With everything that's been going on, I almost forgot I had watched this. And that's horrible because this is a great documentary. Yes, there are three of them and no, I didn't see the other two. I was concerned that this would be a problem but I never felt like I was missing any information. In 1993, three 8-year-old boys were murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas. The police quickly arrested three teenaged boys for the crime and they were convicted in court. A team of documentarians were on hand and noticed a number of discrepancies so they created this video series to document the trial and aftermath. The three teenagers maintained their innocence but it wasn't until new DNA evidence was introduced in 2011 that things really began moving in their quest for freedom. By that time, the boys were adults who had spent 18 years - over half their lives - in prison.
I think this is a really important story. We like to think we're civilized and logical and compassionate and so far removed from the days of summary judgments and witch hunts but this film shows that the need for answers and someone to blame still outweighs the truth sometimes. The people of West Memphis had a terrible tragedy which was then compounded by the incarceration of three boys on almost no real evidence but a lot of speculation and fear mongering.
This documentary blends footage from 1993 all the way through to its airing in 2011 to bring the viewer as complete a picture as it can. I absolutely encourage you to watch it. Hell, watch all three.
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