Devil's Knot
The True Story of the West Memphis Three
The guilty verdicts handed out to three Arkansas teens in a horrific capital murder case were popular in their home state, but after two HBO documentaries called attention to the witch-hunt atmosphere of the trials, concerns were raised about the lack of evidence. For weeks in 1993, after the murders of three eight-year-old boys, police in West Memphis, Arkansas, seemed stymied. Then suddenly detectives charged three teenagers—alleged members of a satanic cult—with the killings. Despite stunning investigative blunders, a confession riddled with errors, and an absence of physical evidence linking any of the accused to the crime, the teenagers were tried and convicted. Here, award-winning journalist Mara Leveritt unravels this seemingly medieval case and offers close-up views of key players—including one with a knack for evading the law.
