Life for the West Memphis Three - Free After the Alford Plea

[h818]

No, the best way to explain it is that he was a teenager making a compliant false confession after being left alone with the police for about four hours. The resulting statement is such a load of bollocks he should have been let go then. Instead he was kept and questioned for another 8 hours till they could finally manage to get a statement which sounded accurate-ish enough to get arrest warrants.



What about Joshua Treadway? Marty Tanklieff? Peter Reilly? The Central Park Five?



Jessie's post conviction confessions were an obvious attempt to try and get his sentence cut. Luckily for Michael Crowe, his local police department weren't inefficient enough to lose evidence which pointed towards someone else, so that case never got far enough for either Michael or Joshua to be faced with the temptation Jessie was faced with.

Jessie's first confession was completed at 3:18, and he was offered food (declined) and cigarettes. He was not held and questioned for an additional 8 hours. He was offered food again before 6 and fed dinner around 6. The probable cause hearing was at 9, but he wasn't being questioned that entire time.

I've never said that false confessions are never made. The reasons that I don't think Jessie gave a false confession- 1. he included unsolicited and inflammatory details 2. he made repeated confessions to multiple people, in different places, at different times 3. No compelling evidence tying anyone else to the crime. Not just one reason, all of those reasons. I don't have time to research all of the cases you posted right now, but I seriously doubt that any of them meet that criteria.

Nothing was said during Jessie's post-conviction confessions that would give him any reason to believe that confessing would get his sentence cut. His lawyers repeatedly told him that it was against his advice, that they had new evidence, and would present it to the judge and that the judge would grant him a new trial. The prosecutor said very clearly that he was not being promised anything, there was no deal. I guess that is why his IQ becomes so important to supporters--- if you didn't believe that he was retarded, you probably wouldn't be able to believe that that confession was false.

 

[h818]

Is he still receiving benefits? If not, can they be reinstated?

I don't think that felons are barred from getting SSI disability, so probably.

 

[Compassionate Reader]

Jessie's first confession was completed at 3:18, and he was offered food (declined) and cigarettes. He was not held and questioned for an additional 8 hours. He was offered food again before 6 and fed dinner around 6. The probable cause hearing was at 9, but he wasn't being questioned that entire time.

I've never said that false confessions are never made. The reasons that I don't think Jessie gave a false confession- 1. he included unsolicited and inflammatory details 2. he made repeated confessions to multiple people, in different places, at different times 3. No compelling evidence tying anyone else to the crime. Not just one reason, all of those reasons. I don't have time to research all of the cases you posted right now, but I seriously doubt that any of them meet that criteria.

Nothing was said during Jessie's post-conviction confessions that would give him any reason to believe that confessing would get his sentence cut. His lawyers repeatedly told him that it was against his advice, that they had new evidence, and would present it to the judge and that the judge would grant him a new trial. The prosecutor said very clearly that he was not being promised anything, there was no deal. I guess that is why his IQ becomes so important to supporters--- if you didn't believe that he was retarded, you probably wouldn't be able to believe that that confession was false.

Please show me where in Jessie's first statement on 6/3/93 that he gave the police any information that was factually correct and was not public knowledge at the time.

Also, he was questioned again when he made the "clarification" statement at I believe around 5 pm.

Despite what the prosecutor said (he can lie, too) if you read the Rule 37 Abstract, I believe Stidham mentions the deal, 50 years, that Jessie was offered in return for his testimony. The deal was rescinded by Burnett, however.

 

[h818]

Please show me where in Jessie's first statement on 6/3/93 that he gave the police any information that was factually correct and was not public knowledge at the time.

Also, he was questioned again when he made the "clarification" statement at I believe around 5 pm.

Despite what the prosecutor said (he can lie, too) if you read the Rule 37 Abstract, I believe Stidham mentions the deal, 50 years, that Jessie was offered in return for his testimony. The deal was rescinded by Burnett, however.

Pretty much *nothing* he could have said regarding the crimes could be absolutely proven to the standard that you're asking for. No one except the people who were there know for sure. No one even agrees about where the murders took place, experts hired by the defense disagree with the state about the injuries, etc. I think that the genital mutilation wasn't stated publicly by officials, people say that there were lots of rumors around town though IDK because I didn't live there. He described one of the boys being cut on the face, the boy was cut on the face. A confession doesn't have to include scientifically verifiable, with no possibility for disagreement among experts, 100% guaranteed to be unknown to anyone in the public, physical evidence to be true. That qualification could never be met.

He was offered the 50 years in return for his testimony, not for a confession before that confession was made.

The clarification/2nd interview was done at 3:45, after being offered food and given cigarettes at 3:22. He was offered food again at 5:05 and fed at 6. He wasn't being held and tortured into confessing.

 

[h818]

Can we maybe keep this thread strictly about what the activities are of the WM3 post-release? Seems to be getting muddled up in debates now.

