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Damien Echols

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Damien Echols
Echols at the 2012 Texas Book Festival, Austin, Texas
Born
Michael Wayne Hutchison

(1974-12-11) December 11, 1974 (age 50)
Marion, Arkansas, U.S.
OccupationWriter
Known forMember of the West Memphis Three
Websitedamienechols.com

Damien Wayne Echols (born Michael Wayne Hutchison; December 11, 1974) is an American author who first became known as one of three teenagers, the West Memphis Three, convicted of a triple murder in 1994 despite the lack of physical evidence connecting them to the crime[1] and the dubious nature of the other evidence. Upon his release from death row in 2011 under an Alford plea, Echols authored several autobiographical and spiritual books. He has been featured in multiple books, documentaries, and podcasts about his spiritual works and the West Memphis Three case.

Biography

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Early life

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Damien Wayne Echols was born Michael Wayne Hutchison on December 11, 1974.[2] He lived with his mother and father until their divorce, when he was 8.[2] The family frequently moved and Echols would attend eight schools before the age of ten.[3]

At the age of 13, he took a new name, with the last name of his stepfather Jack Echols.[4][2]

The family settled in West Memphis, Arkansas, where Echols attended school.[2] He was still in the ninth grade at the age of 17.[5]

Echols, with his habit of dressing year round in a long black trenchcoat and an interest in witchcraft, was considered a misfit within the local community.[6] He also wrote dark and expressive poems.[7][8]

The Robin Hood Hills murders

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Main article: West Memphis Three

In 1993, when Echols was 18, he was arrested along with Jason Baldwin (16) and Jessie Misskelley (17) for the murder of three eight-year-olds: Steve Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers. They were convicted.[9][10] No physical evidence connected Echols to the crime.[1]

On death row

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On March 19, 1994, Judge David Burnett sentenced Echols to death by lethal injection. On December 23, 1996, the Arkansas Supreme Court denied appeals from Echols and Baldwin.[17] In May 1998, Echols won a hearing on charges that his defense counsel had been incompetent, but Judge Burnett ruled against him in June 1999.[17]

In 2007, new DNA testing became available that was not technologically possible at the time of the crime, and produced evidence that hairs found at the crime scene did not match Misskelley, Baldwin or Echols and possibly matched the stepfather of one of the victims.[18] Based on this, the defendants asked Burnett for a new trial. In September 2008, Burnett denied retrials for all three saying the new evidence was "inconclusive".[19]

Echols spent his time on death row at the Varner Unit Supermax.[3] In his first years, he studied Buddhism and was doing meditation five to seven hours a day.[20][21] Later, he became interested in ceremonial magic.[22] He spent most of the 18 years in prison studying magic.[23]

In 2005, he self-published his autobiography Almost Home with a foreword written by Margaret Cho.[24]

Personal life

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Echols has one child by his ex-girlfriend Domini Teer. Their son was born on September 12, 1993, while Echols was awaiting trial.[25]

In 1996, Echols met his future wife Lorri Davis, a landscape architect who learned about the case after seeing Paradise Lost in New York and wrote him a letter.[20] They began a romantic relationship, and in 1997 Davis quit her job, moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, and began working on Echols' case.[26][27]

In December 1999, they married in a Buddhist ceremony, held in the prison visiting room.[26]

Release from prison

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In November 2010, after Judge Burnett had retired from the bench, the Arkansas Supreme Court ordered new evidentiary hearings for all three defendants based on the new DNA evidence.[28] The state's high court rebuked Burnett's 2008 decision not to grant Echols a hearing on the DNA evidence before rejecting his request for a new trial.[29]

In 2010, after DNA evidence raised the possibility that they had not committed the crime, they were granted an evidentiary hearing. In August 2011, Echols's lawyers, Steve Braga and Patrick Benca negotiated an Alford plea, which allows the defendant to maintain their innocence while conceding that there is enough evidence to possibly convict them at trial. Under the plea deals, all three were resentenced to time-served for the murders (18 years and 75 days) and immediately released from prison.[30]

