mixed up. Then they say ‘well he sat through his trial and soaked up all the information’, but he’s retarded remember. Jessie was not an intelligent person but he was street smart and was no stranger to the authorities. He was a thug who amongst other things punched a 12 year old girl in the face and hit a 5 year old girl in the head with a rock. But he was not a sociopath like Damien and did feel remorse for the part he played in the murders. He thought it was just bullying, something that he did all his life. He consistently says he chased the Moore boy in all the confessions, why? Because either he did, he’s lying, he’s retarded, he was fed the info? I believe he is telling the truth, and the consistency in the confessions about this one detail never wavers which is very telling.
I agree Matt 100 percent
Matt – These are the facts-
Jessie Misskelly’s IQ was tested more than once, at different times his level of intelligence ranged between 72 and 88 IIRC-
If you took the time to read any of the research which has been posted here, you would understand that a persons IQ fluctuates it is not fixed- at least 20 pts in some instances- this is especially true for adolescents-
We can not say what Jesse’s mental capabilities were or were not- all we can go from is the actual information we have- for all we know besides scoring on the lower end of an IQ test- JM may have had other disabilities that effected his mental and cognitive abilities.
We have Det Ridge asking JM, a 17 year old male- twice if he understood what a penis was- what “normal” functioning 17 year old male, especially one that seems to have been sexually active- does not understand what a penis is?
Det Ridge lied on the stand about not realizing JM was slow at the time of his statements and polygraph.
JMO
Cont 2
Mom- his IQ was tested by the defense and Miskelley was given advice on the record about how to portray himself in the courtroom ( head on table). That is a factor, imo.
B
Matt-
According to the Feb 22 hearing- Police were talking and meeting with Misskelley ALONE after he was convicted-
it is a fact that they were hoping he would testify and were showing him demonstrative aids and walking him through mock testimony inorder to prepare him to testify-
This was in addition to JM sitting through his entire trial and hearing all the real details of the murders and the scene and the witnesses- despite all this he still gave the “bible confession” in which he undoubtedly could NOT give accurate details-
It seems to me you are the one that is cherry picking your facts- and stating your opinions as such-
How can you know why Misskelly lied or misstated certain things because he was mixed up or confused- he could have just been lying to lie- “just to have something to say” because he wanted his visit with Susie – because he wanted another soda or coke
YOU DONT KNOW
How can you know what his motives were? How can you know how JM felt? Just because he said I want something done or I was mad at what they did and broke a bottle- does not equate to a person having remorse-
Lets remember, according to Jesse- he went home and ate, and went wrestling — then went and protected Vicki and Aaron from the badguys playing the hero- and he called in tips which pointed to another suspect- If he did it how is any of this showing remorse?
Going wrestling and eating dinner after watching a little boy “squirming like a worm” as he drowned after a brutal attack is not someone who is compassionately showing remorse.
So if you cant know- then it seems to me there is reasonable doubt
Cont part 3
Matt-
Jesse Misskelley wasnt a “thug” by most accounts he was helpful- kind and considerate- He cared for his neighbors and he tried to help those who needed it- like Stephanie Dollar and Vicki and his dad and all the rest.
Yes- he did like to fight- I cant not say that he was for sure a bully-
As for theat 12 year old he punched- he was in the middle of a fisdt fight with another boy- she got in the middle trying to break it up-
Jesse turned around and punched her in the face- since he was not functioning at a normal 17 year old level it is not hard to see how this came about-
As for that little 6 year old who he hit with a rock he did it because she threw a rock at him- which illustrates again how Jesse mental and cognitive abilities were not on the same level as other 17 yearolds-
Noone can say with any degree of certainty that these confessions are real and true- afterall JM did lie -
Therefore to tout these statements as evidence of guilt or the truth of what role was played by whom – is just wrong
JM could have just been lying AGAIN
AJMO
Peace
Tyler Durden says:
February 10, 2012 at 11:48 am
“Urine was found in the stomachs of 2 of the victims”
I thought it was never confirmed that there was urine in the stomachs. I thought it was a rumor going around and then the autopsy showed that there was a substance that “could have” been urine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Tyler, you’re correct in that it was never confirmed. Nothing that would indicate (or even hint) urine was found in the stomachs was mentioned in any of the autopsy reports or during testimony at trial.
If you have ever observed an autopsy and watched a stomach being opened and the contents being evacuated you would ask yourself this: How could a pathologist determine sans any type of testing that urine might in the contents of said stomach? If one has ever smelled an open stomach at autopsy, one would know why I am asking this question. Not a particularly good smell. Keep in mind, in at least two of these victims there was evidence of terminal aspiration (stomach contents regurgitated into the larynx and bronchi at or around the time of death), reducing the quantity of liquid remaining in stomachs somewhat (how much, I do not know). Volatile substances such as gasoline, alcohol, ether, concentrated fish oil, etc. can be smelled in stomachs opened at autopsy, particularly if they have just been ingested. Someone poisoned by cyanide may have the smell of bitter almonds when the body is opened (or even before the autopsy). But, urine? I guess anything is possible, but is it probable? Perhaps he had the nose of a bloodhound. But, the stomach contents were never preserved and tested. For this reason, the entire “urine in the stomachs” discussion never had a leg to stand on during my analysis. Why? There was NO evidence.
