Paradise Lost running on HBO (West Memphis 3 content)

[J.P.]

As expected on the heels of the upcoming third segment of the document, HBO is currently re-running Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills.

They ran the original installment twice this evening (one is currently on ch. 307) and it looks like they are running Pt.2 Paradise Lost:Revelations tommorow evening.

From what I've read the third part was already too near completion to rewrite the ending based on the release of the defendants and is supposed to open in Toronto....next month IIRC.

The head of HBO documentary departmet has called for the production of a fourth part......nothing has been confirmed tho'.

 

[J.P.]

As I've continually stated, I've never been able to draw a conclusion regarding their guilt/innocence either way that I'm completely comfortable with.

Regardless of that I *do* feel very adamantly that there was insufficient evidence to convict the three beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
It was not even close, IMO.
(and I've studied the actual transcripts of record...not just the sound bytes of the documentaries)

It was most definitely a justice system failure as far as I'm concerned, where personal bias & hyperbole poured an unmistakeable taint on the jury of their "peers".....and that is one of the things that had drawn me to the case originally.
That and being a freshman criminal law student at the time.

As a teen in the rural bible belt with a lifestyle that would likely shock the conscience of a similar jury, I could have just as easily been one of the accused and locked away based soley on the decision of 12 people who simply didn't like me.

The worst part of all is that as a result of this embarrassing circus the "real" killers go free........either way.

 

[HMFIC]

Dammit... I don't have HBO.

Are they available to rent?

 

[J.P.]

I dunno'....if you can then I'm sure you can find them online.

They might be fully posted at Youtube as well.

 

[HMFIC]

I'm intrigued kind of like how you describe your interest in it. From the perspective of not only possible wrong convictions but the idea that the real guilty party could have gotten away with it.

It's a compelling story and I can see why HBO picked it up just from what I've read so far... a John Grisham thriller played out in real life, only we don't have the final chapter yet.

 

[TripleD]

I saw both documentaries years ago. I always felt they were wrongly convicted. John Mark Byers (step father of victim) seemed really shady in the docs. He firmly believed the WM3 killed the boys in the docs. Now he firmly believes they are innocent. I also saw last night that Mr. Byers is writting a book that is suppose to be out very soon. Probably had to re-write the ending.

 

[XChosen]

I watched the 2nd part last night with really no knowledge of the origin of all this. I guess I was living under a rock or something.

I was really drawn into the show mainly because I honestly couldn't figure out what my opinion of the whole thing was.

Yes Byers is a complete inbred whack job who should probably be behind bars just for his singing. Those boys did seem way off of center to me as well and their families, oh dear god those people need to stop having children.

 

[J.P.]

As much as the WM3.org folks probably had a hand in getting the three released, I still think they are sort of crack-pots in their own rite.....

The latest theory put forth by some of these folks is that Terry Hobbs may have played a role in it.
(no alibi, DNA found at criem scene, also had teeth pulled in mid-90s, etc)

I dunno...