4 posts tagged “lorri davis”

Link to KTHV

In light of new developments in the West Memphis Three case, Lorri Davis visits Today's THV to talk about the case.

Three 8-year-old boys murdered, three teens convicted. In the last 16 years, the West Memphis Three case has had many twists and turns.

Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin continue to fight for a new trial as new developments surface.

On Monday, we told you Echols' attorneys filed affidavits claiming they have new witnesses that claim they saw Terry Hobbs, one of the victim's stepfather's, with the three boys shortly before they disappeared. They also say a hair found links Hobbs to the crime scene.

On Tuesday, Hobbs' lawyer responded to those claims saying they are lies and that Echols defense team is concerned only with falsely accusing Hobbs to create an alternative suspect to help his convicted client.

Lorri Davis who has been married to Damien Echols for more than 10 years sits down with THV's Liz Massey on Today's THV at 6:30. She'll talk about these new developments plus she reacts to Hobbs' lawyer's statements which you can read in its entirety below.

Terry Hobbs and his attorney have declined an on-camera interview.

Statement by Terry Hobbs' attorney:

Today, in his latest attempt to free their convicted clients, Dennis Riordan has produced affidavits which, sixteen years later, falsely claim that Terry Hobbs was with the three victims of the crime between 5:30 and 6:30. The affidavits prove nothing.

This is the latest lie put forward by Dennis Riordan and the Damien Echols defense team. Dennis Riordan lied when he claimed in a press release that his Habeas filing included a chronology of events that implicated Terry Hobbs, when in fact the time of death stated in Riordan's own filings is consistent only with the innocence of Terry Hobbs. Despite the press attention focused on this case, Riordan has never been questioned about this false statement.

Dennis Riordan lied when he said in a press release that new evidence placed Hobbs at the scene of the crime, a statement which Riordan himself (and his DNA expert) contradicted in the Habeas petition and his November 1, 2007 press conference. Despite the press attention focused on this case, Riordan has never been questioned about these contradictions.

Dennis Riordan has also dishonestly withheld comment on other evidence that is consistent with the innocence of Terry Hobbs. The Memorandum In Support of Petition for Habeas Corpus filed by Riordan on October 1, 2007 states at pages 106-107: "Tony Anderson, the fingerprint evidence expert on the crime scene when the victims' bodies were discovered" a print was found at the scene "within five to ten feet of where the first body was located, and it was at an angle that made clear that it had been left by someone who had been in the water." Anderson compared the print to the convicted, the victims and every police officer on the scene, and found no match. The fingerprint is "powerful circumstantial evidence" that someone other than the three accused committed the charged murders, according to Dennis Riordan's own filing. This fingerprint does not match Terry Hobbs. The Arkansas State Police excluded Hobbs as the donor of this fingerprint. This evidence has not been publicly commented upon by Dennis Riordan because he is too busy with his dishonest attempts to create an alternative suspect. Despite the press attention focused on this case, Riordan has never been questioned about the fingerprint evidence.
Similarly, Dennis Riordan's DNA filing also includes a hair that was also found in the shoelace used to bind a victim that is inconsistent with Terry Hobbs, the victims, or the accused. Riordan has never mentioned this hair in a public statement.

Again, Dennis Riordan is concerned only with falsely accusing Terry Hobbs of this crime to create an alternative suspect to assist his convicted clients. Despite the press attention focused on this case, Riordan has never been questioned about the hair from which Terry Hobbs has been excluded as the donor.

Today's THV

Its been nearly 16 years since Damien Echols was sentenced to die for the murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis. Echols' wife says new evidence proves the wrong men are behind bars. Lorri Davis has been married to the death row inmate for 10 years.

"I am not going to stop until we get them out of prison," says Davis.

Freeing her husband is Davis' mission.

It's a fight she lives and breaths every day.

She explains, "Once you meet him its just like everyone says there's no going back."

Damien Echols is one of only about 40 inmates on Arkansas' death row. It's been nearly 16 years since he and two others were convicted of murdering three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis.

Echols spends at least 23 hours a day in solitary confinement.

Davis says, "It is amazing how someone who has pretty much grown up in a box how intelligent and knowledgeable he is on so many things."

Davis sees him only once a week, but sooner rather than later she says that will change.

"If it were tried today and we knew what we know now on all three cases there is no way they would have been convicted," she says.

Last month, Echols requested to the Arkansas Supreme Court to grant him a new trial. The petition is based on new DNA evidence that defense lawyers say doesn't tie the three men to the crime scene.

Also listed is alleged juror misconduct that is associated with the Jessie Misskelley confession.

"It is strong compelling evidence to prove their innocence. It does. It proves their innocence," Davis says.

