Attorney: West Memphis Three Deserve New Trial

It was in a section of trees in West Memphis where police say they found the bodies of three 8-year-old boys back in 1993. Investigators found the boys, hog-tied and beaten to death in a drainage ditch. One of the boy's genitals had been mutilated.

Police eventually decided Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin were to blame. In court, they were convicted of the murders.

Their attorney Daniel Stidham says, "This is a horrible case of injustice."

Thursday night in Conway, Stidham said West Memphis police built a case around the false confession of Misskelly.

Stidham contends Misskelly had the I.Q. of a 5-year-old and was told by police what to say though hours of interrogations. "It's not really difficult to get someone mentally handicapped to confess to something they didn't do," says Stidham.

Police called the murders a satanic ritualistic homicide. Stidham says Misskelly, who was labeled a Satan worshiper, didn't even know who Satan was. Stidham is calling for a new trial for his clients.

He says, "We now know there's no such thing as a satanic ritualistic homicide, we now know that false confessions do happen. Back in 1993, no one understood that."

Mara Leveritt is a former reporter and wrote a book, "Devil's Knot" about the case. Based on what she's seen, she agrees the three are innocent.

She says, "At the very least, the problems with these trials have got to be honestly looked at and honestly addressed. And I think it's important for the people of Arkansas to demand that."

Stidham says in the past 13 years, more evidence has surfaced and witnesses have retracted their statements. He believed his clients will be free if jurors can hear the case again.

Stidham says he also believes West Memphis police mishandled the crime scene and never found any forensic evidence. He also believes a serial killer murdered the boys.

Damien Echols is on death row awaiting execution. Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin are both serving life sentences.