Human
rights group Amnesty International is campaigning to win the release of a U.S.
man on death row whose criminal case has collapsed.
Troy
Davis was convicted of murdering a Georgia police officer in 1991. Nearly two
decades later, Davis remains on death row - even though the case against him has
fallen apart. amnestyusa.org
On
March 28, 2011 the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Davis' appeals and set
the stage for him to possibly face a fourth execution date. amnestyusa.org The
case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony which contained
inconsistencies even at the time of the trial. Since then, all but two of the
state's non-police witnesses from the trial have recanted or contradicted their
testimony. amnestyusa.org Many
of these witnesses have stated in sworn affidavits that they were pressured or
coerced by police into testifying or signing statements against Davis.
amnestyusa.org
On
Aug. 19, 1989, Officer Mark MacPhail was gunned down while rushing to the rescue
of a homeless man being pistol-whipped in the parking lot of a Greyhound bus
station. southernstudies.org The
day after the murder, a man named Sylvester "Red" Coles told the police that
Troy Davis was the shooter. Davis was arrested and was convicted in 1991,
primarily on the basis of eye-witness testimony. southernstudies.org There
is no physical evidence linking Davis to the crime. The murder weapon was never
recovered. southernstudies.org Major
human rights and civil liberty groups, including the NAACP, Amnesty
International, and the ACLU, have taken up Davis's case, and individuals ranging
from President Jimmy Carter to Archbishop Desmond Tutu have spoken up on his
behalf. southernstudies.org Davis
has now exhausted all legal avenues to challenge the conviction. This means that
the state of Georgia could set his execution date at any time.
guardian.co.uk
RS/SM/DB
- Latest News
- Top Hits