Peter Jackson turns 50 today (31st October 2011) and the New Zealand director will have more than cause to celebrate as work continues to pick up ahead of the long-awaited release of 'Lord Of The Rings' prequel 'The Hobbit'. However, Jackson is also currently deeply involved in more sombre matters as The Associated Press revealed on Friday (October 28th 2011) that he was working with a high profile former Death Row inmate in the hope of getting them a complete pardon.
Jackson is aiding Damien Echols in his search for a pardon following an initial conviction for murdering three boys in Arkansas in 1993. Though he was the only one sentenced for murder, he was convicted alongside Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelly. In 2007, new Dna tests taken from the crime scene didn't match up with that of any of the men who were released after pleading guilty for lesser charges - though all three have maintained their innocence.
Echols is now in New Zealand with Jackson, who stood next to the country's Prime Minister John Key at a press conference to say, "There are all sorts of emotive headlines about Damien Echols, killer, coming to New Zealand, but the reality is that Damien Echols is an innocent man who has spent 18 years incarcerated in a tiny cell," adding further, "He's come here to work with us on a couple of things. We're doing investigative work, we're doing forensic work ... with the purpose of getting a complete pardon."