For WM3 supporters re if Echols admits guilt

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Cappuccino,

I think Ellison <modsnip> answered the question. He admitted that they would have been found not guilty in all probability at a new trial. Oh, he waffled and said it was because key witnesses had either changed their story or died in the intervening eighteen years, but he said that a new trial would have resulted in an acquittal for all three. I don't like the plea deal, but at least they're free!
 
FREE AT LAST FREE AT LAST THANK GOD ALMIGHT THEY'RE FREE AT LAST
Thank you Dr. King. :)
At least justice was done. I don't care what they had to plea...they should have NEVER EVER EVER been convicted of this crime. What a witch hunt,..................with no evidence and no DNA.
 
I never believed these three men were guilty of anything more than being different and probably smoking a little weed. They did not deserve this. It was a travesty of justice.

The real killers(s) walk free and the victims have never ever had justice. But at least the innocents who have been robbed of half of their lives are free men tonight.

I hope the Alford plea allows them to sue the crap out of Arkansas and West Memphis. It is the least they deserve for nearly 20 years of wrongful imprisonment.

My .02.
 
At the time of the murders I lived just across the river in Memphis. My son was the same age as the victims. To this day I remember the shock and ice-cold fear that these murders invoked. I also remember the lynch-mob mentality that went on at that time.

I am now a citizen of the State of Arkansas. As such I would have much rather seen my tax dollars spent on a new trial than to see these men forced to Alford out. Headlines are screaming that the three plead guilty to the murders, and that is not so. I am disappointed that they took this way out, but if it were my son who had spent 18 years behind bars for murders he did not commit and he was offered a chance at freedom, I would want him to take it.

I think this is a cowardly way for the State of Arkansas to deal with this highly-sensitive case. I think my state should "man up," admit the first trial was a farce and give the men a chance to legally clear their names. And while I don't know it for a fact, I suspect that this path was taken by the state in large part because it will prove difficult if not impossible for the WM3 to sue the State of Arkansas now.

The thing that makes me the saddest about all this is that now the state will never attempt to arrest and try the true killers. But I take comfort in the fact that no matter how askew our system of justice hangs in this case, the Judge of Judges knows all, and final judgment is in His hands.
 
Unfortunately, the Alford plea makes it impossible for them to sue the State. IMO, that is one of the main reasons that the State was content with this plea. Ellington said so in his press conference.
 
Thanks for verifying that, CR. I have not seen Ellington's statement. Oddly enough a number of Arkansas stations seem to be mis-reporting today's events. Go figure.
 
No problem. I've been watching and listening to developments all day. I hardly slept last night because I was so nervous. Now that the decision is in, although I'm not totally satisfied (I would have preferred that the charges were dropped and the real killer arrested), I'm happy enough. I saw a beautiful picture of Damien and Lorri together, and the smile on Damien's face said it all. It's the fourth picture in this thread:

http://www.wm3blackboard.com/forum/index.php?topic=5470.0
 
Thank you for posting that.I didn't think anything could make me cry more today than Jason's awesome statement.I wish all three of them all the best.I worry though.Especially about Jesse.I don't think he ever fully understood what happened to him.I hope he gets lots of support.I think Jason is awesome.I think we will hear lots of great things from him.
I worry about Damien because I hope he can stay out of the spotlight.I hope he gets peace and I hope he can deal with this world.
And I hope most of all that the truth will be known and that they will pursue the real killer.
 
baldwin stated he didnt feel this is justice but he pled to get damien off of death row. im sure the 3 are stunned about how this is going down but at this point just want to get out of jail. in a new trial there is always the possibility they would not be aquitted and its a chance they probably realize isnt worth taking at this point.
their guilty plea to me doesn't make me feel they are guilty. i would not sit on death row or face life in prision on principal.

i dont think this case will ever be solved nor do i think there will be any further investigation. i can only imagine what is going on in the 3's minds at this time. im sure they thought this day would never come. if damien is truly innocent can you imagine the emotions he must be feeling right now. relief that this day actually came, fear of what is next, anger at the 10 year suspended sentence that can put him back in prision if he breaks any law, anger for not being exonerated, having to plead guilty and knowing that someone got away with murder. 18 years is a long time to sit on death row. i cant even begin to imagine everything that is going on in his mind. i pray that i am right in the feeling the 3 did not commit this crime and if they didnt i hope that they can move past this somehow and make a life for themselves and not let the frustration eat away at their remaining years. and for baldwin...wow..if he is innocent talk about being friends with the wrong person at the wrong time. it's harder for me to feel as much empathy for the one who confessed (im basing this feeling on the 3 being innocent) even though he has dimished mental capacity. he was railroaded supposedly but it was his words that helped seal the convictions. i wonder what he feels. will he contine to say they did it? didn't he continue to admit guilt in prison?

