PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY (DOCUMENTARY FILM)
Summary
A documentary film about recent developments in the trial of the West Memphis Three, a trio of men convicted of murdering a several children in 1993. In West Memphis, Arkansas on May 6th, 1993, three young boys named Steve Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were found dead and mutilated in a small wooded area known as Robin Hood Hills. One month later, three teenagers, Jessie Misskelley Jr., Damien Echols, and Jason Baldwin, are arrested for the crime. The three of them are soon named the "West Memphis Three" by the media. The local police department is confident in its case against the three of them and they are convicted nine months later. During the trial, they proclaim their innocence. They continue to do so during their subsequent incarceration, which lasts nearly two decades. In later years, a great deal of discussion and national attention has been drawn towards the investigation and conviction, in part owing to two previous documentaries on the matter by the same filmmakers: "Paradise Lost: the Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" and "Paradise Lost 2: Revelations." In 2010, local residents recount that graffiti depicting the West Memphis Three's names juxtaposed with apparently satanic imagery appearing not long after the murder. Rumors of devil-worship in the area proliferated and the Three were suspected of such activities, fueling the case against them. Echols in particular was singled out for his dark attire and odd behavior. Misskelley submitted a confession to the police on June 4th, 1993 naming himself, Echols, and Baldwin as the murderers. However, the Three plead not guilty in court and it later becomes apparent that the confession may have been false, as police questioned Misskelley for approximately twelve hours, during which time he professed his innocence. He claims that the repeated questioning eventually wore him down and he confessed out of fatigue. Furthermore, his attorneys state that his confession is inconsistent with the objective details of the crime. The concept of a false confession did not become widely acknowledged until long after the 1993 trial. The Three are convicted in 1994; Misskelley and Baldwin receive a sentence of life imprisonment while Echols is sentenced to death by lethal injection. The first two "Paradise Lost" films help to give the case national attention and spark movements to aid the West Memphis Three. Echols makes repeated attempts to appeal his case, but every attempt is blocked by the judge, David Burnett. The Arkansas Supreme Court supports Burnett's decisions. In 2007, a press conference is called by Echols's lawyers. They have compiled a team of experts to re-examine evidence from the murder scene in examinations from 2001 to 2005. Coupled with new DNA evidence, they hope to prove the innocence of the West Memphis Three. The new evidence causes some to change their minds, including John Mark Byers, stepfather of Christopher Byers. During the 1990's, John Mark Byers was one of the most vocal opponents of the West Memphis Three, calling for them to "burn in hell." In 2010, he says he is apologetic towards the West Memphis Three and notes that much of his rage stemmed from his feelings of helplessness in being unable to prevent the murders. For a time, John Mark Byers was another suspect in the murders, and Echols was one of his accusers. He moved out of West Memphis not long after the trial and some neighbors claimed he was violent. He claims that he "made a good scapegoat," but he had to eventually admit he was wrong about the Three. He reads aloud a letter from Echols, apologizing to him for accusing him of the murders. In 2009, the filmmakers interview Echols in prison. He notes that "time is strange" in prison, and notes on signs that he is aging. He believes that the "Paradise Lost" documentary series is all that has kept him from being executed. The film also examines Lorri Davis, a woman from Brooklyn who fell in love with and eventually married Echols; they remain married to this day. The film also examines Dale W. Griffis, an expert on the occult who testified in 1994 as to the satanic elements of the murders. The defense attorneys questioned Griffis's qualifications, citing that he had only a mail-order PhD, but Judge Burnett quickly overturned this point. At the 2007 press conference, the experts examine the poor investigative methods of the police department, including their erroneous and largely non-evident claims that a satanic ritual took place. Other key pieces of evidence, such as the nature of the wounds the boys sustained, are called into question by the experts. Lloyd Warford, one of the lawyers at the time, reports an incident of juror misconduct in the Echols-Baldwin trial, but cannot say more due to legal restrictions. His former law clerk, Gina Reynolds, elaborates: the foreman of the jury, Kent Arnold, was in contact with Warford and knew him from an unrelated trial. Warford discovered that Arnold had a clear pre-existing bias against Echols and Baldwin, convinced that Echols was a devil-worshipper. