Tape With Post-Trial Confession Played In Court

Associated Press - November 20, 2008 11:44 PM ET

JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) - Four days after his trial ended, 1 of 3 teenagers convicted of killing three 8-year-olds in West Memphis in 1993 related to his lawyer details of how the killings occurred.

The conversation with Jessie Misskelley Jr., now 31 years old, was taped by his defense lawyer, Dan Stidham, and played today at a hearing before Circuit Judge David Burnett in Jonesboro.

Burnett is presiding over a hearing at which lawyers for Misskelley and codefendant Jason Baldwin are seeking new trials. They claim the two were inadequately defended in their 1994 trials, a claim Stidham does not dispute in Misskelley's case.

Prosecutor Brent Davis questioned Stidham, who testified for a second day that he was too inexperienced to handle the case and lacked enough money to pay for expert testimony.

On the audiotape, Misskelley said he, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin were drinking alcohol next to a ditch when the boys approached. He said Echols grabbed 1 of the boys and started hitting him and that, within moments, Misskelley and Baldwin attacked the other boys.

At one point, Misskelley said, Baldwin pulled out a knife. He said that's when he realized the boys were going to be killed.

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