The state of Arkansas knew the conviction was to be overturned when the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled the way they did. That meant that WM would have to bring the three to trial again. They knew they would lose the retrial because the original conviction was based on no physical evidence and relied exclusively on "those three are different." I am aware that your expertise in crime goes way beyond that of John Douglas, am sure of it. However, if the state thought these guys were guilty they would have never agreed to an Alford plea. Three boys were slaughtered and you think these three guys did it, and you agree to let them go? Get real. The Alford plea was meant to squash wrongful conviction lawsuits. But please, instead of regaling us in all that you have read, specifically layout the evidence that proved these boys did it. I do not pretend to know for sure, but I like the pretensions of some people. Lay out the case that proves beyond a reasonable doubt.
No, they didn't. That's why it was going to go a re-trial -- until the defense presented the Alford plea. The ASC ruled that way because they felt that "all evidence -- even new evidence -- should be considered." But they didn't "know the conviction would be overturned," because it never even was; and it never had the possibility to be overturned once the state accepted the plea.
The state agreed to the Alford plea because they would have been at a complete disadvantage at a re-trial more than 20 years after the crime had occurred. The deterioration of evidence, the death of key witnesses from the original case, including Lisa Sakevicus, would have severely handicapped their chances to keep what they perceive as child killers behind bars; so they did the next best thing: they accepted the Alford plea, which is no joke. If any of the 3 so much as sneeze wrong, they go right back in prison -- which is better than if they got off entirely.
It wasn't "Arkansas" that decided not to pursue another trial. They were ready to go to trial, even though they were at a disadvantage. It was the defense that didn't want to go to trial, even though they were at an advantage. That should say a lot right there; they were the scared ones who thought the WM3 might get re-convicted, so they initiated the plea -- not the state. This is undeniable. This case would have gone to trial, if the defense never initiated the Alford plea -- both sides have admitted this clearly.