Editing West Memphis Three (section)

====Aftermath====
[[File:Damien echols 2012.jpg|thumb|Damien Echols at the 2012 [[Texas Book Festival]]]]
Echols relocated to [[Salem, Massachusetts]], with his wife and has no intentions of returning to Arkansas. In a 2013 interview with [[Piers Morgan]], he said that he would like to have a career in writing and [[visual arts]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Piers Morgan – Damien Echols On The Death Penalty – 02/08/2013|website = [[YouTube]]| date=November 13, 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gv2cMLWykk| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/5gv2cMLWykk| archive-date=December 11, 2021 | url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Echols self-published the memoir, ''Almost Home: My Life Story Vol. 1'' (2005), while still in prison.<ref>{{cite book|author=Echols, Damien|title=Almost Home: My Life Story Vol. 1|date=June 3, 2005|isbn=9780595357017|publisher=iUniverse|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/415488.Almost_Home}}</ref> After his release, he has worked on a number of additional media projects.
;:Music
::*Echols co-wrote the lyrics to the song "Army Reserve", on [[Pearl Jam]]'s [[Pearl Jam (album)|self-titled album]] (2006).<ref>{{cite magazine |url= http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/57020/ex-misfits-singer-rocks-with-west-memphis-3s-echols |title=Ex-Misfits Singer Rocks With West Memphis 3's Echols &#124; Billboard.com |magazine=Billboard |year=2011 |access-date=October 13, 2011}}</ref>
::*Echols and [[Punk rock|punk]] musician [[Michale Graves]], the latter a former vocalist for [[Misfits (band)|Misfits]], released an album titled ''Illusions'' in October 2007.<ref>{{cite web|title=Illusions Album: Michale Graves & Damien Echols|website=Amazon|url=https://www.amazon.com/Illusions-Michale-Graves-Damien-Echols/dp/B000W04S0G}}</ref>

;:Art
::*Echols began creating art while on death row as a "side effect of my spiritual, magical practice."<ref>{{cite web|title=L.A. Times article on Damien Echols art exhibit at Copro Gallery|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=March 24, 2016 |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-damien-echols-art-show-20160323-story.html}}</ref> The Copro Gallery in Los Angeles exhibited Echols' artwork (March 19 – April 16, 2016).<ref>{{cite web|title=SALEM Exhibit of Echols' Artwork at the Copro Gallery|url=http://www.copronason.com/salemd/}}</ref> The focus of the exhibit, titled 'SALEM,' draws attention to the comparison between the historical U.S. [[Salem witch trials]] and Echols' own experience during a modern-day U.S. [[witch-hunt]] known for false accusations of [[Satanic ritual abuse]].
::*On March 23, 2016, Echols gave a presentation about his art processes at the [[Rubin Museum of Art]].<ref>{{cite web|title=DAMIEN ECHOLS ARTISTS ON ART MARCH 25 6:15 – 7:00 PM|url=http://rubinmuseum.org/events/event/damien-echols-03-25-2016|access-date=March 26, 2016|archive-date=April 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408005419/http://rubinmuseum.org/events/event/damien-echols-03-25-2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

;:Spoken word
::*The transcript of Echols' spoken word performance in ''[[The Moth]]'' is included in a written compilation of 50 stories from the show's archives, published in 2013.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Moth|date=2013|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17468561-the-moth|publisher=Hachette Books|isbn=9781401311117}}</ref>

;:Written works
::*Echols' poetry has appeared in the ''Porcupine Literary Arts'' magazine (volume 8, issue 2).
::* He has written non-fiction for the ''Arkansas Literary Forum''.<ref>[http://fac.hsu.edu/beggsm/ALF/2007/2007.html Arkansas Literary Forum] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030071414/http://fac.hsu.edu/beggsm/ALF/2007/2007.html |date=October 30, 2008 }}</ref>
::*Since his release, he has published a non-fiction book about both his childhood and incarceration, ''Life After Death'' (2012), which includes material from his 2005 memoir.<ref>{{cite book|date=2012|publisher=Blue Rider Press|author=Echols, Damien|title=Life After Death|isbn=9780399160202|url=https://archive.org/details/lifeafterdeath0000echo|url-access=registration}}</ref>
::* He and Lorri Davis, a NYC landscape architect who initiated a correspondence with Echols in 1999 and ultimately became his wife, co-authored ''Yours for Eternity: A Love Story on Death Row'' (2014)<ref>{{cite book|isbn=9780399166198|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693685-yours-for-eternity|date=June 17, 2014|publisher=Blue Rider Press|title= Yours for Eternity: A Love Story on Death Row|author1=Echols, Damien |author2=Davis, Lorri }}</ref>

;:Television
::*Echols provided the voice of Darryl, a fish man (i.e., a fish situated on a robot body), in episode 3 of the animated [[Netflix]] series ''[[The Midnight Gospel]]'' (2020).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/04/21/damien-echols-the-midnight-gospel-netflix-tv-death-row-memphis/ |title=The Midnight Gospel: Damien Echols' appearance explained – how the Netlfix voice actor escaped death row |date=April 21, 2020 |website=HITC |first=Paul |last=Fogarty |access-date=April 25, 2020 |archive-date=May 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505193204/https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/04/21/damien-echols-the-midnight-gospel-netflix-tv-death-row-memphis/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In August 2021, ten years after release from prison, Echols reiterated that he would not give up seeking any evidence that remained, so it could be retested to exonerate the three and lead to those actually responsible. In response to Echols' requests since early 2020 that remaining evidence undergo specialized DNA testing, officials told his legal team that such evidence had been lost or destroyed years ago in a fire, of which there is no public record. A [[Freedom of Information Act (United States)|FOIA]] request was submitted and the receiving attorney said any evidence testing would have to be ordered by a judge. Echols attorneys filed a Motion for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief in the Circuit Court of Crittendon County First Division, and asked for an expedited hearing.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://katv.com/news/local/west-memphis-three-marks-decade-out-of-prison-echols-still-seeking-answers |title=West Memphis Three mark decade out of prison, Echols still seeking answers |date=August 19, 2021 |work=Talk Business & Politics |access-date=July 17, 2023 |via=[[KATV]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/sep/13/echols-asks-judge-force-police-follow-open-records/?latest |title=Echols asks judge to force police to follow open-records law in West Memphis Three evidence case |date=September 13, 2021 |newspaper=[[Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]] |first=Bill |last=Bowden |access-date=July 17, 2023 }}</ref> In December 2021, Echols' team was able to review remaining evidence and planned to move forward with new testing.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://theeveningtimes.com/theeveningtimes/2021/12/23/damien-echols-legal-team-reviews-lost-evidence-in-1993-murders/ |title=Damien Echols' legal team reviews 'lost' evidence in 1993 murders |date=December 23, 2021 |newspaper=The Evening Times |publication-place=Crittenden County, Arkansas |access-date=July 17, 2023 }}</ref> In June 2022, a judge rejected a January request for DNA testing of the evidence.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/23/us/west-memphis-three-dna-court-hearing/index.html |title=Judge rejects West Memphis Three member's request for new DNA testing |date=June 23, 2022 |work=CNN |first=Steve |last=Almasy |access-date=July 17, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-01-26/damien-echols-asks-court-to-move-forward-with-advanced-dna-testing-in-wm3-case |title=Damien Echols asks court to move forward with advanced DNA testing in WM3 case |date=January 26, 2022 |work=[[KUAR]] |first=George |last=Jared |access-date=July 17, 2023 }}</ref> Echols' lawyers appealed the case to the Arkansas Supreme Court in January 2023. The state said in February that the appeal should be dismissed because the case was initially filed in the wrong county – Crittenden rather than Craighead County, where Echols' conviction was entered. In March, Echols' team responded that such a dismissal reason is irrelevant because both counties are within Arkansas' 2nd Judicial Circuit.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2023/mar/02/dont-dismiss-appeal-echols-urges-state-supreme/ |title=Don't dismiss appeal, West Memphis Three's Damien Echols urges state Supreme Court |date=March 2, 2023 |newspaper=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |first=Bill |last=Bowden |access-date=July 17, 2023 }}</ref> In April 2023, the state supreme court ruled in favor of Echols's appeal for DNA testing.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://wreg.com/news/local/ar-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-damien-echols-appeal/ |title=AR Supreme Court rules in favor of Damien Echols' appeal |date=April 6, 2023 |work=[[WREG]] |first=Autumn |last=Scott |access-date=July 17, 2023 |archive-date=July 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230717133603/https://wreg.com/news/local/ar-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-damien-echols-appeal/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In April 2024, the Arkansas Supreme Court again reversed a lower court's order denying Echols' postconviction motion for DNA testing for lack of jurisdiction.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Supreme Court of Arkansas |date=April 18, 2024 |title=Echols v. State 2024 Ark. 61 |url=https://arkansasadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Echols_v._State-AR-Supreme-Court.pdf |access-date=May 17, 2024 |website=Supreme Court of Arkansas}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Grajeda |first=Antoinette |date=April 18, 2024 |title=Arkansas Supreme Court reverses West Memphis Three ruling, allows for DNA testing |url=https://arkansasadvocate.com/2024/04/18/arkansas-supreme-court-reverses-west-memphis-three-ruling-allows-for-dna-testing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419000824/https://arkansasadvocate.com/2024/04/18/arkansas-supreme-court-reverses-west-memphis-three-ruling-allows-for-dna-testing/ |archive-date=April 19, 2024 |access-date=May 17, 2024 |website=Arkansas Advocate}}</ref>