Devil's Knot_ The True Story of the West Memphis Three - Mara Leveritt [142]
By now, Fogleman had found what he wanted. Handing the files back to the psychologist, Fogleman asked him to turn to some specific reports; the ones from the county mental health center where Driver had required Damien to go. Moneypenny turned to the pages Fogleman indicated. Fogleman asked him to read from the therapist’s notes. The psychologist quoted:
“Reports that he thinks a lot about life after death. Quote—I want to go where the monsters go—end quote. Describes himself as quote—pretty much hate the human race—end quote. Relates that he feels people are in two classes, sheep and wolves. Wolves eat sheep.
“Damien explains he obtains his powers by drinking blood of others. He typically drinks the blood of a sexual partner or of a ruling partner. This is achieved by biting or cutting. He said, quote—it makes me feel like a god—end quote.”
On redirect, Damien’s lawyers tried to salvage the situation by having the doctor read some of the therapists’ more promising entries, with regard to Damien’s behavior and prognosis. But the attempt did little good, and Fogleman had the last word. “In your business,” he asked the psychologist, “is it not unusual to find people telling you about drinking blood, and that they do it to make them feel like a god?”
“It’s highly unusual,” Moneypenny said.
“It’s what?”
“It’s not usual at all,” the psychologist repeated. “It is very atypical. I think that represents some of the extremes of his thinking and beliefs and what it has come to for him.” With that, the witness was excused.
It was time for Jason’s lawyers to present evidence for the jury to consider when sentencing him. The mental health issue that Damien’s lawyers had raised was one of several possibilities allowed. While Jason had had no history of psychiatric illness, lawyers who dropped into the courtroom to hear the final arguments expected that Jason’s lawyers would present testimony, at least, about his scant juvenile record and his good record at school. But to the amazement of many in the room, Ford called no one—no witnesses at all—to offer mitigating testimony for Jason.
It was time for the trial’s final arguments. Fogleman spoke for only a few minutes, then dramatically, he opened the therapist’s files again. “Damien reports being told at the hospital that he could be another Charles Manson or Ted Bundy,” the prosecutor read. With that statement, he turned to the jury. “We ask for your verdicts,” he said.
Having called only one witness during the trial and none in the sentencing phase, Ford now pleaded for Jason’s life. He reminded the jury that Jason had no prior criminal record and that he was still just sixteen years old. He concluded, “Your verdict has already decided that Jason Baldwin will die in prison. The question is how will he die. I ask for mercy. Thank you.”
Prosecutor Davis wrapped it up for the state. Holding the photographs of Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Stevie Branch, he asked the jurors to consider what had been done to the children. He told them that “if ever there was an appropriate circumstance to render the death penalty, this is it.” And he asked them to “return a verdict of death.”
The jurors filed out of the courtroom at 2:05P.M . They entered a room where one of them began jotting impressions of the trial on a large easel pad.301What followed was a simple, almost simplistic process. Under headings marked “pro” and “con,” the jurors assessed the testimony they’d heard during the three-week trial. In the pro column for Detective Mike Allen, they wrote that he seemed to be “good.” In the column for cons on Allen’s page, someone had written “none.” Other assessments were slightly more probing. The jurors wrote that Detective Bryn Ridge appeared to be “honest,” but they noted in the con column that he’d “left stick” and “lost blood.” Dr. Frank Peretti was judged to be “credible,” “impartial,” and “professional,” though “bad judgment” was listed as a con for him, as was the issue of “time of death.” On the page for Dale Griffis, the jurors listed “biased to occult finding,