15. Who is Damien Echols?
The treasure trove of books, journals, and letters had belonged to Damien Echols, one of the infamous “West Memphis Three.” Echols spent 18 years on death row for the murder of three young boys in 1993. But the conviction was controversial, partly because prosecutors had exploited local hysteria about alleged ‘Satanists’ operating in West Memphis, Arkansas.
People were consumed with the idea of Satanists and the town was talking. Their crimes were unthinkable, and the details may be written in those journals. The true question is, would he tell all?