What Are The Similarities Between West Memphis Three And The Salem Witch Trials

“I have signed seventy-two death warrants; I am a minister of the lord, and I dare not take a life without there be proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of conscience may doubt it,” said Arthur Miller in The Crucible. The Crucible was written about the Salem Witch Trials, and the wrongful verdicts the accused were sentenced to. For a case to be proven guilty there should be no reasonable doubt the suspects have committed the crime they are being accused of, but in many cases this is not what happens. People have been found and are being found guilty for crimes they did not commit because court system is failing them. While the West Memphis Three and the Salem Witch Trials are both cases known for the justice system failing, the West Memphis

The West Memphis Three were the first people in West Memphis, Arkansas who were accused of murdering the three young boys. The West Memphis Three were the distinctive people in the town of West Memphis; however, there was little evidence suggesting they killed the three young boys. Damien Echols wore black, listened to music many people considered to be satanic music, and people thought he might be involved with witchcraft. Jason Baldwin was accused of murdering the three boys because he was best friends with Damien Echols; therefore, Jason Baldwin was brought in for questioning about killing three boys because of who he was friends with. Jessie Misskelley was brought in for questioning, and he went through examination until he confessed to the crime. Therefore, During the Salem Witch trials the same event happened to the people who were accused of being witches. The first accused in Salem were the odd people in Salem who already had questionable behavior. The evidence against all of the accused in both situations was limited to accusations against the accused, but they were stilled found

The main evidence against the accused in both cases was the people who made accusations against the accused. The evidence against the West Memphis Three was the accusations of people in West Memphis, a knife found close to Jason Baldwin’s house, and some fabric pieces found at the scene. There was no solid evidence placing any of the boys at the crime scene. Also, the evidence against the accused in the Salem Witch Trials were the accusations saying they were witches. Both cases called in experts in the field of witchcraft, but the experts did not have a degree or any other type of learning in witchcraft. The definition of an expert is someone who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge in a particular area. What the experts said against the accused in these cases should not have been used as evidence because they were not truly experts in their field. Both cases left reasonable doubt that the accused did not commit the crimes they were accused of, and the courts in both cases still found the accused guilty of the crimes they were accused