Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)

Directors:

Joe Berlinger
Bruce Sinofsky

Release Date:

10 June 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Crime | Mystery

Tagline:

It's frightening to think they did it. It's terrifying to think they didn't.

Plot:

A horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Trial | Arkansas | Small Town | Satanism

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 7 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Tony Brooks	...	Himself - KAIT-TV (archive footage)
Diana Davis	...	Herself - KAIT-TV (archive footage)
Terry Wood	...	Himself - KAIT-TV (archive footage)
Dick Clay	...	Himself - KAIT-TV (archive footage)
Jenna Newton	...	Herself - KAIT-TV (archive footage)
Gary Gitchell	...	Himself
Tommy Stacy	...	Himself (as Rev. Tommy Stacy)
Melissa Byers	...	Herself
Todd Moore	...	Himself
Diane Moore	...	Herself
Pam Hobbs	...	Herself
Jessie Misskelley Sr.	...	Himself
Gail Grinnell	...	Herself
Joe Hutchinson	...	Himself
John Mark Byers	...	Himself
Jason Baldwin	...	Himself
Damien Wayne Echols	...	Himself
Jessie Misskelley	...	Himself (as Jessie Miskelly)
David Burnett	...	Himself - Judge
Darwin Stow	...	Himself - Sheriff
John N. Fogleman	...	Himself - Prosecutor
Dan Stidham	...	Himself - Attorney
Lee Rush	...	Herself
Shelby Misskelley	...	Herself
Mike Allen	...	Himself (as Det. Mike Allen)
Bryn Ridge	...	Himself (as Det. Bryn Ridge)
Susie Brewer	...	Herself
Terry Hobbs	...	Himself
William E. Wilkins	...	Himself (as Dr. William E. Wilkins)
Gregory L. Crow	...	Himself - Attorney
Warren D. Holmes	...	Himself - Defense Expert
Richard J. Ofshe	...	Himself (as Dr. Richard J. Ofshe)
Brent Davis	...	Himself - Prosecutor
Wayne Hoffman	...	Himself - Reporter
Paul N. Ford	...	Himself - Attorney
Dale W. Griffis	...	Himself (as Dr. Dale W. Griffis)
Pam Echols	...	Herself
Michelle Echols	...	Herself
Val P. Price	...	Himself - Attorney
Marie Hicks	...	Herself - Branch's Grandmother
Jackie Hicks	...	Himself - Branch's Grandfather
Michael Roy Carson	...	Himself - Witness
James Rasicot	...	Himself (as Dr. James Rasicot)
Robin Wadley	...	Himself - Attorney
Scott R. Davidson	...	Himself - Attorney
Frank J. Peretti	...	Himself (as Dr. Frank J. Peretti)
Domini Teer	...	Herself
Christy Van Vickle	...	Herself (archive sound)
Jodee Medford	...	Herself (archive sound)
Marty King	...	Himself
Regina Meek	...	Herself
Michael Deguglielmo	...	Himself - DNA Expert
Ron Lax	...	Himself - Private Investigator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joe Berlinger	...	Himself (voice)
Steven Branch	...	Himself (archive footage)
Christopher Byers	...	Himself (archive footage)
Michael Moore	...	Himself (archive footage)
Bruce Sinofsky	...	Himself (voice)

Directed by
Joe Berlinger
Bruce Sinofsky

Produced by
Joe Berlinger	....	producer
Loren Eiferman	....	associate producer
Jonathan Moss	....	coordinating producer
Sheila Nevins	....	executive producer
Bruce Sinofsky	....	producer

Cinematography by
Robert Richman

Film Editing by
Joe Berlinger
Bruce Sinofsky

Sound Department
Jason Candler	....	sound editor
Rick Dior	....	re-recording mixer
Dennis Fierman	....	sound editor
Bernard Hayden	....	post-production sound
Michael Karas	....	sound recordist
Dow McKeever	....	sound editor
Marsha Moore	....	sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Carrier III	....	aerial photographer
Douglas Cooper	....	additional camera operator
Paul Snow	....	additional assistant camera
John Thoma	....	second camera/ac

Editorial Department
Paul Collins	....	on-line editor
Charles Marsella	....	on-line editor
M. Watanabe Milmore	....	segment editor
Noëlle Penraat	....	negative matcher
Allan Rogers	....	colorist

Other crew
Nancy J. Cooper	....	production accountant
Richard Hofstetter	....	legal services
M. Watanabe Milmore	....	trial segment editor
Sabrina Padwa	....	legal services
Maura Wogan	....	legal services

