Supposition is no substitute for evidence. That said, have you ever considered the possibility that the two affidavits from imprisoned rapists which you cite as evidence are nothing more than lies?
I do not believe that the new affidavits are 100% accurate and have said so. The affidavits were given years after the encounters with L. G. and Buddy and, since neither Bennie nor Billy had any real reason to remember every little detail (just as Damien had no reason to remember his every movement prior to the revelation of the murders), it is possible that there are mistakes in these documents. However, I
do believe that the affidavits
did accurately identify the killers. Also, there is no credible evidence proving that Damien, Jason and Jessie committed these murders. All that was given was Jessie's lame stories, fiber evidence (which has since been disproved -
source) and anecdotal evidence from the likes of a couple of 'tweens and a drug addict who has since recanted.
That's basically what I've said. More correctly: the bodies would've decomposed more due to exposure to air and likely at least slightly warmer temperatures.
Sorry. I was unclear. If the bodies were in a manhole, there would have most likely been water at the bottom of the manhole. Underground it would have been cooler than in the drainage ditch, not warmer. Ever been in a basement in the summer? So, the lack of decomposition
supports the manhole theory.
If I was ever in Arkansas it was just passing through with my parents when I was around 3 or 4 years old. However, I've checked recorded temperatures in West Memphis for
5/5/93 and
5/6/93, and the high on the 5th was 73 °F, it dropped to 59 °F over the night, and topped out at 82 °F the next day. I've come in contact with many bodies of water under such conditions throughout my years, only the ones which weren't artificially heated weren't rather cool, particularly so from shortly after sunset to a while after sunrise.
So, on May 6, 1993, to day the bodies were found, it was 82 degrees. That's pretty hot. Also, it rained on the fifth, IIRC. The humidity would make the heat index several degrees hotter. So, in short, it was hot. I've been in bodies of water, too. IMO, unless they are artificially cooled, I'd consider them warm. They may be cooler that the air temperature, but not usually by much.
The WMPD wasn't in charge of the luminol testing, but rather it was "conducted by the Arkansas State Crime Lab" as mentioned in
the order where it was excluded from the Baldwin/Echols trial among other documents.
I don't trust them, either!
It doesn't say if any one be conclusive regarding blood soaked soil though, and unless such an agent was available prior to the trials one can't rightly blame the investigators for a failure to follow up regarding the testing.
You're trying to draw a red herring across the trail. The point is that Luminol testing alone is not admissible evidence of the presence of blood. There were other tests available that would have been admissible, but the ACL didn't perform those tests. So, the Luminol evidence is not proof of anything.