Damien Echols

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Damien Wayne Echols (born Michael Wayne Hutcheson on December 11, 1974) is one of the 3 members of the West Memphis 3, a group who was convicted of committing a triple homicide in West Memphis, Arkansas. Echols was convicted of murder and sentenced to die by lethal injection. His conviction and sentence have been upheld by the Arkansas Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court. Echols was arrested on June 3, 1993, and has been in prison ever since.

The case has received considerable attention. Many critics charge that the arrests and convictions were a miscarriage of justice inspired by a misguided moral panic, and that the defendants were wrongfully convicted during a period of intense media scrutiny and so-called "Satanic panic".

The HBO documentary films Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations, and two best selling books on the convictions (Blood of Innocents by Guy Reel and Devil's Knot by Mara Leveritt) all make a convincing case that the convictions were wrongfully obtained and three innocent men are in prison. Another sequel Paradise Lost 3 is currently being filmed.

Echols' case has seen significant support from some rock and pop musicians, who have popularized the case and staged fund-raisers including benefit CDs and an art auction with some of his own work.

Echols co-wrote the lyrics to the song "Army Reserve", on Pearl Jam's self-titled album. Punk musician Michale Graves, formerly of The Misfits ("Resurrection" Line-up) has been writing music to coincide with Echols poetry. Echols and Graves are currently working together on an album that will be released in early 2007.

He has published his memoirs, Almost Home: My Life Story Vol. 1, and his poetry in the Porcupine Literary Arts magazine (Volume 8, Issue 2).