'West Memphis Three' Freed After 18 Years
It's official, folks! After 18 long years of incarceration, The West Memphis 3 have finally been freed.
For those of you unfamiliar with The West Memphis 3, they are a group of men who were tried and convicted as teenagers on May 5, 1993 for the murder of 3 young boys. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, while his friends Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. were sentenced to life in prison.
The case against them was largely built upon compromised evidence, shoddy detective work, coerced confessions and blatant prejudice. The murders were suspected to be a part of an occult ritual, a theory built entirely on the teenagers wardrobe choice - dark clothing which included heavy metal t-shirts.
The fight for The West Memphis 3's innocence is something that has attracted global attention from not only the general public, but celebrities like Johnny Depp, Steve Earle and Henry Rollins. Aside from the 3 HBO documentaries covering the case, it has also spurred countless punk & metal acts to put out recordings in support of the WM3 (the most famous of these being the Black Flag compilation Rise Above).
An official statement found on their official website:
"This morning, in a courtoom in Jonesboro, Arkansas, all parties involved in the ongoing legal cases of the West Memphis Three have agreed to a plea agreement, which has resulted in the immediate release of all three men.
We will post more details here as we compile them. For more immediate information, please visit the splash page on WM3.org, for a running list of articles posted by various major news outlets pertaining to this ground-breaking event.
We would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported the West Memphis Three over these past 18 years!
More to follow, very soon."
If you wish to learn more about the case of The West Memphis Three, visit their official website for all the details. Or, visit the wikipedia page for the TL;DR version.
On behalf of Metal Storm, we'd like to wish Damien, Jessie, and Jason a congratulations on their reclaimed freedom.
For those of you unfamiliar with The West Memphis 3, they are a group of men who were tried and convicted as teenagers on May 5, 1993 for the murder of 3 young boys. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, while his friends Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. were sentenced to life in prison.
The case against them was largely built upon compromised evidence, shoddy detective work, coerced confessions and blatant prejudice. The murders were suspected to be a part of an occult ritual, a theory built entirely on the teenagers wardrobe choice - dark clothing which included heavy metal t-shirts.
The fight for The West Memphis 3's innocence is something that has attracted global attention from not only the general public, but celebrities like Johnny Depp, Steve Earle and Henry Rollins. Aside from the 3 HBO documentaries covering the case, it has also spurred countless punk & metal acts to put out recordings in support of the WM3 (the most famous of these being the Black Flag compilation Rise Above).
An official statement found on their official website:
"This morning, in a courtoom in Jonesboro, Arkansas, all parties involved in the ongoing legal cases of the West Memphis Three have agreed to a plea agreement, which has resulted in the immediate release of all three men.
We will post more details here as we compile them. For more immediate information, please visit the splash page on WM3.org, for a running list of articles posted by various major news outlets pertaining to this ground-breaking event.
We would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported the West Memphis Three over these past 18 years!
More to follow, very soon."
If you wish to learn more about the case of The West Memphis Three, visit their official website for all the details. Or, visit the wikipedia page for the TL;DR version.
On behalf of Metal Storm, we'd like to wish Damien, Jessie, and Jason a congratulations on their reclaimed freedom.
| wm3.org |
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| bluegreengod Account deleted |
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| Introspekrieg Totemic Lust Posts: 2747 From: USA  |
Great new release! I guess that's why, no matter how long you are interrogated, never confess to a crime you didn't commit. Makes sense right?
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| BitterCOld The Ancient One Posts: 15250  |
Glad they are (finally) free... and while hank and depp and others lead public support, it was apparently peter (LOTR) jackson and his wife that pushed (and paid for) a shit ton of behind the scenes work to get them freed.
---- get the fuck off my lawn. Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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| Valentin B Iconoclast Posts: 10084 From: Czech Republic  |
So if i understood correctly, the defining factor in declaring these guys guilty was being social outcasts in an otherwise redneck-filled Arkansas shithole?
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Posts: 9718 From: Canada  |
Written by Valentin B on 20.08.2011 at 08:55 Obviously prosecution attorneys can make it more elaborate than that...But essentially, yes.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| LeChron James Helvetesfossen Posts: 3561 From: USA  |
REFUSE TO LOSE! WEST MEMPHIS THREE FOR THE WIN!
---- Kick Ass, Die Young Less is More Stay Pure Stay Poor Music was my life, music brought me to life and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life. When I die there will be a final waltz in my head that only I can hear.
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Posts: 11835 From: Portugal  |
I saw this earlier somewhere. I think I vaguely remember them. Still, it's amazing what can happen to you.
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| Dark Blood The Avenger Posts: 1435 From: Portugal  |
Good news. They are a good example of how flaw the system is, and how persistent we can be to get to the truth. Good luck to them.
---- It is humanity who must pay homage to the greatness of the Universe... not the Universe to the human narcissism. 
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| @gent_-_orange Posts: 905 From: UK  |
Thank fuck for that... Poor guys wont be able to get those years back but I wish them a peaceful life.... Its good to see them free, I hope they are Compensated for this.
