Firstly - who else has seen the Paradise Lost films?
I'm not going to beat about the bush, so if you haven't seen them then hire/buy/download. As these documentaries relate to an ongoing case, there will be much information that may "spoil" the movie here.
What famous people have said about this case: The films are remarkable, and it is certainly an interesting - and troubling - case. Bill Clinton
These boys didnt get a fair trial. They got picked for wearing black clothes and having long hair. I am fundamentally opposed to the death penalty, and as Lenny Bruce said, In the halls of justice, all the justice is in the halls. Perhaps, a jury is composed of twelve men and women of average ignorance. and a judge is a lawyer who once knew a politician. In our system of justice, the best client for a lawyer is a scared millionaire. The worst thing in our criminal justice system is to be broke or different. Tom Waits
Until the West Memphis Three are free, none of us are free. Margaret Cho
No one is really safe from this kind of persecution. You might think that it would never happen in America, but it does. Granted there are millions of other cases that are probably worthy of our attention, but you can't go after all of them. To me, the planet itself is going to be fine. Pollution is the solution to the problem that is man. But maybe we can at least get these kids out of jail. Eddie Spaghetti (Lead Singer, Supersuckers)
Its such a music oriented issue. It seems to us that the injustices stemmed from the music these kids were listening to, and the solution may come from that as well. Danny Bland (Manager, Supersuckers)
It could happen to me, it could happen to you. Jello Biafra
I went and visited Damien in this little God-forsaken place, this prison, he's on death row, and everyone was treated like dirt there. ... I was ready for that, but the oppression's really heavy. And Damien's in there. Eddie Vedder
I would hate to know I was an innocent man, and my life depended upon 12 people [a jury]. Mike Allen (Assistant Police Chief in West Memphis)
We would like to see Damien Jason and Jessie given new trials this time based on concrete evidence, actual facts and substance instead of rumors, prejudice, superstition and what amounts to a modern day witch hunt. We would like to see a real proper investigation to determine who really did kill those three children. Winona Ryder Everybody in the town and in the courtroom and on the jury are all blinded by their fantasies about satanic cults. Roger Ebert
I am not covering a Black Flag song, but I would love to help the WM3 in any way I can, since I believe they are innocent. I would really like to paint the album cover, and I have suggested that. Marilyn Manson (Who was NOT allowed to participate in the benefit album) There was a lack of physical evidence to tie anyone or anything to the crime scene. John Fogleman (prosecutor)
Whether you oppose the death penalty or not, I really am convinced that theyre not guilty of anything except being teen-agers and listening to Black Sabbath and wearing a lot of black and kind of having big mouths. Theres just too many weird things about that case. Its really horrible what happened, but I dont think those kids are guilty and I certainly dont think that the D.A. over there proved that they were guilty. Steve Earle
This is a really f*cked up situation. Jack Black (at the Hollywood Improv Comedy Benefit) They were incarcerated through ignorance and a blindness that is as infuriating as it is horrifying. These three men have been locked away for many years, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley got life sentences and Damien Echols is on Death Row facing lethal injection. These three are innocent and to stand for the kind of insanity that convicted them is to align oneself with all that is bad. Henry Rollins
That's the stupidest f*cking confession I've ever seen. Dr. Richard Ofshe (Re: Misskelley's '93 statement)
FREE THE WEST MEMPHIS THREE! Trey Parker
America does things a little differently to us, and one of those things is the ability to try minors as adults and not to withhold their identities. I do see benefit in this philosophy - for instance it allows for public scrutiny which I feel is important with regards to criminal proceedings.
The documentary is about a triple homicide of children all boys and aged 8, and the successful prosecution of three young men aged 16, 17 and 18 (at the time of the homicide) without the use of any forensic evidence.
One of the first scenes in the documentary is a video footage which shows the three dead, naked bodies of the murdered 8-year old children. I have a very keen eye for detail, and I must have seen this documentary three or four times before my more recent viewing (on DVD for the first time) - but I didn't recall the detail where (as is plainly seen in this video from the start of the film) two of the bodies are in one spot and the other is in another. It's hard to focus on a detail like this when shown such a horrible image.
