The forgotten witch trial

More than 15 years have passed since eight year-olds Steve Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore were found brutally murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas in May of 1993.

At the crime scene, a wooded creek area, the boys were found naked and hog-tied with their shoe laces. They had been severely beaten and Byers testicles were mutilated.

In one of the most radical injustices of all-time, Damien Elchols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin were convicted of the murders and labeled the "West Memphis Three." Elchols currently sits on death row while Baldwin received life without parole and Misskelley received life plus 40 years.

Just last year, DNA collected from the crime scene that was tested was found not to match any of the "West Memphis Three," yet a hair from Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of Steve Branch, was found on the shoe laces that were used to bind the boys together.

But that wasn't enough. On Sept. 10, a circuit court judge rejected claims that the DNA proved the "West Memphis Three" were not guilty.

Why it is entirely possible that the "West Memphis Three" in fact did murder the three young boys, in a court of law the burden is to prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that someone is either guilty or not. In the subsequent trial for the murders and the appeals, this was never accomplished.

The whole idea behind the injustice of this case is that Elchols, Misskelley and Baldwin were convicted due to a so-called "Satanic Panic" that griped the small Bible-belt town of West Memphis. The three wore black and listened to heavy metal in a time where such behavior raised red flags in comparison to modern acceptance of this behavior.

Pink Floyd and Metallica lyrics, Stephen King novels and their interest in heavy metal were all presented as evidence in court as to why these three young men were guilty.

In Echols' case, his interest in the Wicca religion was also used to paint him as a monster.

Misskelley was the sole reason why the three were arrested after being watched for a short period of time. He confessed to the murders and named Echols and Baldwin as accomplices. However, many of the details of the confession turned out to be false. Misskelley was interrogated by detectives for approximately three hours-without being recorded-while interrogators revealed key information of the case to him. Add in the fact that Misskelley's IQ score of 72, which almost qualifies him to be considered legally retarded.

Less than 24 hours after the murders, workers in a Bojangles restaurant less than a mile from the crime scene reported to authorities that an African-American male covered with mud and blood entered the women's bathroom. Even though the man had left before the police got to the scene they did not enter the bathroom or collect evidence until the following day. What evidence that was collected was deemed to be lost in the trial.

A hair identified as that of being of African-American descent was later removed from a sheet that was used to wrap up one of the victims.

During the trial, John Mark Byers, father of Christopher Byers came under speculation of his involvement. During the trial, Byers admitted to giving HBO documentary cameraman Doug Cooper a hunting knife. On the knife a small amount of blood was discovered. Byers claimed to have never used the knife only to recant the statement and claim that he had used it to cut deer meat, only to change his mind later saying that he may have cut his thumb with the weapon.

After the trial, an attorney representing the "West Memphis Three" discovered what appeared to be bite marks on the victims. Byers' teeth had been removed, without a consistent reason for their removal, which pushed him out of the investigation.

An informant, Vicki Hutchenson, even admitted in 2003 that she fabricated her story, which incriminated the three. She claimed that police insisted that if she did not cooperate with them that they would take her child away. She also claimed that when she entered the police station they had photographs of the three hanging on the wall to use as dart targets.

Since the convictions, a small grassroots movement started to earn the "West Memphis Three" a new trial has expanded nationally and globally and even includes celebrities such as Will Ferrel and Jack Black as well as musicians Eddie Vedder and Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks.

While just scratching the surface of this injustice, it certainly proves that a cloud hangs over the convictions of the "West Memphis Three."

This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.