Life after release

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After the release from prison, Echols and his wife moved to New York City and lived in Peter Jackson's apartment.[21] They next moved to Salem, Massachusetts, and finally settled in Harlem, New York City.[31][26] In 2012, Echols published the book Life After Death, which became a New York Times Best Seller.[5][32]

Also in 2012, West of Memphis, a documentary film directed and co-written by Amy J. Berg, and produced by Peter Jackson and Echols, was released in the US by Sony Pictures Classics.[33] It has been reported that Jackson and Fran Walsh started to work on this project in 2005 and conducted their own private investigation.[34] The film received a nomination for Best Documentary Screenplay from the Writers Guild of America.[35]

In 2014, Echols and Davis co-authored a book Yours for Eternity, which consists of their letters while Echols was in prison.[36][37]

Echols has had a number of art exhibitions, showing pieces of art that he created in prison.[38][39] He has also held a number of events devoted to ceremonial magic.[40]

In 2018, he published High Magick: A Guide to the Spiritual Practices That Saved My Life on Death Row, a book that described his spiritual experience in prison.[41][42] It was followed by Angels and Archangels: A Magician's Guide, published in 2020.[43]

In 2022, Damien and Davis published their second co-authored book together titled Ritual: An Essential Grimoire, which is a compendium of rituals, prayers, and meditations.[44]

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Paradise Lost documentary series

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Main article: Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills

Considering strong national interest in the case and the age of the suspected perpetrators, HBO commissioned Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky to film the trial and produce a documentary.[45] In an unprecedented move, the judge allowed full access to the hearings, the victim's families and the accused.[46] The resulting three film series became the most famous work of Bruce Sinofsky and won him Emmy Award and Peabody Award in 1996 and an Oscar Award nomination for 2011's Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory.[47][48] The first film, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, came out in 1996. It was the beginning of a world-wide campaign to free the young men who became known as The West Memphis Three.[48]

Celebrity support and collaborations

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A number of Hollywood celebrities, notably Pearl Jam lead vocalist Eddie Vedder and actor Johnny Depp, publicly advocated for the release of The Memphis Three.[49][50] Vedder sat next to Echols's wife Lorri in the front row of the courtroom and embraced Echols once he was released.[51] Echols co-wrote the lyrics to the song "Army Reserve" from the 2006 Pearl Jam album.[52] Former Misfits vocalist Michale Graves also supported the case, and in October 2007 he recorded his Illusions album, featuring written content and backing vocals from Echols.[53]

Devil's Knot book and film

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Echols's is a central figure of Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three, a 2002 true crime book by Mara Leveritt.[54] In 2013, Atom Egoyan directed Devil's Knot, a feature film adaptation of the book starring Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon, which was produced by Worldview Entertainment.[55] Echols's character was played by an upcoming actor, James Hamrick.[56] The film premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in U.S. theaters on May 9, 2014.[57]

The Midnight Gospel appearance

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In April 2020, Echols appeared as Darryl the Fish in The Midnight Gospel animated TV series aired on Netflix. His character walked the main character Clancy through the philosophy of magic.[58]

Stranger Things character

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In the fourth season of Netflix's Stranger Things the character and story of Eddie Munson is closely based on Echols' life as he too is wrongly accused of murder based on his appearance. The writers reportedly took inspiration from the Paradise Lost documentary.[59]

Publications

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  • Echols, Damien (2012). Life After Death. Blue Rider Press. ISBN 978-1-101-59858-0.
  • Echols, Damien; Davis, Lorri (2014). Yours for Eternity: A Love Story on Death Row. Blue Rider Press. ISBN 978-0-399-16619-8.
  • Echols, Damien; Vedder, Eddie (2018). High Magick: A Guide to the Spiritual Practices That Saved My Life on Death Row. Sounds True. ISBN 978-1-68364-134-6.
  • Echols, Damien; Greer, John Michael (2020). Angels and Archangels: A Magician's Guide. Sounds True. ISBN 978-1-68364-326-5.
  • Echols, Damien; Davis, Lorri (2022). Ritual: An Essential Grimoire. Sounds True. ISBN 978-1-68364-820-8.

