The West Memphis Three

The West Memphis Three refer to three teenagers—Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley—who were convicted in 1994 for the 1993 murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. Their arrests and convictions were controversial due to limited evidence, alleged mishandling of the case, and claims of inadequate legal defense. Over the years, DNA evidence and new investigations questioned their guilt. In 2011, they entered Alford pleas, allowing them to maintain innocence while acknowledging enough evidence for a guilty verdict, leading to their release after nearly 19 years in prison.