Was Jessie Misskelleys “confession” coerced?
Jessie Misskelley’s “confession” is a textbook example of a coerced, false confession. Even though he recanted his “confession” within hours, it was a major factor in all three convictions. Jessie is mentally challenged with a low IQ of only 72. Knowing he was mentally disabled, the West Memphis police still interrogated Jessie for 12 hours without his parents or an attorney present. Only 46 minutes, a mere 6%, of this entire hostile interrogation was recorded or videotaped. Jessie did not know key details of the crime, including the time of the murders, the materials with which the boys were bound, as well as the cause of death. Since he did not know real details, he was fed information by the investigators, which is clear on the tape.