Jessie tells a false confession, and I remember clearly the first time I saw the movie thinking "the jury will not be able to look past the fact that he's confessed, regardless of whether it's true or not". In Paradise Lost 2 (which I consider a bad documentary - but I'll get to that later), it's revealed that State-appointed lawyers such as Dan Stidham (whom I'd have great respect for) earns only around $19/hr representing his client. While the information itself is an estimate by someone else in the film, Stidham does actively donate his time to pursuing the case.
Although not revealed in the movie, Jessie is not actually friends with Damian (who is so much more intelligent) or Jason. I think about this case from time to time, and I feel it's important to criticize it.
But there's nothing in Paradise Lost 2 to criticize. We don't see the prosecution making ANY mistakes - in fact, we don't see them do anything at all, other than (as we're TOLD) refute bite-mark evidence... which is fair enough. The sad thing is that every time I think about this case I'm more, and more convinced in their innocence.
One of the first scenes in the documentary is a video footage which shows the three dead, naked bodies of the murdered 8-year old children.
Well, I won't be seeing it.
I still occasionally have nightmares about the fellow getting his skull caved in after being pulled out of his truck during the LA riots.
I can watch simulated violence all day long in movies and video games, and laugh my head off when some character gets chomped in two by some bug-eyed monster.
The moment I know it's real, however, I'm 'fraid I hit the off-switch...
Now, Declin.... you know he wasn't pulled out of his truck and hit with a concrete block... he just happened to be driving along, mysteriously fell out of the truck, and two kind gentlemen were attempting to sheild his head with the concrete block when it accidentally fell 3 or 4 times, giving him a skull fracture in the process.
(That was the defense they used-- and got away with it.)
____________________ Be like a dog: if you can't eat it or hump it, piss on it and walk away.
Merlin wrote: (That was the defense they used-- and got away with it.)
IMO, what they "got away with" was some lingering anger at the LAPD and the Simi Valley verdict. Also, I thought the defense they used was that they were "caught up in the moment" and otherwise were just nice guys.
On April 29, 1992, at 5:39 PM, Denny loaded his red, 14-wheel truck with 27 tons of sand and began driving to a plant in Inglewood where the sand was due. He left the Santa Monica Freeway and took a familiar shortcut across Florence Avenue to get to his destination. His truck had no radio, so he was unaware he was driving into a riot. At 6:46 p.m., after entering the intersection at Normandie, rioters threw rocks at his windows and he heard people shouting for him to stop. Overhead, a news helicopter with reporter Bob Tur aboard captured the events that followed.
Antoine Miller opened the truck door, giving others the chance to pull Denny out. Another man, Henry Keith Watson, then held Denny's head down with his foot. Denny, who had done nothing to provoke the violence, was kicked in the stomach by an unidentifed man. Another unidentified man who had led a liquor store break-in earlier that day hurled a five-pound piece of medical equipment at Denny's head and hit him three times with a claw hammer. Damian Williams then threw a slab of concrete at Denny's head and knocked him unconscious. Williams then did a victory dance over Denny. He then flashed gang signs at news helicopters, which were televising the events live, and pointed and laughed at Denny. Anthony Brown then spat on Denny and left with Williams. Several bystanders took pictures of Denny but did not attempt to help him.
After the beating, various men threw beer bottles at the unconscious Denny. Gary Williams approached Denny and rifled through his pockets. Lance Parker stopped near Denny and attempted to shoot the fuel tank of Denny's truck but missed.
Bobby Green (a truck driver), Titus Murphy, Terri Barnett (boyfriend and girlfriend), and Lei Yuille (a dietitian), who had been watching the events on TV, came to Denny's aid. All four are black. Denny eventually regained consciousness and dragged himself back into the cab, driving away from the scene slowly and erratically;[8]. Green, himself a truck driver, boarded Denny's truck and took over at the wheel, driving him to the hospital. At the time that Green took over, Denny was on the brink of losing consciousness again, and suffered a seizure shortly thereafter.
Paramedics who attended to Denny said he came very close to death. His skull was fractured in 91 places and pushed into the brain. His left eye was so badly dislocated that it would have fallen into his sinus cavity had the surgeons not replaced the crushed bone with a piece of plastic. A permanent crater remains in his head despite efforts to correct it.
