Big Decision Expected in West Memphis Three Case

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - An 18 year saga which began with the brutal slayings of three West Memphis 8-years olds could be headed toward a surprise ending. A special Friday morning hearing in Jonesboro will bring together families of the victims and the three convicted murderers, known as the West Memphis Three, for what could be an explosive resolution of the infamous case.

September 2010 may have marked the beginning of a major turning point in the iconic 18-year old triple murder case of the West Memphis Three for the deaths of Christopher Byers, Stevie Branch and Michael Moore. Arkansas Supreme Court judges surprisingly ordered an evidentiary hearing to determine if new DNA evidence and testimony might warrant new trials for convicted murderers Damien Wayne Echols, Charles Jason Baldwin and Jessie Lloyd Misskelly.

Justice and possible freedom might be at the top of the agenda on Friday when all three defendants, along with the families of the victims, will attend an expedited Circuit Court sessions in Jonesboro, presided over by Judge David Laser. While the judge has imposed a gag order on people directly involved with the case, FOX13 has learned the victims' families were contacted by the Crittenden County prosecutor's office which, along the presence of the defendants in court, might indicate a judicial resolution in the case has been struck.

The turn of events gained momentum this summer. In June, even before the contents of testing became available, the Arkansas Attorney General's office declared they would not fight DNA results. In July, testing indicated DNA at the murder scene did not match Echols or the other two defendants. A human hair that was discovered on one of the victim's blue jeans was not linked the trio nor was a small amount of human DNA found on a victim's shoe, indicating instead the DNA evidence belonged to two unidentified men.

In an exclusive FOX13 interview last December, Echols lashed out at what he charged was the state Attorney General's intransigence. "The Attorney General issued a statement after the rulings came down. And said it's his constitutional duty to defend those guilty verdicts, not to defend justice - to defend the guilty verdicts."

Late Thursday, the Arkansas Department of Corrections did confirm Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were ordered to take all their belongings with them to Crittenden County, at least for Friday's hearing. It all sets up for an explosive judicial session where justice, and possibly freedom, for the West Memphis Three could be on the line.

Echols seemed assured the truth would set him free. "If they actually took even half an hour, 30 minutes, to look at the evidence in this case, to look at what was and what was not introduced there, what was said, what the experts said, what the new evidence is now, then I don't think they feel that way anymore."