Troy Davis Executed By Lethal Injection
At 11:08 EST tonight, Troy Davis was executed by lethal injection in Georgia for the 1989 murder of off-duty police officer Mark MacPhail.
His last words - "The incident that night was not my fault, I did not have a gun. I did not personally kill your son, father, and brother. I am innocent. For those about to take my life, may God have mercy on your souls." (reported on MSNBC in a live interview with witnesses of the execution).
On the outside, supporters around the world protested his sentence and condemned the justice system for executing a man despite serious doubts about his guilt.
Earlier today the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles rejected an appeal to halt the execution and denied an offer by Davis to take a polygraph test. This was followed by a last minute request to the U.S. Supreme Court to grant a stay of execution, which was also denied.
The 42-year-old was convicted in 1991 of killing MacPhail - a former Army Ranger and father of two who was working as a security guard in Savannah when he was shot to death rushing to help a homeless man who had been attacked.
Davis had long maintained his innocence, and there is no DNA evidence linking him to the crime. Even more troubling - seven of the nine eyewitnesses have recanted or changed their testimony. As a result, some critics say that the state's decision to go through with the execution could put the credibility of US courts in question.
However, prosecutors say they have no doubt that the right man was convicted.
Spencer Lawton, the original prosecutor in the case, says Davis's claims of innocence have been "manufactured" to raise sympathy and put public pressure on the courts. "A police officer was murdered," he told a Georgia TV station. "The consequences that derive from that fact can't be happy."
In the past few days, the Twittersphere has been flooded with tweets calling for a stay of execution. Thousands of people (including several celebrities) have voiced their support for Davis.
Hip-hop artist Big Boi tweeted "6 hours and 14 minutes to fight, #meetmeinjackson Georgia for a 100% peaceful rally." Sean Diddy Combs instructed his 4 million followers to call "Attorney General Eric Holder" to "urge him to intercede on Troy Davis" and listed the phone number to call.
Read more - I'm Terrified By Troy Davis's Execution
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