Abomination: Devil Worship and Deception in the West Memphis Three Murders (27 page)

L.G.: No, I never knew. I asked Domini and she said some stupid shit Damien was doing or something like that.

Sudbury: She said that’s why she was upset with him? --

L.G.: Yeah.

Sudbury: -- because of stupid things that he was doing?

L.G.: Yeah. You know, hey look, he’s messing up is basically what she said.

Sudbury: Is there anything else that you needed to add to this taped conversation that we’re having?

L.G.: That’s basically it.

Sudbury: OK.

Durham: On May the 5th, did you see Damien Echols at any time during that day?

L.G.: No, sir, I did not.

Durham: Did you see Jason Baldwin or Jessie Misskelley on that particular day?

L.G.: No, sir. I didn’t see none of them. Now my aunt said that---see it was on the 5th or 6th, I don’t remember exactly which one what it was. She dropped me off at my house and she was going back, let’s see, back to her house, alright. And she came back and picked up my other aunt about 10 or something, around there. And she said that she seen Damien and Domini, it could have been somebody else with him, you know. In black leather jackets walking down the little road there.

Sudbury: What is your aunt’s name?

L.G.: Narlene Hollingsworth.

Sudbury: OK. Do you know what aunt it was that she picked up?

L.G.: Um, Dixie Hollingsworth. Well her name’s not Hollingsworth no more.

Sudbury: Do you know what time of the afternoon it was that she saw Damien and whoever on, was it the service road?

L.G.: I –

Sudbury: Or did you say where she saw them?

L.G.: She didn’t say exactly. I think it was somewhere over closer by where I live at. That’s –

Durham: Are we talking about 10:00 at night?

L.G.: Yes. Somewhere around there.

Sudbury: L.G., you are aware that this conversation is being tape-recorded. Is that correct?

L.G.: Yes I’m – I know that.

Sudbury: OK. Have we made any promises or threats to you? Have we promised you anything if you would give us this taped interview?

L.G.: Not at all.

Sudbury: Have we threatened you in any way? That if you didn’t we was going to do something to you?

L.G.: No.

Sudbury: So this is a voluntary statement of your own free will.

L.G.: Yes, sir.

Sudbury: OK. It is now eleven minutes after noon. We’re at the Crittenden County sheriff’s office, and this will be the end of this conversation.
¹⁴⁹

9.TRIAL OF BALDWIN AND ECHOLS

Damien Echols

Smiling in court on trial for the murder of three eight year olds

I am a sociopath...

I am a psychopath...

The Echols/Baldwin Trial

I hate to dignify it by calling it "occult testimony," but that the testimony relative to Wicca religion can only be considered for Mr. Echols.  If I'm right.  What is Wicca, does anybody. . .?
¹⁵⁰

Because Misskelley’s attorney’s refused to accept the evidence of his confession in his trial, his testimony could not be used in the Baldwin/Echols trial. At law, it could not be mentioned at all.
¹⁵¹

Almost no direct evidence existed against Jason Baldwin. In his closing argument, Baldwin’s attorney stated:

Ford:  The only evidence they've got is Michael Carson.  Boil it down, that’s what they got. This sixteen-year-old career criminal with a soft heart. That’s what they got. Where was their evidence before February the first? Jason was arrested June the third. Where was their evidence?
¹⁵²

  Prosecutor Brent Davis referred only to the fiber evidence and Michael Carson in his closing argument:

Davis: In regard to Jason, the red fiber, and what Michael Carson said. Cause this is the time when you gotta make hard decisions.  Michael Carson, he's either - he's lying to you or he's telling you the truth. And it's not somewhere in between. And I put to you he's telling you the truth. Kids like him don't come in here do that for nothing.
¹⁵³

    Various statements by Echols related to the occult in general were used to impeach his character and offer evidence of the cult influence upon the killing. The first officer to testify became convinced that occultism influenced the murders:

One of those factors is that it was an overkill.  Way more injuries than necessary to kill the children. There was torture involved. The removal of the penis.  The penis is a symbol of power according to Damien's own statement.  Placement in the water, water is, has Satanic symbolism according to Damien's own statement.  The eight year old [portion missing]  are that items are to be returned three-fold.  Three is a Satanic importance in symbolism.  Crossroads area meaning neither in the middle of community but nor in the extremes of nature, it's sort of a, um, neither in the city nor out of the city, neither public nor completely private.  Cult meetings, most cult meetings or rituals are held in deserted isolated areas, wooded areas away from people. Uh, in blood rituals many times parts of the victims are removed, possibly eaten, or kept for use in other ways. The notation being that the penis was not found.  The bodies were in the nude, the Satanic term for that would be "skyclad."  Stab wounds, patterns, may have been done for the purpose of bloodletting. Incision to the sex organs or mutilations, cuts or bruises.  Being a clean site, Satanic or occult symbolism would be mean that a clean site would have been noted.  Injury patterns, most sites would be on private property, not on public property, not normally travelled. Mutilation, sex organs would be mutilated or removed. The victims will be males, penis or testicles will be removed. The eyes will be gouged.
¹⁵⁴

During questioning by Fogleman, Detective Ridge answered that there were four sets of notes concerning his discussion with Echols---a handwritten note, a handwritten Summary Report, a typed Summary Report, and the notes of Detective Sudbury.

Fogleman: Did he tell you who his favorite author was? 

