Watch Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is a documentary film that chronicles the case of the West Memphis Three, a group of boys who were wrongfully convicted of murder in 1993. The film is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000). The film begins by providing a brief background on the case, which involved the brutal murders of three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. The police, eager to make an arrest, quickly focused on three teenage boys, Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols, and Jason Baldwin, who they believed to be part of a Satanic cult. Despite a lack of physical evidence connecting them to the crime, the boys were convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

The documentary then delves into the efforts of the West Memphis Three's supporters to bring attention to the case and secure their release. Over the course of the next eighteen years, activists, lawyers, and celebrities worked tirelessly to uncover new evidence and raise public awareness about the case. The film follows their efforts, which included the production of the first two Paradise Lost films, as well as a new investigation by private investigators that uncovered new leads and presented new theories about the murders.

Throughout the film, we hear from a variety of voices, including family members of the victims, supporters of the West Memphis Three, and legal experts. We also see footage from the trials and interviews with the defendants themselves, as well as their families and friends.

Eventually, the tireless efforts of the West Memphis Three's supporters paid off. In 2011, after years of legal wrangling, the defendants were able to secure a deal that allowed them to plead guilty in exchange for time served. While the deal was bittersweet, as the three men still had to plead guilty to a crime they did not commit, it finally allowed them to go free and put an end to their eighteen-year ordeal.

Overall, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is a powerful and emotional film that highlights the flaws in the criminal justice system and the power of community activism. It is a testament to the dedication of the West Memphis Three's supporters, who refused to give up on their fight for justice, and a powerful reminder of the human cost of wrongful convictions.

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is a 2011 documentary with a runtime of 2 hours and 1 minute.