Thanks
Mike Allen	....	acknowledgment (as Lt. Mike Allen)
Rebecca Baron	....	special thanks
Sarah Amalia Berlinger	....	special thanks
Bill Bishop	....	special thanks (as Bill Bishop Warner Special Products)
G. Blair	....	acknowledgment (as Det. G. Blair)
Florence Boissinot	....	special thanks
T. Bradley	....	acknowledgment (as Det. T. Bradley)
S. Burch	....	acknowledgment (as Det. S. Burch)
David Burnett	....	acknowledgment (as Hon. David Burnett)
Cliff Burnstein	....	acknowledgment
Kathleen Burt	....	special thanks
Will Corporon	....	special thanks (as Will Corporan KAIT)
Amy Cruce	....	special thanks
C. Dabbs	....	acknowledgment (as Det. C. Dabbs)
Dave Dapper	....	special thanks (as Dave Dapper WMCT)
Brent Davis	....	acknowledgment
Bill Durham	....	acknowledgment (as Sgt. Bill Durham)
Jack Eiferman	....	special thanks (as Jack Eiferman Esq)
Larry Emison	....	acknowledgment
Jonathan Epstein	....	special thanks (as Jonathan Epstein WMCT)
Barbara Fisher	....	acknowledgment (as Barbara Fisher)
John N. Fogleman	....	acknowledgment (as Hon. John N. Fogleman)
Gary Gitchell	....	acknowledgment (as Inspector Gary Gitchell)
Lisa Gossels	....	special thanks
S. Griffin	....	acknowledgment (as Det. S. Griffin)
Diane Hester	....	acknowledgment (as Lt. Diane Hester)
Wayne Hoffman	....	special thanks
Philip E. Kaplan	....	special thanks (as Philip E. Kaplan Esq)
Ron Lax	....	acknowledgment
Bob Mastronardi	....	special thanks
John Maysles	....	special thanks
Peter Mensch	....	acknowledgment
Zue Miko	....	special thanks
Tony Mitchell	....	acknowledgment (as Capt. Tony Mitchell)
Paul Morrison	....	special thanks
Jenna Newton	....	special thanks
Richard J. Ofshe	....	special thanks (as Dr. Richard J. Ofshe)
Peter Paterno	....	special thanks (as Peter Paterno Esq)
Dewayne Phelan	....	special thanks
Velma Phelan	....	special thanks
Bryn Ridge	....	acknowledgment (as Sgt. Bryn Ridge)
Bobby Sanders	....	acknowledgment (as Chief Bobby Sanders)
Kate Schultz	....	special thanks
Alex Sinofsky	....	special thanks
Tristan Sinofsky	....	special thanks
Claire Snofsky	....	special thanks
Lisa Socransky	....	special thanks (as Lisa Socransky Esq.)
Joia Specolo	....	special thanks
Dan Stidham	....	acknowledgment (as Daniel T. Stidham Esq)
Darwin Stow	....	acknowledgment
Julia Strohm	....	special thanks
James Sudbury	....	acknowledgment (as Lt. James Sudbury)
Robin Wadley	....	acknowledgment (as Robin Wadley Esq)
Rachel Woodridge	....	special thanks (as Rachel Woodridge WREG)
W.A. Wren	....	acknowledgment (as Chief W.A. Wren)
Kathy Zotnowski	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Home Box Office (HBO)

Distributors

• Creative Thinking International Ltd.
• Home Box Office (HBO) (1996) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Also Known As:

"America Undercover: Paradise Lost - The Child Murders at Robin Hood Woods" - USA (series title)

Runtime:

150 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

West Memphis, Arkansas, USA

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Trivia:

Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky spent 79 days over a 10-month period filming in the actual Arkansas locales.

Quotes:

Ford, Paul:Based on what you've heard up there, do you think Damien might have killed those three boys?
Jason Baldwin:[after a long pause] They make it seem like he did.
Ford, Paul:Do you think he did?
Jason Baldwin:I don't know.
Ford, Paul:Would you have a hard time letting him go if you were on the jury?
Jason Baldwin:Yeah.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert: Best of '96" (1997)

A Modern Tragedy

The question at hand in the film Paradise Lost is not as much did these three teenagers commit this heinous act, but rather was there enough evidence to convict them for the murders. The answer, presented by material in the film, is an unflinching no. There was only speculation and rumor to convict the three.

The film's strengths are that it doesn't preach, at least not in an overly wrought narrative, and it contains intimate moments with the accused and their families as well as the families of the victims. Being a victim of a violent crime to something of this degree I understand the pain and confusion of the victim's families. What is hard to understand is the bloodlust and need for revenge and retribution that immediately takes hold of them. The victims' families are the most terrifying aspect of this film. At one point the mother of the Byrnes child says in a hateful and spiteful tone "I hate them... I hate them and the mother's that bore them."

Is there anything wrong with being hellishly angry with someone who has butchered your child? No, quite natural really. But the point of this film is that judgment was passed on these kids long before the trial even started. I imagine the Bible belt is a very scary place to be raised in... I'll have to ask Brad Pitt what he thinks about it some time.

On the issue of the prosecution. They had next to nothing. A very questionable confession from a terrified kid, Jessie, with a 72 IQ, hearsay from a couple of kids who claim they heard Damien bragging about the murder but have no proof, a knife found behind Damien's house which doesn't match the wounds on the bodies, and the assertion that because Damien read about Wicca, he must be a Satanist.

To look at the three kids is also an interesting aspect of the film. Jessie, a very small and slow kid seems a bit lost in the world. His IQ is low but he has no previous records of any type of behavior that would associate him with murder. Jason speaks in short breathless words and seems also to suffer from a low IQ. Damien is the key to everything in this film though. The defense made the key mistake of letting Damien take the stand for two reasons. The first reason is that Damien appears to have ADD and after the first 10 minutes of questioning he sort of fades away and answers in bland yes and no's. The second reason, and the most important, is that Damien is obviously extremely bright. Normally this wouldn't seem to be a problem but judging from every single person the filmmakers put on camera, smart people are hard to come by in that area of the world. Damien scared them.

All of this adds up to the fact that there was not enough evidence to put these kids away and there were other, more sinister and shocking, suspects that needed to be pursued. The war rages on for the West Memphis Three and it is indeed frightening to think that they did it, and terrifying to think they didn't.