[PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY is now available on home video.]
Review by Bob Ignizio
I've been interested in the case of the
West Memphis 3 since I first watched Joe Berlinger and Bruce
Sinofsky's PARADISE LOST: THE CHILD MURDERS AT ROBIN HOOD HILLS
on HBO back when it first aired in 1996. For those unfamiliar with
the details, three 8 year old boys were brutally murdered in the
woods of West Memphis, Arkansas. The police investigation quickly
focused on 3 teenage boys viewed as outsiders and troublemakers in
the community: Damien Echols, Jessie Miskelly, and Jason Baldwin.
There was no physical evidence or eyewitness testimony to tie these
three to the crimes, only a confession from Miskelly. Miskelly, 16 at
the time and with an IQ of 72, was questioned for 12 hours by police
with no parent or attorney present. He quickly recanted his
confession, claiming coercion by the police.
