stern Arkansas. Most citizens of West Memphis are typical of other small towns across the country- poor, undereducated, and unwilling to accept anything that appears to be unlike them. The actions and reactions to this crime are classic examples of how rumors are passed on as the truth. Webster’s defines ‘witch hunt’ as an intensive effort to discover and expose those who are disloyal, subversive, etc.…. on the basis of slight or doubtful evidence. The case and trial of the West Memphis Three was a present day ‘witch hunt’. Since the early 1980’s, many police officers have attended seminars on Satanic Ritual Abuse and Murder. People have been taught that an underground network of Satanic cults kidnap, torture, and kill children in their rituals; however, there has been no evidence found to substantiate these claims. A juvenile probation officer that was present at the crime scene behind the Blue Beacon felt this scene was a prime example of Satanic Ritual Murder. This officer had recently attended a conference on Satanism in today’s society, so the thought of satanic criminals was fresh in his mind. The officer immediately felt there was only one person in their community that would be capable of committing a crime that revolved around satanic worship. From this point forward, the prime suspect was Damien Echols. The police investigation focused on the belief that Damien was a leader of a satanic cult. The parents of the murdered children were becoming angrier by the day because the police did not have any leads in the case. Although there was no hard evidence linking Damien Echols to this crime, the police felt a conviction would be easy as long as they could prove Damien was involved in devil worshipping. McNeal 3The focus of the investigation was on an unconventional 18-year-old who was considered “weird” by this conservative community. He often dressed in blac...
