Viable suspect: Damien Echols

[EndlessEnigma]

Profiling is pseudoscience. Douglas is a great detective but Profiling has been demonstrated to be next to nonsense that performs barely above laymen, over and over again. No scientific study of profiling has ever been positive and there's heavy suggestion that Douglas contributed to at least one wrongful conviction (the wrongful conviction was more from faulty bitemark evidence but Douglas claiming absurd things like he knew what car the perp drove certainly didn't help) which fully demonstrated that profiling shouldn't be trusted.

I don't believe the WM3 did it either just pointing out profiling isn't reliable.

If you actually take the time to read through all the documents involved in this case, all the people they interviewed or suspected, all the evidence and witness statements, etc. the police worked long and hard and it was Damiens own words that made him the #1 suspect. He is absolutely guilty. No question in my mind.

 

[DHT1339]

If you actually take the time to read through all the documents involved in this case, all the people they interviewed or suspected, all the evidence and witness statements, etc. the police worked long and hard and it was Damiens own words that made him the #1 suspect. He is absolutely guilty. No question in my mind.

DE was all about shock value. his behavior at the trial is a perfect example of that. his words didn't make him the main suspect though. that was due to him just being "weird" and WMPD hearing all the things driver had fed them about his past

not sure how you could say anyone in this case is "absolutely guilty." especially when there's zero evidence linking him to the crime scene

 

[Catmommy]

When you are being questioned about the murder of three little boys, when you are on trial for the murder of three little boys, when your very life is on the line it is then that your "shock value" behavior needs to be reined in. Was Damien incapable of controlling himself? I think not. Was Damien capable of murder? I think so.

 

[EndlessEnigma]

DE was all about shock value. his behavior at the trial is a perfect example of that. his words didn't make him the main suspect though. that was due to him just being "weird" and WMPD hearing all the things driver had fed them about his past

not sure how you could say anyone in this case is "absolutely guilty." especially when there's zero evidence linking him to the crime scene

I can say it because I’ve read all the evidence and there is evidence linking him to the crime scene. I’m not sure how anyone can just blindly believe rock stars and media who don’t know all the facts.

 

[DHT1339]

I can say it because I’ve read all the evidence and there is evidence linking him to the crime scene. I’m not sure how anyone can just blindly believe rock stars and media who don’t know all the facts.

and what's the evidence linking him to the crime scene?

if you're going to mention the hollingsworth sighting, don't even bother

 

[Nadal]

If you actually take the time to read through all the documents involved in this case, all the people they interviewed or suspected, all the evidence and witness statements, etc. the police worked long and hard and it was Damiens own words that made him the #1 suspect. He is absolutely guilty. No question in my mind.

I've read all of that none of it shows Damien was guilty. It shows Damien had behavioural issues, that's all. I'd challenge you to present your case here for Damiens guilt and i'll dispute it, both using the same source material obviously since you've allegedly read it?

 

[Nadal]

and what's the evidence linking him to the crime scene?

if you're going to mention the hollingsworth sighting, don't even bother

The only thing they have is Jesse mentioning a broken bottle under a bridge. What they fail to mention is the broken bottle wasn't at or near the crime scene it was only in the right direction, Jesse could have broken that bottle there and not have been anywhere near the crime scene, he could have broke it there weeks earlier, he also may have just known there was a broken bottle there. Reading everything paints a picture of Jesse naively thinking he could collect the reward and being railroaded instead because he wasn't very bright.

 

[Catmommy]

Jesse wasn't very bright so he couldn't hold the story of the other two's innocence when he knew that neither they nor he was innocent. Jesse wasn't very bright but he could and did learn with educated, interested people guiding him and he still held on to his truth. Jesse wasn't very bright but he did display morals something no one could accuse Damien of. My opinion is that Damien wasn't the creepy, misunderstood scape goat. He was a creepy, misunderstood child killer. Championing his cause is misguided; even he doesn't champion his cause anymore and hasn't for many years now.

 

[Catmommy]

One thing I've learned from the internet and especially frequenting this sleuthing board; no matter what the evidence is there will ALWAYS be those who take the opposing view, ALWAYS. It makes for interesting discussions.

 

[Nadal]

Jesse wasn't very bright so he couldn't hold the story of the other two's innocence when he knew that neither they nor he was innocent. Jesse wasn't very bright but he could and did learn with educated, interested people guiding him and he still held on to his truth. Jesse wasn't very bright but he did display morals something no one could accuse Damien of. My opinion is that Damien wasn't the creepy, misunderstood scape goat. He was a creepy, misunderstood child killer. Championing his cause is misguided; even he doesn't champion his cause anymore and hasn't for many years now.

