- Signatures: 6,142
- Goal: 5,000
- Deadline: 10-4-2002
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Petition Target: Mike Huckabee, Govenor, Arkansas
This petition was started to support a continued investigation of the case of The West Memphis Three and support them in their fight to get a new and fair trial.
The three, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelley, Jr. were tried for a triple murder in 1993 in West memphis, Arkansas. The evidence suggests that there is a clear possibility that these three are innocent of these terrible crimes. It is our responisbility to either prove BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT that these three are guilty, or release them.
Sign now and support due process of the law, and the respect for the civil liberties of these three men.
| Number | Date | Prefix | Name | State | Country | Why I am signing this petition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,164 | 12:40 pm PDT, Oct 20 | Mrs. | Tamara Behrens | Iowa | United States | |
| 6,163 | 10:03 am PDT, Oct 10 | Ms. | Anonymous | Netherlands | ||
| 6,162 | 4:02 pm PDT, Oct 9 | Lani Braithwaite | California | United States | I'm signing this because something has to be done now to correct this injustice before it's too late. Damien doesn't have much time left and all 3 deserve to live their lives as the innocent men that they are. It's hard to believe that these men have already served 15 years for a crime they didn't commit. | |
| 6,161 | 12:42 pm PDT, Oct 7 | Ms. | april hill | Arkansas | United States | I am a college student at asu-heber springs and am actually going to school for law. I personally believe that the west memphis 3 were convicted on circumstantial evidence. I mean how many people now where black and listen to metallica? In criminal law the burden of proof is without a reasonable doubt and in this case there was plenty of doubt. Jessie Misskelley jr was interrogated for hours prior to the officers actually recording his confession. Any child that is stuck in a room with two men and a baseball bat would be easily coerced into confessing to anything just to be out of that room. There was NO evidence linking them to the murder of those three little boys and I believe that the prosecutors merely played on the jurys' emotions. Yes it was a terrible tragedy that three 8-year-old boys was tortured to death but it is my belief that the murderers are still out there. |
| 6,160 | 8:30 am PDT, Oct 4 | Ms. | Jennifer Shaver | Arkansas | United States | I believe they are innocent. |
| 6,159 | 3:23 pm PDT, Sep 25 | Anonymous | Australia | iv know about these poor boys being in jail for a long time now and i am disbeliefed that in 2009 the american justice system has not cleaned up and let these poor fellas out of jail they were boys when they went in and they are now men, it shocking that somethng with so much evidence saying there innocent that they still stay behind bars. the shocking and terrible things that happen to those poor young boys years ago, is something i feel very sorry for there lose, but i just dont see 3 BOYS slicing and dicing that area they were so young! i wish the boys all the luck and wishes for there release and i hope that one day this will all be over for them, im in australia and beleieve me we even know this is screwed up! | ||
| 6,158 | 12:09 am PDT, Sep 25 | Anonymous | Arkansas | United States | I am supporting becuse i believe they have no evidence all they have is a bunch of crap proving it wasnt them they fix it to make other believe what they want you to believe did u watch the movie the judge kept falling asleep in the middle of the case the judge is retired how come hes still on the case he shouldnt have anything to do with the case and if you belive these boys are guilty than you honestly pay no attention and are not very good in court | |
| 6,157 | 11:19 am PDT, Sep 24 | Ms. | Alana Danner | Georgia | United States | It's blatantly clear the boys did NOT receive a fair trial & the local justice system opted to be lazy & go after these boys than to work a little harder & get the actual killer. This is simply a case of small minded people murdering our justice system. |
| 6,156 | 7:35 pm PDT, Sep 22 | Anonymous | Ohio | United States | I firmly believe that these three boys are innocent and deserve to live their lives with all the freedoms as every other American! | |
| 6,155 | 10:30 am PDT, Sep 20 | Ms. | Anonymous | Canada | I believe the three boys charged with this terrible crime are completely innocent & they should have a new trial. God Help them!! | |
| 6,154 | 4:24 pm PDT, Sep 18 | Ms. | Sara Boyd | Illinois | United States | I can't believe this is still going on. It sickens me that injustice like this can still exist and even worse in the public eye. |
