The Tale of The West Memphis Three
Added 2023-11-29 14:16:36 +0000 UTCNOTE: Some people haven't been perfectly observant of the spoiler instruction in the comments, but not so much so that I feel they warrant deleting. I'd just advise anyone who wants to properly experience this to not dive too deep into the comments before you're done :)
---
Thanks so much for your support and patience with this one guys! Although every case sort of leaves a mark on you, I have to say I wound up being deeply moved by this one. I don't know whether I should hope it has the same effect on you, but I can say I'm proud of the final product!
It's a twisty-turny one even by my standards, which should come as no surprise to those familiar with the case, so no spoilers in comments please. I'd love to hear spoiler ridden thoughts in the early videos discussion room on the Discord though! I might even chime in :)
--
I'll check in with everyone in December with at least a commentary bonus. In the meantime thanks so much for your support. '23 was a big year for me and you guys really are my bedrock so I can't say enough how much it's appreciated.
I've seen a couple people say they have issues with the player. If that's you, DM me and I'll try to figure something out.
Comments
Fantastic video! I particularly enjoyed the tone of Stidham’s perspective of towards the end. I could’ve done without the use of the r slur though
Jacob Cantlin
2023-12-08 01:45:14 +0000 UTCHaha, no 4 perp or “man hole”theory either - gotta put a cutoff point somewhere!
Matt Orchard
2023-12-06 01:42:40 +0000 UTCAppreciate the restraint in not mentioning the Mr Bojangles thing
Jayden Nolan
2023-12-06 01:38:28 +0000 UTCFuck I legit love your work Matt. Thanks for another pearler.
James Higgins
2023-12-05 09:06:28 +0000 UTCOh hi :)
Kailee C
2023-12-04 11:30:49 +0000 UTCThis case is one of those that haunts me. The biggest tragedy of all is that the state and LE went on such a witch hunt for Damien and company that the real murderer got away. Those boys families will probably never get true justice, and whoever killed them could very well have gone on to kill again. The details of the violence committed against them is horrendous and it breaks my heart that they endured it, watching each other be killed and being helpless to do anything. Poor babies.
TRLesleigh
2023-12-04 08:33:21 +0000 UTCAmazing video Matt, this case was new to me and so full of twists and turns it seems impossible to say beyond reasonable doubt who did it.
PAUL
2023-12-03 21:19:02 +0000 UTCThanks Colleen! I guess it’s been long enough since Chandler for that too not be too same/same so maybe
Matt Orchard
2023-12-03 02:27:57 +0000 UTCJason’s decision to save Damien has always been the pinnacle of this case for me. It feels like a moment a very ignorant boy from West Memphis, now a man, makes the decision his own justice system was too cowardly to do, and admit Damien’s life shouldn’t be used as a pawn in the narrative you want to construct.
Sylvia Black
2023-12-02 23:24:06 +0000 UTCThis was really well done, thank you Matt. I find these more open ended ones the most interesting to learn about. The chapters were structured beautifully, and I think you did the perfect amount of bringing in wider social context e.g. the talk shows and satanic panic stuff. Sitting down with a hot beverage and watching your content scratches an itch nothing else does for me!
Payton
2023-12-02 15:01:11 +0000 UTCI definitely did the Leonardo DiCaprio point meme when it played.
Sylvia Black
2023-12-02 14:50:41 +0000 UTCAnother fantastic video. I was rewatching your Chandler Halderdson video today. Have you considered doing a video on Joel Guy Jnr? You’d nail that one too.
Maree K
2023-12-01 16:31:05 +0000 UTCI would tend to agree with you, though I love that Matt is willing to step into the water and remind us that evidence doesn't pick a side. A jury decides (or the state, in this case) but sometimes we are left to wonder whether we are 100% sure justice was done.
Schmeeko
2023-12-01 14:43:09 +0000 UTCI can’t even talk about THAT case! Now, how is it that Matt is the only one to throw out the Holtzclaw could be innocent idea?! Seriously… 😐 that case is so weak, it has me favoring a possible rapist.
