Viable suspect: Damien Echols

[Catmommy]

That's where you lose me - if a new trial would have truly "exonerated" them then why did they take the plea? They didn't have to.

 

[DHT1339]

That's where you lose me - if a new trial would have truly "exonerated" them then why did they take the plea? They didn't have to.

take the plea, get out of prison after 17 years, and move on? or go through yet another trial over something that had and always will hang over them. i have a feeling it wasn't a very tough choice for them to make

also, there is absolutely zero chance that they would've been released if the state had even the slightest (and i mean slightest) bit of evidence that they committed the crime. and don't come at me with the "celebrity pressure got them released" BS

 

[Catmommy]

But isn't one of your points is that if retried they would have been exonerated?

 

[sk716]

But isn't one of your points is that if retried they would have been exonerated?

Dustin McDaniel (the AG at the time) is a stickler for language and meaning. If you wanted to get a ballot measure approved, McDaniel went through it like a tweeked out English professor and I mean that affectionately, but anybody who wanted to get anything on the ballot loathed McDaniel's obsession with extreme clarity. He wanted no mistakes, no court fights, no poorly thought out idiocy he'd have to defend in court.
With that in mind, understand that McDaniel could have drug out a chance at a new trial until his term expired. The follow up AG is an absolute psychopath. So they would still be fighting for a new trial right now if they hadn't taken the Alford plea. McDaniel, wanted them freed and found the best way to make it happen.

 

[Catmommy]

The state had tried them twice - 24 different people heard and saw evidence that found them guilty. It would have been expensive to try them again. The Alford plea, while not admitting guilt, is actually a guilty plea in which a defendant maintains their innocence but admits that the prosecution's evidence would likely result in a guilty verdict if brought to trial. They all three had to take it of none of them got it and all three took it. There's a big difference in releasing kid killing pedos into society versus three screwed up teenagers who killed three little boys in a sudden opportunistic crime and have already spent almost twenty years in prison. I don't believe for one moment they'll reoffend even though Damien now makes his life and living all about High Magick.

 

[DHT1339]

The state had tried them twice - 24 different people heard and saw evidence that found them guilty. It would have been expensive to try them again. The Alford plea, while not admitting guilt, is actually a guilty plea in which a defendant maintains their innocence but admits that the prosecution's evidence would likely result in a guilty verdict if brought to trial. They all three had to take it of none of them got it and all three took it. There's a big difference in releasing kid killing pedos into society versus three screwed up teenagers who killed three little boys in a sudden opportunistic crime and have already spent almost twenty years in prison. I don't believe for one moment they'll reoffend even though Damien now makes his life and living all about High Magick.

and why exactly would the state of AR release them if they had evidence they committed the crime?

they got the chance to get out of prison and they took it, like anyone else would've done

 

[Catmommy]

They're guilty. They were found guilty twice by two different juries. They plead that they would most likely be found guilty if tried again. They did eighteen years in prison. They are not likely to kill any more little boys ever again. They were released to shut up people who said "oh poor fellows, they got railroaded". Releasing them saved the state money on yet another trial and may have saved some face too. They're guilty and will always be guilty, a matter of record, history and fact.

 

[sk716]

They're guilty. They were found guilty twice by two different juries. They plead that they would most likely be found guilty if tried again. They did eighteen years in prison. They are not likely to kill any more little boys ever again. They were released to shut up people who said "oh poor fellows, they got railroaded". Releasing them saved the state money on yet another trial and may have saved some face too. They're guilty and will always be guilty, a matter of record, history and fact.

Have you read these documents?

Home

It's everything, psych records, police files, court transcripts, MisKelley's ever changing statements, everything. You have to read it all.

 

[DHT1339]

They're guilty. They were found guilty twice by two different juries. They plead that they would most likely be found guilty if tried again. They did eighteen years in prison. They are not likely to kill any more little boys ever again. They were released to shut up people who said "oh poor fellows, they got railroaded". Releasing them saved the state money on yet another trial and may have saved some face too. They're guilty and will always be guilty, a matter of record, history and fact.

they were released to please people? there are lots of people in jail who have gotten lots of public support and stuff like that, why haven't they all been released too?

the alford plea was the best case scenario for both sides. it got the WM3 out of jail and it saved the state of AR from the numerous lawsuits that would've come as a result of the WM3's exoneration. you honestly believe the state released them despite having evidence they committed the crime?

 

[Catmommy]

Yes, yes, I believe that after 18 years in prison the state released them despite having evidence they committed the crime. Murderers serve time and get released somewhere every single day (except weekends, of course). This is not my opinion, this is my experience and fact.

 

[sk716]

Yes, yes, I believe that after 18 years in prison the state released them despite having evidence they committed the crime. Murderers serve time and get released somewhere every single day (except weekends, of course). This is not my opinion, this is my experience and fact.

What I'm hearing here is that you haven't actually read any of the case documents. They are all online and easily accessible at the link I posted above with no commentary either way.

 

[Catmommy]

Your assumption is wrong but I have not read ALL of it (the site you submitted) no

 

[Catmommy]

Respectfully, if the West Memphis Three don't care about proving their innocence why do you?

 

[DHT1339]

Yes, yes, I believe that after 18 years in prison the state released them despite having evidence they committed the crime. Murderers serve time and get released somewhere every single day (except weekends, of course). This is not my opinion, this is my experience and fact.

and where's the evidence that they committed the crime? as far as i know, there is no evidence whatsoever linking them to the crime and the crime scene. just a bunch of "confessions" from JM that just so happened to become more and more accurate as the trial went on and more info came out

Respectfully, if the West Memphis Three don't care about proving their innocence why do you?

what makes you say they don't care about proving their innocence? because they took the alford plea instead of waiting for what could've been years and years for a new trial that probably would've never happened anyways? something tells me that if you were in jail for almost 20 years, you'd take the first chance you got at getting out too. just last year they were on the ruff miniseries saying they'd be on board with having evidence retested. what more do you want them to do?

 

[sk716]

Your assumption is wrong but I have not read ALL of it (the site you submitted) no

Since you seem to think that Jesse MisKelley's word is gold and that there seems to be some magic physical evidence that proves DE and JB are evil vicious killers, I don't think you've read any of the actual documentation.

 

[Catmommy]

<modsnip> The point of the post I made about Jesse was that Jesse, despite being not too bright, demonstrated morals, of a sort, something Damien was incapable of. As for them getting on with their lives, of course they should and they have. <modsnip> My opinion only.

 

[Catmommy]

I know they are guilty and always will be.

 

[DHT1339]

I know they are guilty and always will be.

how do you know that?

i'll ask again, where's the evidence they committed the crime? you said you believe there is evidence that would prove they committed the crime

 

[sk716]

I know they are guilty and always will be.

You don't know anything.

I don't KNOW that DE, JB, and JM are innocent. But there is certainly not enough evidence in this case to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they committed any murders.

 

[Catmommy]

Whether righteous or not the West Memphis Three were found guilty at trial.