References

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  1. ^ a b [11][12][13][14][15][16]
  2. ^ a b c d Leveritt, Mara (June 23, 1994). "Witch on death row: Damien Echols contends his only crime was being different". Arkansas Times. Archived from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Feyerick, Deborah; Chen, Stephanie (September 29, 2010). "Echols of West Memphis 3 talks about appeal, death row". CNN. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  4. ^ Guernsey-Pitchford, Julia (2018). "Divided Selves of the Social Alien from Milton's Satan and Mary Shelley's Monster to Damien Echols of the West Memphis Three". Studies in Popular Culture. 40 (2): 78. JSTOR 26582185 – via JSTOR.
  5. ^ a b Maslinsept, Janet (August 19, 2012). "Freedom After Fire Ants and Tumult: "Life After Death," by Damien Echols". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  6. ^ Mnookin 2005, p. 153.
  7. ^ Tost 2011, p. 28.
  8. ^ Berlinger, Joe; Milner, Greg (2014). Metallica: This Monster Lives: The Inside Story of Some Kind of Monster. St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-4668-6696-6 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ Lampinen, James Michael; Neuschatz, Jeffrey S.; Cling, Andrew D. (2012). "Expert Testimony". The Psychology of Eyewitness Identification. Psychology Press. p. 231. ISBN 978-1-84872-883-7 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ Turvey, Brent E.; Cooley, Craig M. (2014). Miscarriages of Justice: Actual Innocence, Forensic Evidence, and the Law. Elsevier. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-12-411558-3 – via Google Books.
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  12. ^ "West Memphis Three". Encyclopædia Britannica. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
  13. ^ Schneider, Sydney (2013). "When Innocent Defendants Falsely Confess: Analyzing the Ramifications of Entering Alford Pleas in the Context of the Burgeoning Innocence Movement". Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology. 103 (1). Chicago: Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law: 279–308.
  14. ^ Dewan, Shaila (October 30, 2007). "Defense Offers New Evidence in a Murder Case That Shocked Arkansas". The New York Times.
  15. ^ Monroe, Rachel (September 26, 2018). "Damien Echols and the Secrets of Magick". The New York Times.
  16. ^ Dunne, Carey (October 27, 2018). "Magick 'Saved My Life': the Former Death Row Inmate Turned Warlock". The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group.
  17. ^ a b Newton 2004, p. 308.
  18. ^ Dewan, Shaila (October 30, 2007). "Defense Offers New Evidence in a Murder Case That Shocked Arkansas". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020. according to long-awaited new evidence ..., there was no DNA from the three defendants found at the scene
  19. ^ Zeman, Jill (September 10, 2008). "Judge: No new trial in 1993 Ark. boys' slayings". Fox News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 12, 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Gray, Geoffrey (October 13, 2010). "A Death-Row Love Story". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  21. ^ a b Dalton, Tom (October 4, 2012). "From death row to Witch City". The Salem News. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  22. ^ McLendon, Kim (June 8, 2017). "Johnny Depp And Damien Echols: Magick And The Power Of Words". Inquisitr. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  23. ^ Dunne, Carey (October 27, 2018). "Magick 'saved my life': the former death row inmate turned warlock". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  24. ^ Brogle, Courtney (March 19, 2020). "Which Celebrities Advocated For The Release Of The West Memphis Three?". Oxygen. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  25. ^ Perrusquia, Marc; Sullivan, Bartholomew (September 29, 1993). "Occult publications draw scrutiny in triple slaying". The Commercial Appeal.
  26. ^ a b c Dunne, Carey (February 14, 2018). "Paradise found: she waited for him while he was wrongly on death row". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  27. ^ King, Loren (March 16, 2013). "West Memphis 3 figure seeks solace in Salem". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  28. ^ Douglas, John; Olshaker, Mark (2013). Law & Disorder: Inside the Dark Heart of Murder. Kensington Books. p. 402. ISBN 978-0-7860-2884-9 – via Google Books.
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  30. ^ Robertson, Campbell (August 19, 2011). "Deal Frees 'West Memphis Three' in Arkansas". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  31. ^ Curley, Jerome M.; Malcolm, Dorothy V.; Dionne, Nelson L. (2013). Legendary Locals of Salem. Arcadia Publishing. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-4671-0080-9 – via Google Books.