And, please understand. I am NOT saying anyone who believes there was urine in the stomachs is wrong. I am saying that this was never introduced into evidence because it was never confirmed. This is simply my opinion, and another way to look at the issue, so don’t throw any tomatoes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keeping the family and friends of Stevie, Michael and Chris in my prayers. Always.
Iagree with B. on that he was given advice on the about how to portray himself in the courtroom ( head on table). To me that would look retarded,which is what they tried to claim.
Oh my stars!! Sorry!! I just now noticed all my typos!
Yes Blink, thank you- that IS a factor- which again illustrates my point -
We can not know what Misskelleys mental and cognitive abilities were-
Nor can we know how compassionate or remorseful he was-
Nor can we know why he lied or omitted details or continually got major details wrong-
Nor can we know exactly what happened via his confessions because he is a liar
Just because he says he chased Michael Moore in more than one confession- doesnt mean he did-
Jesse also kept saying the devil crap happened- just because he says it- doesnt make it so
He said he lied to trick and just for something to say-just becuase he says it doesnt make it so-
He says DE and JB were there and did all of the killing just because he points his finger at them -doesn’t mean its so-
Unfortunately We just cant know, and that to me leads me to disregard Jesse statements because he lied and lied some more-
To all-
Just because a person repeats himself over and over doesnt mean he is telling the truth-
Who would confess so many times if they were innocent? Many people- as my research shows
“If That were the case then everyone who confesses are innocent.Not hardly!”
If we all followed the logic of that statement then the natural progression of that thought process would be- if that were the case well that would mean that those who never confess – they are all really innocent….
AJMO
Peace
Mom 3.0- I apologize if I should know this, but have you ever listened to the taped confession?
I found listening to it gave me perspective I would not have had by just reading.
Unfortunately, the “bible confession” recording is not available.
Jessie Miskelley’s own attorney believed him. If I had no other exhibits or transcripts, that fact alone is highly compelling to me. Did he believe his conviction was flawed? Yes.
Doesn’t it continue to bother people that Jessie has not had an interview?
B
Grace thanks for coming back around to share your thoughts and those of your friend -thanks for also lending your experience to the urine issue-
I would never throw tomatoes at you Grace but I get what you are saying- this is definitely a tough room-
The thing that is really aggravating for me- when discussing this case is that NO One can be sure of anything- there is No right or wrong-
We have all been reduced to speculation- and that is sadly because of the many mistakes and the mishandling of every aspect of this investigation-trial- conviction and post conviction from start to finish.
AJMO
Peace
*correction
“Who would confess so many times if they were innocent?
If That were the case then everyone who confesses are innocent.Not hardly!”
If we all followed the logic of that statement then the natural progression of that thought process would be- if that were the case well that would mean that those who never confess – they are all really *Guilty*….
My Apologies
AJMO
Peace
@mom
Your excuses for Jessie’s behavior and violent history doesn’t surprise me. You would rather pick out the odd act of kindness than face the fact that he was an out of control thug. Supporters like you hide things like Jessie’s violence against kids, Damien’s mental history and Jason choking his little brother. People new to the case are blinded by the documentaries and supporters lies. The biggest misconception of all is that the WM3 were three teenagers who were picked on because they wore black and listened to Metallica. Well that’s absolute bullshit. Here is a brief history of Jessie’s violent past,
http://wm3truth.com/jessie-misskelley-profile/
Who was Jessie Misskelley in 1993?
He was a ninth-grade dropout who worked odd jobs. He lived in a three-bedroom trailer with his father and his father’s latest girlfriend, though he frequently slept elsewhere. He got wasted most days. He had tattoos reading “FTW” (for “Fuck the World”), “AH” (an ex-girlfriend’s initials), “NWA” and “Bitch”, plus a skull & dagger.
He had had numerous run-ins with law enforcement. At a pretrial suppression hearing on January 13, 1994, the prosecution documented four occasions when Misskelley had been read his Miranda rights: sometime in 1988, twice in late October 1992, and in March 1993. (There was no mention at this hearing of what exactly Misskelley was accused of doing on these occasions.) In 1988 he received probation for stealing flags from school (Blood of Innocents, 165). And his violent streak landed him in trouble with juvenile authorities on numerous occasions.
History of Violence
Jessie Misskelley liked to fight. In some cases, he liked to beat up people younger and weaker than himself.
In March 1993, a 13-year-old girl named Tiffany Allen filed a police report charging Jessie Misskelley with punching her in the face. Allen described the incident in a later police interview:
We had gotten in to an argument, and he had been spreading a rumor around that he was having sexual intercourse with me to all these people, and I confronted him with it, and he kept saying all this stuff. So I slapped him and whenever he went away and everything, and for a year I didn’t hear anything from him. And two weeks sombody came up to me and said that he had been looking for me. And so I just didn’t worry about, and one day I was walking through the park and he was at the road and … he came up to me he started running at me. And my boyfriend stepped in front of me and he hit Carl … and then he hit me. And we started to walk away, and he started coming after us again, so we ran and his, a until one of my friends parents came and got us and took me to my house.
