Devil's Knot by Mara Leveritt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Devil's Knot by Mara Leveritt - Essay Example Three other teenagers are convinced in committing the crime. Here are their names: Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley. There was much various evidence found in the trial to prove the guilt of the three young people. However, all of them seem to be just the police’s attempt to keep their reputation by means of solving the case. This fact can be easily proved by analyzing the key elements of the prosecution case. As for the evidence and witness testimony against Damien Echols and Jason Baldman, it is necessary to consider the following things: the lake knife, the fiber evidence, the testimony of Dale Griffis, the testimony of Michael Carson and the testimony of the girls from the snowball game. The first evidence against the accused boys is the knife found in the lake. According to Deanna Holcomb’s testimony, Echols was carrying the similar knife one day. The similarity of the knife was connected with the information that there were upside-down crosses in the boy’s room together with the journal about dead children. As for me, I think that seeing the knife in the boy’s hand is not firm evidence against him. I do not think that the one who killed three people is able to walk in the street with the same knife without the fear of being suspected in the crime. Perhaps, Deanna Holcomb saw something like toy knife of the similar size and thought that it was the tool of the murders. She had no opportunity to look at that knife closer and there is no evidence that the knife (if there was any) carried by Echols was the one from the lake. DNA analysis was one more important evidence. I think that it is central evidence in the whole trial. The results were the following ones: None of the genetic material recovered at the scene was Damien Echols’, Jason Baldwin’s or Jesse Misskelley. A hair found in the ligature applied in order to bind Michael Moore was consistent with Terry Hobbs (Steven branch’s stepfather). Genetic material taken from the penis of Steven Branch belonged to the individual other than any of the defendants or victims. A hair taken from a tree root or stump at the crime place was consistent with the hair of one of Mr. Hobb’s friends who was together with him when the crimes took place. It is not difficult to see that the results of analysis of fiber evidence have nothing in common either with Damien Echols or Jason Baldwin. To my mind, the court should have doubted this evidence at once. It is not against the accused, but it proves that the three teenagers are innocent and could not commit the crimes. Dr Dale Griffis was an occult expert who attended no primary classes. I do not understand why he was listened to at all. According to his words, there were a lot of various drawings of a pentagram and upside down crosses in Echols’s room. Griffis was sure that it is the sign of Satanism and the three boys were killed in order to perform some Satanist rituals. M oreover, the doctor frequently saw the accused children dressed in black, their nails and hair were also black and there were tattoos on their body. It was the sign that the teens practiced Satanism. As for this evidence and point of view, I do not think that it is a reliable one. Wearing black closes and having dark nails does not mean that a person (especially a child) is Satanist and killed somebody to perform a ritual. Moreover, it was a mistake to listen to a person who just pretends to be an expert in the occult, but does not have enough knowledge for this. From my perspective, it is one more mistake made by the police and justice. There was an important testimony given by sixteen-year old Michael Carson.