Review of Devil's Knot (2013) by Thomas W — 29 Apr 2014

The true story is incredible, but much better justice is served to it by the documentary Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory. There were real opportunities to build up tension as your suspicion shifts first from the "West Memphis 3" to Mr. Bojangles to John Mark Byers, and ultimately to Terry Hobbs. Their story is a real life thriller, equal parts heartwrenching, inspiring, infuriating, and again motivating. It is a strange tale, taking place in a tiny, close-minded town in Arkansas, where it seems that every person involved is guilty of something. You will find no saints in this story, and this feeling that everyone is hiding something confuses the picture even further. At the end of the day, we must realize that the purpose of an investigation is solely to incriminate the person who committed the brutal murders. And towards this greater goal, it takes quite a bit of gall to ignore some very despicable faults in the various characters along the way. But this is what partly what makes the story so interesting and challenging. It is easy to love an angel; it is far harder to show compassion and give your full attention towards sorting out a troubled soul.

There are some unlikely heroic elements to this story: the HBO documentary film crew, for one, who raised public awareness; Damien's strangeness--which oddly both led to his conviction, yet also drew viewers into his story who related to him; the incredible legal representation who changed Arkansas state law at the supreme court, and finally the all star cast of scientists who provided the fundamental new scientific evidence and testimony.

It makes one shudder to know that a murderous beast still lurks about in society, or that a state court system can exert so much power to force innocent people to admit guilt under the threat of death. However, the incredible transformation of the West Memphis three (i.e. Damien and Jason) into respectable young men of ideals and initiative, in the face of dire injustice, still yet sows a hopeful and almost happy ending to this gripping tale.