its sad Ellligton thinks the case is resolved. if he is so sure of the 3's guilt why is he allowing this plea? i think he is trying to save face and in doing so may be allowing a killer/ killers to escape being tried for the crime. he claims he thinks the 3 are guilty but is willing to look at new evidence if it points towards any, yet i dont believe him . he just states too many times he thinks the 3 are guilty. to find evidence of another person's guilt would mean he is wrong and i just dont think he is willing to go there. JMO

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/08/19/arkansas.child.killings/index.html?hpt=us_c2
 
Cappuccino said:
Yes, I would. At least about Echols' guilt.

Question back - if the State accepts a no contest plea, would non-supporters be willing to rethink their conviction of the wm3's guilt?
Click to expand...

Nope, if you willing to plead NC, IMOO, you have guilty knowledge of the crime.


I am absolutely shocked they let these guys out...who's next?
 
It is about time they got released! Having looked over all the so called "evidence" that has been released publicly, I have some to 3 conclusions:

1) Tunnel vision is the death of justice. There were multiple leads that were overlooked or simply dismissed once these 3 were on the WMPD's radar. They chose to believe 'statements' from people who could never give 2 consecutive statements with the same information included without be prodded or fed information and ignore statements that supported their innocence from people who never wavered.

2) Fear can be as powerful as love.... How else can you explain the prejudices in this case, which led to the convictions?

3) Even when all you have is faith, it is everything you need.... How do you think they managed to make it this long?

Hopefully one day soon they will be FULLY exonerated!
 
I, personally (and I know a lot of others, too) will not rest until they are exonerated and THe real killer is behind bars, because THat's where he should be. THe real killer has been roaming free while Damien spent 18 years on Death Row under indescribable conditions and practical isolation. I don't want THe real killer on DR, however. Along with JMB, I believe the best place for him is gen pop. There he will truly have to answer for allowing three young men to lose their youth in prison for his crime.

As to the deal, at first I was pretty angry. However, upon further reflection, I realized that, if they rejected the deal, they would be placing themselves, once again, in the less-than-trustworthy hands of the Arkansas criminal justice system. This system has already unjustly taken over 18 years of their lives. Why give them the opportunity to take one second more?

Don't misunderstand; I am positive that they are 100% innocent. They were 100% innocent back in 1994, but they were convicted nonetheless. Why risk another trial when they can be free now? The process of another trial could have left them in prison for another 5 - 10 years with the State's delaying tactics. Unbelievable, I know, but true.

I'm sure that they will all work for exoneration. Like Damien said, now they can do it as free men! I will do what I can to help them.
 
I guess the WM3 are talking out both sides of their mouth.

Admits guilt in one breath, but denial of doing it in the public eye.

Sounds like they are a little afraid maybe. Almost like Casey Anthony going into hiding.
 
The state are talking out of both sides of their mouth. "These three are completely guilty and we're letting them out with time served because we don't want to get sued." Hmmmm...yeah, right.
 
Under the deal, they stated in court that they were innocent but because there may be enough evidence to convict them they take the plea. Agreement is that the sentence is for time served, probation imposed but they can leave the state.

IMO it is the prosecution that is talking out of both sides of its mouth. One the one hand, the prosecution still says these are three men who brutally murdered three little boys...but on the otherhand, we agree to let them walk free because we might not have evidence to convict them at retrial and none of the DNA matches them.

The prosecution is protected from lawsuits by this deal. The WM3 get to go free.

Not a satisfying conclusion for either side, but IMO at least three innocent persons have been freed.
 
Cappuccino said:
The state are talking out of both sides of their mouth. "These three are completely guilty and we're letting them out with time served because we don't want to get sued." Hmmmm...yeah, right.
Click to expand...

I think both sides agreed because neither sure could win a new trial.
 
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