Roots Run Deep

Earlier this week I saw that Hank III had hinted that he had been in a video for Pantera on his Facebook page…

Pantera - Cemetary Gates

View the video here….  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVMvART9kb8 

Henry Rollins, Hank III, Nashville Pussy and now Johnny Depp among the many stars who support The West Memphis Three

View video Part II

You may remember the story… Robin Hood Hills area of West Memphis, Arkansas, May 1993. Three innocent and well-liked eight-year-old boys were found dead, Steve Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore, the victims of very gruesome and tragic murders. The accussed killers were three male teenagers dubbed The West Memphis Three.

West Memphis Three

In their zeal to get their man and satisfy the community’s demand for justice the investigating police used many questionable tactics to obtain the corroborative evidence and confessions they needed to make the arrests. Crime scene and forensic evidence was mishandled. The accussed teens were tried and convicted of the murders. Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley were sentenced to life in prison, and Damien Echols currently resides on death row. To this day, the three young men continue to proclaim their innocence and are persevering in their attempts to have new trials granted.

The case has received considerable attention. Supporters of the West Memphis Three believe the arrests and convictions were a miscarriage of justice. Two HBO documentaries, “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders At Robin Hood Hills” (1996) and “Paradise Lost 2: Revelations” (2000), chronicle the alleged injustices of their arrest and trial. Support websites have been created and are updated frequently. Books have been written and LPs have been published. Many stars and musicians have come forward in support of the WM3 through interviews, money, and efforts raising money for the TWM3 legal fund.

Johnny Depp added his name to the long list of celebrities and activists calling for authorities to re-examine the convictions of the West Memphis Three. Depp joins such supporters as Eddie Vedder, Metallica, Henry Rollins, Hank III, Nashville Pussy, Winona Ryder and the Dixie Chicks (to name a few). Many supporters feel the WM3 were convicted because they were devotees of heavy-metal music, Stephen King novels and the occult.

Depp’s pre-taped interview will appear on CBS’s “48 Hours Mystery” this Sunday, February 28th, to call for reopening the case. The episode will discuss new DNA evidence and alleged juror misconduct that could potentially clear the WM3.

“I firmly believe Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley are totally innocent,” Depp said, according to a New York Post report. “It was a need for swift justice to placate the community. Damien Echols is on death row to be killed by lethal injection.”

Hank III lent his support with the song “No Values” on “Rise Above”, a 2002 project spearheaded by Henry Rollins featuring guest vocalists singing tunes originally recorded by Rollins previous hardcore band, Black Flag.

In 2000, “Free the West Memphis 3″, another compilation featuring various artists was released. Both benefit the WM3 legal fund.
Support
http://www.wm3.org
http://freewestmemphis3.org

About The Case
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/famous/memphis/index_1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Memphis_3

Johnny Depp lends a hand
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1457291/20020903/rollins_henry.jhtml
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1632465/20100223/story.jhtml

Rise Above CD Cover

Purchase Music
Click to purchase Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three
Song List