It has been nearly fifteen years since the brutal murders of three little boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, yet for many, the case is still unresolved. After the deaths of Christopher Byers, Steve Branch, and Michael Moore, three teenage boys were arrested, tried, and convicted of the crime. One, Damien Echols, was sentenced to death and the others, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, were sentenced to life in prison. Case closed, right?

Not quite. Over the years, many supporters of the West Memphis Three have maintained that the teenagers are innocent and that it was merely "satanic panic" that caused the jury to return with a guilty verdict. In 2007, newly analyzed DNA evidence came to light that might suggest that these supporters are right. This evidence reportedly shows no indication of the presence of any of the three convicted killers at the crime scene. Further more, some experts have asserted that the ritualistic wounds purported to be on the victims' bodies, were actually caused by animals after death had occurred.

Thanks to this new evidence, a three week round of hearings has been scheduled for September. Judge David Burnett has agreed give each defendant's lawyer one week to present the evidence. In the meantime, a gag order has been imposed upon the attorneys so it is unlikely that we will hear anything of an official nature before September.

Personally, I think this new hearing is long overdue but is finally a step in the direction of justice. Do I think that Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley are innocent? That is irrelevant. What I do think is that these three young men were convicted with very little evidence -- evidence that certainly did not prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. For that reason, I don't feel that justice has been served for anyone, including the victims.