Musings on the West Memphis 3

I’ve watched these guys and kept an eye on their site, regularly, since the first Paradise Lost (See all Crime & Conspiracy Documentaries), though I had heard of their case previously through the occult grapevine.

I have taken an Ambien so no doubt I’ll say all sorts of inappropriate shit, but I guess that’s entertainment. Anyway, yeah. No more than a month or so back, I wrote a rather banal letter to Damien Echols in prison. He probably never got to read it; I gather he gets a lot of mail and it wasn’t that long ago. I’m betting he’ll be getting even more now. I wonder if the prison will forward it.

In the letter, I expressed the usual outrage and concern regarding his unfortunate situation, but I told him I had a feeling he would be out soon. I have to admit I didn’t expect it to be quite this soon. It’s wonderful, I’m sure, as well as stressful and very public. They’re going to get a crash course in morbid fame now that they’re much more accessible to reporters and fanlike supporters.

I spent the last week reading as much as I could find, from both sides of the issues — there are those who believe these guys were scapegoats from day one, with the police not even considering other possible suspects. West Memphis reminds me on my home town in Ohio. The attitudes in place tend to victimize anyone different; there have been a lot of school age killing for these reasons. It’s a reality. And it’s a risk for everyone who lives in a conservative area while practicing magick or any form of esoteric woo-woo shit. The woo woo shit scares the Average Joe. Trust me. I know some Average Joes who know me well, since our school days…. who are now afraid of me since they found out what I’m into. It’s tragic.

I don’t see how Damien, Jason, and Jessie are going to be able to stay in their home towns and have comfortable lives. If they do, this situation will never leave them alone. And hell, at this rate they could just move in with Eddie Vedder and start a new band. Point is, the community’s not going to welcome them. They need to go somewhere where they can assimilate at their own pace, with support systems in place.

There was one “they’re guilty” site I was reading called WM3truth (google it) that (while the website owner is obviously biased and refusing to identify herself) stated opinion as fact a lot, so I was ready with the salt. But there was one piece on that site that disturbed me, and that was Damien Echols’ psychological profile. Well, that and the information which alleged that Jessie Miskelley never changed his story, even after the trial and in private with his lawyers. He said, allegedly, that they did commit these crimes. Makes you wonder. But if they did do them, I certainly hope they have no interest in continuing that hobby.

This case deeply intrigues me and I’m thrilled that the guys got to walk free, even if they did have to accept an uncomfortable deal in the end. Freedom is its own reward. My heart goes out to Damien, Jason, and Jessie yet again, but this time in joy.