Viable suspect: Damien Echols

[Compassionate Reader]

I'll bet that she and Damien are happy and that she's very glad he's out of prison. At least, from all of the pictures and articles I've seen, they look happy to me.

 

[MsFacetious]

I'll bet that she and Damien are happy and that she's very glad he's out of prison. At least, from all of the pictures and articles I've seen, they look happy to me.

And if they are not, we will surely find out later.
Just like we have with many other couples who didn't last once circumstances changed... and they were actually living together.

There have been other couples who didn't last once the wife managed to get the husband released from life without... or death row.
Even if they were married before the arrest.

I think she is a bit too emotional and involved to have just been in it for the fame and money though.

For 16 years she sacrificed time, money, a chance to get married and settle down.
She had to deal with society judging her for her choices whether he was in prison or not. Now she still has to deal with that.

She could have married a rich man and gotten money a whole lot faster than that.
I think there is a genuine reason she has stayed for 16 years.

Oh... and my 85 year old grandmother in law??? (I am married to an IT guy.)
Gets a computer virus at least once a week... because she is constantly deactivating her pop up blocker, or firewall... and having a pop up, or email attachment give her a virus. :banghead:

Then at least once a month we get a "My PC has been infested by naked individuals and they are NOT even attractive ones!" phone call. :waitasec:
And she is familiar with the technology... I can't even imagine if we had just handed it to her what would have happened.

 

[Pensfan]

IMO, she started desired celebrity status and later realized there were millions of dollars involved.


"Women who marry death row prisons love the celebrity status," said Jack Levin, a criminologist who is director of the Brudnick Center on Violence at Northeastern University in Boston. Levin is co-author of the book "Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder," which explores, among other things, what Levin called "killer groupies."

"These are the same women who might correspond with a rock star or a rap artist," Levin said. When such a woman writes to a rock star, he said, "the best she can hope for is a computerized signature on a photograph." When she writes to a serial killer on Death Row, "she might get a marriage proposal."

And Death Row inmates have no shortage of suitors. In fact, the more notorious the murderer, the less he has to work for female companionship, San Quentin spokesman Eric Messick said.
http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-03-...th-row-san-quentin-state-prison-laci-peterson





From this interview with Lorri:
http://www.arktimes.com/gyrobase/the-architect-and-the-inmate/Content?oid=1886039&storyPage=1
-Her parents are deeply religious and her dad describes her as “a rebel at heart”. (This fits perfectly. She decided to go after a serial killer because it would meet two of her needs. One need was to obviously frighten and upset her parents and the other was to achieve celebrity status.)

-She stated that she was attracted to Damien because they were kindred spirits. (No. She also admitted in this interview they had nothing in common. She was a hoping to achieve celebrity status.)

“It's funny. I didn't realize it then, but Damien told me later that for the first year of our correspondence, most of the time he didn't have the slightest idea what I was talking about! "For example, I would tell him stories about things like taking a weekend trip to Monticello, and visiting a garden in D.C. called Dumbarton Oaks, and he would respond with how he didn't know anyone who would even walk out their back door to see a garden, let alone drive for five hours. "We were coming from such different worlds.....”
(She just described how they were obviously not kindred spirits. She was a seeking celebrity status.)

-"I decided to leave New York about a year and a half after I first met Damien. I can't really say what prompted it. There came a time, after I'd known him for a while, that I realized this was what my life was going to be." (She left everything, but had no idea why? I know why. She was seeking celebrity status.)

-"I was leaving a great job, all my friends, my home - a city I loved. Yet I knew it was the right thing. At that time we weren't talking about marriage." (She left everything to be with a man on death row who killed three children and there wasn't even a guarantee of marriage or any commitment. Leaving everything would be worth it if she could eventually become a celebrity.)

 

[Compassionate Reader]

It is very strange to me that one person can read something and see someone "seeking celebrity status" while other people, when reading the same thing, can see a woman who was drawn to help a fellow human being to whom she apparently felt some sort of connection. I just don't see how Lorri has gained such "celebrity status" in return for all of the time and effort that she has put forth on Damien's case.

