WM3 killer spends weekend in jail

WM3 killer spends weekend in jail

Jessie Misskelley arrested on minor charges

ralphhardin@gmail.com For some, the Thanksgiving holiday was no time for family get-togethers and pumpkin pie. There were more than 30 arrests in Crittenden County over the long weekend, with many spending their Thanksgiving in the Crittenden County Jail awaiting a Monday morning court date.

Offenses were varied, including a charge of Manufacturing of Cocaine for Karen Piety, a Hazen woman also charged with felony possession of drug paraphernalia over the weekend. In fact, a halfdozen felony drug arrests were made between Thursday and Sunday.

A fugitive from justice, Kenna Porter of Memphis was arrested on this side of the river, along with a trio of criminal trespass cases.

And in lieu of gathering around the dinner table for turkey and dressing, a pair of domestic battery arrests put a couple of folks behind bars.

But of all the names making their way across the police blotter over the Thanksgiving weekend, one was very familiar to longtime locals, Jessie Misskelley Jr. Misskelley is one-third of the notorious so-called “West Memphis Three,” three men, convicted as teenagers in 1994 in the murder of three 8year-old West Memphis boys the previous year.

Misskelley, who confessed to the murders, and implicated his co-defendants in the case, Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols, was convicted by a jury of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second- degree murder for his role in the slayings.

He was sentenced to life plus 40 years in prison, a conviction that was appealed and affirmed by the Arkansas Supreme Court.

However, Misskelley, along with Baldwin and Echols, were freed in 2011 in a plea agreement, known as an Alford Plea, Judge David Laser commuted their sentences to time served, 18 years and 78 days, in lieu of a possible re-trial. The three pleaded guilty to their crimes and were released.

Echols and Baldwin no longer reside in the area.

Misskelley, however, returned to the same community in which he was born and raised. Over the weekend Misskelley, now 42, was arrested on a trio of minor moving violations, including no driver’s license, no proof of liability insurance and operating a motor vehicle with one or no headlights, on Saturday night. Minor charges, but as part of his sentencing in 2011, the time served also came with a 10-year suspended sentence. Any runin with the law could result in a return to prison.

Misskelley remained in jail at the Crittenden County Detention Center on a total bond of $785.

By Ralph Hardin