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Friday, January 13, 2012

Film The West Memphis 3 Are Free, Now They're Fighting for Their Innocence

Posted by Megan Seling on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 3:53 PM

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory premiered on HBO last night and even though the documentary showed the West Memphis 3—Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, Jr.—finally walk free, the film also reminded us that there's still work to do be done. In order to be released, after spending over 18 years in prison for a crime they claim they did not commit, the men had to technically plead guilty to the murder of three 8-year-old boys. They maintained their innocence but filed an Alford plea. That's not justice.

Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley are out of prison, but they're still fighting for their innocence. The "Free WM3 Support Fund" is now the "Exonerate the WM3 Support Fund." You can learn more about their case and donate here.

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory will air on HBO this Sunday (Jan 15) at 4:30 pm PST and HBO 2 this Monday (Jan 16) at 10 pm.

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This film is unexpectedly moving. I've sort of followed the story of the West Memphis 3, so I knew what went down. But the new revelations -- about who is exonerated and implicated by the DNA evidence, questions about the jury in the original trial, the sheer asshattery of Judge/Senator David Burnett -- were still shocking. But the scenes of the three of them together, free, brought the tears. Damien Echols and his wife. The fortitude of Jason Baldwin. Jessie Misskelley embracing his father. Well worth a viewing.

Posted by Bub on January 13, 2012 at 7:53 PM

"THEY'S GILLTY AS CHORGED! THEY AIN'T NE'ER BIN A SATINISST THAT WERE INNOSENT NO WAYS! THEY'S GONNA BURN IN HELLFAR FOR WHIT THEY DID!" - average Arkansas resident, 2011

Posted by Tom X on January 15, 2012 at 9:33 PM