"West Memphis Three" To Be Freed After 18 Years

[AeonicSlumber]

Take it as you will, seemss that is usually the case in these forums. And now I'm serious.
But hey it is not like this was a virtually unknown case for 18 f@#kin years. And yes it actually does kind of amaze me when I especially see "metal people" who are unaware of this. Sure I know that things pass by people that just happens but really; all the metal festivals, charities, and bands like A Sound of Thunder selling CDs to raise money for this cause... Seems that the whole metal community would have been aware of this. Just seems odd.
Ok I'm finished, pick that apart now and tell me what I'm actually saying.

And total props to a sound of Thunder for not being oblivious.

While I do agree with you to some extent, at least he took the time to look it up. If you're going to call people out, call out the posters who just wrote "wuy is this" or whatever extent of the text it was. AngraRules clearly got the gist of the story, and while there is more to it, whatever. It's not a pissing contest.

 

[J. Golden]

While I do agree with you to some extent, at least he took the time to look it up. If you're going to call people out, call out the posters who just wrote "wuy is this" or whatever extent of the text it was. AngraRules clearly got the gist of the story, and while there is more to it, whatever. It's not a pissing contest.

Thing is it wasn't calling anybody out. Or a jab at anyone particular. I was just suggesting that there is actually a little more to it than the kids listening to Metallica and getting put away however the story has to be simplified like that for most people to be able to understand it. And it had nothing to do with pissing contest.
By the way you often mention pissing contests, not sure what that's all about.
But Angra guy I was not attempting or meaning to insinuate or whatever, jeez.

 

[AngraRULES]

Thing is it wasn't calling anybody out. Or a jab at anyone particular. I was just suggesting that there is actually a little more to it than the kids listening to Metallica and getting put away however the story has to be simplified like that for most people to be able to understand it. And it had nothing to do with pissing contest.
By the way you often mention pissing contests, not sure what that's all about.
But Angra guy I was not attempting or meaning to insinuate or whatever, jeez.

Ok, but to be fair, it's not like I needed the short version in order to understand it, man. You do sound condescending in your post, though.
I had no clue about the story, I moved to this country 11 years ago and honestly, right now I have too much going on in my life to take time to look up a stupid criminal case from 18 years ago. Yes, all I know about the story is what I read on that article, but if you want to bring me up to date in the full, genius-person version, I'm all ears.

 

[J. Golden]

Ok, but to be fair, it's not like I needed the short version in order to understand it, man. You do sound condescending in your post, though.
I had no clue about the story, I moved to this country 11 years ago and honestly, right now I have too much going on in my life to take time to look up a stupid criminal case from 18 years ago. Yes, all I know about the story is what I read on that article, but if you want to bring me up to date in the full, genius-person version, I'm all ears.

It wasn't just a
stupid "criminal case". It was a witch hunt pure and simple and what is going on now with what the guys are having to do to get out makes this that much more fucked up.
Secondly; as my brother said this morning while discussing the (getting a detectives point of view) "that could have easily been you". And he is right, it could have been any guy in his or her high school who wore black and listened to metal. Matter of fact I have an episode in my teens that would illustrate how easy it could have been me or anyone in the same situation. So no I can't see it as "just a stupid criminal case".
Further more it goes beyond that showing that witch hunts still occur in this country and are allowed.

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

This is excellent news. I went through something very similar post-Columbine as a metal kid, and was VERY fortunate to have escaped the system and to have had a decent lawyer. Witch hunts do indeed happen and are allowed and are absolutely not limited to any race, religion or so forth. If you want to get even more angry, watch a film like 'Death By Fire'... hooray for Texas.

 

[AngraRULES]

It wasn't just a
stupid "criminal case". It was a witch hunt pure and simple and what is going on now with what the guys are having to do to get out makes this that much more fucked up.
Secondly; as my brother said this morning while discussing the (getting a detectives point of view) "that could have easily been you". And he is right, it could have been any guy in his or her high school who wore black and listened to metal. Matter of fact I have an episode in my teens that would illustrate how easy it could have been me or anyone in the same situation. So no I can't see it as "just a stupid criminal case".
Further more it goes beyond that showing that witch hunts still occur in this country and are allowed.

Gotcha. I agree with you on all of those points dude, but it would've been much easier on everyone if you simply took the 2 minutes that took you to made that reply to simply explain the case as opposed to make your always-so-tactful remarks. Whatever, no harm no foul.

 

[AMBR]

It's absolutely fucking ridiculous that the freedom of individuals is not as important to our justice system as the egos of prosecutors, judges and small town sensibilities.

Fuck everything about this (except them getting out, finally).

It's actually all about the money. The state refuses to acknowledge they fucked up because they would then be sued for wrongful imprisonment and stand to lose millions. So, for that reason alone they offered this "deal" instead of admitting their mistake.

Yes, there is a lot more to this story. The three weren't "just" convicted because they listened to metal. One of them was chosen as a suspect for that reason, and the fact he was dabbling in Wiccan at the time. He was then connected to the other two by some woman, not named. The police harassed the shit out of the three who did not have proper representation and finally the 17-year-old confessed. That was it. They were convicted based on the forced confession of a minor.

Here a New York Times story on the case.

 

[AngraRULES]

Thanks, AMBR!

 

[DuchessOfDork]

Very glad that their out, but what a shame they had to plead guilty. Poor Damian was not in good health and probably just really needed to get out. My band was following this case, because one of the 1st songs I did with them was a charity single that we recorded for them.

 

[freakchylde]

This quote annoys the shit out of me:


If they're able to maintain that they were innocent, that means that there is reasonable doubt. That, by definition, means that there is not enough evidence to convict them.

