West Memphis 3

[Lwrenagain]

One of the saddest and most strange cases, do you have any theories?

So many are credible.

Was that the case where the goth kids were accused of killing other kids? I have vague memories of watching a documentary.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/WestMemphiss_Three

more info is useful

I think Jesse “confessed” because he thought he’d get the reward money. The police knew this but just ran with it. He barely knew Jason and Damien.

I wouldn’t bet my house on Damien being completely innocent.

Mr Bojangles should have been investigated.

@Choppysue the very one!

@HerMammy thank you 😊

@dayswithaY Jesse seems completely vulnerable, I believe his iq put him in the realms of intellectual disability.

Damien was a chaotic young lad wasn't he? I dislike his general vibe but do think he was a victim of satanic panic more so than he was the killer, but his smartarse teenage gob really didn't help him, but ultimately I really don't think he did it.
But I'd never discount it.
I definitely think it was more than one person who killed those wee lads.

I think one of the stepfathers was involved, the whole case is just the absolute worst, I hope those little boys one day get justice.

I've just read about this now.
I have a 9yr old who regularly plays out with his two similar aged friends..something so normal.
Heartbreaking.

I read that the boys were tied up in three different ways. I know that's not conclusive, but would support three different perpetrators.

I think they are guilty.

I can never quite shake the idea Damien had something to do with it and I was a teenage goth, know all about satanic panic, etc. And I mean Damien literally did and still does believe in all that occult stuff although he’s rebranded it as the fuzzy nice side of occultism now.

Damien doesn't give me the greatest vibes in the world, actually I actively dislike him. But I don't think he did it.
I think the police treated Jessie miskelly (sorry if that's spelt incorrectly) appallingly, similar to the brendan dassey making a murderer where no attorney was present and he just agreed to go home. Jessie had a very low IQ, I'm unsure if classed as intellectual disability actually.

I think it was possibly stevie's stepfather due to how badly stevie's body was left in comparison to the other 2 wee boys.
2 of the stepfathers turned on each other, so that doesn't look good for either.

I've looked at where the murder took place when it's been shown on podcasts or documentaries and some people believe you'd have had to have known this spot existed, others have said maybe the killer/s found it opportunistically which is no use really, because its either one or the other.

It's a case that really hurts the soul this one, I think most of us can relate to being 8/9/10 years old and being out on your bike with your pals was so liberating and it was just so adventurous, to have that special time turn so sinister, I don't think it can't leave a sadness in you.

I'm atheist but I hope I'm very very wrong and the kiddos are in paradise 💔😭

Miskelly didn't just confess under interrogation. He confessed (unprompted and in tears) to his friend the day after the murders, to police transporting him, to his own defense lawyer on multiple occasions, to a cellmate. I admit that cellmate information can be dubious, but added together it's a lot. His initial interview and confession lasted 2.5 hours (not the 12 hours suggested by certain documentaries.) You can read the transcripts online. There's nothing to suggest he was treated poorly imo, and certainly not in the egregious way that Brandon Dassey was treated.

*Misskelley, I apologise.

I've seen the Mara Leveritt book, "The Devil's Knot", for sale 2nd hand a lot - does anyone know if it's any good?

Ty! I wasn't sure of the spelling and I'm not wanting to google it, I'll fall down a bloody rabbit hole.

You seem very in the know on this case, have you any thoughts on the theory that turtle bites were to blame for the mutilation on their bodies? It sounds absolutely wild, however, I'd have given the staircase "owl theory" a laugh if I hadn't seen birds attack humans on a few occasions!

@MaudGone no idea pal, but if you do get it can you let me know if its worth the read, please?

I think this case for me is the one that I'd like to see a definitive answer too.
I know jonbenet, Ben, maddy and so many more are in desperate need of closure for many but this case really highlights how many adults are fucking evil, when you can suspect so many because they've all got history of hideous behaviour towards kids.

I've recently been listening to a very good US podcast called Truth and Justice.

I know that they did an entire series about the West Memphis 3, although I haven't listened to that one yet.

It is all very in-depth and there are loads of episodes so they really cover a lot.

Might be worth a listen.

the theory that turtle bites were to blame for the mutilation on their bodies?
The turtle bite theory was largely posited to counter one of the prosecution’s main pieces of evidence – a knife found near one of the accused’s homes which matched some of the wounds on one of the boys exactly. It’s a case built on circumstantial evidence. For me that evidence in its totality adds up to guilt. I think the animal predation theory is somewhat plausible, but it doesn’t cast enough doubt to completely remove the knife from the equation.

This is true and often gets glossed over in the various documentaries about this case. It's worth digging up the transcripts online because you get a real sense that he felt tremendous guilt and confessed to unburden himself.

I think they did it. Misskelley confessed multiple times to multiple people, even unprompted. Echols was a deeply disturbed individual. I also don't believe satanic panic was involved, at least not to the degree it has since been claimed.

Unfortunately I don't think there will ever be a definitive answer on this one, not least because it is officially solved.

I highly recommend reading the trial transcripts and not relying on the documentaries, all of which are biased and some to a degree I find absolutely abhorrent.

I think the boys stumbled across one of the step dads involved in some sort of sexual acts. The documentary/ podcast ( cannot remember which one as seen and heard so many) suggested that there had been other rumours about a group meeting in the forest. I think they killed the boys or if not 'they' then Stevie's step dad. I do not believe the teens did it but it is the case that I would most want solved in my lifetime. Those poor little boys left in that way is haunting and I almost wish I'd never known about this case.

I highly recommend reading the trial transcripts and not relying on the documentaries, all of which are biased and some to a degree I find absolutely abhorrent.

I agree. The documentary I saw was definitely skewed and very conveniently left out any information that pointed to the boys' guilt.

I don't think that they were adequately represented at trial but that's a separate issue from believing that they are innocent.