WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — Attorneys for Damien Echols, one of the West Memphis Three, are filing a lawsuit against the West Memphis Police Department.
The new lawsuit claims the West Memphis Police Department has not complied with multiple Freedom of Information Act requests, asking for information and evidence.
Echols has said he believes the department could have destroyed the evidence that could prove his innocence.
According to the lawsuit, it has been over 60 days since Echols' lawyers sent the FOIA request to the police department and have received no response.
Echols, along with Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, were charged and convicted of the murders of three boys in 1994 despite not having any DNA evidence connecting the three to the crimes.
Echols and his lawyers want access to the information and evidence in order to conduct new DNA testing in the case in hopes of finding closure in the case.
After spending nearly 20 years in prison, the three men walked free on an Alford plea in 2011, which allowed them to maintain their innocence.
"I know to the core of my soul that the only reason the state did not murder me and sweep this case under the rug, is that people all over the world were paying attention to it," Echols said when we spoke to him on the 10th anniversary of his release.
We've reached out to the West Memphis Police Department multiple times, but have not received a response.
Echols' lawyer says if the evidence is never found, they could seek damages from the state.