And based on the DNA evidence that brought about this change, the prosecution definitely doesn't have the evidence to convict.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

It's actually all about the money. The state refuses to acknowledge they fucked up because they would then be sued for wrongful imprisonment and stand to lose millions. So, for that reason alone they offered this "deal" instead of admitting their mistake.

Yes, there is a lot more to this story. The three weren't "just" convicted because they listened to metal. One of them was chosen as a suspect for that reason, and the fact he was dabbling in Wiccan at the time. He was then connected to the other two by some woman, not named. The police harassed the shit out of the three who did not have proper representation and finally the 17-year-old confessed. That was it. They were convicted based on the forced confession of a minor.

No no no, they were pretty much arrested and suspected for the murders because they listen to metal. End of story. Whether or not Echols is actually into occultism, whatever, has never officially been confirmed by anyone. The woman who tied the case together was a private detective paid for by the police and years later admitted to lying about everything she said. Jesse Misskelley, the one who "confessed" it was also severely mentally handicapped and was basically being tortured by the police just to get a confession. His confession is a complete joke, has gaping contradictions to the actual murders. For example, in the "confession" Misskelley says that the boys were tied by ropes, and that they were sodomized, when in actuality there was no sodomy and the boys were tied together by their own shoelaces. He was tortured at the police station for 12-14 hours and forced into giving a bullshit confession to lock away a bunch of savage looking metalheads. You can make all the points you want to sound objective, but this case doesn't have shades of grey. It's black and white innocence, and a blatant modern day witch hunt proving that bigotry holds sway in America.

 

[Dominick_7]

Yes, they listened to Metallica and had criminal records for small petty crimes meanwhile the poor children who were murdered had highly suspicious family members (DNA evidence now supports the theory that one of the fathers could've been the murderer), but it was the metalheads that needed to be made an example of just to close the case and put everyone at ease. It happened 18 years ago, but it is still by all intents and purposes a modern day witch hunt and is one of the most sickening things I've ever seen happen in this country.

This is so messed up. Agree.

 

[Kaosaur]

It's actually all about the money. The state refuses to acknowledge they fucked up because they would then be sued for wrongful imprisonment and stand to lose millions. So, for that reason alone they offered this "deal" instead of admitting their mistake.

Yes, there is a lot more to this story. The three weren't "just" convicted because they listened to metal. One of them was chosen as a suspect for that reason, and the fact he was dabbling in Wiccan at the time. He was then connected to the other two by some woman, not named. The police harassed the shit out of the three who did not have proper representation and finally the 17-year-old confessed. That was it. They were convicted based on the forced confession of a minor.

Here a New York Times story on the case.

I really hope a smart attorney goes after that provision as "unlawful coercion"/duress (from the perspective of contract law) and gets that term voided out and then they can sue the state for just what you're talking about.

I considered what you're saying when I made the above statements but it's still boils down to egos for me.

 

[J. Golden]

Gotcha. I agree with you on all of those points dude, but it would've been much easier on everyone if you simply took the 2 minutes that took you to made that reply to simply explain the case as opposed to make your always-so-tactful remarks. Whatever, no harm no foul.

My "always-so-tactful re,arks" are what they are and I don't apologize for them. I guess it is equal to how several people read things the way they want to hear and understand it.
Ok let's be done with this.

 

[AngraRULES]

My "always-so-tactful re,arks" are what they are and I don't apologize for them. I guess it is equal to how several people read things the way they want to hear and understand it.
Ok let's be done with this.

Good deal. No harm, no foul. Cold beer in a month?

 

[J. Golden]

Good deal. No harm, no foul. Cold beer in a month?

Yes Sir, I'll buy you one.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRgomMXTnoU&feature=player_embedded[/ame]

Bump, my heart is in pieces after watching this. They could have fought it more, but they took this Albert plea to save Echols' life. Apparently he was scheduled to be killed in 3 weeks. :'(

 

[Pellaz]

The story I read stated that at one point Echols had been 3 weeks away from possible execution, but I had the impression that was in the past.

Doesn't matter, the good news is that they're free.
The bad news is that they can't sue for wrongful imprisonment.

 

[DuchessOfDork]

Bump, my heart is in pieces after watching this. They could have fought it more, but they took this Albert plea to save Echols' life. Apparently he was scheduled to be killed in 3 weeks. :'(

Apparently, the reason he keeps putting his hands on his mouth is because of severe tooth pain. For prisoners on death row, the only dental work they get is extraction. So basically, he either has to endure severe tooth pain, or get them ripped out. This is one of the biggest reasons they took the Albert plea; to save him from death, or several more years of suffering on death row.

 

[AMBR]

No no no, they were pretty much arrested and suspected for the murders because they listen to metal. End of story. Whether or not Echols is actually into occultism, whatever, has never officially been confirmed by anyone. The woman who tied the case together was a private detective paid for by the police and years later admitted to lying about everything she said. Jesse Misskelley, the one who "confessed" it was also severely mentally handicapped and was basically being tortured by the police just to get a confession. His confession is a complete joke, has gaping contradictions to the actual murders. For example, in the "confession" Misskelley says that the boys were tied by ropes, and that they were sodomized, when in actuality there was no sodomy and the boys were tied together by their own shoelaces. He was tortured at the police station for 12-14 hours and forced into giving a bullshit confession to lock away a bunch of savage looking metalheads. You can make all the points you want to sound objective, but this case doesn't have shades of grey. It's black and white innocence, and a blatant modern day witch hunt proving that bigotry holds sway in America.

You misunderstood my post. We actually agree. I didn't say they were NOT targeted because they listened to metal, I said it wasn't the ONLY reason they were convicted. The SUSPECTED occult thing was part of the suspicion, not the conviction. The coerced confession was a PART of the conviction and I also said, in my own way, that it was illegal and a result of abuse. Not trying to pick a fight. On the contrary, I think we are in agreement.