Damien made his point after his release then moved on. Not sure what you expect him to do. I'd extend my challenge to you: present your case for his guilt and i'll dispute it?

 

[Catmommy]

Damien made his point after his release then moved on. Not sure what you expect him to do. I'd extend my challenge to you: present your case for his guilt and i'll dispute it?

That is a kind offer ... isn't it? I'll not be taking you up on it because, at this point, we've both had our minds made up a long time. You won't be changing mine and I won't be changing yours. Two juries and an Alford Plea didn't get it wrong though no matter how eloquent your dispute might be.

 

[Nadal]

That is a kind offer ... isn't it? I'll not be taking you up on it because, at this point, we've both had our minds made up a long time. You won't be changing mine and I won't be changing yours. Two juries and an Alford Plea didn't get it wrong though no matter how eloquent your dispute might be.

Not surprising that you said no. We both know it would be an exorcise with a jury and most people would agree with me because your position is irrational.

 

[Catmommy]

Not surprising that you said no. We both know it would be an exorcise with a jury and most people would agree with me because your position is irrational.

see the part about the two juries and the Alford Plea

 

[Nadal]

see the part about the two juries and the Alford Plea

Are wrongful convictions a myth?

 

[Nadal]

Also the Alford Plea shows just how dark those who oppose them are. They expect them to sit in prison or in Damien's case Death Row for a crime they didn't commit. The Alford Plea was to save face for those who convicted him.

 

[happyday]

Also the Alford Plea shows just how dark those who oppose them are. They expect them to sit in prison or in Damien's case Death ******* Row for a crime they didn't commit. The Alford Plea was to save face for those who convicted him.

I agree. They would never have let them out if they didn’t know they had made a “mistake.” No amount of public pressure would make them let true child murderers walk out of prison. That they gave them the Alford Plea tells me everything I need to know.

 

[Nadal]

I agree. They would never have let them out if they didn’t know they had made a “mistake.” No amount of public pressure would make them let true child murderers walk out of prison. That they gave them the Alford Plea tells me everything I need to know.

It was to avoid liability because they knew which way the wind was blowing.

 

[Catmommy]

If the wind was blowing in favor of the three then why plea at all? They had waited that long already. I would think for a big reveal of innocence, disgracing the state and LE and winning a sizable judgment for "false conviction" they could've (and would've) waited a bit longer. Just my supposition.

 

[sk716]

Jesse wasn't very bright so he couldn't hold the story of the other two's innocence when he knew that neither they nor he was innocent. Jesse wasn't very bright but he could and did learn with educated, interested people guiding him and he still held on to his truth. Jesse wasn't very bright but he did display morals something no one could accuse Damien of. My opinion is that Damien wasn't the creepy, misunderstood scape goat. He was a creepy, misunderstood child killer. Championing his cause is misguided; even he doesn't champion his cause anymore and hasn't for many years now.

I don't think you are actually all that familiar with Miskelley's ever changing statements. No modern prosecutor would put any weight behind anything he said. His story changed repeatedly.

I will say, people get very emotional about this case. I'm from Little Rock. I was 20 in 1993 and I spent a lot of time going back and forth to Memphis. The Blue Beacon Truck Wash is still there, but the trees and brush were cleared long ago. I still hate the sight of that piece of land.
I knew a lot of guys like Echols and Baldwin in high school. They came from bad/poor homes and peer pressure was a nightmare in the 80s/90s. They wanted to be tough and edgy so they claimed to be Satanists but mostly just listened to Slayer and wanted to belong to something. I guess I was supposed to be afraid of them, but since I was a bit of an outcast too, I always ended up at the back of the class with the scary guy and we'd joke during class. Maybe it's because I can't see those guys as child killers (and to my knowledge none of them are), I have a hard time seeing DE, JB, and JM as killers.

 

[sk716]

If the wind was blowing in favor of the three then why plea at all? They had waited that long already. I would think for a big reveal of innocence, disgracing the state and LE and winning a sizable judgment for "false conviction" they could've (and would've) waited a bit longer. Just my supposition.

I have an answer to this, but you won't like it. The pressure to retry was SERIOUS. The AG at the time didn't want to risk a new trial where the state ended up slapped with a massive lawsuit when they were exonerated. Whether you believe they were guilty or not a new trial would have exonerated them because too much was mishandled and too many witnesses are dead. The Alford plea got them out of prison and protected the state from the lawsuits. Political expedience always wins.