  32. ^ Michallon, Clémence (May 5, 2020). "The West Memphis three: How a trilogy of HBO documentaries helped free three men convicted of murder". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  33. ^ Kit, Zorianna (January 23, 2012). "Damien Echols discusses life "West of Memphis"". Reuters. Archived from the original on March 28, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  34. ^ "West of Memphis: Sundance Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. January 20, 2012. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  35. ^ Kim, Wook (February 18, 2013). "2013 WGA Awards: The Complete List Of Winners". Time. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  36. ^ Nolasco, Stephanie (March 20, 2019). "Former West Memphis Three inmate Damien Echols says he pays 'very little attention' to true crime fandom". Fox News. Archived from the original on March 20, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  37. ^ "Yours for Eternity". Kirkus Reviews (May 15, 2014). May 7, 2014. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  38. ^ Flanary, Patrick (January 5, 2013). "West Memphis Three's Damien Echols to Exhibit Art Made on Death Row". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  39. ^ Greiving, Tim (March 23, 2016). "Former death row inmate channels experience and magic into his art, on display at Copro Gallery". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 14, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  40. ^ Monroe, Rachel (September 26, 2018). "Damien Echols and the Secrets of Magick". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  41. ^ Kaplan, Ilana (November 19, 2018). "How Damien Echols Used Magick to Survive Death Row". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  42. ^ Dodd, Johnny (January 9, 2019). "Freed Death Row Inmate Damien Echols on What Helped Him Survive Nearly Two Decades in Prison". People. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  43. ^ Auryn, Mat (October 13, 2020). "Review: Angels and Archangels". Patheos. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  44. ^ Dalul, Alan U. (November 6, 2022). "Review: Ritual: An Essential Grimoire". The Wild Hunt. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  45. ^ Mee, Laura; Walker, Johnny, eds. (2014). Cinema, Television and History: New Approaches. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 201. ISBN 978-1-4438-5379-8 – via Google Books.
  46. ^ Belloni, Matthew (August 23, 2011). "The Idea That Led to Justice". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  47. ^ Lang, Brent (February 21, 2015). "Bruce Sinofsky, Oscar-Nominated Documentary Filmmaker, Dies at 58". Variety. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  48. ^ a b Weber, Bruce (February 24, 2015). "Bruce Sinofsky, Lauded Documentary Filmmaker, Dies at 58". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 9, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  49. ^ Parker, Suzi (November 16, 2010). "West Memphis Three: Three men convicted, DNA evidence reopens case". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  50. ^ "Death row inmate seeks new trial". CNN. September 30, 2010. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  51. ^ Fernandez, Sofia M. (August 19, 2011). "How Eddie Vedder Fought for the West Memphis Three". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  52. ^ Prato, Greg (October 9, 2006). "Ex-Misfits Singer Rocks With West Memphis 3's Echols". Billboard.
  53. ^ Sokol, Tony (January 14, 2019). "True Detective Season 3 and the West Memphis Three". denofgeek.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  54. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (May 7, 2014). "A Continuing Murder Mystery Keeps Its Grip on Filmmakers". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  55. ^ McClintock, Pamela (May 16, 2012). "Cannes 2012: Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon's West Memphis Three Pic Gets Financing (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  56. ^ Holden, Stephen (May 8, 2014). "Three Boys Entangled in Mass Hysteria". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  57. ^ Ford, Rebecca (October 7, 2013). "Image Picks Up West Memphis Three Pic 'Devil's Knot'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  58. ^ Franich, Darren (May 7, 2020). "The Midnight Gospel is a heartfelt cosmic masterpiece: Review". Yahoo! Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  59. ^ Lauren Milici (July 5, 2022). "Turns out, Stranger Things' Eddie Munson is based on a true crime story". gamesradar. Retrieved July 8, 2022.

Bibliography

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