West Memphis: Three Oscar documentary nod sparks row


The parents of two of three boys who were murdered in 1993 in the US have said they are disappointed that a documentary about the killings has been nominated for an Oscar. The trio spent 18 years in prison, with Echols - who was 18 at the time - sentenced to death, and Baldwin and Misskelley - both aged 16 - sentenced to life imprisonment.



They were released last August after they pleaded guilty under a so-called Alford plea that allowed them to maintain their innocence while acknowledging prosecutors had enough evidence to convict them. Over the years, celebrities such as Johnny Depp, Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder and the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines joined the effort to free the men.Christopher Byers' family and Stevie Branch's mother has also since come to believe the men are innocent.

No comments:

Post a Comment