Eddie Vedder there as West Memphis Three released

(CBS/AP) As the so-called West Memphis Three were released from prison Friday, one of their longtime supporters, singer and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, was on hand.

Pictures: Celebrity supporters
Pictures: West Memphis Three set free

Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr., convicted of murdering three 8-year-olds in West Memphis, Ark., were set free via a legal maneuver called an "Alford Plea." Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley pleaded guilty while maintaining innocence and acknowledging prosecutors had enough evidence to convict them.

Echols' wife, Lorri, sat in the front row of a crowded courtroom, next to Vedder, who became a key supporter of the men after watching a pair of HBO documentaries about the case. Vedder put his arm around her during the proceedings.

MTV reports The Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines, another supporter of the men, was also at the courtroom as they were released. Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder and Tom Waits have also been outspoken supporters of Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley.