Admittedly, I think about writing more than I do it lately - constantly thinking: I should sit and write about that. Then, getting back to the computer and finding excuses (not reasons, mind you) not to do it. The ideas evaporate and I am left, not creating, just consuming.
That said - it would be hard NOT to write something about the West Memphis 3's release this week. Not because I was a massive rabid supporter, I mean, as an active member of the DIY/punk rock/weird looking young adult contingent, it goes without saying that I was aware of the case. I also felt as if the outcome, the guilty convictions, were inevitable. Even though one look at the defendants, one cursory glance at statements and anyone who knew anything about culture, about what trenchcoats, black dye and of course, metallica mean, would know there was no real chance those three teenagers had committed a crime of that nature.
I didn't keep up on the case though. I remember when the first documentary came out, mostly due to the Metallica song(s) being included, but still didn't think all the musician notoriety would make a difference.
People, do not underestimate the power of Eddie Vedder, and I suppose, that Peter Jackson guy.
That isn't what interests me most at this point though. It's the DNA testing. The testing that wasn't done by the Arkansas police. Sure, many of the tests weren't available, but the scene was compromised (shades of Deliverance and Barney Fife) and evidence wasn't apparently collected. But thankfully enough did make it through, and enough money WAS raised (thanks to all the good rock and roll types who wear black t shirts, and that one country chick) to do the testing. I mention it because it was that kind of new testing on old evidence that solved a crime no one thought would ever be solved: Mia Zapata's murder. Through the tenacious work of detectives and lawyers, they got DNA work screened and compared and found a killer. The WM3 are free today because the state of Arkansas, presented with no DNA evidence that matches the convicted, and apparently some that matches someone else (not including a stepfather's hair that was dismissed not on scientific terms but as existing from daily contact. Interestingly, Arkasas police get to determine the provenance of evidence off-th-cuff, on heresay, like much of the case) decided to hedge their bets and free the wrongfully convicted, and at the same time, deny any responsibility to bring the actual murder(s) to trial.
It's kind of amazing to think about how many people may have been wrongfully convicted and killed based on just the lack of science, not even factoring in the misuse of power and authority that is standard procedure in law enforcement (especially in rural areas where news travels slow, if at all). One of the things that interests me is how in the space of 20 years, so much has changed about how investigations are done, that so many TV shows center on forensic investigations, that it would seem the sort of nonsense that happened in West Memphis would be much more difficult to achieve. Though I suppose, any time a jury is involved, and minimal evidence is available, the ability of a persuasive lawyer will still be vital.
I dunno, it just is amazing to me that so much has changed in the way we view these sorts of crimes, and that the means to investigate them has moved forward to such a degree that occasionally, good does win out. I'm really happy the 3 are out, jail is a horrible place; and prison, much less death row and solitary must be, as Damian says, hell on earth.
