Episode 180: The West Memphis Three (An Interview with Dan Stidham)

On the evening of May 5, 1993, three eight-year-old boys—Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers—went missing in West Memphis, Arkansas. The next day, in a nearby wooded area, the boys were found brutally murdered, bound, and submerged in a drainage ditch. The horrific nature of the crime shocked the community, and police quickly arrested three local teenagers—Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley—based on a coerced false confession, no solid evidence, and Satanic panic.

This is the story of three innocent children whose lives were stolen in an unspeakable act of violence. It’s also the story of three wrongfully convicted teenagers who spent 18 years in prison, one of them on death row, for a crime they didn’t commit—the victims of a flawed justice system and a community in the grip of fear.

In today’s episode, I’m honored to discuss a case that has gripped me for many years with the one man who has been involved since the beginning: Jessie Misskelley’s original defense attorney, case advocate, and author of the recent book, A Harvest of Innocence: Judge Dan Stidham.

This is our discussion about his book and the tragic case of the West Memphis Three.

• A Harvest of Innocence by Dan Stidham on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Harvest-Innocence-Untold-Memphis-Murder/dp/B0CMYZ2BT7
• Judge Stidham’s website: https://www.danstidham.com
• Email Judge Stidham with information about the case: harvestofinnocence@outlook.com
• Truth & Justice with Bob Ruff podcast: https://www.truthandjusticepod.com
• Paradise Lost documentary series: https://www.max.com/shows/paradise-lost/d509d74f-3c01-4367-9a42-a3aece5de4c9
• The Forgotten West Memphis Three docuseries: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12092348/
• West of Memphis documentary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2130321/

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This podcast is researched, written, hosted, edited, and produced by Laine.

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