Johnny Depp's '48 Hours' Plea For West Memphis Three (VIDEO)

Johnny Depp will appear on this Saturday's "48 Hours Mystery" as he makes a plea for a new trial for the West Memphis Three, three teenagers accused of murdering three boys in a satanic ritual in 1994.

As seen in the preview clip below, Depp says, "I firmly believe Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley are totally innocent. It was a need for swift justice to placate the community."

WATCH:

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Comments

[LisLis]

10:07 PM on 03/07/2010

Some to my site, www.paradiselost3.com, to discuss aspects of the case and learn more about what has happened involving this case over the past 17 years. I look forward to seeing you on the discussion boards. LisLis

[theAbleDanger]

05:34 PM on 02/25/2010

YA THINK? ---Should Johnny Depp play Harrison Court-006 in Kensington Roth"s Explosive Bond-like Spy-Thriller "ABLE DANGER?"

[shanester]

01:24 PM on 02/25/2010

Just like the Duke Lacross alleged assault case and that famous daycare school in the's 80's were the teachers were accused by the parents innocent people to get conviced for creimes they didn't committ.


Anybody rememebr the Lanell Jeter case in Texas I believe??

[coloradorobinhood]

12:50 PM on 02/25/2010

I guarentee these boys wont get a new trial, Because the state is afraid they will be found innocent, no DAs office in any city of any state will ever admit they did wrong. they would prefer to kill innocent people than apologise to the families. Da offices have to be held accountable for their actions, and they all have histories of BS confessions, and BS convictions. Last year here in Colorado, I helped a young man be found innocent of a minor crime B&E worth 250.00. It took 11 months and 9 appearances in court, eventhough we had 6 witnesses to his Alibi. everytime we went the DA offered more and more, we refused, and finally they gave up and dropped the case. It was such a waste of peoples time and money.

[LisLis]

10:09 PM on 03/07/2010

Come to www.paradiselost3.com to discuss the case, review court and evidence documents, and learn more about this complex case. Look forward to seeing you there. LisLis

[Nelson Montana]

10:22 AM on 02/25/2010

Thanks retraux: Well, judging form that, there seems to be a good amount of evidence.

I'd have no problem with opening the case and following up, but people must realize that all cases have inconsistencies. This is how conspiracy theories get started. The crime is so horrific it seems surreal -- then a piece here and a piece there seems out of place...doubt ensues.

Heck, the O.J. case could not have been more open and shut, but because Furman used the N word and that dolt Dardin made O.J try on the gloves, suddenly things looked different. But he did it. Here's a good rule of thumb -- don't be so eager to show compassion unless you're really sure of the recipient. Would you feel comfortable having these 3 guys living next door to you? Judging from the evidence, I wouldn't.

But as mentioned, if there is new evidence, reopen the case and have a re-trial. (Which is legal only with newfound evidence -- not a different version of what's already been presented).

[stewie1324]

04:57 PM on 02/25/2010

There's been blatant evidence of prosecutor misconduct in almost all of these satanic ritual cases.

Here is the one from Kern County California: http://truthinjustice.org/ed-jagels.htm
(What sickening about this is that the prosecutor Ed Jagels is now listed as a crime policy advisor to Meg Whitman http://www.megwhitman.com/hub_view_confirm.php?id=16 )

There's also evidence that two daycare providers in Austin Texas were falsely convicted also and are currently serving 40 year sentences. The local Austin newspaper ran an expose on that one and the Innocence Project is working on their cases.

[LisLis]

10:10 PM on 03/07/2010

Nelson, I invite you to come to my forum to review information surrounding the case. I think you will be surprised to read that it is not nearly as cut and dried as it may initially seem. Hope to see you there. www.paradiselost3.com
LisLis

[Nelson Montana]

11:47 PM on 02/24/2010

I'd be curious to hear what evidence they had to warrant an arrest, no less a conviction. DNA? Fingerprints? Motive? Prior record? (I know that isn't admissible, but it says a lot).

[rektruax]

09:25 AM on 02/25/2010

Here's a 14 page expose on the case...

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/famous/memphis/index_1.html

[peacefull1]

07:04 PM on 02/25/2010

i saw a documentary on this case several years ago and I think they are innocent and definitely deserve a new trial. i think it was called paradise lost.

[jsar70]

11:22 PM on 02/24/2010

If you get the chance, rent "Paradise Lost" the documentary. It's compelling stuff, and guaranteed to have you shaking your head as to how in some parts of this country, a fair trial doesn't exist.

[blueballs]

01:26 PM on 02/25/2010

And the second documentary they did on it as well, Paradise Lose 2.

My money's on that squirrelly father of one of the victims, the one who got all of his teeth pulled AFTER forensics found bite marks on the bodies. I'm guessing that there probably weren't any dental records for this guy.

[Robert Pickett Burnside]

10:30 PM on 02/24/2010

i'll definitely watch. it's not often that a superstar celeb publicly defends convicted child murderers. my interest is piqued.

