West Memphis Three (Flickr Creative Commons)

It's hard to know where to begin summarizing the new documentary "West of Memphis", because it is a complex and heavy subject matter.

Directed by filmmaker Amy Berg, "West of Memphis" recounts the murder of three young boys in 1993, the court case that followed and the life imprisonment of three teenagers scapegoated as the murderers. It picks up in modern day with the wrongly accused sitting in state prison 18 years later, despite efforts to bring justice to the case.

The murders and trial occurred in West Memphis, Arkansas, a small town in the heart of the Bible Belt unaccustomed to crime and media attention. The murders shook the deeply Christian town and stirred heavily emotional reactions in residents and law officials. Investigators focused on three teenagers as the suspects, centering their argument on the rebellious reputation of the teens and what the medical examiner described as "satanic looking injuries" on the victims. Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr., known collectively as the West Memphis Three, were 18 years old, 17 years old and 16 years old (respectively) at the time of their arrests.

Branding the murders as "cult-related killings", law officials and prosecutors fixated on the notion that the killers must have been satan worshippers, thus coloring the case for both citizens of West Memphis and the jury. Because of this notion about what they thought had happened, examination of evidence, interviewing of potential suspects and other critical elements of ensuring a legitimate investigation were undermined time and again. What officials represented as truth was frequently based on hearsay and false testimony.

Damien Echols

The "confession" of guilt ultimately given by Jessie Misskelley Jr. we learn was unethical in its core in that Miskelley is mildly mentally retarded. Audio recordings of the interrogation clearly reveal that he was led and coaxed into saying statements not of his own volition. It was his confession that served as the core of the prosecutions evidence and led the West Memphis Three to prison.

"West of Memphis" includes incredible footage of the 1993 trial, interviews with suspects, audio recordings of interrogations, footage of the area where the murdered boys were discovered. It was remarkable to see how much original footage remains today and how it could be incorporated in a film so seamlessly. The element of time-looking back to this era in small town West Memphis is integral to capturing this story and they did it extremely well. 

If you are at all aware of Damien Echols (he is currently in the news for his recently released memoir), then you know that he is no longer in prison. What you may not know is how he, Jason and Jessie broke free of the shackles and regained their freedom.

For these unbelievable developments you must see the film, which I highly recommend. This is a story of the powerless getting a voice and a chance at life against odds that seem impossible. The sheer wickedness of some elements of the legal justice system witnessed in "West of Memphis" is appalling. Indeed I felt many emotions while watching this film, and one was most certainly outrage. 

And what about the actual murderer of the young boys? Who is the murderer of the boys and is he still out there? Yes, he is. Incredibly, the vast amount of investigative research that has been conducted in the past several years by supporters of the West Memphis Three has revealed who the real murderer is, a person sorely overlooked by police investigators, and who you may not initially suspect when watching the film. This being the most incredible revelation uncovered by the investigation launched by the filmmakers of "West of Memphis", essentially everything uncovered by their independent investigation is intesely fascinating. The scene with the snapping turtles and the pig had my mouth agape, and their investigative interviews time and time again left me shaking my head in utter disbelief. The film made me cry, and also left me walking out of the theater feeling so incredibly happy to be alive and free.

This documentary was made because of the sheer determination of believers in the West Memphis Three's innocence that justice had to be served and that a new trial must be brought to the state. A film titled "Paradise Lost," which was released in 2003, helped give the case national visibility and create supporters for the West Memphis Three. Champions include Peter Jackson, the New Zealand-based director of "Lord of the Rings" who produced "West of Memphis" alongside his producing partner wife, Fran Walsh. The duo first began trying to help the West Memphis Three in 2005, after reaching out to Damien Echols' wife, Lorri Davis, another champion of the West Memphis Free. Other big-name supporters include Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Johnny Depp, The Dixie Chicks and others. Without these champions of truth and justice, the real story of the West Memphis murder and wrongful imprisonment of the West Memphis Three might never have been told. As the judge states near the close of the film "sometimes outside help is a big help", and that was certainly the case here.

"West of Memphis" will be released in New York and Los Angeles in December.

To read Neon Tommy's interview with Damien Echols click here. 

Reach Staff Reporter Ashley Riegle here. Follow her on Twitter here.