COMMERCIAL APPEAL
Calm testimony disarms many who expected monster
By Marc Perrusquia
Thursday, March 10, 1994
For the past 10 months, Damien Wayne Echols has been likened to evil. He's been called a devil worshipper, a vampire and a sacrificer of babies.
And ever since he was charged last June with killing three 8-year-old West Memphis boys, many people figured Echols, a strange teenager who commonly wore a black trench coat, probably did it.
But some people saw a different person here Wednesday when Echols took the stand and publicly told his side of the story for the first time, denying he killed the boys.
"He was very believable," said Amber Higgins, 19, a freshman at Arkansas State University who has been attending the trial. "I read Stephen King books. I wear black - that's my favorite color. And I had nothing to do with it. I mean, they're digging for evidence. They haven't found anything, no fingerprints, no nothing."
Opinions varied around the courthouse as the state rested and the defense began its case in the capital murder trial of Echols, 19, and Charles Jason Baldwin, 16.
In a suprise move, Echols took the stand after only two other defense witnesses - his sister and mother - had been called. Echols, sporting a white button-down shirt and dark slicked-back hair, appeared alert, articulate and well-composed.
"I have not lied about a single thing up here," Echols told Dist. Atty. Brent Davis under cross-examination. Echols admitted an interest in the occult, but said it was only part of his larger interest in religion and reading.
"I think he was very convincing. I believe his testimony," said Mandi Fair, 17, a junior at East Side Baptist Academy in Jonesboro. "I thought they were guilty (before the trial). The news media makes it out like they're satanists."
Jackie Hicks, grandfather of murder victim Steve Branch, said he was unimpressed with Echols's testimony.
"That would be human nature to say things like he's saying," said Hicks, who missed Wednesday's court proceedings because of bad weather. "No one would expect him to get there and say, 'Yea, I killed them.' "
But Echols's sister said she was pleased with her brother's testimony.
"I think it's about time somebody heard it," said Michelle Echols, who said she felt her brother's testimony helped his case. "I think it's probably half and half now. You can't really tell which way it's going."
