12 years ago Thursday - three innocent eight year olds disappeared.
The boys were playmates in their West Memphis neighborhood.
They endured the unspeakable.
Had they lived -- they would be young men now.
But many believe the case is a double tragedy.
And that the "real killer" -- is still out there.

12 years later.
Damien Echols is 30 years old.
A death row inmate.
All along -- he`s maintained his innocence.

Two years after the trials that sent him and two other teens to prison..
A compelling documentary made its debut on HBO -- to an audience of millions..

The teenagers on trial are often seen in the courtroom..
And Damien Echols in particular.. seems callous, arrogant and vain.
It`s also the way most Arkansans saw him -- during the intense media coverage of the trials.

(reporter) "Why did you act that way?"

(echols) "Most people probably wouldn`t be able to understand how traumatic going through something like that is. I was literally in shock at the time and that was just sort of a defense mechanism to get through it. It was almost like not being myself, almost like trying to put on armor of some sort."

The movie spawned an entire movement -- to "free the West Memphis Three."
Followers believe the convictions are wrong.
There`s a website and regular fundraisers -- often organized by celebrities -- to raise money for the defense fund.

(echols) "I feel extremely fortunate that something like this has actually happened, that so many people are paying attention to the case now."

Publications in Arkansas and around the world.. this one from the Netherlands.. continue to bring attention to the case.
Echols gets thousands of letters of support every year.

(echols) "In a way it makes you feel humble and it also makes you feel sort of indebted just because there are so many people doing so many things and there`s nothing I can do in return."

Echols is an avid reader.. and now -- a published poet.

He`s also written books.. the first of which will be released soon.
He`s a father.. of a son age 12 who lives with his mother out of state.
And Echols is a husband..
His wife Lorri.. the driving force behind his defense efforts.

(echols) "She never loses faith that this situation will be corrected. She never waivers in that. It keeps my spirits up. It keeps me from collapsing."

His faith -- another source of strength.

(echols) "I have taken vows in a Buddhist tradition. Just simple things like never to lie, never to steal, never to cheat, things like that. But at the same time, I still go to mass on a daily basis. I`ve always loved the Catholic Church and I still continue to be involved in it as well."

Echols now appears to be at peace with himself.. but many will never forget the images of him from 12 years ago.
An image he says -- played a huge role in his arrest and conviction.
Regardless.. he says- he continues to hold out hope.

(echols) "The courts now, they aren`t even denying my innocence. They aren`t denying I didn`t have a fair trial. And they aren`t denying that my rights were violated. They just say that I should be executed because of a technicality and that`s not the way the system was designed to work."

(reporter) "Have you ever thought they`re gonna set an execution date and this is really gonna happen?" (echols) "In my darkest hours yes. That thought does occur to me sometimes. It`s just such a horrendous thought that it`s almost paralyzing. I don`t want to dwell on things like that."

(reporter) "And no doubt being in this environment, you have seen people walk that walk and not come back." (echols) "Yes I have, quite a few. quite a few."

So far -- The Arkansas Supreme Court has denied every appeal in Damien Echols` case.
Now he`s moving on to Federal Court.
In addition -- his defense is counting on DNA testing -- to shed light on the situation.
The results could be released later this year.
And as we`ve reported many times before -- the family members of the victims -- say they believe the real killers are in prison -- and that the convictions brought them a sense of closure.