Yes, she is occasionally interviewed about the case. However, I don't see how those occasional interviews (and the brief celebrity status that they afford) could possibly offset her hours and hours of time spent and effort expended in this cause or be the primary motivation for her actions.

Many couples don't feel immediate closeness when they first meet or speak or exchange letters. Often it is common goals that forge a strong relationship. I believe that Damien and Lorri do have a strong and caring relationship, and I believe that it will last even after the limited celebrity dies. Time will tell.

 

[Satch]

I'm of the opinion that Damien wasn't "on" hardcore porn sites, but, as I intimated before, they just popped up when he was surfing the web. As someone else mentioned, until one learns how to turn a popup blocker on, those things just show up. Sometimes they're "spammed" all over the place, too. It wasn't an impulsive thing on Damien's part at all. Oh, and BTW, Lorri did save him from execution, didn't she? Of course, she didn't do it single-handed, as she pointed out herself in the press conference on August 19, 2011. She had lots of help. I, for one, am happy that I might have been even a small part of that occurrence.

I have some background with computer technology, and it is possible that the system Damian was using could have had viruses or spyware on it, which could very easily result in unexpected circumstances like the porn just showing up. It's going to take him a long time for him to get used to the new technologies. And when I read that less than 25% of computers have proper virus protection and are not up-to-date, that's always an issue.

Satch

 

[claudicici]

I think the whole "why was Damien looking at porn" discussion is ridiculous.
He was obviously talking about pop-ups and having never experienced new technology he was surprised and after 18 years on death row probably pretty excited about it.
The whole claim that Lori is with him for celebrity status is ridiculous as well.
How does she have celebrity status? There's really not that many people that even still talk about the case.Even when they were freed it was not really much news coverage at all.Lori did not fall in love with a serial killer.She fell in love with a man she knows is innocent and misunderstood.

 

[Cazzie]

Does anyone have a link to this interview? TIA...

 

[gladiatorqueen]

I thought they looked quite comfortable and happy together during that interview. People are just seeing what they want to see, IMO. Anyway, he's free now so he can look at porn or whatever else he wants to do, and its nobody's business but his own.

Thank you so much for posting this. Folks really are unbelievable. Sigh.

 

[gladiatorqueen]

That makes me wonder if Lorri had written to other death row inmates besides Damien Echols. If that is her thing, to be a penpal with convicted murderers. For me, I would never even want them to know my name or my address let alone have the desire to write to them.

I'll bet that she never in her wildest dreams ever thought that he would be released and come home, not only that, but going to her home.anic:

Lucky for her it isn't anybody's business.

 

[Cazzie]

That makes me wonder if Lorri had written to other death row inmates besides Damien Echols. If that is her thing, to be a penpal with convicted murderers. For me, I would never even want them to know my name or my address let alone have the desire to write to them.

I'll bet that she never in her wildest dreams ever thought that he would be released and come home, not only that, but going to her home.anic:

It seems unlikely to me that Lorri would work so hard and for so long to get something that she thought was impossible.

My opinion is that Lorri was intrigued by the case, wrote to Damien, and fell in love with him. Hopefully he fell in love with her, too, and they will live happily ever after. :heart: They do have challenges that the usual couple does not have....and they have had blessings that the usual couple does not have...

Life is mysterious...

 

[Compassionate Reader]

Does anyone have a link to this interview? TIA...

It was the "updated" 48 Hours episode. Here's a link:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/48_hours/video/

 

[Cazzie]

It was the "updated" 48 Hours episode. Here's a link:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/48_hours/video/

Thank you!

It just confirms what I have believed since I started following this case.

I see what Lorri sees in Damien. I could have been her, IYKWIM. I hope that they grow old together in happiness. Their love makes me smile.

I am also much impressed with Jason. Have posted it before, but he is a hero for taking the Alford plea despite his stance about being innocent, to save Damien from death.

I think that Jessie may feel much misplaced guilt...gosh bless him as a victim of LE incompetence/corruption...I wish for his healing and happiness.

This whole case is such a travesty...very disturbing that this could happen in my home country.

 

[Mountain_Kat]

I really despise it when people feel they somehow have a right to attack non-players in a case, simply because a spotlight has been shined in these people's faces. There are plenty of other sites where people who want a free-for-all can go to trash innocent people. I make WS's my home because that sort of thing ISN'T allowed or encouraged here.

