Revenge, abuse of authority, and the desire for power are all present in both Arthur Miller's play The Crucible and the case involving the West Memphis Three. To understand the link you need to know something about the case. Three young boys were murdered on May 5, 1993 (Leveritt 5). They were stripped naked, their hands tied and forced to immerse themselves in the nearby creek where they remained until found the next day. Little evidence was collected on the day it was discovered, what was recovered was mislabeled and processed incorrectly. The boys lay in the open for 3 hours before seeing a medical examiner (Leveritt 23). Later, three teenagers (Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley) were put on trial with only inaccurate confessions (which were later retracted) and ill-informed advice from concerned citizens (Robertson 2). They decided to plead guilty to Alford after repeated charges and few other options (Robertson 3). They became known as the "West Memphis Three". Many have abused the West Memphis Three affair to gain power and make a name for themselves. Due to the nature of the case, it attracted a lot of media attention. This attention was mainly due to the events occurring in such a small Bible Belt community. No one knew anything about the occult and certainly did not have the ability to understand it because of the religious prejudices that clouded their judgment. The severity and crude nature of the boys' murders also played a key role in the media attention. Nothing like this had ever happened in West Memphis. Because of all these things, everyone became interested in the case and wanted to exploit the attention it was receiving. A documentary, P...... middle of paper ......e confessed to the murders but later recanted his story (Leveritt 76). Authority figures on the prosecution's side also abuse their power in The Crucible. Danforth, the judge, intervenes and confirms that he has the final say on all sentences. “The village expects to see [seven people] die this morning” and Danforth seeks to do exactly what the village wants to gain its favor (Miller 129). He will condemn whoever he wants and will not stop the hangings simply because “the postponement now testifies to a failure on [his] part” (Miller 129). Bowers, Kristen. The Crucible by Arthur Miller: Literary Guide. San Dimas, CA: Secondary Solutions, 2006. Print. 2. Leveritt, Mara. Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three. New York: Atria, 2002. Print.