More photos of the West Memphis Three
In May of 1993 three men were tried and convicted of the murders of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas.
The three men involved in convicted of these murders became known as The West Memphis Three, 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.
Fast-forward 18 years later new DNA evidence has come to light, including material from the crime scene, and found no matches to any of the defendants. Now the West Memphis Three could be freed as early as today after spending 20 years in prison.
FREE BIRDS! Two Of The West Memphis Three Will Be Released (PHOTO)
The three men are due in court today for a hearing that could end with their release from prison. Yesterday the father of one of the WM3 victims, Steve Branch said:
“There’s supposed to be a gag order on this but they’re not going to gag me. They can put me in jail if they want to. I’ll go to jail to stand up for my son’s rights.”
Despite being sentenced in 1993 for the murders, many believed the three men were innocent.
