John,
In 1993, teenagers Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley were arrested for the murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. Although no physical evidence or motive tied them to the crime, the teens, who became known as the West Memphis Three, were all convicted.
Jason and Jessie were both sentenced to life in prison while Damien, who the prosecution argued had led the attack, was sentenced to death. But in 2007, crime scene evidence was tested and excluded all three men, instead detecting DNA of another man, who could not be identified at the time.
Based on this new evidence, in 2011, all three men were offered a plea deal in exchange for their release. Damien was facing execution at the time, so they signed Alford pleas — a type of plea that allows a person to maintain their innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors have evidence that could result in a conviction at trial — and were finally released from prison.
The fight to clear their names is not over. Please take a moment to read more about the West Memphis Three and learn how you can support their efforts to get justice.
Damien Echols, one of the West Memphis Three, participates in a photo call and press conference for the film “West of Memphis” at TIFF Bell Lightbox during the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday Sept. 8, 2012 in Toronto. (Image: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP))
Advances in technology over the last decade and a half, mean that DNA that could not previously be recovered from evidence can now be tested and could lead to the identification of the person who actually committed this crime.
But last year, a Crittenden County judge denied Damien’s request for new DNA testing because he is no longer in prison, even though Arkansas’ post-conviction DNA testing statute does not limit access to testing to those who are currently incarcerated. Now, Damien has taken his appeal to the Arkansas Supreme Court.
Standing in the way of DNA testing in cases like this impedes justice and prevents exonerations. That is why, on June 2, the Innocence Project filed an amicus brief — a “friend of the court” brief — with the Arkansas Supreme Court, supporting Damien’s appeal. It is beyond dispute that current testing technology is capable of recovering DNA from the assailant, identifying who that person is, and scientifically establishing the innocence of the West Memphis Three.
We’re ready to fight for true justice in this case, and we need your support. Take a moment to read about the facts you need to know on the West Memphis Three case and learn how you can help in their fight for justice.
Thank you for your support,
— The Innocence Project Team |