Dennis Carter described another incident:
States that about 4 or 5 months ago in Highland Trailer Park there was a little girl — 5 or 6 yrs old — that was throwing rocks — one accidentally hit Jesse — Jesse chased the little girl and threw a rock and hit her in the head. The little girl was crying and Jesse was laughing. Her name was Paula — they don’t live in Highland anymore — they moved about 1 month ago. They were renting a house trailer from David De???. The girl’s mother called the Police and a deputy came out and talked to Jesse. Jesse told his dad about it but his dad didn’t say anything to him about it.
Blood of Innocents tells another story from Misskelley’s juvenile record:
When he was eleven, he was accused of assaulting a young girl in Lakeshore. His parents claim Jessie had initially come to the girl’s aid after her boyfriend became abusive, but she jumped on his back when Jessie hit the young man. Jessie chased the girl, then hit her on the head with a rock or a brick. The girl “fell down and couldn’t get up,” according to the May 4, 1987, complaint by the girl’s mother. (163)
And going back even further, Blood of Innocents reports that Misskelley “once stabbed a fourth-grade classmate in the mouth with a pencil” (160-161).
The Blood of Innocents authors unearthed a June 1987 social worker report based on a court-ordered psychological exam.
“He gets so mad, he’s capable of hurting someone,” Shelbia [Misskelley, Jessie's stepmother] told the social worker. … [Shelbia] also said Jessie had a habit of breaking windows, and once required several stitches to his left hand after he punched a window in a fit of anger. “Mrs. Misskelley reported Jessie does not own up to his wrongs,” the report said, “that he always blames someone else. She denies Jessie becomes physical with she (sic) or her husband but will clench his fist and take his anger out on someone else or something slike breaking the windows. Mrs. Misskelley replied, ‘I don’t think he can control it,’ referring to his temper. ‘He needs some help.’” (163-164)
A Memphis Commercial Appeal profile from June 5, 1993, described Misskelley as “Tough, a Bit Troubled, but Kind to Kids”. The article quoted several neighbors who called him “respectful” and “well-mannered”, but also noted his violent streak:
Misskelley had a temper when pushed, McNease said.
“He was a fighter,” he said. “If you picked on him, he would bop you in the mouth.
“He whipped a grown man right out there the other day,” McNease said, pointing to the driveway to his shop. “If it hadn’t been for Big Jessie stepping in to stop it, he would have hurt that man bad.”
Drugs and Alcohol
Defense psychologist William Wilkins testified at trial that Misskelley “related to me that particularly in a period, I think, as I recall from about age thirteen to fifteen or so he huffed gas regularly, on a pretty regular basis, almost daily. He also had used alcohol and also had experimented with other drugs.”
Many people drink alcohol and smoke pot in high school with no ill effects, but huffing gasoline is an especially nasty way to get high. Huffing gas everyday in junior high is a really bad idea.
Several people interviewed by police noted Misskelley’s gasoline-huffing and heavy drinking. Dennis Carter told police a week after Misskelley’s arrest: “Dennis states that Jesse drank alot and smoked pot when he could get it … States that he also saw Jesse sniffing gas about 20 times. Also saw Jesse take mini thins — bought them at Delta in Marion — got high from those.”
Family Life
Like Echols and Baldwin, Misskelley had an erratic and dysfunctional family life. His father married Shelbia Misskelley when Jessie was 4, and she seems to have been a caring stepmother. But Jessie Sr. and Shelbia had split up by 1993, and his father had a new live-in girlfriend. Dennis Carter told police that Jessie wasn’t happy with the new arrangement:
Dennis states that Jesse never says anything about his mother but does see her every now and then. States that he does not like his stepmother (Lee) at all — states that she stays drunk all of the time and so does Jesse’s dad. States that about 2 months ago he was spending the night with Jesse — when they came into the trailer around 6:30 pm — Lee was passed out on the couch wearing nothing but her panties. Jesse went and told his dad who didn’t say anything. States that Lee and Jesse’s dad both stay drunk all of the time.
Conclusion
Misskelley told police that he had smoked a couple joints and was drinking a bottle of Evan Williams whiskey on the evening of the murders. This certainly fits his personal history.
In his 6/3/93 confession, Jessie denied hitting any of the victims. In his many later confessions he admitted hitting Michael Moore, but he insisted that he didn’t know Jason and Damien planned to take things further than just beating up the three kids. This also fits his personal history. He just wanted to have some fun beating up kids, not torturing and killing them.
I gotta be honest, I did not read Blood of Innocents because of the bias nature, or Devils Knot for the same reason, going into this case analysis. Apparently, there is now a post script in the book questioning the author’s statement that DE conviction was irrefutable ( my words).
That said, the excerpts of the bio of Jessie Misskelley you are referencing Matt underscore my original concerns about Jessie’s potential for violence beginning at a very young age.
