Life for the West Memphis Three - Free After the Alford Plea

[Cappuccino]

Killing snakes in the SW is a normal and important occurance. Many of these small towns even have a rattlesnake roundup every summer. This is not sociopathic behavior like stomping a dog to death. Large snake dens become very dangerous to humans and livestock. Being bitten by a rattlesnake can be deadly or cost the patient $2000+ in antivenom serum. Here is a rattlesnake roundup:
http://www.okeenerattlesnakehunt.com/

Irrelevant.

The point of my post is that Damien was referring to Jason Howard Baldwin in his statement, not Charles Jason Baldwin.

 

[claudicici]

Killing snakes in the SW is a normal and important occurance. Many of these small towns even have a rattlesnake roundup every summer. This is not sociopathic behavior like stomping a dog to death (like Damien did in addition to gutting it, wearing its intestines, and keeping its skull in his room.) Large snake dens become very dangerous to humans and livestock. Being bitten by a rattlesnake can be deadly, can cost the patient a limb (amputation), or cost the patient $2000+ in antivenom serum. Here is a rattlesnake roundup:
http://www.okeenerattlesnakehunt.com/

so crazy,psychotic out of control Damien thinks it's mean to kill a snake.
Maybe that means he values life ? There is no proof Damian killed a dog.

 

[Pensfan]

so crazy,psychotic out of control Damien thinks it's mean to kill a snake.
Maybe that means he values life ? There is no proof Damian killed a dog.

Don't make me pull up all those quotes where Damien and Jessie wanted to kill a hobo "just to see what it felt like". Damien also told Deanna that he wanted to kill someone "just to see what it felt like". Read the link in my signature. In addition, Damien bragged about killing these three little boys and taunted the victims' parents by blowing them kisses inside and outside the courtroom.

 

[claudicici]

Damien did not tell Deanna he wanted to kill someone to see what it feels like instead she claims he said" Damien once told me that he had never killed anyone but wondered what it would feel like." wanting to and wondering are two different things.
Deanna's testimony is obviously completely filled with rage against Damien ,the way a young girl would feel about her ex-boyfriend.Yet she claims"I said that Damien would not have been there he is a coward and would be afraid of going to jail"

 

[SheBoss]

Don't make me pull up all those quotes where Damien and Jessie wanted to kill a hobo "just to see what it felt like". Damien also told Deanna that he wanted to kill someone "just to see what it felt like". Read the link in my signature. In addition, Damien bragged about killing these three little boys and taunted the victims' parents by blowing them kisses inside and outside the courtroom.

It's my understanding that the whole "Damien blowing kisses to the parents of the victims" was because they were yelling at him and calling him names. If I didn't do it, I'd be doing more than blowing them kisses. While I can completely understand their pain, if I was an innocent placed in the position Damien was, I wouldn't be nearly as charming to people who had convicted me without a trial.

 

[Peepers]

Are all 3 of the guys living in West Memphis now? Anyone know?

 

[Compassionate Reader]

Jessie is still in the area, but Damien and Jason have left the state, hopefully for good.

 

[h818]

It's my understanding that the whole "Damien blowing kisses to the parents of the victims" was because they were yelling at him and calling him names. If I didn't do it, I'd be doing more than blowing them kisses. While I can completely understand their pain, if I was an innocent placed in the position Damien was, I wouldn't be nearly as charming to people who had convicted me without a trial.

Like what?

I think I'd be crying and screaming "I didn't hurt your child!" Not blowing kisses and flicking my tongue.

 

[Compassionate Reader]

Like what?

I think I'd be crying and screaming "I didn't hurt your child!" Not blowing kisses and flicking my tongue.

I don't know what I would have done. I hope I wouldn't have "acted out" as Damien did. However, that's what he did. It doesn't make him a murderer. It just makes him what he was at the time - an arrogant, alienated teenager full of angst.

He said on the stand that he didn't murder the kids. That was under oath. They didn't believe him. His reaction is, although certainly not very smart, very understandable.

 

[h818]

I don't know what I would have done. I hope I wouldn't have "acted out" as Damien did. However, that's what he did. It doesn't make him a murderer. It just makes him what he was at the time - an arrogant, alienated teenager full of angst.

He said on the stand that he didn't murder the kids. That was under oath. They didn't believe him. His reaction is, although certainly not very smart, very understandable.

