When does supporting a worthy cause become “exploitation?” It all depends on the timing, I suppose.
Actor extraordinaire Johnny Depp is getting some flack for speaking out in support of the “West Memphis Three,” three men who were convicted of murdering three 8-year-old boys in 1993. The West Memphis Three case has been under scrutiny since the controversial verdict was handed down, and dozens of celebrities have voiced their support.
Johnny Depp, who typically shuns the limelight, will appear on “48 Hours” on Sunday. The episode of the murder mystery docu-drama will focus on inconsistencies in the West Memphis Three case, including new DNA evidence.
So what’s so disturbing about this case? Well, according to
CNN:
During the original trial in 1993, prosecutors argued the three teens were part of a satanic cult when they murdered the three children. They said punctures and cut marks on the victims were argued to be to be part of a sadistic ritual. After the trial, some forensic examiners argued those marks were animal bite marks.The prosecution relied on the confession of [Jessie] Misskelley, a 17-year-old with learning disabilities and an IQ of 70. He confessed after an untaped, three-hour interrogation by police without his parents or an attorney present. Misskelley later recanted his confession.
Sadly, the truth is that the West Memphis Three were convicted because they were portrayed as Satanists who listened to heavy metal music and read Stephen King. Maybe Johnny Depp shouldn’t have chosen this week to speak out in support of the West Memphis Three – since his new movie “Alice in Wonderland” launches on March 5.
More information about the West Memphis Three can be found
here.