Spring Break
The forgotten witch trial
Jared Jackson, Staff Writer
Issue date: 9/30/08 Section: Opinion
More than 15 years have passed since eight year-olds Steve Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore were found brutally murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas in May of 1993.
At the crime scene, a wooded creek area, the boys were found naked and hog-tied with their shoe laces. They had been severely beaten and Byers testicles were mutilated.
In one of the most radical injustices of all-time, Damien Elchols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin were convicted of the murders and labeled the "West Memphis Three." Elchols currently sits on death row while Baldwin received life without parole and Misskelley received life plus 40 years.
Just last year, DNA collected from the crime scene that was tested was found not to match any of the "West Memphis Three," yet a hair from Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of Steve Branch, was found on the shoe laces that were used to bind the boys together.
But that wasn't enough. On Sept. 10, a circuit court judge rejected claims that the DNA proved the "West Memphis Three" were not guilty.
Why it is entirely possible that the "West Memphis Three" in fact did murder the three young boys, in a court of law the burden is to prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that someone is either guilty or not. In the subsequent trial for the murders and the appeals, this was never accomplished.
The whole idea behind the injustice of this case is that Elchols, Misskelley and Baldwin were convicted due to a so-called "Satanic Panic" that griped the small Bible-belt town of West Memphis. The three wore black and listened to heavy metal in a time where such behavior raised red flags in comparison to modern acceptance of this behavior.
Pink Floyd and Metallica lyrics, Stephen King novels and their interest in heavy metal were all presented as evidence in court as to why these three young men were guilty.
In Echols' case, his interest in the Wicca religion was also used to paint him as a monster.
Misskelley was the sole reason why the three were arrested after being watched for a short period of time. He confessed to the murders and named Echols and Baldwin as accomplices. However, many of the details of the confession turned out to be false. Misskelley was interrogated by detectives for approximately three hours-without being recorded-while interrogators revealed key information of the case to him. Add in the fact that Misskelley's IQ score of 72, which almost qualifies him to be considered legally retarded.
At the crime scene, a wooded creek area, the boys were found naked and hog-tied with their shoe laces. They had been severely beaten and Byers testicles were mutilated.
In one of the most radical injustices of all-time, Damien Elchols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin were convicted of the murders and labeled the "West Memphis Three." Elchols currently sits on death row while Baldwin received life without parole and Misskelley received life plus 40 years.
Just last year, DNA collected from the crime scene that was tested was found not to match any of the "West Memphis Three," yet a hair from Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of Steve Branch, was found on the shoe laces that were used to bind the boys together.
But that wasn't enough. On Sept. 10, a circuit court judge rejected claims that the DNA proved the "West Memphis Three" were not guilty.
Why it is entirely possible that the "West Memphis Three" in fact did murder the three young boys, in a court of law the burden is to prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that someone is either guilty or not. In the subsequent trial for the murders and the appeals, this was never accomplished.
The whole idea behind the injustice of this case is that Elchols, Misskelley and Baldwin were convicted due to a so-called "Satanic Panic" that griped the small Bible-belt town of West Memphis. The three wore black and listened to heavy metal in a time where such behavior raised red flags in comparison to modern acceptance of this behavior.
Pink Floyd and Metallica lyrics, Stephen King novels and their interest in heavy metal were all presented as evidence in court as to why these three young men were guilty.
In Echols' case, his interest in the Wicca religion was also used to paint him as a monster.
Misskelley was the sole reason why the three were arrested after being watched for a short period of time. He confessed to the murders and named Echols and Baldwin as accomplices. However, many of the details of the confession turned out to be false. Misskelley was interrogated by detectives for approximately three hours-without being recorded-while interrogators revealed key information of the case to him. Add in the fact that Misskelley's IQ score of 72, which almost qualifies him to be considered legally retarded.
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