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that Arnold conspired to sway the rest of the jury to his opinion, and further evidence suggests that he introduced the Misskelley confession tape to the jury despite it not being presented as evidence in the Echols-Baldwin trial. It is believed that the confession tape had a considerable impact on the jury's decision in that case. In recent years another suspect in the case, Terry Hobbs, Steve Branch's stepfather, emerged. A hair from the crime scene provided DNA evidence that provided a possible link to Hobbs. In 2009, Hobbs filed a defamation lawsuit against Natalie Maines, lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, for remarks she made about him in which she expressed her belief that he was the killer. This trial opened Hobbs up to questioning by her lawyers about the murders. Several witnesses and documentation provided evidence that Hobbs was prone to acts of violence. His testimony concerning his location on the day of the murder also appears to be incomplete and contradictory in places. Several witnesses place him as the last person seen with the three murder victims. The defamation lawsuit is thrown out by the judge, but attention still remains on Hobbs. John Mark Byers is among many who are convinced of Hobbs's guilt and feels that the West Memphis Police Department deliberately avoided seeking him out as part of their investigation. The experts at the 2007 press conference note that there is some evidence against Hobbs, but not enough to specify him as a suspect. Their interest is primarily to exonerate the West Memphis Three of their crimes. A motion for a retrial is called, but Judge Burnett denies it and will not allow any of the new evidence to be presented. Echols appeals to the Arkansas Supreme Court, who hear his case on September 30th, 2010. His lawyers argue that Arkansas's DNA evidence statute, which allows all evidence to be reconsidered if DNA evidence is presented which casts reasonable doubt on previous evidence. Echols's lawyers believe that the Arkansas courts twisted "all evidence" to mean "all evidence of guilt," and hope to have the law interpreted in the correct manner via the trial. In November 2010, the Arkansas Supreme Court grants an evidentiary trial, where new evidence can be presented, scheduled for December 2011. The evidentiary trial will determine whether the West Memphis Three receive a retrial or not. However, a surprise hearing is held on August 19th, 2011 and the West Memphis Three, along with the families of the victims, all appear. It is the first time Judge Burnett does not officiate the case, replaced with Judge David Laser. The Three enter an "Alford plea," an unusual plea in which they profess innocence while simultaneously acknowledging they are guilty. Under these conditions, their sentence is lessened to the time they have already served and they are set free. The state admits that they cut the Three a deal in order to avoid further litigation, which could be costly and time-consuming. The "West Memphis Three trial" is declared to be finished. Reactions to the ruling are mixed. John Mark Byers is outraged that the Three had to declare themselves guilty and believes that the state implemented this deal in order to obscure their own mistakes. At a press conference, Echols says the situation is "not perfect," but that it brings them a degree of closure and that they will attempt to fully clear their names through further investigation. Some believe that despite the Alford plea, the West Memphis Three have proven their innocence. Baldwin states that what happened was "not justice" and that he went along with the Alford plea mainly for Echols's sake. The documentary concludes with Baldwin pointing out the contradictions in the justice system and hoping that their case will lead to a reexamination of the values therein.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: January 12, 2012 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:00:57
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 107230
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: TV - Public affairs/documentaries
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Sheila Nevins … Executive Producer
- Jon Kamen … Executive Producer
- Robert Friedman … Executive Producer
- Frank Scherma … Executive Producer
- Sidney Beaumont … Executive Producer
- Justin Wilkes … Executive Producer
- Steven Tollen … Executive Producer
- Joe Berlinger … Producer, Director
- Jonathan Silberberg … Producer
- Michael Bonfiglio … Co-Producer
- Elizabeth Holm … Associate Producer
- Nancy Abraham … Senior Producer
- Bruce Sinofsky … Director
- Wendy Blackstone … Music by
- Metallica … Music by
- Mike Allen
- Kent Arnold
- Kathy Bakken
- Jason Baldwin
- Jamie Clark Ballard
- Joe Berlinger
- Steve Branch
- David Burnett
- Christopher Byers
- John Mark Byers
- Melissa Byers
- Lorri Davis
- Johnny Depp
- John Douglas
- Jerry Driver
- Joni Dwyer
- Damien Echols
- Scott Ellington
- Thomas Fedor
- John Fogleman
- Paul Ford
- Gary Gitchell
- Dale W. Griffis
- Gail Grinnell
- Michael Hobbs
- Pam Hobbs
- Terry Hobbs
- Tina Hobbs
- Don Horgan
- David Laser
- Natalie Maines
- Jessie Misskelley Jr.
- Jessie Misskelley Sr.
- Dana Moore
- Michael Moore
- Todd Moore
- Grove Pashley
- Capi Peck
- Frank Peretti
- John Philipsborn
- Val Price
- David Raupp
- Gina Reynolds
- Dennis Riordan
- Larry Roberts
- Burk Sauls
- Bruce Sinofsky
- Werner Spitz
- Dan Stidham
- Richard Souviron
- Domini Teer
- Eddie Vedder
- Lloyd Warford