I respect that and will try not to post about the evidence/trial/confessions any more.

 

[Compassionate Reader]

Jessie and Susie are engaged! Congrats to both.

 

[carla79]

I'm glad they finally were released. I hope they can adjust to society because everything is different now. As far as them re offending due to their past I don'y buy that. They were kids when they went to prison and as kids we all do dumb things. I'm not the person I was at 17 or 18 and neither are they. I'm glad not everyone judges people on what they did as young teenagers. People do grow up and change. I wish them nothing but luck.

 

[askfornina]

i have very limited knowledge of this case, i have a question. does jessie proclaim his innocence now?

 

[Maznblu1]

I don't think that felons are barred from getting SSI disability, so probably.

They cannot receive benefits while they are in prison. His record would have been terminated a long time ago. He would have to reapply and receive a new medical and financial decision.

 

[claudicici]

i have very limited knowledge of this case, i have a question. does jessie proclaim his innocence now?

yes he always has,he recanted each confession quickly.

 

[Compassionate Reader]

i have very limited knowledge of this case, i have a question. does jessie proclaim his innocence now?

Yes. He maintained his innocence in the 8/19 hearing and there is no evidence to indicate that he ever professed guilt after the 2/17/94 statement. Stories that he was "still confessing" are just rumors.

 

[askfornina]

thanks guys i had never heard about this case before and it's actually really interesting, i will be reading the doc's. i kind of wish i could have followed it before now, but this is fine too. kind of like reading a book and spoiling the ending. or a few pages before the ending as the case may (hopefully) be.

 

[believe09]

On the Media, a scheduled show of NPR, did a segment on the WM3. What interested me immensely was the lead in from the show host which stated in no uncertain terms that the media helped convict "three innocent men of a horrendous crime and then helped to free them." (paraphrase)

I dont remember if I have heard the MSM flat out state innocence before in this case, but I am not as well versed in the finer details.

http://www.onthemedia.org/2011/aug/26/media-and-west-memphis-three/

 

[Pensfan]

i have very limited knowledge of this case, i have a question. does jessie proclaim his innocence now?

Read Jessie Misskelley's confession to his own attorney which occurred after he was convicted.
http://wm3truth.com/2011/07/jessie-misskelleys-bible-confession-transcript-now-at-callahan/

 

[Compassionate Reader]

Read what Jessie's attorney said in a recent interview:

http://johnwmorehead.blogspot.com/2011/08/reflections-on-injustice-dan-stidham.html

 

[Mountain_Kat]

Satanic "meeting" complete with a briefcase. Pardon me while I dissolve in laughter.

 

[Cazzie]

Satanic "meeting" complete with a briefcase. Pardon me while I dissolve in laughter.

LOL.

Note that Damien was wearing a suit w/ jacket the morning after the release. Surely, if he had desired, Lorri would have brought him raggedy jeans, a black metal T-shirt, and a long black trench coat so he could have shown that he hasn't changed in 18 years. Not that there's anything wrong with wearing such clothes at any age...

I think *part* of the appeal of Damien to Eddie Vedder, Johnny Depp et. al. is that Damien is very intelligent, and an artist (painter, writer, poet)...

 

[Cazzie]

One of the things I haven't seen discussed is any long-term health issues that Damien, Jason, and Jessie may face after being in prison for so long. Of course, IMO, it's none of our business if any of them contracted a serious illness in prison, and I hope they did not. We all know what goes on in prisons. It was mentioned by one of the longtime supporters that Damien's body is arthritic from being confined to a cell 23x7x18 years.

I have to give Lorri and Susie major kudos for apparently being willing and ready to deal with any such after-effects, to say nothing of any possible backlash from those who think the 3 should have stayed in prison (and Damien put to death). They, especially Lorri, are strong women.

 

[Compassionate Reader]

Jason has a girlfriend, too. IIRC, it's someone he met in prison, like Damien. Don't be too surprised if more wedding bells are in the future.

As to health issues, I know from reading Damien's book, Almost Home, that one of his lingering problems will be his teeth. On Death Row, the only dental relief is extraction. Since Damien continued to hope and pray for release, he didn't want to go that route. So, he chose meditation for his dental problems. Personally, having had many a toothache that resulted in a root canal or filling, I know firsthand the pain of a toothache. To try to deal with that pain with meditation takes a lot of courage IMO

BTW, my source for the statements about Death Row dental care and Damien's method for dealing with dental problems while there is his book, Almost Home. Buy the book and read it if you don't want to take my word for it. I don't think that part is in the free online portion.

 

[Livvy]

Jessie and Susie are engaged! Congrats to both.

Hmmm mentally old enough to get married but not to kill someone??? I don't get it. I thought he had a mentality of a 8 year old or something?? I think this guy has played everyone! Even in 93 he had girlfriends and was violent. Um sorry but that is not a childs mentality. Shouldn't he playing Lego or something??