West Memphis Three Case

Words: 2099

Pages: 9

Open Document

“In looking at young people involved in the occult do you see any particular type of dress?” When the court asked whether there is a particular type of dress indicating that a young person is involved in the occult, Dr. Dale W. Griffis, prosecution expert on the occult responded “I have personally observed people wearing black fingernails, having their hair painted black, wearing black T-shirts, sometimes they will tattoo themselves.”
One sentenced to death, two others sentenced to life in prison. Despite obvious holes in the evidence presented and the bias accusations, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley were charged with the murder of three eight year old boys. With evidence based primarily on a false confession, cultural discrimination and even to extremes of satanic panic, they were found guilty. Could the courts possibly make these decisions without having completely sound evidence? Certainly they would base their accusations on physical evidence, not stereotypes and rumors. However, the events that took place throughout the trials of the West Memphis Three were perfect examples of history repeating itself. When the word was out that children had been murdered in a possible cult fashion, events similar to the Salem …show more content…
She said he knew Damien, and that he said he was a friend. There was no solid reason to bring Jessie in for interrogation, but “at this rather desperate point in their nearly month-old investigation, the police were ready to overlook a few difficulties presented by their story.” Jessie was in special education classes and struggled with school. When he was in the ninth grade, just before he dropped out at the age of 16, he still had the skills of a fourth grader. When he got angry or frustrated he would pull his own hair out and bite himself. Jessie was considered mildly mentally

West Memphis Three Rhetorical Analysis

the principle of “innocent until proven guilty”; however, there are cases, such as the West Memphis Three, in which the court convicts innocent people simply because they are in of a scapegoat. These situations are fairly reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials, and even to this day, innocent people are still convicted of crimes they did not commit through unfair trials, just as people were in the Salem Witch Trials. When a case needs to be close for the state or police force to maintain their pride…

Words 1033 - Pages 5

Are We, as Society, Being Lied to by the Media? Essay examples

have media when it comes to any kind of crimes if it’s not going to ‘inform’ society the correct facts? If it’s just going to me people believe what it wants them to believe. It happened before in a horrific case that occurred in West Memphis, Arkansas called “The West Memphis Three.” Three eight year olds suddenly disappeared and where found killed by a creek. Police officers say that they were killed in some kind of satanic ritual. Lieutenant James Sudbury knew of a young boy who was involved…

Words 559 - Pages 3

Three Men In Jail Essay

day, three either-year old boys set off on a bike ride around their hometown of West Memphis, Arkansas. That night they were reported to be missing. The next afternoon their bruised and mutilated hogtied naked bodies were pulled out from a stream setting off an all-out effort to find their murders. The West Memphis three are three men who were tried and convicted as teenagers, in 1994, of the 1993 murders of three boys, Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Steven Branch, in west Memphis…

Words 937 - Pages 4

Capital Punishment Essay

Benjamin Boyett Professor Tyrrell English 1302 12 February 2013 The Death of the Death Penalty In the case of Furman vs. Georgia (408 U.S. 238), the Supreme Court of the United States stated that, under the current laws "the imposition and carrying out of the death penalty ... constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments" (Bedeau 2). The death penalty is an unconstitutional punishment and should not even be considered to be part of the United…

Words 1553 - Pages 7

A Brief History Of Ida Wells Barnett And Marcus Garvey

arranging her hair in and adult style and donning a long dress, Wells was able to obtain a teaching position by convincing local school officials that she was 18 years old. A few years later, after placing the older children as apprentices, she moved to Memphis with some of the younger children to live with a relative. She was eventually able to earn a teaching position there by obtaining further education at Fisk University. In 1884, while she was traveling by train from school, Wells was forcibly…

Words 1414 - Pages 6

Handbook To Life In Ancient Egypt By Rosalie David

First Intermediate Period, Middle Kingdom, Second Intermediate Period and beginning of the New Kingdom were during the time period 3000-1500 BC. The time periods covered from 3000-1500 BC went through many adversities. For example, there are at least three different rulers during each period of time and can get up to about six or seven. You will see if the rulers were successful or not. The book gives you great and much knowledge of what took place during all these periods of times. For example, throughout…

Words 2146 - Pages 9

Racial Profiling Case Study

feel they were safe. As a way of protecting the United States officials saw Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans who lived on the West Coast as a threat to society (Hirschmann, 2006,p…

Words 856 - Pages 4

Giza Research Paper

Giza’s rich history and archaeological significance is second to none. Lying on top of the Giza Plateau, sit some of the most discussed, debated, and enchanting relics of our past. The complex known as the “Giza Necropolis” is home to the storied Three Great Pyramids, the Great Sphinx statue and to an ancient adjoining town, containing a cemetery, a worker’s village and an array of obvious industrial developments uncommon for the time period. The term Necropolis is simply a synonym for burial place…

Words 1546 - Pages 7

African American Ladies Club Analysis

Mothers (later the Parent Teacher Association) rose in 1897 to address the needs of the American family and the mother's pivotal part in satisfying those needs. Dissident ladies all through the nation, from Boston in the East, to Seattle in the West, and Memphis in the South, centered around enhancing state funded…

Words 1216 - Pages 5

Summary: The Sovereign Citizens Movement

used by the Sovereign Citizens is called paper terrorism. They would flood the court system with endless unnecessary paperwork by filing false warrants, liens on court officials, elected officials, and police officers. The goal is to have their own cases thrown out. Sovereigns will even go further to make their enemy’s life as miserable as possible by: Filing retaliatory, bogus property liens that may not be discovered by the victim until they attempt to sell their property. Sovereigns also file fake…

Words 1219 - Pages 5