The movie take...

The 2013 Hollywood movie Devil’s Knot is based on a 2002 truecrime book of the same name, and closely follows the case facts. Colin Firth plays private investigator Ron Lax, who’s convinced the trio are innocent. Reese Witherspoon plays Stevie Branch’s grieving mother Pamela Hobbs, who’s alarmed by a lack of solid evidence during the trial. The film ends in 1994, after the West Memphis Three’s convictions and sentencing, dealing with later developments and their release in post-movie text. In the closing scene, in a startling twist, Pam Hobbs tells Lax she’s found Stevie’s penknife hidden in her husband’s things – she claims Stevie would almost certainly have been carrying it on 5 May 1993. After handing the knife to Lax, she’s seen packing Stevie’s toys and driving away. But, in real-life, Pam sent the knife to defence lawyers in 2002 when the couple separated. Terry Hobbs denies any involvement. Pam has since stated publicly she believes the West Memphis Three are innocent.