[edit] The trials of the L.A. Four
On May 12, outgoing Los Angeles police chief Daryl Gates started a search for three of Denny's attackers who were identified from the video of the beating. Gates himself arrested Damian Williams while Henry Watson and Antoine Miller were arrested by other officers. Soon afterwards Gary Williams gave himself up to the police, having stolen Denny's wallet. The arrested three were suspected to be part of the gang 8-Tray Gangster Crips.
Gary Williams pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and assault in the spring of 1993 and was sentenced to three years in jail. Judge John W. Ouderkirk granted Miller a separate trial on the grounds that the strong evidence against Watson and Damian Williams could harm his case. The two, in addition to assault charges, were charged with attempted murder. Damian Williams was also charged with aggravated mayhem.
Edi M.O. Faal was the defense attorney for Damian Williams and Earl C. Broadly was the defense attorney for Henry Watson. On Wednesday, July 28, 1993, Watson's and Williams' trial began. The two were charged with the assault of Denny as well as five other motorists and two firefighters who were driving past the intersection of Florence and Normandie shortly after the start of the Los Angeles riots on April 29, 1992. At the trial, Denny faced his attackers for the first time since they had assaulted him. On August 12, 1993, a jury of five whites, three blacks, three Latinos, and one Asian was chosen.
As in the Rodney King police trial, the prosecution relied heavily on video shot by a third party, this time in a helicopter. They also planned to build up portraits of Watson and Williams as criminals, antisocial, and beyond likelihood of rehabilitation and redemption.
On Thursday, August 19, Lawrence Morrison, deputy district attorney, delivered the opening statement. A week later, the videotape of the beating was shown. The doctors who treated Denny testified, describing his wounds and their efforts to repair them and were followed by witnesses of the beating. The defense was denied direct contact with the witnesses to protect their identities. In late August, Denny's rescuers testified for the prosecution. The prosecution rested on September 17, 1993.
The defense began pleading on September 20, making a case for unpremeditated assault. Faal began by challenging the video evidence and portrayed Williams as a victim of poverty and racism. She and Broadly tried to humanize their clients.
In the closing arguments the defense attorneys claimed Williams and Watson were being used as scapegoats for the L.A. riots. The prosecution counter argued that the two had knowingly tried to kill Denny and were not victims.
After a few jury changes, a hung jury nullified all charges except a felony count of mayhem for Williams, and one misdemeanor assault charge for both Williams and Watson on October 18. Watson was then given credit for time served and was released. As the families of the defendants celebrated the lesser sentences, Denny surprisingly approached Damian Williams' mother Georgina and hugged her. Other family members then exchanged warm embraces and words of reconciliation with him.
The outcome of the trial was said to be "payback" for the acquittal of the four police officers charged with beating Rodney King. For weeks afterwards, public debate about racism and whether the verdict was just or unjust raged on. As the debate continued, Williams was denied bail and sentenced to a maximum of ten years in prison on December 7, 1993 by Judge Ouderkirk. Damian was released early for good behavior in 1997. On December 5, 2003, he received a life sentence for murdering a drug dealer in July, 2000. He will not be eligible for parole until he serves 47 years.
____________________ Be like a dog: if you can't eat it or hump it, piss on it and walk away.
I still occasionally have nightmares about the fellow getting his skull caved in after being pulled out of his truck during the LA riots.
I can watch simulated violence all day long in movies and video games, and laugh my head off when some character gets chomped in two by some bug-eyed monster.
The moment I know it's real, however, I'm 'fraid I hit the off-switch...
Well the images of the deceased children are horrible. But it's a baffling case - they were all found in the water (shallow water) and were then pulled out onto the bank by the police (this is where you see them in the video). It's a secondary crime scene, because there was not a drop of blood to be found there (although the prosecution successfully convinced the "WM3" on the basis that it was the primary crime scene) - however (and just as baffling) only one of the children died from his injuries (ie Chris Byers), and the other two drowned. Even though they had both lost a lot of blood from their injuries too.
