Depp Campaigns Over Murder Case
By WENNTuesday, February 23, 2010
JOHNNY DEPP has appealed to U.S. officials to reopen a murder case from 1994 - because he’s convinced the three convicted killers are innocent.
The Hollywood hunk has thrown his weight behind the campaign to free the West Memphis Three, a trio of men who were convicted as teenagers of beating three eight-year-old boys to death in West Memphis, Arkansas.
Depp believes the three men - Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Jr. and Jason Baldwin - never received a fair trial, and were convicted because they were fans of heavy-metal music, Stephen King novels and the occult.
The actor has filmed a special appearance for Sunday night’s (28Feb10) edition of U.S. show 48 Hours Mystery, appealing for the men to be freed as soon as possible - because Echols is currently on death row.
He says, “I firmly believe Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley are totally innocent. It was a need for swift justice to placate the community. Damien Echols is on death row to be killed by lethal injection.”
Depp joins a long line of supporters of the West Memphis Three - Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, Metallica, Winona Ryder and the Dixie Chicks are all convinced the trio is innocent.
