JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) - One of the three men who pleaded guilty to murders they say they didn't commit - a move that got them out of prison - says the decision wasn't easy.
Defendant Jason Baldwin says he made his choice because the deal saves co-defendant Damien Echols from the death penalty.
Echols was sentenced to death for the 1993 killings of three West Memphis Cub Scouts. Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley received life sentences. They gained their freedom Friday, August 19, 2011, with a plea that allows them to maintain their innocence while acknowledging prosecutors have enough evidence to convict them.
Baldwin told reporters he took the plea to save Echols from death row. Echols thanked him, and the two men hugged.
Baldwin's attorney, Blake Hendrix, says his client "literally saved a human being's life today."
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
