Parents of 2 slain Ark. boys angered by Oscar nod for film about the murders, West Memphis 3

[The Straight Story]

Parents of 2 slain Ark. boys angered by Oscar nod for film about the murders, West Memphis 3

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The parents of two of three Arkansas boys who were brutally murdered nearly two decades ago said they’re disappointed that a documentary about the killings and the three men convicted, known as the West Memphis Three, was nominated Tuesday for an Academy Award.

Todd and Diana Moore had asked the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to exclude “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” from consideration, saying it glorifies Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley. The three spent 18 years in prison, long claiming their innocence and attracting attention from celebrities, before reaching a deal with prosecutors to be set free last year.

The film, directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, is the third in a series of HBO documentaries about the case. The 8-year-old Cub Scouts — Michael Moore, Stevie Branch and Christopher Byers — were found dead in 1993 in West Memphis, a town along the Mississippi River. Two drowned in a drainage ditch, the other bled to death; all were found naked and tied up.

The Moores, along with Stevie Branch’s father and stepfather, sent a letter to the Academy and reporters on Tuesday expressing their “sadness, disappointment, and outrage” about the Oscar nod.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/parents-of-2-slain-ark-boys-angered-by-oscar-nod-for-film-about-the-murders-west-memphis-3/2012/01/24/gIQAwfY1NQ_story.html

[OKNancy]

1. of course Hobbs objected

Terry Hobbs, (the stepfather of Stevie Branch ) I'm sure objected since the film makes him look pretty darn guilty.

He sure looks like a shady character.

[FreakinDJ]

2. They should be angry at the Police who investigated the case

Such a travesty

[zappaman]

3. +1

Exactly.
Those kids were falsely convicted and the plea deal is so they can't sue.
The judge and prosecutors should all lose their licenses.

[frylock]

4. that pound of flesh not enough for them?

18 years in prison ffs.

[sunwyn]

5. I just watched this film recently. I always knew they were innocent.

And it seems very clear that Terry Hobbs committed this horrible act. You would think that all but him would want the truth.

[SomethingFishy]

6. Funny how they fail to even mention the third kids parents

who believe that Branch's stepfather is guilty and have been supporting the WM3...

This was a travesty. Those three kids were railroaded because they were the town stoners. They could have been any kid in the 80's who listened to Heavy Metal, including myself.

I was just reading a piece in Time about how Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh paid for much of the re-investigation and spent years trying to help these kids.

The state knew they fucked up too. That was the point of the Alford Plea. It keeps the 3 from suing the state. I hope they finally get the real killer and these kids are compensated for the life they lost.

[girl gone mad]

8. Branch's mother also supports the filmmakers and WM3, iirc. n/t

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Grief does strange things, and the parents have more than enough...

to grieve about.

But that case was a travesty and the real grief is that it was so screwed up they'll never find the real killer, or killers.

[Puregonzo1188]

9. West Memphis 3 was one of the worst cases of injustice I've ever seen.

Those kids were so obviously and so blatantly railroaded. It was just terrible.