Eighteen years ago, three men were tried and convicted of the murders of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. Becoming a national news story the media branded Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Jr. and Jason Baldwin the West Memphis Three.
FREE BIRDS! Two Of The West Memphis Three Will Be Released (PHOTO)
Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley, Jr. was sentenced to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Eighteen years later new DNA evidence has surfaced that has excluded the three men from murder. Evidence from the crime scene found no matches of DNA to any of the men. And as faith would have it, the West Memphis Three could be freed as early as today after spending 20 years in prison.
West Memphis Three May Be Released Today! (PHOTO)
Imagine spending 20 years in prison and being found innocent two decades later? What is going through the minds of these men today. Before their incarcerations they all lead normal lives and had families, fast-forward 20 years and it’s a brand new world.
Who are the West Memphis Three and what will they do now that they are facing freedom?
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Damien Echols was 18 years old at the time of his arrest. Rambunctious as a youth, Damien was charged with burglary when he and his girlfriend broke into a trailer during a rain storm and the pair was arrested. A rebel in his own right, Damien railed against the ultra conservative, Evangelical Christian cultural of West Memphis; he listened to rock and grunge music and was a fan of fiction.
While incarcerated Echols published his memoirs, Almost Home: My Life Story Vol. 1. A collection of his poems has appeared in the Literary Arts magazine and he has written non-fiction for the Arkansas Literary Forum.
At the time of his conviction Damien received the harshest of penalties, he was sentenced to death.
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Jessie Misskelley, Jr. was 17 years old at the time of his arrest. Like Damien, Jessie was rowdy as a teenager having been arrested for vandalism, shoplifting and being involved in numerous fistfights around West Memphis.
Jessie had a well known reputation in West Memphis on account of his anger. The court sentenced Jessie to life plus 40 years in prison, but now he’s a free bird.
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Jason Baldwin was 16 at the time of his arrest; dropping out of school along with Jessie, Baldwin was a talented artist when it came to sketching and drawing; he had high grades and was even encouraged by many teachers to study graphic design in college.
Jason was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
