The Black Urban Times
The last words of a condemned man, setnenced to die for the shooting death of an off-duty Georgia policeman in 1989, asked that God have mercy on the souls of those about to take his life.
Troy Davis sat on death row in Georgia for the past 20 years as lawyers, Jesse Jackson, former President Jimmy Carter and even Pope Benedict XVI all fought to save his life. Witnesses recanted earlier statements, several things cast reasonable doubt about Davis' guilt, but in the end, that did nothing to spare the 42-year-old's life.
After several stays of execution, the latest coming just four hours before Davis was put to death by lethal injection at 10:53pm EDT. The Butts County, Georgia native was declared dead at 11:08 p.m., 15 mintues after he was injected with a lethal cocktail of narcotics in the execution chamber in Jackson.Davis remained defiant up until the end. He refused a last meal, an anti-anxiety drug and would not partake in a final prayer before the execution. Davis stoiclly maintained his innocence in the murder of Officer Mark MacPhail, saying he did not have a gun on the night of August 19, 1989.
"I'd like to address the MacPhail family. Let you know, despite the situation you are in, I'm not the one who personally killed your son, your father, your brother. I am innocent. The incident that happened that night is not my fault. I did not have a gun. All I can ask ... is that you look deeper into this case so that you really can finally see the truth. I ask my family and friends to continue to fight this fight. For those about to take my life, God have mercy on your souls. And may God bless your souls."
The night before the cop's murder, as Davis and some friends left a pool party in Savannah the occupants of a passing vehicle allegedly hurled obscenities Davis and his friends. Someone in Davis' camp fired a bullet into the car, striking Michael Cooper in the face. Police say the shooter was Davis. After leaving the scene of the Savannah shooting, Davis and friend, Darrell Collins arrived at a Burger King Restaurant in Yamacraw where they saw Sylvester "Redd" Coles. Media reports state Coles was arguing with a homeless man over a beer.
It was here that MacPhail, a former Army Ranger and the son of a U.S. Army Colonel, was working a second job as a security guard. When the father of three observed the homeless man being pistol whipped and attempted to intervene, he was shot once in the heart and face. The man responsible for both the assault, and shooting death of officer MacPhail, was Davis, according to prosecutors.
MacPhail never drew his service revolver. The only evidence police recovered from the crime were bullets and shell casings, which were determined to have come from a .38-caliber pistol. At his trial, four witnesses, including Coles testified that it was Davis who beat the homeless man with a pistol and then shot MacPhail.
Despite many legal wranglings, several retraced statements and other questionable acts, Davis lost his battle, but said he hopes his family continues fighting to prove his innocence. Supporters of the condemned man even urged prison workers to stay home in an attempt to stop the execution. President Obama reportedly deflected calls requesting that he intervene on Davis' behalf, Yahoo News reported.
Ga. Executes Davis; Supporters Claim Injustice by associatedpress
Read Trial Proceedings Here
(Video) Martina Correia sister of Troy Davis
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