John,
In 1993, teenagers Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley were wrongly arrested for the murders of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas — and became known as the West Memphis Three. Although no physical evidence tied them to the crimes, all three teens were convicted and ended up spending 18 years behind bars for something they didn’t do.
But yesterday, more than 30 years after their wrongful convictions, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled, in a 4-3 opinion, that Damien Echols is entitled to petition an Arkansas court for new DNA testing on crime-scene evidence that could clear his name and that of his co-defendants.
The Arkansas Supreme Court ruling not only opens up the door for the West Memphis Three to identify the true perpetrator in their case, but it hopefully will also help countless other people who have been wrongly convicted in Arkansas seek justice.
Take a moment right now to read more about the story of the West Memphis Three and their 30-year fight for justice, and then share the breaking news in this case.
The “West Memphis Three”, from left, Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin attend a special screening of “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” during the 49th Annual New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall on Monday, Oct. 10, 2011 in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
Last June, the Innocence Project filed an amicus brief to the Court, supporting Damien’s appeal for new DNA testing based on our decades of experience using advancements in DNA technology to establish innocence. This brief emphasized that such testing is critical even after a wrongly convicted person has been released from prison, given the collateral consequences of criminal convictions can significantly restrict a person’s opportunities and it should never be too late to get to the truth.
A Crittenden County judge had erroneously denied Damien’s request for new DNA testing because he is no longer in prison — but Arkansas’ DNA access statute does not limit access to post-conviction DNA testing to only those who are incarcerated. The West Memphis Three deserve to be officially cleared of this crime. Yesterday’s ruling brings justice one step closer for the West Memphis Three, and for many more wrongly convicted people seeking DNA testing in Arkansas.
Learn more about yesterday's ruling and Damien, Jessie, and Jason’s case — and then share the news of the DNA decision with your friends and family on social media.
Thank you so much for your support,
— The Innocence Project Team
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