YESwayTED 024
2023-12-01 04:22:22 +0000 UTCHonestly, this is one of your best! It reminds me of what you did in The Scott Peterson/Jon Benet videos, where you make each perspective/potential solution look valid only to undercut it by the end. I love that feeling of objectivity, especially in cases without easy answers. Ultimately, the feeling of tension and longing for justice persists. We can't find an answer that satisfies every question. Sometimes that's unsatisfying, but that's all we have many times.
Afterglow Express
2023-11-30 22:23:08 +0000 UTCThanks so much Steven - Excellent English, wouldn’t have guessed you weren’t a native speaker!
Matt Orchard
2023-11-30 21:27:30 +0000 UTCAbsolutely incredible as always Matt. I always appreciate the sprinkling of jokes throughout these videos as a small piece of levity amongst a gut-wrenching topic is always welcome. That being said this is about as depressing a case as can be found. I really hope someday there's at least an answer!
TendieL
2023-11-30 16:03:54 +0000 UTCMatt orchard does it again, There is no one in youtube who produces this high quality content, everything is perfect. Everytime someone mentions true crime youtuber i always say Matt orchard if you really want high quality videos, he does not post often but thats becuse he really puts in the work. Unlike other true crime youtubers who posts 1-3hours videos several in a week with just interrogation footage and some comments and ofcourse body language. These youtubers does not even have a baseline for the person to comment about body language and even if they did it is not science and everyone reacts differently. i love all your videos Matt, and i hope you keep it up, just top tier content. 10/10 Sorry if i misspelled things, english is not my first language.
Steven Wohlrab
2023-11-30 15:47:57 +0000 UTCthis one was ROUGH. just felt sick at the end. amazing work, this was for sure the best one so far
Laura Ann
2023-11-30 11:07:09 +0000 UTCImagine losing the rest of your life purely because you associated with some complete retard that can’t keep his mouth shut.
Matthew (Zei)
2023-11-30 08:25:03 +0000 UTCThat was a wild ride! As others have said this is Netflix quality work, well done.
John Mckay
2023-11-30 08:24:09 +0000 UTCWow Matt you’re doing something very special here. This is top quality work. Better than the almighty JCS by far. Great work.
Matthew (Zei)
2023-11-30 08:06:20 +0000 UTCAnother great video. This is probably your best narrating yet! Bravo!
Kenneth Wilkins II
2023-11-30 05:02:24 +0000 UTCGlad you liked that - it was definitely an experimental approach
Matt Orchard
2023-11-30 04:58:52 +0000 UTCYour narration of Dan Stidham’s no good, very bad day was a MUCH needed reprieve from how heavy this case sits. 10/10 as always!
gillygull
2023-11-30 04:57:54 +0000 UTCI love this particular style of videos that you do where you cover the facts, then play devil's advocate, and finally come out of left field with a crazy twist. Your videos always leave me with more questions than answers, and it sends me down a research rabbit hole. Thank you!!!
d3L7r0n
2023-11-30 04:19:18 +0000 UTCThanks so much Kayleigh!
Matt Orchard
2023-11-30 04:03:04 +0000 UTCThis was… so. damn. good. Better than any of true crime docs on Netflix or Hulu. The last part has me questioning everything I’ve ever thought. Seriously, well done Matt Orchard! I’m going to have to put on some South Park to wash that down and be able to sleep 😂😉
Kayleigh Moreno
2023-11-30 04:02:08 +0000 UTCI suspect it won’t be the nons I get the most guff from, but we’ll see
Matt Orchard
2023-11-30 03:50:20 +0000 UTCDoesn't it work well? I saw him live a month or so ago, must have been a sign.
Matt Orchard
2023-11-30 03:32:16 +0000 UTCNow I'll have that Bright Eyes song stuck in my head for days!
