Background and the 1993 Murders:
- In 1993, three 8-year-old boys—Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers—were found brutally murdered in West Memphis.
- The murders shocked the community, and the police quickly launched an investigation.
Arrest and Trial:
- Echols, along with two other teenagers—Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr.—were arrested and charged with the murders.
- The prosecution's case relied heavily on coerced confessions from Echols and Misskelley, both of whom recanted their statements later.
- The three were convicted and sentenced to death in 1994.
Appeals and Exoneration:
- Over the years, numerous legal challenges and appeals were made on behalf of the West Memphis Three.
- In 2007, the Arkansas Supreme Court overturned the death sentences due to insufficient evidence.
- In 2011, the West Memphis Three were released after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors. They entered an Alford plea, which allowed them to maintain their innocence while acknowledging that there was enough evidence to convict them.
Post-Exoneration Activities:
- Since their release, Echols and the other two members of the West Memphis Three have been vocal advocates against capital punishment and wrongful convictions.
- Echols has authored two books, "Life After Death" (2012) and "Yours for Eternity: A Love Story on Death Row" (2018), both of which chronicle his experience on death row and his life after exoneration.
- He has also been involved in various social justice initiatives and has spoken publicly about the flaws in the criminal justice system.
In summary, David Vivian Russell, better known as Damien Echols, is a former death row inmate who was wrongfully convicted of the murders of three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, in 1993. He spent almost two decades on death row before being exonerated and released in 2011. Since his release, he has become a prominent advocate against capital punishment and wrongful convictions.