It's a confession that the judge ordered not be used in deliberations.

Davis says, "We found one of the jurors and she had her original notes. Sure enough five lines down [there was] Jessie Misskelley confession and it was used to convict."

It will likely be a few months before they hear if a new trial will be given. Until then, Davis' mission will continue, in hopes of one day having a marriage outside prison walls.

She explains, "I would hope that everyone's marriage or relationship would be as amazing as ours is on that level."

The defense says DNA found at the crime scene does not match Echols, Baldwin or Misskelley. That was enough to change the mind of Christopher Byers' father. Byers is one of the victims. Early on, he was convinced the West Memphis Three were responsible for his son's death. Now he believes they are innocent.

The Attorney General and prosecutors will not comment on the case because of a gag order.

See video of the rally including statements from Natalie Maines and Lorri Davis here.

Dear Friends & Supporters:

I have waited a long time to write you this note.

Just hours ago, our attorneys filed a SECOND AMENDED PETITION FOR A WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS proving that three innocent men were wrongfully convicted of murder in West Memphis, Arkansas, in 1993. Citing DNA testing and evidence from several witnesses and leading experts, the nearly 200-page writ asks the court to order a new trial for my husband, Damien Echols, or release him.

In short, DNA testing has been conducted on dozens of pieces of evidence. The DNA results show no link whatsoever to Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley or Jason Baldwin ñ and all of the experts agree that, under the prosecution theory of how the crime was committed, their DNA would be present at the crime scene if they were guilty. Instead, the DNA results match Terry Hobbs, the step-father of one of the victims. Our new filing also includes strong evidence from Pam Hobbs (the ex-wife of Terry Hobbs and the mother of one of the victims) implicating her former husband in the murders.

The writ includes scientific analysis from some of the nationís leading forensics experts, stating that wounds on the victimsí bodies were caused by animals at the crime scene -- not by knives used by the perpetrators, as the prosecution claimed. These wounds, and evidence about knives, were the centerpiece of the prosecutionís case.
Beyond writing to share this exciting news, I want to thank you for your support. Each person who spoke out about this case or donated money--each person who refused to let the world forget about three men locked away forever, one on death row, for a crime they so clearly did not commit --made this week's filing possible. Without you, we could not have made it this far, and we cannot thank you enough.

I am not an expert on science or the law. But I know that the writ that we just filed in federal court completely undercuts every argument and piece of ìevidenceî that was used to convict Damien, Jessie and Jason. Our lawyers and other legal experts say that any one piece of evidence in our filing, by itself, would be enough to overturn these convictions ñ and that, combined, all of the evidence makes it clear that this was a grave injustice that the federal court must step in and correct.

That won't happen easily.

In the weeks ahead, the court will review the writ we just filed, and the Arkansas Attorney General will file a response. We will then reply to that filing, and the court will rule. We hope and believe that the court will rule to overturn these convictions, but we still have a lot of work to do to get there. I am also writing to ask for your help ñ which we need now more than ever.

You and I know that Damien, Jessie and Jason would not have been convicted if they werenít teenagers without more than a few dollars to their name, who were perceived to be 'different' than other kids. They did not have the resources to fight a zealous prosecution in a poisonous atmosphere, and so they were convicted. The state still has millions of dollars at its disposal to defend these convictions. Despite all of the evidence we have uncovered and filed in court this week, the state is going to fight us in federal court. No matter what, they will have more money than we do. But with your help, we can follow up on this unprecedented court filing and secure justice.

We only have a few weeks to gear up for the next phase. Our experts, investigators and attorneys need to refute everything the state will throw at us, and we need to keep the court focused on the scientific truth in this case. Please make checks payable to the Damien Echols Defense Fund, PO Box 1216, Little Rock, AR 72203.

You can also donate online, through PayPal. It's easy, free and allows you to use your credit card. We also suggest that International Supporters use this option. Click this LINK to find out more. Please use LDavis11@hotmail.com as the "recipient" address. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NAME & ADDRESS TYPED IN YOUR MESSAGE! The button you can click to include your address does not always work.

I cannot overstate how important it is that you donate now. Damien, Jessie and Jason were convicted more than 12 years ago based on nothing but fear, hysteria and innuendo. We now have the evidence we need to overturn these convictions based on cold, hard science ñ but we need your help today.

We are close to overturning these convictions -- if we have the money it will take over the next few months to pursue this appeal. Go HERE to read the writ we just filed in federal court, and you'll see that we are at a critical juncture in this case, and that your help and support has gotten us here. Please help us, and please know that your support has already gotten us farther than many people thought possible.

DONATE HERE

Thanks very much,

Lorri Davis
and the Damien Echols Legal Team