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DNA Status Report Released in West Memphis Three CaseReported by: Sydney Hart, KARK 4 News
Thursday, Jul 19, 2007 @05:28pm CDT
The men convicted as teens, of killing three young boys hope new DNA evidence is enough to set them free.
You'll recall, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley were convicted 14 years ago, in the West Memphis Three case.
The report submitted to the supreme court is about recently conducted DNA testing.
The report shows none of DNA at the murder scene connects Echols, Baldwin or Misskelley to the murders of those three young boys 14 years ago.
More than a decade after three young West Memphis boys, Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore were found dead in a drainage ditch. New DNA evidence could link another suspect to the crime scene.
And many hope the newly tested DNA will lead to a new hearing for Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley, commonly known as the West Memphis Three.
In May, forensic scientists and attorney's involved in this high profile case met in Little Rock to look at evidence.
Wednesday, the defense filed a status report with the Arkansas Supreme Court discussing the DNA evidence.
The report reads, "...none of the genetic material recovered at the scene of the crimes was attributable to Mr. Echols, Mr. Echols's co-defendant, Jason Baldwin, or defendant Jessie Misskelley."
While Damien Echols' attorney is not ready to comment on the new developments he admits he and the other defense attorneys are in discussions with prosecuting attorney, Brent Davis, on "...how best to determine the significance of the laboratory's results... in the initial round of testing."
Other news reports say DNA from Terry Hobbs, Stevie Branch's step-father, was discovered in a rope used to tie up the young boys.
Reporter: "Did you murder the little boys?"
"I'd have to laugh at that and say there's something wrong with someone who would think that," Terry Hobbs said.
"It's sad to see that there are some people out here trying to get some killers out of prison that deserve to be hung by a rope," Hobbs added.
It's the same story a local author, who wrote about the West Memphis Three, heard from Mr. Hobbs himself.
"I had heard rumors, but it was only when I called Mr. Hobbs that I heard the specifics. That his DNA had been found on one of the knots on one of the boys," explains Mara Leveritt.
KARK 4 News spoke with prosecuting attorney, Brent Davis, this morning about the recent developments.
He says he wasn't ready to comment on the issue, but he did release the state's response to the status report.
"The State agrees that DNA testing results have not disclosed genetic material recovered from the crime scene that is attributable to Echols and his codependents. To date, nearly all the genetic material recovered from the crime scene was attributable to the victims. It is the State's understanding that the only material not so attributable is that from a partial hair recovered from the the ligatures (victim's shoelaces) that bound a victim and that preliminary testing results may attribute that material to once victim's step-parent."
The reply continues, " The State agrees that counsel for the parties have entered into discussions concerning the evidentiary significance of the testing results, leading to an agreement subject some evidentiary items to more testing. Although the State does not fault him for it, the State would not agree with Echols's characterization of that testing as critical "in light of (its) potential significance to establishing the identity of the perpetrator(s) of the offenses." Rather, the State stands behind its convictions of Echols and his co-defendants as the perpetrators.
Nevertheless, anticipating that Echols and/or his co-defendants will press claims for relief founded on the DNA testing, the State has authorized police investigators to conduct follow-up witness interviews. The State anticipates that will defend its judgements successfully at any hearing in circuit court."
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