The West Memphis Three case
The West Memphis Three case involves the 1993 murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. Three teenagers, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley Jr., were convicted in 1994, with the prosecution suggesting the killings were part of a Satanic ritual. Despite their release in 2011 through an Alford plea, allowing them to maintain innocence while acknowledging sufficient evidence for conviction, the case remains officially unresolved, and the actual perpetrators of the murders have not been definitively identified. New DNA testing of evidence is ongoing.
Timeline
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Track this story2025
7 updates
2025
7 updatesEvidence from the West Memphis Three case, including hairs and ligatures, has been sent to Bode Laboratories for advanced DNA testing using the M-Vac system. This follows a court order allowing for new DNA analysis.
Investigative journalist George Jared highlighted specific inconsistencies in Jessie Misskelley Jr.'s confession, noting his low IQ and inaccurate details like stating the victims were tied with ropes when they were not. These details further support arguments for wrongful conviction in the West Memphis Three case.
via youtube.com
The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that Damien Echols has the right to petition for new DNA testing of crime-scene evidence, overturning a previous lower court decision. Subsequently, a Crittenden County judge approved further DNA testing in the West Memphis Three case, including a 'mysterious box of evidence'.
via innocenceproject.org·westmemphis3.com·thv11.com·eurekalert.org
An Arkansas judge approved the retesting of approximately 15 different DNA samples from the crime scene, specifically including the hair of Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of one of the victims.
via youtube.com
A joint agreement has been reached between Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, Jessie Misskelley Jr., the State, and the Innocence Project to proceed with DNA testing of hair and ligatures. A hearing was set for late July 2025 to finalize these arrangements.
via neareport.com
Former lead attorney for the West Memphis Three, Dan Stidham, is now sharing previously unreleased information about the case. This new information comes as new DNA testing has been approved, which could potentially identify the actual perpetrator of the 1993 murders.
via actionnews5.com
An attorney for one of the West Memphis Three argues that 'satanic panic' led to wrongful convictions, citing new analysis suggesting the victims' injuries were caused by animal predation rather than a satanic ritual.
via youtube.com
2024
5 updates
2024
5 updatesNew DNA testing is underway in the West Memphis 3 case, with the potential to exonerate the convicted individuals and identify the actual killer in 2025. A lawyer representing the West Memphis Three has broken his silence, sharing new details and his personal theory that the convicted teenagers did not commit the murders. Damien Echols, one of the West Memphis Three, shares his experiences and speculates that his interest in ceremonial magic may have made him a target.
via youtube.com
A lawyer who represented Jessie Misskelley has recently spoken out, claiming Misskelley's confession contained inconsistencies and impossibilities.
via thv11.com
The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that Damien Echols is entitled to petition an Arkansas court for new DNA testing of crime-scene evidence.
via encyclopediaofarkansas.net·en.wikipedia.org·innocenceproject.org·britannica.com·famous-trials.com
The Innocence Project filed an amicus brief supporting Echols' appeal for testing with new DNA technology, hoping to clear his and his co-defendants' names.
The Arkansas Supreme Court heard oral arguments in January 2024 concerning Damien Echols' request for new DNA testing of crime-scene evidence. Echols' legal team argued that modern DNA technology could identify the true killer.
via arktimes.com
2021
1 update
2021
1 updateIt was reported that physical evidence from the crime scene, requested for new DNA testing by Echols's attorneys, had been lost, misplaced, or destroyed by fire. However, later investigation found most of the evidence still intact.
via encyclopediaofarkansas.net·en.wikipedia.org·innocenceproject.org·britannica.com·famous-trials.com
2017
1 update
2017
1 updateJessie Misskelley Jr., one of the West Memphis Three, was arrested on minor traffic charges in November 2017.
via talkbusiness.net
2011
1 update
2011
1 updateThe West Memphis Three entered Alford pleas, allowing them to maintain their innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict them. They were released with time served and a 10-year suspended sentence, having spent 18 years in prison.
via encyclopediaofarkansas.net·en.wikipedia.org·innocenceproject.org·britannica.com·famous-trials.com
2010
1 update
2010
1 updateThe Arkansas Supreme Court overturned the previous ruling that disallowed new DNA evidence and ordered a new hearing for all three defendants.
via encyclopediaofarkansas.net·en.wikipedia.org·innocenceproject.org·britannica.com·famous-trials.com
2007
1 update
2007
1 updateNew forensic DNA evidence was presented, indicating that most of the genetic material recovered from the crime scene could not be attributed to the victims or the defendants.
via encyclopediaofarkansas.net·en.wikipedia.org·innocenceproject.org·britannica.com·famous-trials.com
1994
1 update
1994
1 updateDamien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley Jr. to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment.
via encyclopediaofarkansas.net·en.wikipedia.org·innocenceproject.org·britannica.com·famous-trials.com
1993
3 updates
1993
3 updatesDamien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley Jr. were arrested and charged with three counts of capital murder. Jessie Misskelley Jr., who has a low IQ, gave a confession after hours of interrogation, which he later recanted.
via encyclopediaofarkansas.net·en.wikipedia.org·innocenceproject.org·britannica.com·famous-trials.com
The naked, hog-tied, and beaten bodies of the three boys were discovered in a drainage ditch in the Robin Hood Hills area. Christopher Byers' body showed signs of mutilation.
via encyclopediaofarkansas.net·en.wikipedia.org·innocenceproject.org·britannica.com·famous-trials.com
Three eight-year-old boys, Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Stevie Branch, were reported missing in West Memphis, Arkansas.
via encyclopediaofarkansas.net·en.wikipedia.org·innocenceproject.org·britannica.com·famous-trials.com
Story began · 33 years, 4 mo ago