Again, I do not think Mom 3.0 is saying anything other than one cannot state as fact that a person’s prior bad acts alone ( or psyche history) is conclusive proof they committed this crime, and in that sense she is right. I have shared with her that I do not feel she is giving enough weight to the severity of the behavior- we agree to disagree on that. DE own lawyers and several expert witnesses agree that he was a seriously troubled man and their defense of him would have been different “had they known”.
As an example, in today’s society, the behaviors, and in some cases, violent crimes against others, would have absolutely placed them in the system to a greater degree and be dealt with more severely.
Why? Because we know the potential for escalating violence and the duty is to protect the public.
B
ps. note to self- I owe Grace some links for review on DE regarding his Docs and treatments fearing his escalation, etc. You got any quick references on that?
Matt
You wrote-
Your excuses for Jessie’s behavior and violent history doesn’t surprise me. You would rather pick out the odd act of kindness than face the fact that he was an out of control thug.
*I am not giving excuses- I am not picking out the odd act of kindness- yet you seem to be picking out the behaviors you THINK back up your biased opinion that JM was a THUG- and an out of control THUG-
listen-He may have been out of control- and he may have committed these murders- but it wasnt because he was a violent THUG
You-Supporters like you hide things
*I have written a million times- I am not a supporter- – Just because you want to believe I am a supporter doesnt make it so-
Nowhere have I supported the notion that these 3 are innocent of these murders- and nowhere have I EVER hidden a piece of information or detail-
I am here trying to help Chris and Mike and Stevie and their families- I do not care about being wrong or right- or about which side you feel is “good” or which side you feel is “bad”-
I have shared my conundrum of not being able to get over reasonable doubt this is mostly due to the plethora of mistakes made in this case and LE’s mishandling of witnesses, POIs, evidence- motive and all the rest-
Where most tout there opinions and perspectives as fact- and call others wrong- for sharing a different perspective I do not- I have never said that my thoughts and opinions are right- and everyoneelse is wrong
I have simply shared a different perspective- in the hopes of getting to the whole truth-
I am sorry if looking at every ”fact” of this case bothers you…
I am sorry if researching bothers you….
I am sorry if sharing different ideas bothers you-
I am sorry if sharing my knowledge base and experiences bothers you-
I am trying to help these victims how does that make me a supporter of these 3 men?
Cont part 2
Blink I would love to put up my own account of Damien’s mental history, but going through the 500 and other documents is a long laborious task. I will have to go the fantastic wm3truth site again for the breakdown,
Part 1
Damien Echols profile
Who was Damien Echols in spring 1993?
As WM3 supporters tell it, Damien Echols was an offbeat teenager going through a goth phase. He suffered from ordinary teenage angst and mild depression, nothing more. The idea that Echols was dangerous was the invention of small-minded Bible Belt rednecks who assumed that anyone who listened to Metallica, dressed in black and read Stephen King novels must be a devil worshipper. Maybe he was a little weird, but a sensitive, curious kind of weird, not a horrific murder kind of weird.
This has become the standard view of Echols in the media. Reporting on the WM3′s release, the New York Times called Echols circa 1993 “a troubled yet gifted 18-year-old who wore all black, listened to heavy metal music and considered himself a Wiccan”.
The truth is much uglier. Damien Echols is a psychopath. At the time of the murders, he was a violent and erratic psychopath.
We know a great deal about Damien Echols’s mental state in 1992-93 because his psychiatric records were entered into the court record during the sentencing phase of his 1994 trial. His defense team compiled these psychiatric records into a 509-page dossier for use by a psychologist who examined Echols. His lawyers hoped that the psychologists’ testimony about Echols’ mental illness would convince the jury to spare him the death penalty. This dossier became State’s Exhibit 500.
Exhibit 500 is an unwieldy document dump, with many pages nearly unreadable due to poor handwriting and/or photocopying, but it is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the crime. This article aims to organize this material, supplemented by witness statements, into a portrait of Damien Echols during the period leading up to the murder.
1991-1992
During the 1991-92 school year, Damien Echols was repeatedly suspended for a range of offenses. A case file dated 6/1/92 reports that Echols “admits to having been suspended 7x this past semester for inciting fights at school, starting small fires, cussing. States in one fight he almost gouged out the victim’s eyes.” (29) A similar report dated 6/2/92 states:
He has been suspended X7 due to negative behaviors in the classroom. Information does suggest that Damien has set fire to his academic classroom on two occasions, that he has also been truant, engaged in physical confrontations while on school grounds and has, often times, threatened to put “hexes” on school instructors. (236)
Another case file dated 6/25/92 states:
Supposedly, Damien chased a younger child with an ax and attempted to set a house on fire. He denied this behaviour. He reported that his girlfriend’s family reported this so that they could get him in trouble. He was also accused of beating a peer up at school.
