The man believed to be behind the Stranger Things character Eddie Munson has revealed how it feels to have a character inspired by him.
It didn't take long for Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) to become a firm favourite among fans of the hit Netflix series after he first came on the scene in season four.
Eddie's epic guitar scene – where he takes on the demo-bats armed with an electric guitar and Metallica's 'Master of Puppets', alongside best friend Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) – has also quickly become one of Stranger Things' most iconic scenes.
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However, unbeknown to some viewers, the beloved character of Eddie is actually based on a real life person named Damien Echols.
Echols has since spoken out about his feelings towards inspiring the metalhead, Dungeons and Dragons-loving, Hellfire Club leader.
In the penultimate season, Eddie is accused of murdering popular girl Chrissy (Grace Van Dien) after she goes to buy drugs off him but ends up being brutally snapped and snatched by evil lord of the Upside Down, Vecna.
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Echols was similarly accused of homicide, convicted alongside two other teenagers named Jessie Misskelley Jr and Jason Baldwin in 1994 for the murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansis.
The three teenagers – who became known as the West Memphis Three – were accused of having carried out the murders as part of a Satanic ritual, similar to Eddie's Hellfire Club being accused by Hawkins' residents of being under the instruction of the devil.
Baldwin was sentenced to life imprisonment, Misskelley Jr was sentenced to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences and Echols was sentenced to death.
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The story gained significant media attention and many celebrities and musicians raised money to help try and free the three teens, after court hearings and evidence didn't quite add up.
One band who spoke out against the ruling was American heavy metal band Metallica.
In July, 2007, new forensic evidence revealed even more holes in the convictions as 'some of it' was found to not be 'attributed to either the victims or the defendants', according to the defence team.
A plea deal ended up being negotiated in 2010 and accepted in 2011.
The three teens each received 18 years in prison and a suspended sentence of 10 years.
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As well as featuring in Stranger Things' penultimate season, Metallica also leant its music to the documentary film on the West Memphis Three called Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills.
In an article titled, 'How Rockers Helped Free the West Memphis Free,' drummer Lars Ulrich, told Rolling Stone: "It was the least we could do. They were outsiders who didn’t fit into what that community wanted.
"I could definitely identify with them. We all could."
Recently, Echols took to Twitter to respond to a fan's question asking how he felt about Eddie being 'created based on [him]'.
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He responded: "In case anyone else is wondering, I was tremendously honored by it. And I greatly appreciate all the new eyes and hearts it has brought to our fight.
"I was watching it at 3 am in the morning, and when I heard the very first chords from Master of Puppets, my heart exploded."
Stranger Things' creators Ross and Mark Duffer confirmed Echols was an inspiration for Eddie in an interview with Netflix Tudum in May this year.
In discussion about bringing in Eddie as a new character, the brothers explained they only wanted to 'add someone if [they felt] like they're necessary to to tell the story'.
Ross continued: "And in this case, something we really wanted to get into this year was the satanic panic. So that brought us back to the Paradise Lost documentary series with the [West] Memphis Three, and it brought us back to Damien Echols.
"We really wanted that character who’s a metalhead, he’s into Dungeons & Dragons, he’s ultimately a true nerd at heart. But from an outsider’s point of view, they may go, 'This is someone that is scary.' So that’s really where the idea for Eddie came in."
Echols is currently working on an appeal to try and change the law so courts 'have to allow DNA testing, whether you are free or in prison'.
He is also calling for 'all court proceedings' to be recorded via 'video or live-stream', branding the judge who handled the case 'smug, arrogant and dismissive'.
Echols thanked Stranger Things and Eddie Munson for bringing a 'massive new wave of awareness to our plight'.
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Topics: Stranger Things, Netflix, Film and TV
