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West Memphis 3: Free

September 17, 2011 7:45 PM

The stunning final chapter to a dramatic story that began almost 20 years ago. "48 Hours Mystery" correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.

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by habakkuk2222 October 18, 2011 12:09 AM EDT
Will we ever understand the motives behind these women who marry convicts?
She is married to a man who before the murder, applied for and got s.s. due to disabling psychosis.
Echols lifetime psychosis was exhaustively documented by his own appelate team. (google george woods affidavit, read it -- you may form a better opinion on the worthiness of some of these tabloid shows).
Does she understand what the warm and cuddly puppy she saved from the pound will become? Maybe she thinks of the millions in book and media deals.
At any rate it is only right that her, Depp and all care for and support Echols for the rest of his life.
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by l_obrien October 14, 2011 10:35 PM EDT
It also a sad commentary that so-called "investigative journalism" is more about parroting defense handouts and pleadings than it is about finding truth. It was obvious from the first episode of this travesty, "Time for Truth" that Ms. Moriarity never bothered to look at the original trial transcripts, or appellate opinions in the case. She also probably wasn't aware that Terry Hobbs isn't the first step-father targeted by the attorneys representing the three killers. Between 1993 and 2007, the victim of the defense was John Mark Byers, step-father (or adoptive father, depending upon who you talk to) of Chris Byers. In 1999, supporters of the three murderers went so far as to claim that "new evidence" of an alleged human bite mark on Steve Branch's forehead belonged to Byers. Supporters had all kinds of theories about how and why Byers would kill the boys, including that he was punishing Chris for disobedience and Steve and Michael had to be eliminated as witnesses. Fast forward to 2011 and now supporters claim Terry Hobbs killed the boys (punishing Steve, of course) based on a single hair that could have been the result of secondary transfer from Steve's home.

Even the jury misconduct allegations were recycled versions of claims previously made unsuccessfully to the Arkansas State Supreme Court. Echols was also unsuccessful at having his conviction reversed based on his alleged incompetence to stand trial.

https://courts.arkansas.gov/opinions/1996/cr94-848.html
https://courts.arkansas.gov/opinions/1996a/961223sc/cr94-928.html
https://courts.arkansas.gov/opinions/2003b/20031016/cr94-928.htm
https://courts.arkansas.gov/opinions/2003b/20031030/cr991060.htm
https://courts.arkansas.gov/opinions/2005a/20050120/cr94-928.html

It's also interesting that even though the hearings that would have decided whether the alleged "new evidence" was sufficient to undermine confidence in the original verdicts will not go forward and, therefore, there has been no official exoneration of the three, the media is presenting them to the public as though they've been legally exonerated. The guilty pleas on August 19, 2011, mean that they remain legally guilty of the murders.
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by matthewian99 October 13, 2011 9:43 PM EDT
You people who keep spewing out these false "facts" as "proof" that they are guilty are really retarded, you dont know what you are talking about, you are on the same level as the Westboro Baptist Church nuts who picket peoples funerals and say they are going to hell. You should all be ashamed.

These three are innocent, anyone with a brain can see that after going over ALL the FACTS of the case. Not stupid ******** about Damien supposedly killing a dog when he was a teenager and Jessie (who is retarded) supposedly confessing a bunch of times, those are false and untrue rumors. And its proven. But you guys don't choose to see accept that.
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by matthewian99 October 13, 2011 9:43 PM EDT
You people who keep spewing out these false "facts" as "proof" that they are guilty are really retarded, you dont know what you are talking about, you are on the same level as the Westboro Baptist Church nuts who picket peoples funerals and say they are going to hell. You should all be ashamed.

These three are innocent, anyone with a brain can see that after going over ALL the FACTS of the case. Not stupid ******** about Damien supposedly killing a dog when he was a teenager and Jessie (who is retarded) supposedly confessing a bunch of times, those are false and untrue rumors. And its proven. But you guys don't choose to see accept that.
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by angelica2011 October 11, 2011 5:38 AM EDT
jonny depp and others famous people influince it, they ned to stay out of it
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by dismoitout October 10, 2011 5:38 PM EDT
It is a very sad commentary on "justice" in the world when there has to be a "wink and a nod" (can't remember the legal term) legal mumbo jumbo allowing someone to plead both guilty and innocent at the same time. It should also be a warning to stupid teenagers who would fail to see the danger in pushing the envelope and making jokes that would lead others to believe them guilty of a crime. The MOST amazing is the woman who would give up her job and marry a man who was on death row---all the while believing in his innocence and working to free him. She is truly the most amazing woman on earth and a miracle as her husband declares.
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by mooshoolol October 7, 2011 8:50 PM EDT
Most of their supporters are females with crushes on Echols, Depp, and Vedder.
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by alonendontwannabe October 2, 2011 2:26 PM EDT
Why do people still insist that these men are guilty of this crime when there is not a shred of evidence tying them to these murders? Will someone who believes they are guilty please tell me what physical evidence puts these three at the crime scene? Generally murders such as this one are some kind of sex crime committed by a single individual, definitely not cult related committed by multiple parties.
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by cosmic-teapot October 1, 2011 2:53 AM EDT
Could someone please point me in the direction of all this overwhelming evidence against these three? I don't mean the 'confessions', which were not admissable in court or 'Exhibit 500', which could decsribe half the teenagers I know- who have never killed anyone.
I mean actual physical evidence that links any of them to the horrific crime.
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by freetheWM3 September 27, 2011 8:45 PM EDT
To Karlsson33,
Again, I am going to say, WHAT??? I just wish I didn't have to "read your sentences 100 times" just to figure out what you are trying to say. It's so funny you mention that supporters think alike. I have heard the exact same thing out of nons, word for word, too many times to count. All I hear is confession this and Echols that. I have yet to hear or see any solid evidence. Yeah Echols had issues and suffered depression, does that make him a killer? No. Jason was shy and easily swayed, does that make him a killer? No. And we all know Jessie had a very low I.Q. and was violent at times, but does that make him a killer? No.

I will leave you with this. Aaron Hutcheson walks into the police station on an unrelated matter. Before he leaves, he ends up telling them that he witnessed the murders by a "playhouse", in the woods. Ends up taking it back, of course. Along with many other statements that lay heavy on this case, and his mother Vicki. The cops interrogate Jessie, and Jessie mentions this "playhouse" in the woods, where the boys were found, (not to mention all the other wrong details in his statements). That to me proves that it was coercion. You know why, because no such "playhouse" was ever found near the scene. As far as the other confessions, no one can answer why, except Jessie himself. Maybe he thought he could still get the reward money, even if he implicated himself in the crime. Look at the Michael Crowe case. This kid implicated himself and two of his friends. By the time his interrogation was done, his chilling words were, "I just know that I killed her." Through DNA it was proven that it was, Richard Tuite. Either they had this kid thinking he, in fact, murdered his sister. Or he just admitted to it, so he could go home. Either way, it does happen...
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