The West Memphis Three Are Free

[Ristol]

Hallelujah. I've been waiting and hoping for this for a very long time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/20/us/20arkansas.html

 

[S O F I]

I never heard of this before.

 

[Ristol]

Basically, three innocent teenagers were convicted of a heinous crime in 1993, and were so clearly innocent that the case got national attention. One of the convicted guys, Damien Echols, just got off death row today. There are two HBO documentaries about it with a third on the way.

It's a miracle to me. I'm incredibly happy about this and didn't think it would ever happen.

 

[keco52]

Was reading this earlier. Was going to post it but you beat me to it. Would be nice if they got reparations but...they probably wont?

 

[dilla]

You can't put a price on freedom.

Never heard of this, but it's all too common. Many innocent men. Black men, especially... Are put wrongfully put behind bars. Murder, rape, theft. It's a shame.

 

[Sebastian]

Basically, three innocent teenagers were convicted of a heinous crime in 1993, and were so clearly innocent that the case got national attention. One of the convicted guys, Damien Echols, just got off death row today. There are two HBO documentaries about it with a third on the way.

It's a miracle to me. I'm incredibly happy about this and didn't think it would ever happen.

You are really happy about this news?

 

[Ristol]

Was reading this earlier. Was going to post it but you beat me to it. Would be nice if they got reparations but...they probably wont?

Well, the state of Arkansas worked it rather nicely. They had them enter guilty pleas (they were about to be retried due to new DNA evidence), so they can't sue the state for the gobs of money they'd surely be entitled to. To quote Jason Baldwin, one of the Three:

"This is not justice. This is not justice at all, because we've been saying from the beginning: we're innocent! But the bottom line is, they were gonna kill Damien, and I couldn't let that happen."

You are really happy about this news?

Was that not clear?

 

[Sebastian]

Sorry but someone like me without empathy cant understand this.

 

[Jeremy]

Yesterday was seriously one of the happiest days of the year for me. The killings happened 30 minutes from my house so I have been following this story since I was 15 years old. Hell I even donated to help the cause years ago. I'm surprised you guys haven't heard of this considering all the celebrity supporters these guys have. They won't get money from the state of AR, but they will get money from the movie being made and I'm sure book deals are on the way. I'm sure there will be a trust set up soon and all the celebs will donate. It's truly sad that they had to spend half of their lives behind bars and Damien Echols has been on death row for the past ten years. I have been waiting for this day for 18 years. Was very emotional. I could not imagine losing half of my life over something I had nothing to deal with. You guys should watch the HBO docs if you get a chance. It's a pretty amazing story. I am so happy for them!

 

[S O F I]

I suppose I understand why this story makes people happy. It was in the media a lot, bla bla. But still. whatever.

 

[Flipmo]

Still, there's an important question they haven't answered yet....

Were they raped in prison?

 

[Pittsey]

The problem with this.... Is that someone got away with killing 3 little boys. And due to the guilty plea is never going to be charged?

 

[Ristol]

Still, there's an important question they haven't answered yet....

Were they raped in prison?

Sadly the answer is yes, at least for Damien Echols. He's talked about it, I don't remember where. He was moved to solitary confinement because it was happening a lot.

 

[Ristol]

The problem with this.... Is that someone got away with killing 3 little boys. And due to the guilty plea is never going to be charged?

The DNA found at the scene matched a guy named Terry Hobbes, step father of one of the victims, and a lot of suspicion has been thrown his way. A step father's DNA is not suspicious by itself, but the kid showed numerous signs of systematic abuse before the murders, etc.

 

[Ristol]

Yesterday was seriously one of the happiest days of the year for me. The killings happened 30 minutes from my house so I have been following this story since I was 15 years old. Hell I even donated to help the cause years ago. I'm surprised you guys haven't heard of this considering all the celebrity supporters these guys have. They won't get money from the state of AR, but they will get money from the movie being made and I'm sure book deals are on the way. I'm sure there will be a trust set up soon and all the celebs will donate. It's truly sad that they had to spend half of their lives behind bars and Damien Echols has been on death row for the past ten years. I have been waiting for this day for 18 years. Was very emotional. I could not imagine losing half of my life over something I had nothing to deal with. You guys should watch the HBO docs if you get a chance. It's a pretty amazing story. I am so happy for them!

Thanks for that, Jeremy. I can't begin to tell you how much that picture of Damien--free! hanging with Vedder!--warms my heart.

 

[Pittsey]

The DNA found at the scene matched a guy named Terry Hobbes, step father of one of the victims, and a lot of suspicion has been thrown his way. A step father's DNA is not suspicious by itself, but the kid showed numerous signs of systematic abuse before the murders, etc.

I read that on the Wiki.... They aren't going to charge him though are they? Do the Police even care who did it?

 

[Ristol]

I read that on the Wiki.... They aren't going to charge him though are they? Do the Police even care who did it?

Do a Google search for a scumsucking son of a bitch named Gary Gitchell. That should answer your question.

 

[Flipmo]

Sadly the answer is yes, at least for Damien Echols. He's talked about it, I don't remember where. He was moved to solitary confinement because it was happening a lot.

Sad stuff.

 

[dilla]

Wow, Ristol feels really strongly about this. Kinda the exact opposite of Sebastian with anything else in the world.

The Ying to my Yang, I skeet skeet off,​

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I hits it from the back, Shawty like the front,​

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The Bonnie to my Clyde,​

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Both riding shotgun​