Damien admits to a history of violence. He said prior to admission he did attempt to enucleate a peer’s eye at school. He was suspended subsequently from school. He was suspended on seven different occasions during that school year. He related that he was suspended on one occasion, because he set a fire in his science classroom and also would walk off on campus on several occasions. (92)
A handwritten note on a hospital form described one firestarting incident: “Wet toilet paper roll threw it against a light bulb it exploded started a fire rolled himself in a blanket and set [cut] der a chair watching bec [cut] was bored.” (178)
The eye-gouging incident involved a classmate named Shane Divilbiss, who gave this account to WMPD detective Mike Allen (poorly transcribed in the WMPD case file, which I haven’t altered):
I was going to school and meant Deanna Holcomb and in turn Damien Echols. Because they were boyfriend, girlfriend at the time I began to hang around with them I spoke with Damien Echols on several occasions just like friends, then emotional things began to develope between me and Deanna Holcomb she broke up with Damien and soon went out with me which lead Damien to believe I had stolen Deanna from him. He threatened to kill Deanna threatened to kill several of my family members just not my uncle but several others. He threatened to kill me and then later came up behind me in the hallway while I was at my locker I knew he was back there so I just started to walk I didn’t look at him or anything he jumped on me from behind draggin me down to the ground and clawing at my face with his fingernails. He uh, people was saying he was trying to rip my eyes out and my the scars is what it looked like, when I got up I turn around and I was going to fight but he was being held down by several of the people that were in the hallway witnessing it so I didn’t have to.
Allen asked Divilbiss about threats made by Damien during this incident:
One of the threats was against my uncle [Kyle Perkins, age 16] whom had told him that if he had fought with me that my uncle would jump into and threatened him by saying if he jumped in he cut him to pieces and bury him in Deanna’s front yard.
… Most of [Damien's threats against me] were generally just short you know like I’m going to kill you or you know like when he had me down on the ground he said I’m going to kill you, I’m going to rip your eyes out and all this stuff, you know generally you know just short phrases there was no long drawn out threats.
In May 1992, Damien Echols and Deanna Holcomb ran away together because Deanna’s parents forebade her to continue seeing him. They were discovered in a vacant mobile home at Lakeshore trailer park on the night of May 19. During the arrest, Echols made death threats against a police officer and Deanna’s father. Echols later told caseworkers that he and Deanna had made a suicide pact if they couldn’t be together. In a (likely embellished) account of his arrest, Echols later claimed
that he was able to work his fingers loose, moved over and was able to slip the safety off of the police officer’s gun which had been left in the police vehicle. Damien freely admitted that he had plans to shoot the girlfriend’s father if he acted in an aggressive manner toward the girl. (238)
Echols was charged with burglary, breaking and entering, disorderly conduct, sexual misconduct and terroristic threatening. He was held at the Craighead County Juvenile Detention Center in Jonesboro for two weeks.
Holcomb spent the next two weeks at Mid-South hospital. Her relationship with Echols ended for good after the runaway incident. On May 11, 1993, Holcomb told investigators: “Damien once told me that he had never killed anyone but wondered what it would feel like.”
Part 2
Charter Hospital of Little Rock, June 1992
After he “voiced suicidal ideation to folks at detention center re hanging himself” (p 28), Echols was sent to the East Arkansas Regional Mental Health Center, then to the Charter Hospital of Little Rock. Charter admission papers noted, “There were also major concerns that this young man was exhibiting disturbed thinking. He has a history of extreme physical aggression toward others.” (p 188) Damien Echols stayed at Charter Hospital from June 1 to June 25, 1992. This was the first of Echols’ three institutionalizations in 1992.
A “personality inventory” report (pp 210-217) from June 1992 described Echols as:
characterized by impulsive hostility, an apprehensive mistrust of others and an edgy defensiveness against criticism. Fearing that others will dominate and possibly brutalize him, he puts forward a socially blunt and aggressive public posture. He fantasizes being all powerful so as to block others from possessing the means to be belittling and harmful. He believes that only alert vigilance and vigorous counter-action can prevent the malice of others. … The desire to gain power and demean others springs from animosity and a wish to vindicate past grievances. Although frequently unsuccessful in these aims, this teenager believes that past degradations may be undone by provoking fear and intimidation in others.
Reports by physicians and caseworkers during Echols’s June 1992 institutionalization at Charter described Echols as very depressed. They make frequent reference to Echols’s “flat affect”, sullen demeanor, self-imposed isolation and “flat, monotone, glassy look”. Echols confirmed his “suicidal ideation” at the detention center, stating “that he thought several times about wrapping the sheet from his bed around his neck and ‘trying to hang myself.’” (p 233) He also showed signs of self-mutilation: “During the course of the psychosocial assessment, Damien openly showed to this social worker spots upon both forearms where he has used a cigarette lighter or other sharp object to burn marks into his forearms.” (234)
Staff also expressed concern that Echols was experiencing hallucinations.
The patient appeared to be sniffing the air around him as if he were responding to an external stimulus. When he was questioned as to what he was doing, the patient gave an inappropriate smile and was unwilling to discuss what he was doing. Upon several occasions, the patient also cut his eyes in one direction or the other as if he were hearing or thinking of something before he spoke. Again, it did appear to this social worker as though the client was responding to an outside stimulation. (p 237)
Staff also expressed concern about Echols’s paranoia. One doctor wrote, “His affect is inappropriate. He has trouble making eye contact. He is quite paranoid.” (281) Elsewhere a nurse wrote, “Verbalized concern that there is surveillance cameras behind his mirror & under his desk in his rm — cautioned peer that staff are constantly watching them.” (297)
A treatment plan document noted another strange behavior by Echols: “Trying to suck blood off peers who have scratched themselves.” (265) Echols’s penchant for sucking or licking blood from people would be a frequent theme over the next year.
