Innocence Blog

Remembering Troy Davis

Posted: September 24, 2012 5:00 pm

One year after the State of Georgia executed Troy Davis for a 1989 murder that he maintained he didn’t commit, Davis’ sister vows to abolish the death penalty.
 
Speaking to the Guardian, Kimberly Davis said that her family was still determined to clear his name. Seven of the nine witnesses who identified Davis as the shooter have recanted their testimony.

“They insisted on executing an innocent man despite so much doubt around the case. If those seven witnesses were credible enough to put my brother on death row, then why weren’t they credible when they recanted?” Davis said.
 
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“My brother was murdered by the state of Georgia. For the Troy Davises who came before him, and the Troy Davises who will come after him, we want to stop the killing of innocent men,” she said.

Shortly before Davis’ death, the Innocence Project sent a letter to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute Troy Davis’ death sentence to life due to serious questions about his guilt. A group of organizations and activists delivered a petition with more than 660,000 signatures calling on the Board of Pardons and Paroles to stop Davis’ execution. In a three to two vote, the members of the Board ultimately rejected the clemency bid.
 
Read the full article.
 
Read more about Troy Davis execution.
 
Read more about the role of eyewitness misidentification in Troy Davis’ questionable conviction.

Tags: Georgia, Troy Davis