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| Darkside Momo Retired Posts: 9087 From: France  |
I didn't knew the story beforehand, but I'm glad they're free. A great day for justice!
---- My Author's Blog (in French)  "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you" "I've lost too many years now I'm stealing back my soul I am awake"
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| Cynic Metalhead Paisa Vich Nasha Posts: 6808 From: India  |
Written by Guest on 20.08.2011 at 07:37 Where can I get to listen their stuff??? ( Reply with the link) Thanks 
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| TrollandDie Posts: 274 From: Ireland  |
Still doesn't pay up for their near two decades of incarceration. The fact they had to pleed guilty so they wouldn't receive compensation by the state makes me mad as fuck. Their best years have been behind bars and nobody is going to take the blame. Fuck that shit. Fuck those Bible-bashing retards and their stupid paranoid, ignorant claims of satanism.
---- Hello, my name is Mr......Snrub and I think it would be a capital idea to invest the money back in the nuclear plant.
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| Dark Blood The Avenger Posts: 1435 From: Portugal |
Written by TrollandDie on 21.08.2011 at 02:11 I totally agree with you. It's too late for justice now. The damage is done and those 18 years won't come back for them. It's so stupid and revolting to see innocent people spend this much time in solitary confinement without any proof that they were guilty of any crime. If being different and being bashed with unfair rumours is a crime, they are certainly guilty. But not guilty of killing little kids. EDIT: If there's a crime in all this, is the crime of wasting young innocent people's lives and the ones responsible for that are the ones that should be pleed guilty and face the consequences. Of course that's never gonna happen, but I think someone must take responsibility for this kind of sad cases.
---- It is humanity who must pay homage to the greatness of the Universe... not the Universe to the human narcissism.
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Posts: 11835 From: Portugal |
I actually watched the first HBO documentary about it yesterday. And so no-one found out who the real killers were? Because that to me is what worries me the most. We all know the systems fails.
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| Dark Blood The Avenger Posts: 1435 From: Portugal |
Written by BloodTears on 21.08.2011 at 11:10 Yeah I noticed that as well. The story behind all this is focused solely on whether the WM3 are guilty or not, instead of finding out who the real killers are. At least that's whats the media is transmitting to the public. System fails indeed...
---- It is humanity who must pay homage to the greatness of the Universe... not the Universe to the human narcissism.
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Posts: 11835 From: Portugal |
Written by Dark Blood on 21.08.2011 at 16:08 I'm gonna watch the second documentary tonight. Apparently the other one, the third, will be released in 2012. Anyway, I'm stunned people don't care about the fact that there's a sicko on the loose, which people have ignored. The whole thing is creepy, but the fact that the person who did this walks freely is even creepier.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Posts: 21306 From: Canada  |
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| bluegreengod Account deleted |
bluegreengod
Account deleted Written by Cynic Metalhead on 20.08.2011 at 23:33 Umm...that was actually a sarcastic reaction to a story that I found had quite little relevance to metal news. Sorry for the confusion. 
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Posts: 9718 From: Canada |
Written by Guest on 22.08.2011 at 07:23 Apologies, from now on we'll try and keep the news section 100% only about new album updates and tour announcements. World news that doesn't strictly involve specific metal bands but is just relevant to the interests of metalfans has no place on a metal website.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Posts: 21306 From: Canada |
Written by Doc G. on 22.08.2011 at 19:28 It's about damn time, I say! I'm tired of all this bullshit nonsense you think qualifies as "news". Jack Layton died today. Wanna post that too? xoxo
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Posts: 9718 From: Canada |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 22.08.2011 at 19:35 Certainly. Canada's only remotely qualified potential leader who wasn't cantankerous & senile or just flat out evil. To rephrase that to make it MS news worthy; The only party leader Metal enough to lead Canada.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Posts: 21306 From: Canada |
That might just be crazy enough to work! *evil laugh*
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| bluegreengod Account deleted |
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Posts: 9718 From: Canada |
Quote: The point was metal fans can directly relate to this as metal fans, not as people who happen to be metal fans. Persecution based on image choice is something a lot of us here can relate to. The fact that the WM3 were metal fans who were sent to prison based almost solely on that fact makes this a news piece of direct interest to metal fans. Do I actually need to break things down further?
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| Spirit Molecule spirit molecule Posts: 1918 From: India  |
Never really followed this, but its great that they are finally free. It's really sad to see innocent people lose their lifes to a flawed justice system while the guilty walk free. Can't even imagine what they went through those 18 years in prison, its something that can't be changed. Considering they took the deal where they can't really sue any of the prosecutors or police officers involved in the case sucks as well. But atleast they are free.
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| Daggon Underpaid M.D. Posts: 1689 From: Mexico  |
Holy shit, just imagine to lose 18 years of your life in prison for no reason at all, that's terrible...
---- "Les vers savent qu'ils n'ont pas d'ailes, c'est pour cela qu'ils se cachent sous terre"
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