Eighteen years ago, three teenagers by the names of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. were arrested for allegedly murdering three young children in some sort of satanic ritual. While there was no DNA evidence to link them to the murder, they were sent to prison mostly because they listened to heavy metal music. For years, celebrities like Henry Rollins and Johnny Depp campaigned for their release, even Hollywood big shot Peter Jackson anonymously donated money for private investigators and forensic studies to prove their innocence.
Today, the boys are finally free! Here is the word from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:
“Three men convicted of the murder of three West Memphis boys have pleaded guilty to lesser charges in a deal with prosecutors that will have them released from prison with time already served.”
A lot has happened in eighteen years. I wonder when the dudes are going to sign up for Twitter accounts.