On June 12, caseworker Tina Deaton described a conversation with Damien’s mother, Pam Echols.
[Mother] was most concerned about son “not learning to deal with anger and rages”. [Mother] mentioned her belief that son may be responding to outside stimulation. Voiced fear “son may be crazy.”
Damien Echols was released from Charter Hospital of Little Rock on June 25, 1992. Soon afterward, his family moved from Arkansas to Portland, Oregon. His mother had recently divorced Jack Echols and reunited with Damien’s biological father, Joe Hutchison.
Part 3
St. Vincent Hospital, Portland, September 1992
Damien’s mother later told a social worker she was “convinced that he is into activities, such as witchcraft and is very concerned about the quality of friends that he developed while living in Arkansas. For this reason, she felt coming to Oregon would be a new beginning for him.” (150) The new beginning did not pan out. Damien got a job at the gas station where Joe Hutchison worked, but his mental state and family relationships deteriorated.
The breaking point came on September 1, 1992. Damien’s parents called police to the home, then took Damien to St. Vincent Hospital. His St. Vincent case file includes this account dated 9/1/92:
17 yr old male brought to ER by mother & natural father because [patient] has been increasing depressed & has been making statements daily that he was going to kill himself or others. Mom states Damien is on probation for terroristic threatening & breaking & entering. Dad says that Damien has been sniffing gasoline & that at dinner table tonight he talks about drinking a bottle of bleach & that it would be over soon. [Patient] told sister that he would be killing himself in the next 3 days. [Patient] has made threats to kill himself by hanging w bed sheet or tying socks together & told grandmother today that he would cut his mother’s throat. (145)
A St. Vincent “emergency room report” dated 9/2/92 added:
He apparently has had thoughts of harming himself by his report to the family members, even though he denies that. He has talked about drinking lye or some type of bleach that would kill himself, he has also tld his sister that he won’t be around much longer. The parents are concerned that he is also into Satanism or devil worship. He apparently has a number of items that relates to this.
… The patient denies suicidal or homicidal ideation at this time, however, in talking with family members, they state that he made it quite clear that he had thoughts of harming other people, i.e. was going to cut the throat of his mother and has said so in the past and also apparently made some verbal threats to his father here at St. Vincent Hospital even.
A handwritten note in the Physician’s Progress Report dated 9/2/92 reported:
Parents visited in alcove @12:30 he stated visit did not go well, he was tearful and would not discuss visit other than to say, “I no longer have parents.” Other staff overheard him begging them to take him home [illegible: one or two words covered by page number stamp] they refused. (146)
Another note dated 9/2/92 quoted Damien downplaying his psychological problems.
“I’m the only person who stands up to my Dad. My Mom just cries but I don’t stand for him pushing me around. I don’t want anything to do [with] either one of them. I just want to be on my own from here on out. I’m not suicidal, that’s their way of trying to keep me in a hospital & away from my friends & girlfriend.” (148)
One doctor, Stanley Sturges, agreed with Damien’s assessment. Sturges wrote in the Physician’s Progress Report on 9/3/92 that Damien:
does quite well on his school performance in the light of dropping out of school. There is no evidence of a thought disorder. He is not depressed and his efforts at self harm may be seen more as a manipulation to escape responsibility for a wide variety of behaviors which have got him into difficulty with the law. (139-140)
St. Vincent released Damien on September 4. The final entry in his Physician’s Progress Report stated:
Because of the circumstances that precipitated the hospitalization and Damien’s threats, particularly towards his father and of course his mother, both parents do not feel that they wish to have him return to their home. They are frightened of him and what he can do, not only to them but to other children that reside in the home (2 others).
Damien does not want to remain in Oregon. He wishes to return to Arkansas.
The two other children in the home were Damien’s sister Michelle (age 15) and half-brother Timothy (age 6).
Damien got on a bus to Arkansas soon after his release from St. Vincent. When he arrived in Arkansas a few days later, he was arrested for violating probation and sent back to the juvenile detention center in Jonesboro.
Part 4
Craighead County Juvenile Detention Center, September 1992
Damien’s troubles continued back in Arkansas. A Charter Hospital psychological assessment written on September 10 described his return to juvie:
Presently in detention in Jonesboro, picked up for violation of probation, threatened to slit parents throat and eat them alive. Transferred to Crittenden, one of the kids at the detention hall cut his wrists, Damien grabbed his arm and began to the suck the blood, smeared it over his body and said he’s a devil worshipping vampire. Says he’s not a vampire but a witch. He is in isolation and suicide watch.
