A day before Troy Davis’ scheduled execution, Georgia’s pardons board has denied clemency, and Davis’ execution is set to proceed on Wednesday.
Davis was convicted on August 30, 1991 of murdering Savanna, Georgia police officer Mark MacPhail. Since his conviction, however, several high-profile individuals came to the man’s defense, including former president Jimmy Carter, former FBI director William Sessions, and even 51 members of Congress.
Davis’ supporters contend that the evidence against the man is unreliable. Seven of the nine witnesses whose testimony helped convict Davis have since recanted their statements, several of which claim that they were coaxed into giving false statements by police.
Additionally, several people have since come forward to say that another man present at the scene, Sylvester Coles, was responsible for the murder. No murder weapon, DNA evidence or any other form of evidence other than eyewitness testimony was ever found.
According to Steve Hayes, spokesman for Georgia’s Board of Pardons and Paroles, the panel came to the decision to deny clemency after listening to hours of testimony from supporters and prosecutors alike. Hayes didn’t disclose specific details on how the panel came to the decision.
Rev. Al Sharpton, who is planning a vigil at the state prison in Jackson city, is asking Chatham County District Attorney Larry Chisolm to block the execution, and requesting that supporters urge the pardons board to reconsider.
“This is probably the most egregious injustice I have seen in a long time, to set a precedent that a man can be executed when the evidence against him has mostly been recanted,” said Sharpton. “It’s unthinkable.”
Davis’ legal team issued a statement in response to the board’s decision, saying:
“The death penalty should not be exercised where doubt exists about the guilt of the accused. The Board did not follow that standard here. The state’s case against Mr. Davis, based largely on discredited eyewitness testimony and an inaccurate ballistics report, cannot resolve the significant, lingering doubts that exist here.”
via AJC [ Image ]
