West Memphis Three

"WM3" redirects here. For other uses, see WM3 (disambiguation).
"Jason Baldwin" redirects here. For the former Australian rules footballer, see Jason Baldwin (footballer).

The West Memphis Three photographed after their arrest in June 1993

The West Memphis Three are three freed men convicted as teenagers in 1994 of the 1993 murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, United States. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment. During the trial, the prosecution asserted that the juveniles killed the children as part of a Satanic ritual.[1][2][3]

Due to the dubious nature of the evidence, the lack of physical evidence connecting the men to the crime, and the suspected presence of emotional bias in court, the case generated widespread controversy and was the subject of several documentaries. Celebrities and musicians held fundraisers to support efforts to free the men.[4]

In July 2007, new forensic evidence was presented. A report jointly issued by the state and the defense team stated, "Although most of the genetic material recovered from the scene was attributable to the victims of the offenses, some of it cannot be attributed to either the victims or the defendants."

Following a 2010 decision by the Arkansas Supreme Court regarding newly produced DNA evidence and potential juror misconduct, the West Memphis Three negotiated a plea bargain with prosecutors.[5] On August 19, 2011, they entered Alford pleas, which allowed them to assert their innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict them. Judge David Laser accepted the pleas and sentenced the three to time served. They were released with 10-year suspended sentences, having served 18 years.[6]

  1. ^ "Youth Is Convicted In Slaying of 3 Boys In an Arkansas City". The New York Times. February 5, 1994. The prosecution said the slayings might have been part of a satanic ritual.
  2. ^ "Arguments conclude in 'West Memphis Three' appeals". Arkansas Online. The Associated Press. October 2, 2009. Prosecutors claimed the killers sexually mutilated the boy in a satanic ritual.
  3. ^ Lundin, Leigh (November 14, 2010). "Not-so-cold Old Cases". Capital Punishment. Orlando: Criminal Brief.
  4. ^ Patrick Doyle (September 1, 2011). "How Rockers Helped Free the West Memphis Three". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  5. ^ Parker, Suzi (July 27, 2011). "Fresh DNA evidence boosts defense in 1993 Arkansas slayings". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference ArOnline was invoked but never defined (see the help page).