Devil's Knot_ The True Story of the West Memphis Three - Mara Leveritt [221]
384. From an article titled “Death Penalty Ignites a Musical Coalition,” by Ann Powers, in theNew York Times, June 27, 2001.
385. A letter to Todd and Dana Moore from Bruce Carlock, owner of Music City Record Distributors, and Scott “Perk” Perkins, vice president of retail, was posted on the MidSouthJustice.com Web site. In the letter the chain’s owner explained, “After speaking with the mother of one of the murdered victims and the chief investigating officer in the case, we have made the decision to support the victims’ families by not carrying this release. The case has gone through multiple reviews and appeals, all the way up to the Arkansas Supreme Court, and the judgment of each appeal confirmed the guilt of the accused.”
386. Robert Christgau’s review in theVillage Voice was published in November 8, 2000.
387. One of the Supersuckers’ own CDs was titledThe Evil Powers of Rock and Roll.
388. The reviewer for theVillage Voice understood the phenomenon. “These three unjustly convicted outcasts may have identified with big shots like Megadeth on their black T-shirts,” Christgau wrote, “but in fact they were scuzzballs like Zeke. As young bands turn into old road warriors like L7 and Rocket From the Crypt, they meet many fellow scuzzballs along the way, and this piece of outreach puts that connection into musical practice.”
389. Dotty Oliver’s article “Hurricane in Arkansas” appeared in the March 21, 2001. issue of theLittle Rock Free Press.
390. Similarly, Martin assured readers that the documentaries had “omitted much of the less sensational yet damning evidence.” But again, he said nothing about what that “damning evidence” was.
391. Author interview, April 2001.
392. “There’s been a lot of suggestion about the murders happening somewhere else,” Fogleman said. “And we seriously considered that. But [since] they were last seen in that general area about six o’clock the night before, what you would have to conclude, if they were killed somewhere else, is that they were abducted in that general area, taken somewhere else and murdered, and then taken back to the place—where people would have been searching—to dispose of the bodies. Criminals aren’t smart, but I think they’re smarter than that.”
393. Fogleman said he had been convinced of Damien’s guilt in part by some of the books he’d read, “some songs, and some of his own writings that were kind of bizarre; they dealt with death and blood and stuff like that, and his apparent obsession with black, which kind of fit the mold of some of these people who believe in animal sacrifice and all that.” Then too, there’d been Fogleman’s own earlier experience, meeting Damien in juvenile court, which Fogleman had found “unnerving.” Recalling when Damien was brought into court after he’d attempted to run away with Deanna, Fogleman said, “I remember the way he just turned and looked at me. And it wasn’t evil. It wasn’t laughing. It wasn’t sad. It was just blank. There wasn’t anything there. I commented to somebody at the time, the way his eyes were, and how empty they seemed. At that point, I just thought it was odd.”
394. The Arkansas Supreme Court has ruled that inmates have no constitutional right to have a court-appointed lawyer for their postconviction appeals. Whether to appoint one or not is left to the discretion of the trial court.
395. Mallett, who was in line at the time to become president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), said that each year hundreds of criminal defense lawyers agree to work on difficult cases pro bono, or for free. He explained that he became involved in the West Memphis case while attending an annual meeting of the NACDL. Mallett said he was standing in the back of a conference room, talking to a friend, Robert Fogelnest of New York, when the organization’s staff person for indigent defense matters walked to the podium. Fogelnest, a past president of the organization, motioned for Mallett to