23. Damien Echols spent 10 years in solitary confinement

Damien Echols grew up as a Metallica-listening, Wicca-dabbling, non-conformist teenager in southern bible belt country. When three 8-year-old boys were found dead in the woods of West Memphis Arkansas, the police immediately turned to Echols and his two friends Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley. In 1994, Damien was sentenced to death and spent 18 years in prison including 10 years in solitary confinement. In order to keep his mind active, Damien turned his cell into a monastic-like sanctuary and practiced meditative rituals for up to eight hours a day. It was during this time that Damien met his wife Lori, who assisted in the uncovering of new DNA evidence that would eventually free him. Damien shares that we can all escape our own individual prisons, whether mental, emotional, or physical, and come out on the other side thriving.Benefiting Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue https://www.rmfr-colorado.org/Follow us on social media!Twitter: @allthewiserpodInstagram: @allthewiserpodcastFacebook: @allthewiserpodcastWebsite: https://www.allthewiserpodcast.com/Have a story to share with us or feedback about an episode you heard? Email us at [email protected] you like what you heard on today's show, please consider giving us a review on Apple Podcasts! It helps other awesome people like you find our show. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy