Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills focuses on the trials of three teenagers accused of murdering three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. It chronicles the events following the 1993 discovery of the victims’ bodies in a creek bed near Robin Hood Hills.

The documentary presents interviews with various parties involved in the case, including the families of both the victims and the accused, law enforcement officials, and the defendants themselves. It highlights the community’s belief that the murders were part of a satanic ritual, largely due to the teenagers’ interest in heavy metal music and occult literature.

The film covers the separate trials of Jessie Misskelley Jr., Damien Echols, and Jason Baldwin, collectively known as the West Memphis Three. Misskelley’s confession, which he later claimed was coerced, played a crucial role in the prosecution’s case. The documentary raises questions about the validity of this confession and the lack of physical evidence linking the teenagers to the crime.

Throughout the film, the conservative and strongly Evangelical Christian nature of the community is portrayed, providing context for the widespread belief in the satanic ritual theory. It also captures the emotional turmoil experienced by the victims’ families and their desire for justice.