New 2026 interview with Damien Echols & Dr. Drew – At 18, Damien Echols was sentenced to death as one of the West Memphis Three convicted in the 1993 murders of three boys in Arkansas that prosecutors framed as a Satanic ritual killing. He tells Dr. Drew there was no physical evidence tying him to the crime, and describes how the Satanic Panic of the era turned Stephen King books, rock music, and teenage notebooks into courtroom "evidence." Echols was released in 2011 on an Alford plea after DNA testing found no match to him or his co-defendants, and instead matched a member of one victim’s family. He explains how he survived almost a decade in solitary confinement by turning inward, studying Western esotericism and Zen Buddhism, and building a life of meaning inside a cell. He shares what nearly two decades facing execution taught him about discipline, the mind, and how easily a mob can destroy the innocent. His memoir "Life After Death" was a New York Times bestseller; his new book "Alchemy of the Broken Blade" arrives in September. Full interview from the 6/30/2026 episode of Ask Dr. Drew with @damienechols8091: https://youtube.com/live/JrSi3uOO4Lg 0:00 - Sentenced To Death At 18 For A Triple Murder 8:37 - What Was The Satanic Panic? 10:07 - Nine Years In Solitary Confinement 19:56 - Why Echols' Case Got Tied To Satanism