Letting go of the West Memphis Three

While the legal maneuvering of last Friday and the subsequent release of the West Memphis 3 left a lot of us scratching our heads in wonder, it was probably the best possible outcome we could have expected. Not the best outcome. Not by far, but perhaps the least atrocious. The deliverance of justice for those three little boys. . .for their families, will never come. We will never really know who was responsible for what happened that spring day , 18 years ago.  The facts surrounding the case were so muddied that for some, there were always doubts. Because of the Alford Plea, Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley are free to walk among us, yet still stand convicted of murder. They took their best possible option. But really, who wouldn’t say whatever necessary to get off death row?  For us, the taxpayers, our state, county and local agencies will not be forced to bear the financial burden and ensuing media circus of another trial. The state, the prosecuting attorney, took what they thought was the best possible action and now our already overburdened legal system can close the books on 18 years of trials and legal maneuvering.  The expediency of the hearings on Friday did nothing to change the fact that there are families that still mourn the loss of three little boys that never got the chance to grow up.  That will never change. Bringing the West Memphis 3 case to a conclusion, putting it behind us and moving on will most definitely be difficult. But hopefully, we can put it behind us and make this a Better Region 8.

Comments

[Garry Tate]

Although I still think these three are guilty, I feel that the desion by Scott Ellington was the best for all concerned. In your comment you said the best thing we could was to put this behind us and move on. Then right after your comment, KAIT ran a promo to their news cast addvertising their coverage on this matter. The ony way we the people can put this behind us is if the media does first. I can't belive you could make a statement like this and then allow your station to use it as an addvertisement to their news coverage.

Garry

[Mike]

Unfortunately, I disagree with your assessment that the decision in the West Memphis case brings closure. By allowing these three (especially one who had confessed to these killings multiple times) to take an Alford plea is a disgrace to the legal system. The prosecutor either should have declared them innocent or retried them and let a jury decide their fate. To compromise in this manner tells us that we have a prosecutor that is easily intimidated by celebrity and high-powered defense attorneys. To back down in this case is a testament to the fact that if you have money, you can gain favor. The West Memphis defendant's propaganda machine did an excellent job of swaying some public support for their cause, but an examination of the documents on file, especially the Misskelley confessions, paints a very different picture. Money and influence overpowering justice is never a good thing.