The three men convicted of the 1993 killing three young cub scout boys in Arkansas will be allowed to leave jail after entering a guilty plea.
Known as the “West Memphis Three” – Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin have maintained their innocence in the brutal slaying of Christopher Byers, Steve Branch and James Michael Moore even after a confession was given to police.
Misskelley copped to the killings after a 12 hour interrogation but almost immediately recanted. The Arkansas police were criticized for extracting the confession when it was discovered Misskelley has an I.Q. of 72 and what he told police did not match the evidence they had.
After the convictions of the men, including Echols death sentence, DNA evidence was tested recently with a test unavailable at the time and it was unable to link any of the men to the crime scene. The Arkansas State Supreme Court ruled they could present new evidence in an effort to clear themselves.
Now they’ve been able to enter an Alford plea, which in effect says they acknowledge prosecutors have evidence to convict them but still say they are innocent of wrong doing.
The deal sets them free this afternoon after serving close to 20 years behind bars and gives each of the men 10 years parole.
“They are currently being processed out,” prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington told reporters during a Friday press conference. “They will be free men … on suspended sentence.”
“Only time will tell as to whether this was the right decision,” Ellington added.
Among the famous supporters for the men’s freedom: Johnny Depp, Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder, Dixie Chicks Natalie Manes and Henry Rollins. There have been 2 documentaries about the trial – Paradise Lost 1 and 2 and the third film will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival later this year.
