Three eight-year-old boys were reported missing on May 5th, 1993. Neighbours saw the three playing together a half an hour earlier. The police undertook a search with local residents, but the three boys were not found. A more thorough search of the area was made the next morning with no luck. It wasn’t until nearly 2pm that day the discovery was made of their bound and naked bodies in a muddy ditch.

Suspicion fell on an 18 year old boy with an interest in the occult and two of his friends a month later. The police were convinced that Damien Echols was capable of murder. The police took Jessie Misskelley in for questioning. He was one of Damien’s friends. Jessie has an IQ of 72 and was a minor at 17 years old. He was questioned without the supervision of his parents, for roughly 12 hours. 46 minutes of the 12 hours of interrogation were recorded. Jessie confessed to the crime, however he quickly recanted his confession. He claimed he was intimidated, coerced, fatigued and threatened by the police. The judge decided nothing inappropriate had happened and agreed for Misskelley to stand trial.

Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin were arrested straight after the confession.

Misskelley was tried separately from Damien and Jason. Jessie’s confession was enough to see him convicted even though it was inaccurate and illegally obtained.

Damien and Jason were tried three weeks later, together. HBO filmed the trial. You really have to see the documentary for yourself to appreciate the true horror of incompetent and malevolent justice which took place in that courtroom.

Between the judge, ridiculous expert witnesses, some witness perjury and a police force bent on getting a result regardless of the truth, Damien and Jason were found guilty. Damien was sentenced to Death and Jason to life in prison.

Watch Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills you can see the true horror of this terrible crime and awful injustice which followed.