Ridge: Yes, sir, he did.  Anton LaVey, Satanist book and likes Stephen King novels because they are scary.
¹⁵⁵

Burnett:  I'm not sure what an occult is.  It sounds like something bad, but I'm not sure what it is...

Burnett:  I understand that there is some subtle difference between the Wiccans and the occult.  But, now what it is, I couldn't tell you.  But what I've read in the newspaper that they - one disavows the other, whatever that means.
¹⁵⁶

    Echols went on to clarify---and not clarify this difference:

Davis:  And that -- did you also tell him that each person had a demonic side to them?

Echols:  I believe every person has a good side and a bad side, yes.

Davis:  Were those your words when you referred, when you've got written down here, you stated there was no control of the demonic portion of people?

Echols:  He asked me did I think there were some people that could not control that side. And I said, "Yes, I guess there is."

Davis:  That was your -- who used the word "demonic?"

Echols:  I don't know if it was me or him.
¹⁵⁷

Prosecutor Brent Davis grilled Echols on these pronouncements:

Davis:  Question number 11, "How do you think the person feels that did this?"  The answer was, "Probably makes them feel good, gives them power."  Now, I guess Officer Ridge said that, too?

Echols:  No, I used common sense on that.  If someone was doing it, then they must have wanted to.  And if they were doing something they wanted to, it must have made them happy. I don't think they were doing it because someone forced them to or because they didn't want to.

Davis:  So in your mind the person that killed these three kids, it is common sense that killing three eight-year-olds would make you feel good?

Echols:  Whoever did it, it must have.

Davis:  Okay. And it gives them power.  That's also another common sense perspective from you?

Echols:  Pretty much...

Davis:  You told the officer -- was that -- you told him you thought the person who did it would think it was funny?

Echols:  Yes.

Davis:  And would not care one way or the other if he got caught?

Echols:  Probably not.  

Davis:  And did you also tell him that the killer would probably want to hear the kids screaming?

Echols:  If he got off on killing people, he probably would like to hear them scream.

Davis:  Those were your words, though, right?

Echols:  Right.

Davis:  And is that also part of the common sense that whoever kills eight-year-olds can feel good and whoever kills eight-year-olds would like to hear them scream, is that part of your common-sense philosophy?

Echols:  I figured they must have if they did it.
¹⁵⁸

    Although all the other statements to which Ridge had testified were reflected in his typed summary, this one was not.  Doing his best to reinforce the prosecution's points for no good reason, Damien's attorney cross-examined Ridge.  

Davidson:  And Mr. Echols, you asked him, something to the effect of what type of books did he enjoy reading?

Ridge:  Yes, sir.

Davidson:  Okay and he told you I think Anton LaVey and Stephen King.

Ridge:  Yes, sir. 

Davidson:  Okay.  And in your opinion is there anything unusual about those being the type of books that Echols likes to read? 

Ridge:  Anton LaVey is a book of Satanic rules and involvement. Stephen King seems to be horror movies and horror books.
¹⁵⁹
 

   Under questioning, Echols denied ever having read Anton LaVey:  

Davis:  Who told him Steven King was one of your favorite authors?

Echols:  He asked me did I like him. I said, yes, I did.

Davis:  Did he ask you about Anton LaVey?

Echols:  Yes, he did.

Davis:  And what did you tell him?

Echols:  I said I haven't read anything by him, but I am familiar with him.
¹⁶⁰

    Nothing was presented at trial to further connect Echols to LaVey, but as referenced earlier in this book, Echols' psychiatric history lists Anton LaVey as someone he said he would like to meet.  

    Another sinister-sounding comment was noted by Ridge.  

When asked why he thought the victims were so young, Echols stated that the younger the victim then the more innocent the victim would be. That in turn meant that the more innocent the victim would be the more power that the person would have gotten from the sacrifice.  Damien claimed he got this idea from books and movies: 

Davis: It also states that Damien stated that the younger of the victims would be more innocent and in turn more power would be given the person doing the killing.

Echols:  Right.

Davis:  Did you say that?

Echols:  Yes.

Davis:  Those are your words?

Echols:  Uh-huh.

Davis:  Kind of sounds like that guy we talked about yesterday, right?

Echols:  Uh-huh.

Davis:  Mr. Crowley?

Echols:  Yes.

Davis:  Is that where you got that idea?

Echols:  I saw it on several movies, books.
¹⁶¹
 

    The prosecution suggested he got the idea from Aleister Crowley.  Like LaVey, Echols said he was familiar with Crowley, but had not read anything by him.  Under continued questioning, Echols confessed to an interest in the "dark side:"  

Davis:  You studied and looked into the satanic side of the occult, correct?

Echols:  Um-hum.

Davis:  And you were familiar with it, right?

Echols:  I'm familiar with about every aspect of it.

Davis: You're familiar with a fellow named Aleister Crowley?

Echols:  I know who he is.

Davis:  He is a guy who kind of professes -- he is a noted author in the field of satanic worship, right?

Echols:  I know who he is, but I have never saw any of his books personally.

Davis:  Not much of a follower of his?

Echols:  I would have read them if I had saw them.

Davis:  But Aleister Crowley is a guy that based on his writings believes in human sacrifice, doesn't he?

Echols:  He also believed he was God so --

Davis:  He also had writings that indicated that children were the best type of human sacrifice, right?

Echols:  Yes, sir.
¹⁶²