Well, I think that the kisses were blown before Damien took the stand. But yeah, it shows what an arrogant, cocky, uncaring, non-compassionate man he is. Never heard of an innocent person taunting the parents of a child murder victim like that.

 

[SheBoss]

Like what?

I think I'd be crying and screaming "I didn't hurt your child!" Not blowing kisses and flicking my tongue.

I certainly wouldn't be blowing kisses, but I would definately be angry. I would also be screaming, "I didn't hurt your child!", but I have to admit I would say it with pure anger I would imagine. If I were innocent, and these people wanted me in prison (or put to death) I would have little to no sympathy for them at all. But that's just me...

 

[h818]

I certainly wouldn't be blowing kisses, but I would definately be angry. I would also be screaming, "I didn't hurt your child!", but I have to admit I would say it with pure anger I would imagine. If I were innocent, and these people wanted me in prison (or put to death) I would have little to no sympathy for them at all. But that's just me...

Anger would be understandable. Taunting them, toying with grieving parents, will never be understandable to me.

 

[SheBoss]

Well, I think that the kisses were blown before Damien took the stand. But yeah, it shows what an arrogant, cocky, uncaring, non-compassionate man he is. Never heard of an innocent person taunting the parents of a child murder victim like that.

Me, either, h818, but I think as much disagreement as there is on this board, we can all agree that Damien just wasn't right in the head. I'm not saying this excuses him by any means, or that it condemns him, but Exhibit 500 is laid out there for all to see. The boy just had problems. I'm no phyciatrist, but it seems plausible to me.

 

[LunaticFringe]

Me, either, h818, but I think as much disagreement as there is on this board, we can all agree that Damien just wasn't right in the head. I'm not saying this excuses him by any means, or that it condemns him, but Exhibit 500 is laid out there for all to see. The boy just had problems. I'm no phyciatrist, but it seems plausible to me.

He definately had some issues.No denying that.I think he always will.

 

[Wishbone]

It appears to me that he may have expressed his ANGER in an indirect or PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE manner. It’s still anger and understandable if, in fact, he was falsely accused.

 

[justthinkin]

Well, I think that the kisses were blown before Damien took the stand. But yeah, it shows what an arrogant, cocky, uncaring, non-compassionate man he is. Never heard of an innocent person taunting the parents of a child murder victim like that.

I believe there was a another case here on WS just recently where the defendant taunted the parents of his victim while the court was in session. I'm thinking it was a case in Crimes in the News. I don't remember what case it was exactly, but it was this year. I'll go look for it. I just remember briefly scanning it, and remarking to myself how much that reminded me of Echols.

Update: I'm not finding the case I was thinking of here at WS. Didn't pay enough attention to know either the defendant or the victim/s name/s. Only thing recent I could find by googling was this:
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/97536434.html

 

[Compassionate Reader]

Damien was wrong to blow kisses, but the treatment he received from the families was wrong, too. IMO, in both cases the actions were understandable. Bottom line, his actions do not mean that he murdered the little boys. It just means that, typical of many teenagers, he exercised poor judgment in what he did at that particular time.

 

[justthinkin]

Damien was wrong to blow kisses, but the treatment he received from the families was wrong, too. IMO, in both cases the actions were understandable. Bottom line, his actions do not mean that he murdered the little boys. It just means that, typical of many teenagers, he exercised poor judgment in what he did at that particular time.

With all the things Damien did wrong, it appears that he is more disadvantaged in the mental department than even Jessie Misskelley was. Echols actions revealed one of two things if not both, outright ignorance and culpability.

 

[Compassionate Reader]

With all the things Damien did wrong, it appears that he is more disadvantaged in the mental department than even Jessie Misskelley was. Echols actions revealed one of two things if not both, outright ignorance and culpability.

Damien is not mentally challenged by any means. IMO, Echols' actions revealed teen angst and naivete. He didn't believe that he could be convicted for murders that he didn't commit. Unfortunately, he was wrong. He's no longer naive and he no longer suffers from teen angst.

 

[Opp2mystic1]

Just saw this link that gives a little insight into the new HBO documentary and what they are doing now, there is also a good photo of all three together.

http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2011/...s-already-eaten-up-20-years-of-our-lives.html

Kym