Authorities have located the remains of Sandra Givens in Jacksonville, Arkansas. Givens was reported missing last year. Police have arrested George Alan Smith in her death. An inmate informant, Ronald Dale Charles who claims to be involved in 15 murders, gave the information that led to the discovery of the body in a wooded area.
Joshua Clapp, 26, of Russellville, Arkansas has been arrested in his ex-wife's apartment complex for violating the order of protection she had against him. In his car they found a hatchet, a hunting knife electrical cord, rubber gloves, duct tape, binoculars, zip ties, a rubber mask of President Jimmy Carter, and maps to relatives of the ex-wife.
This is a critical time in case of The West Memphis Three. New DNA evidence, at the very least, raises disturbing questions. This new evidence is, of course, being dismissed by Judge Burnett. I wish someone would offer him a lucrative retirement package. New eyes are needed to look at all of the evidence. Two of the parents of the victims are in support of a new trial. There are several ways to help.
Raise awareness. Go to www.wm3.org and read about the case. They have T-shirts, bracelets, dog tags, and bumper stickers for sale that help fund the defense fund. They also announce various benefit events happening around the country. They also have a paypal account where you can simply donate to the defense.
Several Music Artists have contributed to Compilations to benefit Damien, Jesse, and Jason. The Metallica track does not benefit the defense, but Damien Mentions it in Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills and I think of him every time I hear it.
Judge Burnett has denied the motions based on newly discovered DNA evidence for new trials for Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley. Hearings for Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelly for their claims of ineffective assistance of coucncil are scheduled for later this month.
I just read on http://www.wm3.org/, that hearings scheduled for early September may be postponed. This is so frustrating. Fifteen years has been plenty long enough. I have a child that is about the age of the children murdered in this case, so I understand people having strong feelings on both sides. I don't hop on many "innocence" bandwagons. For example, Jeffrey MacDonald is guilty as hell. I don't care how many floppy hatted hippies were running around Fayetville on February 17, 1970. In this case though, I don't believe these boys, now men, murdered anyone. Even if I did believe in their guilt, the evidence at the Echols/Baldwin trial would be hilarious material for a mockumentary were it not all to real (for months after I saw PL, I actually thought it was a mockumentary about the justice system).
If you don't know about the case, you should do some searches and get a sense of the case. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills is a great documentary to start with. There are a couple of books devoted to the case from different perspectives.