Amanda Boo Berry
2023-11-30 03:31:03 +0000 UTCThe urine thing is very controversial, so prepare yourself to get even more frustrated! One thing I personally thought was funny was candle wax on the book but no candle in the trailer…where did the candle go 🤔
Matt Orchard
2023-11-30 01:10:23 +0000 UTCI absolutely agree. The case is definitely far more nebulous than the producers of PL would have you believe. I, too, struggle with reaching the threshold for the WM3 being guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. I'll likely be up for hours scouring Reddit for every detail I can find. The most damning thing pointing towards their guilt (or Damien's anyway) is that when first questioned, Echols apparently intimated offhand that the boys' mouths possibly may have been urinated into. (This was before any testing had occurred.) And apparently, urine was indeed found in the stomachs of two of the boys. That feels quite specific to me. Honestly, the more I read, I think I lean towards them being guilty. But again, not sure if I had been on that jury if I could have convinced beyond a reasonable doubt.
Wally
2023-11-30 00:56:34 +0000 UTCIt sort of is and isn't - There's no extended interrogation or court footage (only shorter clips) so it's significantly longer than usual in terms of actual original content.
Matt Orchard
2023-11-30 00:44:18 +0000 UTCIt might just be me. I’m wearing headphones and it sounded a bit echoey in the beginning, but decreasing my volume helped it.
Matthew B.
2023-11-29 23:58:56 +0000 UTCLike in the whole thing or is there a particular place?
Matt Orchard
2023-11-29 23:50:30 +0000 UTCIs it just me or does the audio sound distorted?
Matthew B.
2023-11-29 23:49:40 +0000 UTCWow, great video. I immediately replayed the video to hear all the details again after finishing it the first time.
Yen Le
2023-11-29 22:47:28 +0000 UTCYour best production yet. Pat yourself on the back man.. Why isn’t Netflix calling?!
Dustin
2023-11-29 20:52:31 +0000 UTCCHRISTMAS CAME EARLY!! Thank you for the gift!!!
YESwayTED 024
2023-11-29 20:47:23 +0000 UTCThank you!
Wally
2023-11-29 20:07:12 +0000 UTCI’m not all the way through, but already I feel it in the pit of my stomach.
Miranda Stone
2023-11-29 18:50:11 +0000 UTCHi
Miranda Stone
2023-11-29 18:49:37 +0000 UTCThis feels like a mirror-image version of the Holtzclaw video, to me. I've always appreciated your willingness to introduce firm doubt into some of the most culturally-cemented true crime stories.
Schmeeko
2023-11-29 18:46:59 +0000 UTCJohn Mark's teeth bit with the film crew was baller
Yonder
2023-11-29 18:39:31 +0000 UTCMan... this is a toughie alright. It certainly looks really really really bad for The Three, but is it BEYOND reasonable doubt? Mr. Misskelly is clearly a suboptimal witness for many reasons and for both sides, but he does appear to know stuff he shouldn't if he were not involved.
corvdb1992 .
2023-11-29 18:26:26 +0000 UTCSo excited to watch! I know this is probably longer than your average running time, but for some reason I thought this would be longer. (And if that sounds like I'm complaining, it's bc I want as much MO content as possible 🙏)
Wally
2023-11-29 17:57:44 +0000 UTCGreat job, dude. I still think the Nons are gonna come after you though, speaking from experience. Tbf, my interpretation was biased and I didn't stray away from it, but my ultimate goal was to defend metal heads more than Echols.
HawKNLoaD
2023-11-29 16:28:34 +0000 UTCI generally try to stay away from the term, but "retarded" is sort of firmly wedged into the lexicon of this particular case. Sort of a long story, but it had to be that word :)
Matt Orchard
2023-11-29 16:02:26 +0000 UTCWow, I don’t think I knew this case! Fascinating.
Elisabeth Villoutreix
2023-11-29 15:59:20 +0000 UTCGreat vid as always. Just a note on the use of the term "retarded", it would be better to use the current standard term of a learning disability, which an IQ of 72 would qualify as.
William Sheen
2023-11-29 15:49:26 +0000 UTC❤️
Miranda Stone
2023-11-29 14:31:28 +0000 UTCThis is going to be so amazing! Can't wait to watch!! Thanks for all your amazing work!
Kailee C
2023-11-29 14:19:13 +0000 UTC