Just saying.

 

[gitana1]

I came to see what happened on the CBS interview. Instead, it's just tons of back and forth as to whether Damien was looking at porn and whether Lorri is a famewhore or something. Not a word, really, about the interview itself.

This is why I don't like to come on the WMIII threads anymore. Does everyone like to argue with one another? Cause I don't find it fun. As I've said before, there are two steadfast camps and at this point, no one is going to change another's mind. So what is the point?

There is an "ignore" feature. You can put certain posters on ignore and won't have to deal with them anymore. I wish more people would do that, instead of derailing the threads with arguments that go nowhere. Sorry if I am preaching, but it is very annoying to read two pages of a thread and get nothing but circular arguments and one link.

 

[missy_g]

I just think that people find it odd that women would want to marry people who are convicted with murder. Also it seems like a lot of murders/serial killers end up getting married when they go to jail to some woman who starts writing them letters and visiting them all the time.

As far as the interview and future interviews, I would honestly like to see an interview where Lorri isn't there. It seems like she has been in every interview since they have been released. I know the woman dedicated all her time and money to help Damien but honestly she rubs me the wrong way.

I also think Damien over exaggerates a lot but over exaggerating doesn't make anyone a murderer. Being in prison for 18 years on Death Row will definitely change a person and Damien has a hard road ahead of him. You can see that in the new interviews. I also think Damien knows it.

 

[iluvmua]

I question her sanity if she married a man who openly bragged about killing 3 innocent children.

Lorri Echols is only seeing the Damien she wants to see....... makes me wonder if she has even gone over his medical history.

 

[Compassionate Reader]

IF Damien "bragged" about the murders, it was sarcastic. He was a teenager at the time - and an arrogant one at that. I'm glad that I'm not judged by some of the things I said as a teenager - especially those things that I said sarcastically!

 

[justthinkin]

IF Damien "bragged" about the murders, it was sarcastic. He was a teenager at the time - and an arrogant one at that.

There is no IF about it. During his first interview with Larry King, Echols confirmed he probably said it, it being, "I killed those 3 kids, and I'm going to kill two more, and already have one of them picked out."

LK asked why he would make such a statement to which Echols stated it was a joke, and to which, LK stated in so many words, it is hard to imagine 3 children being murdered as the topic for a joke.

The truth is, IMO, no one in their right mind would ever joke about or even refer to 3 children being murdered as a joke, not even a dumb teenager.

Also, IMO, the only type person who would or could joke about something like that is someone who is a good candidate for being incapable of having empathy for others, a sociopath, narcissist, psychopath or whatever you want to call them.

Echols remains arrogant to this day, IMO.

 

[LunaticFringe]

It's probably just me thinking this way but something tells me that there is something wrong now with Damien and Lorri.When I watched the Piers interview I saw a distance between them.

This could be due to the fact that Damien just walked off of death row and needs ample time to adjust to everything and everyone around him.

But my instinct is telling me that the union is in some form of uphevel already.I hope I am proven wrong in due time.Something just isn't right.


I think Jason will be the one to really advance in life.I don't have the same concerns with him as I do Damien and Jessie.Just my humble opinion.

 

[Compassionate Reader]

I used to think that Jessie would have the most trouble adjusting once they were released. However, given his support system, IMO, he'll be fine. I do hope that he gets his GED so he can make more money.

I agree that Jason will do fine, too. If he is not allowed to be an attorney (which is his wish), hopefully he'll be able to do something to help out falsely imprisoned people. IMO, he has come out of his shell considerably since the release. I thought he was very articulate with Piers Morgan.

IMO, Damien is having the most trouble adjusting. I guess it stands to reason as he was in solitary confinement for about ten years just prior to his release. I'm sure that it is difficult for Lorri and Damien right now.

However, I do have faith in them. I hope that Damien can soon start writing again. That will be cathartic for him and will go far in helping him to adjust to his freedom.

Their struggle to adjust is why I hope that they are all three exonerated very soon, maybe shortly after Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory airs. Once they are exonerated, I'm sure things will get much better for them all. I wish them all the best.