Johnny Depp shows support for West Memphis Three

Pirates of the Caribbean actor Johnny Depp is showing his support for the West Memphis Three via a tattoo on the right side of his chest.

The West Memphis three includes Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, and Jason Baldwin, who at the time that they were teenagers, were wrongfully accused and convicted of the murder of three 8-year-old boys in 1993 in Memphis. They spent 18 years in jail before their story came to light with the help of Depp, Eddie Vedder and Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, The Associated Press reports. Depp was moved by their story, and after watching Paradise Lost; Depp, along with Maines and Vedder, helped to pay their legal fees which allowed them to make the Alford plea. That allowed them to maintain their innocence while pleading guilty.

Since then, Depp and Echols share matching tattoos. He explains, This one Damien designed. Its one of my all-time favorites, and it means quite a lot to me.

According to GuardianLV, the documentary entitled West Memphis Three, details evidence that points the finger to Terry Hobbes, the stepfather of one of the victims. The evidence destroys the original theory which cannot prove the three men committed the crime.

At the time of the documentary's premiere in Toronto Saturday, Depp explained to reporters, In terms of the investigation, it was lets get whatever we can define as the predator off the streets to calm this community down, and so it became a witch hunt, I think. It was clear from the first second that I saw the Paradise Lost film . . . that this was a horrific lie and these boys were innocent so I wanted to help in any way I could! .

The documentary will air nationwide December 25.