The West Memphis Three are Free!

| Aug 19, 2011 | Comments 14 | Tags:

The West Memphis Three—three men who were arrested for the allegedly ritual murder of three young children 18 years ago and have sat in prison ever since—were set free today, according to NPR and other sources.

The young men, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, Jr., were teenagers at the time of the crime and vilified as Satanists due to their liking of heavy-metal music and horror and occult literature. As time progressed, the mounting evidence suggested that they were not guilty, but a judge convicted them anyway. Since then, celebrities ranging from Johnny Depp to Henry Rollins have spread the word to raise money for their legal defense. In 2010, Marilyn Manson spoke at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards on their behalf (see fan-filmed video below) and described the court proceedings as a “Salem witch trial.” Revolver also conducted an interview with Echols, who was then on death row, which ran in our May/June 2010 issue.

Today, the West Memphis Three were released after they acknowledged that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict them, which allows them to maintain their innocence. Watch a live press conference here. We at Revolver wish to congratulate the West Memphis Three on their new-found, and well deserved, freedom.



  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=676185077 Cory Hunziker

    sat in jail for 18 years for no reason :( what a huge chunk of young life lost

    • Bsmith9446

      Looks like Damien got it both ways,system and while he was in Prison.What a Punk.

  • Brian Kelley

    If you read the story though, they apparently had to plead “guilty” in order to be set free and also agree that they couldn’t sue the state for damages. Seriously f$%&ed up.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Vilche/100001757793060 Mike Vilche

    Sounds like a case of profiling and discrimination! 

  • Bret Desrochers

    Wish the video didnt have the screaming fans so we could hear him 

  • Treyvus_1971

    Really f’d up part is:  ”the West Memphis Three were released after they acknowledged that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict them”.  The only reason for this is so they can’t sue the state to recover the nearly 2 decades of their lives that they lost, which would have been tens of millions of dollars.

  • Freeze108

    bout time.i remember watchin a documentry called…. paradise lost…about these dudes.they were jus kids.they got profiled big time.congrats.

  • Cin.

    yeah, they basically just wasted eighteen years of their lives. no amount of money could compensate for that. fuck the system.

  • south_metal79

    I’m from Arkansas and also from the county that the 3 lived in and also went to school with one of them. It’s sad when law enforcement is too lazy to get out and actually find the real killer, instead, they find the easiest scapegoat they can, and this being the Bible belt, they go after the one’s that are different, all because they didn’t believe the same things or think the same way as the community thought they should. Well Crittenden (Crooked) County that’s life, and hopefully you’ll see the error of your way’s and actually try to WORK if something this tragic ever happens again. I hope that a re-trial can find the real killer and that these 3 can find peace and live normal happy lives.

  • south_metal79

    I’m from Arkansas and also from the county that the 3 lived in and also went to school with one of them. It’s sad when law enforcement is too lazy to get out and actually find the real killer, instead, they find the easiest scapegoat they can, and this being the Bible belt, they go after the one’s that are different, all because they didn’t believe the same things or think the same way as the community thought they should. Well Crittenden (Crooked) County that’s life, and hopefully you’ll see the error of your way’s and actually try to WORK if something this tragic ever happens again. I hope that a re-trial can find the real killer and that these 3 can find peace and live normal happy lives.

    • Oneandonly78

      Speak it…..

      Crooked county is a mother. I also live in Crittenden county in Earle, and I can say that the state of Arkansas got away with murder that day. Glad to know that people here are informed and do care……

  • south_metal79

    I’m from Arkansas and also from the county that the 3 lived in and also went to school with one of them. It’s sad when law enforcement is too lazy to get out and actually find the real killer, instead, they find the easiest scapegoat they can, and this being the Bible belt, they go after the one’s that are different, all because they didn’t believe the same things or think the same way as the community thought they should. Well Crittenden (Crooked) County that’s life, and hopefully you’ll see the error of your way’s and actually try to WORK if something this tragic ever happens again. I hope that a re-trial can find the real killer and that these 3 can find peace and live normal happy lives.

  • http://twitter.com/jeshoke Jesse

    wow that crowd is dumb

  • Mzcrdns2b

    thank god they are finally free. i have been praying for this for years.