Review of Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000) by Shawn-Ray M — 06 Mar 2010

An interesting follow-up to the original documentary, Revelations works best when viewed closely with the original. I've been following this case since I was 13 years old (when it happened) and I will continue to until it's over.

It angers me to no end that this issue hasn't been resolved. The continued ignorance of the "Mr. Bojangles" incident, the lack of DNA evidence linking the 3 suspects (or blood from the victims), no known location where the murders actually happened (despite constant talk of knowing the bodies were moved), no murder weapon (for the murder of Chris Byers, since the other two were drowned), new evidence comes to light and is promptly ignored simply because the legal system doesn't have the balls to just say "Sorry.

We fucked up." I have no idea how such such gross injustice can still happen. The only real problem I have with this documentary is that the filmmakers are taking away from the case of the boys being used as scapegoats and trying to implicate John Mark Byers.

If the documentary is to be believed, we are to accept that for whatever reason he mutilated and murdered his boy, the kid's two friends saw it and he murdered them, made it look like some satanic ritual, then years later his wife finds out and he kills her to hide it? The guy is a character, and way out there with a shit load of problems, and perhaps he's guilty of some things, but I don't believe he killed his child anymore than I believe Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelly did.

Also, not only Byers (the most vocal of the West Memphis 3's guilt), but the other parents of the murdered boys have come out with their doubts at the WM3's guilt. That, coupled with the lack of evidence originally, the overlooked (and even "lost") evidence of the boys' innocence, and in light of all the new evidence that came out should be enough to at least get Echols off death row until guilt beyond reasonable doubt can be established or proof of their innocence can be determined.

I'm scared that what will happen will be Echols will be put to death, then post-mortem he'll be vindicated.