One of the problems I have with Paradise Lost 2 is that it so heavily accuses Byers of being the real murderer - on the basis that only his child was sexually mutilated. And through the miracle of photographic evidence, we also see what this looks like... it's horrible. Steve Branch was the one (as far as I can tell) who had the most facial mutilation, and this is never focused on in PL2. If you watch the original documentary, I get the sense that the Byer's are going through a far more genuine grief than the Moores - if you ask me they're the ones who should be treated as suspects. And it seems there is some possible forensic evidence suggesting the Hobbs (parents of Steve Branch) are the parents that are really responsible.
I have my reasons for dismissing Byers as the primary suspect among the parents. Byers loves the camera, but the scene where he visits his wife’s grave is very revealing. He is clearly upset - because his nose is dripping. Sure he may end in one of his "I hate you WM3" moments) maybe because he missed a dosage of his medication, maybe because he was going a bit of acting, who knows and who cares, the fact of the matter is there's no coherent reason that's not entirely circumstantial to believe he is responsible for the crime. I mean the allegation that he yanked his teeth to avoid being matched to the bite mark? Come on! Stidham failed to prove in court that it was a bite-mark, Byer's would have to be the stupidest man alive to have yanked his teeth because of an alleged bite-mark that was never proven to actually be a bite mark; the very idea is plain ridiculous.
Take a look here: The most popular belief among supporters of the WM3, is that Mark Byers, step-father of Christopher Byers is probably the killer. If you watch either of the documentaries, (1) Byers comes off as a lunatic, and not one crippled by grief. (2) He gave the film crew a hunting knife with human blood on it that could have been his or his step-son’s. (The test performed on the blood destroyed it for further testing.) (3) A bite mark on the face of Christopher has been tested against Jessie, Jason and Damien. (4) None of them match, and Byers can’t be tested because his teeth were surgically removed in 1997. This doesn’t mean that he’s guilty, but it does mean that there were other places to look besides what was considered ‘the obvious.’
Shows the impact of this bias. So many factual errors! "1." Look especially at Melissa Byers in Paradise Lost 1... she seems very genuine in her grief... the Moores do not. "2." Or it could have been any number of other people's blood... and that's if it was blood as it was testified the substance could have been either blood or tissue that was in such a minuscule amount it was not forensically useful to prove anything anyway. "3." The alleged bite-mark is on Steve Branch's face ... unless I'm mistaken. "4." It doesn't matter if they match or not because they failed to prove it was a bite-mark... and this is despite Brent Turvey telling Dan Stidham that he found bite marks "all over the bodies"! Marks that others have refuted as being "left by animals after the killer/s left". And, unless I'm mistaken, Byers had his (remaining) teeth surgically removed in '96... after they were presumably in a very bad state. It sounds like he lost most of his teeth through decay and fights.
Last edited on Wed Mar 25th, 2009 10:35 am by Daniel
Daniel wrote: One of the problems I have with Paradise Lost 2 is that it so heavily accuses Byers of being the real murderer - on the basis that only his child was sexually mutilated. And through the miracle of photographic evidence, we also see what this looks like... it's horrible. Steve Branch was the one (as far as I can tell) who had the most facial mutilation, and this is never focused on in PL2. If you watch the original documentary, I get the sense that the Byer's are going through a far more genuine grief than the Moores - if you ask me they're the ones who should be treated as suspects. And it seems there is some possible forensic evidence suggesting the Hobbs (parents of Steve Branch) are the parents that are really responsible.
I have my reasons for dismissing Byers as the primary suspect among the parents. Byers loves the camera, but the scene where he visits his wife’s grave is very revealing. He is clearly upset - because his nose is dripping. Sure he may end in one of his "I hate you WM3" moments) maybe because he missed a dosage of his medication, maybe because he was going a bit of acting, who knows and who cares, the fact of the matter is there's no coherent reason that's not entirely circumstantial to believe he is responsible for the crime.
I found out about this earlier in the year - but after I'd posted my previous posts (by the look of it). Byers (along with his wife Jackie seen in the video above) now supports the "Free the west memphis three".
Last edited on Thu Oct 15th, 2009 06:41 am by Holy Chao
____________________ Formerly "Prometheus" of CARM...
once a faithless heretic, being set straight by God's grace to pursue developing His freely given gifts.