Joyce Cureton, director of the Craighead County Juvenile Detention Center, reported on the incident:
Approx. three hours after Damien arrived, he was sitting in rec. area with several other residents. One of the boys had scraped his arm a little, and it was bleeding some. Without warning, Damien grabbed the arm that was bleeding, and began to suck the blood from it. The boys all stated he had been saying he had not taken his medication the night before, and he was about to “go off on them”. Damien was asked why he did this, and he stated “I don’t know.” He also told staff he had threatened to kill his father and eat him. For the safety and well being of other residents, Damien as asked to go to his room. He has been kept there until he was picked up for court. He hasn’t been a problem since, just some very strange actions at times. It is our opinion that Damien needs mental health treatment.
In a psychological evaluation dated 9/15/92, Echols offered his own account of the incident.
While at the Detention Center, he reportedly grabbed a peer and began “sucking blood from the peer’s neck”. According to Damien, he relates that the peer was aware that he was going to do this. Staff reports that Damien was not remorseful for his behavior. Damien indicated that he sucked blood in order to get into a gang. He denies that it was any type of ritual.
… Damien laughed when he was called “a blood sucking vampire”. He relates he does not know why people think this. He was placed in isolation in the Detention Center until he could be admitted to Charter Hospital. The other peers were afraid of him. Damien denies that he rubbed the blood all over his face.
… He denied intent to harm himself or others at the time of the exam. He did admit to sucking blood out of the peer’s neck. He related that the peer had hurt his neck, and he subsequently sucked the blood.
Charter Hospital of Little Rock, September 1992
On Monday, September 14, 1992, Damien was transferred by court order from the detention center back to Charter Hospital of Little Rock. His initial assessment included the notations “family no support/no involvement at this time” and “could be a danger to others”. His case file lists his diagnosis as “psychotic” or “psychosis” on at least fifteen different pages.
A psychosocial assessment dated 9/15/92 reported:
Damien Echols was able to answer all the questions that were posed to him in an intelligent and factual manner. He seemed to withhold no information and readily answered questions concerning his religious beliefs and the fact that he believes that he is a vampire and does worship the devil. It was the social worker’s opinion that Damien was not disclosing information for the purposes of schock, that he was simply disclosing what he currently is believing. Damien did appear to be oriented to person, place and time. He was not evidencing any psychotic symptomatology at the time the interview was being completed. However, his behaviors could best be described as odd and bizzare. Damien smiled at inappropriate times. He cut his eyes back and forth as if he was responding to external stimulation. He seemed to be giggling at something that he was saying or a private joke that was unknown to this social worker.
Charter staff set out a series of goals for his treatment, such as “Damien will develop the ability to deal with angry, resistant feelings in a non acting out manner that is non-aggressive towards others during hospitalization” (405) and “patient will be able to distinguish reality as demonstrated by ability to appropriately respond to environment stimuli” (400).
His case file notes various behaviors that disturbed staff and fellow patients during this Charter stay. An educational therapist reported that Damien “glorified cult behaviors with peers – possibly for attention and shock factor” (412) and “would frequently make growling noises to scare the other students and to get their attention” (384). A treatment note dated 9/17/92 noted, “Unusual behaviors centered around his occult involvement. Using his experiences to arouse interest in peers. Could be danger to others.” (412) A nurse reported the same day, “continuing to make bizarre sounds around peers … continuous talk of Satanism to peers” (428). The next day, a nurse wrote, “continues laughing strangely and getting peers to feed into his satanism” (429). According to his discharge summary, “He did not demonstrate bizarre and unusual behavior with exception on one occasion, he did bite a male peer; however, this was in a fight type manner.” (458)
Though the court order committed Echols to Charter Hospital for a period “not to exceed three months”, he was discharged on September 28, 1992, after fourteen days. On a page of staff goodbyes, one nurse wrote, “Cut out the scare tactics and keep up the good stuff”, while his educational therapist added, “Let people like you for You!” His discharge summary reported optimistically, “At the time of discharge, it was felt that Damien’s behavior had stabilized to the point to where he no longer needed to remain in an acute care setting. He was not considered a danger to others at the time of his discharge. … Damien has contracted that he will not attempt to harm anyone after the time of discharge.”
Part 5
Animal Cruelty
Though not mentioned in the Exhibit 500 documents, the murder investigation turned up several reports of Damien Echols’s cruelty to animals and fascination with animal skulls.
On June 14, 1993, detective Bryn Ridge took a statement from Jason Baldwin’s uncle, Hubert Bartoush, regarding Jason’s alibi. Jason’s cousin, Joe Bartoush (age 12 or 13), was present and volunteered a story about Damien Echols.
On 10-27-92 I was at Lakeshore Trailer Park with Damien Echols when he killed a Black Great Dane. The dog was already sick and he hit the dog in the back of the head. He pulled the intestines out of the dog and started stomping the dog until blood came out of his mouth. He was going to come back later with battery acid so that he could burn the hair and skin off of the dog’s head. He had two cat skulls, a dog skull and a rat skull that I already knew about. He kept these skulls in his bedroom at Jack Echols house in Lakeshore. He was trying to make the eyeballs of the dog he killed pop out when he was stomping. Damien had a camoflouge survival knife to cut the guts out of the dog with.
Heather Cliett (Jason Baldwin’s girlfriend at the time) told police a similar dog story in a June 7, 1993, interview. A handwritten police report on the interview reads: “[Heather] States that one time at the skating rink Damien told her that he stuck a stick in a dogs eye and then jumped on it and then burned it.”