| 6,153 | 1:46 pm PDT, Sep 16 | Ms. | Tiffany Curtis | Missouri | United States | I have done so much research on this case/trial, everything and no matter how much i read or watch nothing points to those three boys everything points away and even some point to another suspect, hmmm? those boys have the right to get back the life that was stolen from them. |
| 6,151 | 3:07 pm PDT, Sep 9 | Mr. | Matthew Yuhas | Florida | United States | |
| 6,150 | 12:03 pm PDT, Sep 9 | Mrs. | Anonymous | Pennsylvania | United States | I am signing because my son, Richard Singletary, has also been subjected to the same mistreatment and trickey interrogation process by the Phila. Police, causing his coerced confession. This MUST stop. They all should be freed. See petition: Free Richard Singletary, too. |
| 6,149 | 2:50 pm PDT, Sep 2 | Melissa Romeo | Missouri | United States | I watched the documentary "Paradise Lost" about their unfair trial they received. It is appalling to me that they were convicted of these crimes with the lack of evidence that the prosecution had against them. It is an injustice that they have been in prison because of the prejudice and ignorance of the judge, jury, and detectives that helped put them there. | |
| 6,148 | 10:37 pm PDT, Sep 1 | Ms. | Jayde Hanrahan | Australia | As if the murders wasn't horrific enough! I have seen the documentries and I can not say I know who did it but I can say I know who didn't, the west memphis three. Putting aside the controversy and claims of satanism the cold hard evidence is what justice comes down to, and did the police find any evidence to suggest anything but their innocence? Not that we've ever heard of. Yes, maybe the detectives and prosecuters of the day were mislead, but no way in humanity would the same mistake be made over again. I feel as if the story we know isn't the whole truth. Damien Echols will be killed, for a crime so many believe he didn't commit, now that sends a message to young people of today. Justice needs to be served for those poor little boys upon the right head, not the easiest candidates. Another question I must ask I must ask is what proof was given that Damien receives a higher charge than the others? What makes him more guilty than the other 2? We may never know. Think about this world for until the real culprit is behind bars those murdered children can have no rest . | |
| 6,147 | 10:50 pm PDT, Aug 27 | Mr. | Jeff Tomlinson | Australia | What a witch hunt. Hard to say who is worse; the prosecution for fabricating the nonsense, the Judge for believing that their farce had enough substance to warrant the trials, or the juries who just wanted someone, anyone, to be held responsible. The true killer(s) may never be found and fresh trials after all this time are going to leave some egg on some faces but where is the justice in convicting anyone other than those responsible. The case for the prosecution has been shot down in flames and their prime witnesses, “expert” or otherwise, have been discredited ad infinitum. It's time to take a fresh perspective and give the wm3 a fair go. FFS. | |
| 6,146 | 8:58 pm PDT, Aug 24 | Ms. | Skye - Angela Cockinos | Australia | I have been watching the doco about what had happened and i believe that three boys didnt do it i believe that John Bryers did it | |
| 6,145 | 4:37 am PDT, Aug 21 | robin apted | Australia | watched the documentaries and do not believe the boys are guilty. john bryers should be the man on trial. | ||
| 6,144 | 2:07 am PDT, Aug 21 | Lee Tupuola Faalogo | New Zealand | Because I dont believe the West Memphis Three are guilty, I believe theyre innocent. | ||
| 6,143 | 7:09 pm PDT, Aug 17 | Ms. | Aleigha Harber | Indiana | United States | |
| 6,142 | 5:29 pm PDT, Aug 16 | Mr. | Glenn Smith | New Zealand | These three men are 100% innocent | |
| 6,141 | 11:28 pm PDT, Jul 31 | Darlena Luppino Torres | California | United States | Because I believe there is a complete lack of evidence proving the 3 boys committed these murders. | |
| 6,140 | 5:48 pm PDT, Jul 26 | Jeff Shoopman | Ohio | United States | Why are these guys still in prison, when no credible evidence against them has ever been presented. I recently saw a case of a young man who was recently acquitted after spending nearly 10 years in jail for a crime he did not committ. Just like the West Memphis Three he was sent up the river because of some violent drawings he made at 15 years old and that was the only evidence they had against him. Just as the WM3 were convicted on Metallica lyrics and heresay. | |
| 6,139 | 11:48 am PDT, Jun 29 | Ms. | Anonymous | Kansas | United States | After reviewing the evidence and seeing the documentaries, how could anyone possibly think these boys did this? |
| 6,138 | 8:12 pm PDT, Jun 25 | Mrs. | angela brashears | California | United States | because i cannot fathom why these 3 are still in jail? and why is byers not? |
| 6,137 | 3:00 pm PDT, Jun 11 | Anonymous | Pennsylvania | United States | Because the evidence is obvious that the wrong people are in jail!! | |