[Laplase]

07:30 PM on 02/24/2010

Join group on facebook to raise awareness.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=37574553960&ref=ts

[RoloTomassi]

04:54 PM on 02/24/2010

Additional source links on this story:

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1632465/20100223/index.jhtml

http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1632489/story.jhtml

http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2010/02/23/johnny_depp_west_memphis_three

And last and most certainly least [sane, that is], the right wing nuts at the NY POST:

http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/depp_defends_satan_killers_qiJwLp68YIKikbt9QvwgdL

[RiverChief]

01:26 PM on 02/24/2010

I lived in Marion, AR, a small town which adjoins West Memphis during the late 1990's, and so I am quite familiar with the area. Although I have no immediate knowledge of the case, I work with a man who's wife went to school with one of the accused. She is totally convinced of his innocense. I personally have not read enough about the evidence (or lack of it) to hazard a guess either way, but there is one thing I'd like to point out. Guilty or innocent, these accused are not the only victims. The poor children who lost their lives already should never be forgotten. Vengence towards their murderers, while just and due, will not bring them back. What would be wrong with a news story once in awhile to bring attention, and maybe even a bit of honor to these children?

[RoloTomassi]

03:54 PM on 02/24/2010

I don't think anyone except the WM official and the MSM would object to that idea--but of course if you pay tribute to the dead in this case, you also draw more attention to the injustices against those wrongly convicted.

I have for years hoped that a program like 48 Hours would cover the full WM3 story, and frankly I'm surprised that it's happening now.

[coloradorobinhood]

01:23 PM on 02/24/2010

The problem with our legal system is that even when you prove your innocense the DA office will never admit they made a mistake. There are too many innocent people sitting in jail because some DA wants to be gov. some day. I think that the DAs office should have to serve time in prison when they convict an innocent person. They play with peoples lives like its nothing, and get away with anything. Look how many people they are convicting nowadays on circumstanial evidence,no body, no fingerprints, no dna, nothing, but these people are found guilty by a jury? how can you convict w/o any evidense??? Then 10 years later the real killer admits to it, and it still takes them 5 years to let you out. If this happened to me I would go right back to prison, because i wuold terminate the Da and his or her associates for putting me there in the first place.

[momma65]

12:46 PM on 02/24/2010

After reading that Johnny Depp was making a plea on behalf of the Memphis Three, I did some reading to refresh my memory of some of the particulars of the case. I have that shadow of doubt. These 3 young men have had their lives taken from them, just as the three 8 year olds. Even harder to accept, is the killer is still doing his "THANG" (as they say in Ar.).If these men are set free, does that mean the same narrow minded,"good ole boy", so called law enforcement will look for the real killer? The Justice system holds the public accountable. Who judges them?

[weldergrodd]

10:53 AM on 02/24/2010

I was born and raised in a small town outside of West Memphis, and went to school with Jessie. I will say that Jessie was a nutcase in high school, but he was also my friend. When he moved to West Memphis, I lost all contact of my friend. We eventually moved out of Earle Ar and went north. When I heard what what happened, and heard the names of the little boys that were murdered, I hit the floor, because we lived next door to the Branch boy's Grandparents. Then I heard who they THOUGHT did it, and I was FLOORED again. I wasnt there so I cant say WHO did it or who DIDNT do it, and I never knew Damien or Jason, or what type of people they were, but I knew Jessie, hell I even fought him in front of the gym over a girl at school. After the fight was broken up by teachers and we were walking to the office, he put his arm on my shoulder and said DAMN that hurt, but thats my buddy. I believe in paying for your mistakes, but I dont believe in paying for someone else's... Jessie my friend, I believe you are innocent and I hope they prove it soon, and I hope to see you on the outside again.. I think its AWESOME that Johnny Depp, Metallica and the others are fighting for them, my respect goes out to all of you.. FREE West Memphis Three...

[rektruax]

08:07 AM on 02/24/2010

While I'm generally skeptical of celebrity endorsements, I must say after searching the web for the evidence brought against these guys that the case was pretty weak.

The on again off again confession of a 17 year old with a 72 IQ, and all the satanic ritual nonsense does not a real case make. The physical evidence was negligible.

I certainly can't ring in with a "they must go free"... But at the same time must wonder what the motive of the prosecution was as well.

I'm afraid our judicial system is rife with politics, when it should be about facts. This case appears to be full of socio-political hysteria, and short on facts.

[RoloTomassi]

10:13 AM on 02/24/2010

But you know, that's really the larger primary point to be made with this case; "innocent until proven guilty" is a recognized fallacy in the US INjustice system anyway, but in this case the social bias, satanic hysteria and the complete incompetence of the WMPD responsible for the WM3 convictions is so blatant that one has to be extremely biased and close-minded as an observer not to see it.

[deepfreezevideo]

10:52 AM on 02/24/2010

IQ of 72?
That's about average for West Memphis.

[RiverChief]

01:32 PM on 02/24/2010

Having lived in the area, I must disagree. An IQ of 72 would not be average, it would be way above average, and probably qualify a person to be mayor, or at least somewhere in upper management.