Saturday, April 6, 2013
Three Free
I am doing my paper on the infamous story of the West Memphis three. This is criminal case of three teenage boys accused of murdering three little boys in West Memphis Arkansas. I chose this case because of a personal family argument it presented. After watching the documentries several years ago, I made my mind up these three guys had been railroaded. My father's opinion however is very different. You see my dad is friends with the man who was the chief of police at the time, and has known him for many years. My dad says that he, and his police chief buddy, had two conversations concerning this case. One of these conversations took place right after the boys were arrested and the second after they were freed. My dad says his buddy is an honest man who truly believes the three are guilty. Although the defense says that the case was based on no factual information, my dad says there are many things the public will never know pointing to their guilt. I ,however believe they are innocent. I believe that streotypes are powerful, that these boys were wrongfully convicted in what has been compared to a witch hunt. The West Memphis three were released from prison last year. I was among the crowd cheering. The state of Arkansas struck a deal called the Alfred plea, allowing the now grown men to walk free after 18 years in prison, while stating their innocence ,yet still pleading guilty. What a legal robbery. Robbed of their youth, robbed of their character, and the families of the victims robbed of closure. You see the case is closed; they aren't looking for any possible leads or murderers. As far as Arkansas acknowleges they had their murderers, yet they chose to let them go. Many still think they are guilty, but many are like me and believe the system is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, not guilty until proven innocent. Unfortunately, I think the system failed. The system failed not only the West Memphis Three but the little boys that were murdered.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What a great topic! I believe these three boys were profiled and sent to prison unjustly. If there was evidence that was crutial to this investigation, why did they not use it? If it showed that they did it, the courts should have known about it. I think they had evidence on someone else but was already too far in to railroading these boys that they would have looked stupid if they had built a case against 3 underage boys and had been wrong.
ReplyDeleteAgain I agree with Steven. GREAT TOPIC! I only recently learned of the WM3. After watching a documentary on it. I agree with you, I do feel like they were wrongly convicted, and they should be publicly apologized to and compensated for all the time, their life was robbed. It saddens me for them and our justice system. How can we trust the Justice system now? How can they stereo-type those boys just because of the music they listened to and the clothes they wore, when supporting evidence leaned towards someone else. It baffles and sickens me. By letting them go free, the justice system is proving how they were wrongfully accused, and to make them take a guilty plea, is crap and unfair. They deserve so much more!
ReplyDeleteI also believe the three are innocent. I also believe the system sometimes gets lazy when our appearance is not just what they want it to be. These men did not look like the "Brady Bunch" boys; therefore, they were considered guilty. I also think physical proof is of importance. Find the evidence and use it, no matter who it points to. Someone is guilty and I believe the three men will keep looking until the truth comes out.
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely a very controversial topic, almost every other person you talk to has a difference of opinion about whether or not the west Memphis three were guilty or not. That alone to me shows the possibility of their innocence. With that much doubt involved in a case I am glad they were set free.
ReplyDeleteI did not know anything about the case until they were being released. By all the things that I have heard, I believe that it was a mistrial and the men deserved to be set free. The people should have collected all the possible evidence that they could so that the boys did not have to give the state free labor for all those years.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering the same thing Steven mentioned, if there is evidence supporting their guilt, where is that evidence? Is it a fault in our government that evidence obtained in the wrong "circumstances" can't be considered?
ReplyDeleteI have done ALOT of researching on this case, which includes reading almost all of the original trial transcripts. The arrest were made after the confession of Jessie Misskelley ( a 17 year old with the IQ of a third grader)after 12 hours of interrogation without him being read his rights, no parent or council present oh and i didn't mention the police only recorded the last 41 minutes of the 12 hours? No there was no evidence other then hearsay, and now most of the hearsay witnesses have recanted thier original statements. My dad however says they did it.
ReplyDelete