| 6,136 | 2:22 pm PDT, Jun 10 | Mr. | Travis Ross | Canada | ||
| 6,135 | 6:42 pm PDT, Jun 8 | Mrs. | susan lawton | United Kingdom | having followed the case since the original trials i feel there is more than reasonable doubt and a new trial is a must and is needed to possibly save a mans life.damien echols. | |
| 6,134 | 3:50 pm PDT, Jun 8 | Ms. | Jill Kacic | Canada | I am signing this petition for a few different reasons,the first being that i believe the confession of Jessie Misskelley was infact coerced by the west memphis pd. Anyone badgered for 12 hours straight is going to find himself in a corner, the only exit being false confession. The fact that this boy has a reported Intelligence Quotient of 72 only adds to the possiblity of coercion. Also, the fact that the 12 odd hours of interrogation yielded a mere 46 minutes of taped "confession" is disconcerting to say the least. In addition the "missing" blood evidence collected from the washroom of the Mr. bo jangles rest. may have been enough to clear all three boys, the fact that this was not treated more seriously or handled with more respect is a devastating tragedy. Thirdly, the lack of blood evidence at the scene and the fact that the initial search yielded no little boys in the woods leaves no doubt in my mind that the boys were abducted, mutilated / killed elsewhere & dumped in the robin hood woods. In closing i feel that this case is a prime examle of "justice miscarried". I am not asking that the boys be released "no questions asked" I am however extremely interested in new trials, all of which would include hard evidence. I realize that most of the evidence was horribly mishandled or lost but with new DNA results , we should be able to give these boys a fair shot. | |
| 6,133 | 11:27 pm PDT, May 19 | Ms. | Patricia Bell | Ohio | United States | I believe there evidence is week, Especially Jessies,s confession, Also no blood at the seen I believe these boys that were murdered Got talked into something by someone they trustes someone they knew. Someone that was watching them for awhile. Damien might of been like the gothic type to people but there are alot of kids like that my daughter went thru that fad. Thats not a reason for someone to do something like that Also I know what it feels like to be depresssed I suffer from major depression But I wouldn,t kill anyone because of it. I believe it was a rush to judgement. To pin this crime on these three with the wierd evedence iiiit doesnt seem right. I Incourage them they always say the truth out sooner or later. |
| 6,132 | 11:51 am PDT, May 15 | Ms. | Gwen Ludvigsen | Florida | United States | Leave it up to the American justice system to drop the ball.These men did absolutely nothing wrong .This case was a witch hunt from day one . The evidence proves that . Give them a fair trial with the new evidence . |
| 6,131 | 9:14 pm PDT, May 2 | Joanne Patterson | Australia | Everyone deserves a fair trial, they need to find the true killers. Think of everyone involved, the three little boys have no justice and the three men in jail have no justice. | ||
| 6,130 | 6:42 pm PDT, Apr 29 | Ms. | Sammie Wilson | Australia | Jesse, Jason and Damien were convicted on little to no evidence and it makes you think if the justice system can make such a big mistake for 3 teenage boys then none of us are safe!!!!! | |
| 6,129 | 8:29 am PDT, Apr 23 | Susan Cerny | Tennessee | United States | These young men deserve a FAIR, un-biased trial, With ALL the evedence,compitant council; and most of all,The real killer(s) need to be brought to justice. | |
| 6,128 | 5:57 pm PDT, Apr 20 | Ms. | Jennie Freeman | Ohio | United States | I believe that the evidence that was presented agianst the accused was of very little value. The state proceeded without caution. The real killer is out there and the wrong men are in prison for this crime! |
| 6,127 | 5:16 pm PDT, Apr 17 | Anonymous | Connecticut | United States | These boys deserve a FAIR trial! This is unacceptable that this has happened in America."Innocent until proven guilty" yeah right! | |
| 6,126 | 11:41 pm PDT, Mar 30 | Mr. | Ian Roscoe | Oregon | United States | Simply because this brand of bigoted non-justice, should never have happened. The bigots in Arkansas, for as inexperienced and incompetent as they are need to be over-ridden by United States Supreme Court. Being stubborn is not a good trait, when the State Attorney Generals office of Arkansas refuses to do the right thing. They should be ashamed, it's so pathetic. |
| 6,125 | 5:08 pm PDT, Mar 8 | Mr. | Ben Affleck | California | United States | The failure of the American judicial system has created this tragic injustice. |
| 6,124 | 9:12 pm PST, Feb 26 | Ms. | Nicole Ash | New York | United States | |
| 6,123 | 8:18 am PST, Feb 25 | Molly McGraw | Arkansas | United States | ||