On May 27, 1993, after the murders but before the arrests, Damien’s friend Chris Littrell told police, “Damien likes to put sharpened sticks through frogs to see how long it takes them to die.” It’s not clear if Littrell actually saw Damien do this, or if Damien told him he liked to do this, or if Littrell heard the story from a third party.
Blood of Innocents (p 222) recounts a May 31, 1993, meeting between WMPD officer Bryn Ridge and two friends of Echols. (The BoI passage seems to be based on a police report of the meeting; the Callahan case archive doesn’t include such a document.)
[Garrett Schwarting] and [Murray] Farris told police they had talked with Echols in Farris’s home two weeks after the murders, where the strange teen told them some incredible stories.
Echols once placed gasoline on a cat, put a bottle rocket up its rear end, then lit it. He kept a collection of animal skulls and occult paraphernalia. He once placed a young boy in a noose until the boy turned blue and nearly passed out.
Several people reported that Damien kept an animal skull in his bedroom. Deanna Holcomb told police that Damien kept a skull in his bedroom. Domini Teer told police Damien had a cat skull in his bedroom. A Sheriff’s department investigator searched the Echols home on May 19, 1992, after the runaway incident and found a dog skull in Damien’s bedroom. At trial Damien explained, “It was a skull me and my step-dad, Jack Echols, had found and I just thought it was kind of cool. And before he gave it to me, he bleached it out and everything to make sure there wasn’t any germs or anything on it. It was a decoration for my room.”
There were rumors that Damien sometimes brought a cat skull or dog skull to school. One classmate told the local newspaper that Echols frequently brought a cat skull to class. “While everyone else was working, he was just playing with that skull.” Damien’s mother told law enforcement officials in May 1993 and again in September that Damien kept a dog skull he had found. She conceded that he brought the skull to school, but only once for “show and tell or some type of science project”.
Baby Sacrifice Rumors
A bizarre rumor appeared intermittently in Damien Echols’ psychiatric records. He reportedly talked about having a baby with Deanna Holcomb, then using the baby as a human sacrifice.
This rumor appeared in a phone message from Jerry Driver taken down at Charter Hospital on the afternoon of June 1, 1992. Driver was a juvenile officer in charge of Echols’ case, and he was calling to arrange Echols’ transfer from the detention center to a hospital. Whoever took the message wrote, “Court-ordered to Mid South Hospital. Suicidal, self-mutilating — made pact [illegible] girlfriend & Devil to sacrifice 1st born.” (176)
An Admission Psychiatric Evaluation from Charter Hospital dated June 2, 1992, included this anecdote: “There was a conversation that concerned staff at the detention center. Reportedly, Damien and his girlfriend were going to have a baby and then sacrifice the child. Damien denies this type of behavior.” (186) The same rumor appeared in Charter reports dated June 25 (92) and September 28 (82).
An Oregon social worker’s Intake Summary report on Damien and family dated August 17, 1992, similarly noted Jerry Driver’s belief that “Damien and several others of his associates are involved in a satanic cult” and that “Damien and his girlfriend were planning to have a child, so that they could offer it as a sacrifice to Satan”. The social worker added, “Damien denies any involvement in satanic cult or beliefs in Satanism. He expressed considerable displeasure with Mr. Driver in making such assertions.” (466-468)
Jerry Driver appears to have been irrationally fixated on Satanism. The Oregon social worker’s report also reports Driver’s assertion that “the authorities in Arkansas suspect that Damien’s parents are involved in this satanic belief system”, which was definitely not true. Driver’s claims about Echols and Satanism warrant skepticism, including the baby sacrifice rumor.
However, the baby sacrifice rumor came up again in three police interviews during the murder investigation. On May 11, 1993, two WMPD detectives interviewed Deanna Holcomb. When they asked her about Damien, she told them:
I ran away with Damien. I went to a hospital in Memphis and he went to one in Little Rock. I found out that he plained to kill our first born if it was a girl. Damien would not do it he is a coward and would have tried to get me to do it. That’s when I knew he was nuts and I had nothing else to do with him.
Did Deanna Holcomb actually hear Damien say he wanted to kill their baby? Or did she hear the story from Jerry Driver or someone else? It’s difficult to tell.
On May 27, 1993, WMPD detective Bill Durham re-interviewed Chris Littrell, a friend of Damien Echols and Domini Teer. Littrell was a fellow Wiccan, though more bookish and right-hand path in his approach. Durham’s report on the interview included this tidbit: “Chris said that he also heard that Damien plans to marry Dominic, after the baby is born, so he can get a bigger government check. Damien no longer plans to kill the baby.” This implies that Echols was again talking about baby sacrifice in spring 1993, when Domini Teer was pregnant with his child.
Tony Hodges passed along the same rumor in his 6/23/93 statement: “I heard from Garrot Schwarting that Damien was into Satan worshipping, so I quit speaking to him. Schwarting also told me that Damiens girlfriend, Domini, was pregnant and that the baby would be sacrificed.”