| 6,122 | 10:53 am PST, Feb 22 | Ms. | Anonymous | United Kingdom | ||
| 6,121 | 11:45 am PST, Feb 8 | Larry Hummrich | Illinois | United States | There is no justice, just us! | |
| 6,120 | 8:13 pm PST, Feb 2 | Mrs. | Barb Hill | Canada | Their freedom is long overdue... All three have my whole hearted support. | |
| 6,119 | 10:48 pm PST, Jan 21 | Brandy Kratz | New Jersey | United States | I've seen both documenteries and I am not even convinced. There were too many screw ups with the evidence. None of the three boys' DNA was found at the site but yet the stepfather of one of the victums was found there. | |
| 6,118 | 9:43 am PST, Jan 16 | Elizabeth Farthing | Ohio | United States | The reason i am signing this petition is because i believe the West Memphis Three are innocent. They should not be put in jail for the rest of there lives for a crime they did not commit. I believe the west memphis police were convicting these boys because they thought they were weird | |
| 6,117 | 7:12 pm PST, Jan 12 | Mrs. | Amanda Martinez | Florida | United States | |
| 6,116 | 2:29 pm PST, Jan 5 | Mrs. | Erica Burton | Arkansas | United States | My decision to sign this petition is based on the fact that there is new evidence that suggests that the west memphis 3 are innocent! |
| 6,115 | 2:23 pm PST, Dec 10 | Jenna Bradley | New York | United States | The three of them deserve another trial. If they really are guilty then they'll go back to jail. I think some people don't want to have to admit they actually made a mistake, but why would they? It's only making three probably innocent people stay in jail for the rest of their lives or for what little time they have left. I don't think another trial could hurt. So, why not? | |
| 6,114 | 8:14 am PST, Dec 10 | Ms. | Mika Bisby | Oklahoma | United States | Justice has not been served!! |
| 6,113 | 7:17 am PST, Dec 7 | Mr. | Anonymous | Canada | free the innocent | |
| 6,112 | 10:43 am PST, Dec 6 | Rebecca Osborn | Michigan | United States | The boys deserve a new trial. IF they are truly guilty, it will be proven at trial. What are you all so afraid of? | |
| 6,111 | 1:04 pm PST, Dec 5 | Ms. | Michelle Garner | South Carolina | United States | These young men deserve a retrial. They were not found guilty based on facts but on fear, stupidity and incompatance by the WMPD. The evidence shows that they didn't do this and yet they are in jail while a killer(s) walk free. They were not found guilty based upon evidence but rather on a towns ignorance and predjudice towards these three. I hope and pray that justice can be done, that these three get another trial and then maybe the WMPD can find the real killer. Then and only then will there be justice for the boys that died and for the young men who are being wrongfully punished for it. |
| 6,110 | 12:22 pm PST, Dec 5 | Pamela J. Cromer | Ohio | United States | I read about this a few years ago I thought at that time there was going to be a new trail or the three men were going to be release. due to evidence | |
| 6,109 | 2:01 pm PST, Dec 4 | Ms. | Justine Andrews | New Mexico | United States | Not only should these men be released and given a new trial, but prior to a new trial an independent investigation of the case should be conducted that will re-examine the entire investigation and the evidence obtain during that investigation. We have the capability and means that did not exist in 1993 that could prove or disprove their guilt. This new technology should always be used to make sure that our society does not convict innocent people because of discrimination toward persons or groups based on certain characteristics. Additionally, an independent investigation of the local police department and the criminal justice system that convicted these young men should be done to make sure no one involved in the investigation and prosecution had any ulterior motive to see these young men get convicted. |
| 6,108 | 3:05 am PST, Dec 2 | Sabrina Wilbourne | Washington | United States | These three men are innocent! It breaks my heart to see that they are still in prison and that no justice has been served. | |
| 6,107 | 3:59 am PST, Nov 27 | Ms. | Penelope Stevenson | Australia | I truely belive that these now three man have been robbed of many years while stuck behind bars for a crime they have not done. Im not from the US and can honestly not understand why these 3 man have not been released with all this new evidence avaible. COME ON,LET THEM FREE AND FIND THE REAL MURDER,LETS FINALLY GIVE THESE 3 LITTLE BOYS THE JUSTICE THEY DESERVE. | |
| 6,106 | 3:34 pm PST, Nov 25 | Mrs. | Fawnmarie Marsella | New York | United States | Because this case represents one of the biggest miscarriages of justice I have uncovered in 8 years of studying Criminal Justice. It is a black mark on the reputation of American justice. |
| 6,105 | 2:33 pm PST, Nov 21 | Ms. | robyn hammons | Canada | because theres is no reason to not reopen the case people are just afraid to even think there wrong after watching paradise lost i did not feel releived about the decision there are too many holes in this puzzle to have 3 people rotting in jail over. espically when theres better evidence out there linking someone to the case other then santanic superstition. | |
| 6,104 | 6:20 am PST, Nov 9 | Mr. | Timothy Ollerenshaw | United Kingdom | Because l believe they are innocent and are being used as a scapegoat.In the UK we are pardoning witches that were persecuted years ago. | |
| 6,103 | 9:55 pm PST, Nov 8 | Mrs. | Erin Brinkman | Missouri | United States | They deserve so much more than this. Everyone deserves a fair trial. |
| 6,102 | 1:43 pm PST, Nov 4 | Ms. | rena mcculley | Tennessee | United States | We need a fair trail with DNA evidence before we punish 3 young men based on a witch hunt. |
| 6,101 | 12:06 pm PDT, Oct 20 | Mr. | Philip Albanese | New Jersey | United States | It appears that these 3 boys are innocent - A second trial is appropriate. |
Support A Retrial for the West Memphis Three
Attention: Mike Huckabee, Govenor, Arkansas
The evidence supporting the conviction of the West Memphis Three is incomplete and does not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they are guilty.
We, the undersigned, implore you to ensure that these three men receive a fair trial and prove their guilt. For all men are INNOCENT until proven guilty. We beseech you to use your influence to ensure that the articles of the constitution are respected and that the inalienable rights of Damien, Jesse and Jason are also respected. These men, as all men do, deserve a fair trial.
Sincerely,
The undersigned.
We, the undersigned, respectfully request that you use your influence to ensure that the West Memphis Three receive a fair retrial and a just investigation of their case.
We understand that the history of the case is as follows:
- On May 5th, 1993 the bodies of three 8 year old boys, Christopher Byers, Micheal Moore and Steven Branch were found, mutilated and tied, wrists to ankles, in a shallow creek along interstate 40 in west memphis Arkansas.
- One month later the police arrested three local teenagers whom they accused of sacrificing the boys in a bizarre satanic ritual.
- The accused were 18 year old Damien Echols, said to be the mastermind behind the murders, 16 year old Jason Baldwin and 17 year old Jesse Misskelley Jr, a boy with an I.Q. of 72.
- According to the police, Jesse voluntarily confessed to participating in these brutal slayings. His confession, though incomplete and frought with inaccuracies, implicated both Damien and Jason, who he claimed to be fellow devil worshipers.
- These three were condmned long before their trial began. For nine months the media released rumored stories of blood drinking and devil worshipping, homosexual orgies and demons.
- Despite overwhelming public hostility toward them, the accused steadfastly maintained their innocence.
- Damien asserted that, throughout the years, police had persecuted him because he was different-wearing black clothing, listening to heavy metal music and being interested in the Wicca religion.
- Jason complained that he was the victim of guilt by associiation- that his freindship with Damien was his only "crime".
- Jesse said that he was coerced into confessing through police pressure. Experts in polygraph tests and false confessions support this contention.
- In 1999, a board certified forensic odontolgist confirmed that one of the slain children, Steven Branch, had an adult bite mark that DID NOT match dental impressions given by Damien, Jesse or Jason.
The evidence supporting the conviction of the West Memphis Three is incomplete and does not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they are guilty.
We, the undersigned, implore you to ensure that these three men receive a fair trial and prove their guilt. For all men are INNOCENT until proven guilty. We beseech you to use your influence to ensure that the articles of the constitution are respected and that the inalienable rights of Damien, Jesse and Jason are also respected. These men, as all men do, deserve a fair trial.
Sincerely,
The undersigned.
Note: This Support A Retrial for the West Memphis Three petition was submitted by Dawne Ziegler. ThePetitionSite.com is a free service provided to help concerned citizens rally support for issues they believe in. The opinions expressed by this petition do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of ThePetitionSite.com or Care2.com. There is no express or implied endorsement of this petition nor any newsletter offers (except those from Care2.com) by Care2.com, Inc, ThePetitionSite.com, or our sponsors. If you believe this system is being abused, please contact customer support.
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