Troy Davis Story: Georgia Parole Board Denies Clemency Bid
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles has denied convicted cop killer Troy Davis' request for clemency after hearing last minute testimony in a convened hearing, with critics calling its decision "unconscionable" for sending a man to his death under an enormous cloud of doubt.
Troy Davis, who had been scheduled to die by lethal injection Wednesday for the murder of Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail in 1989, will face his executioner as was originally planned.
The parole board on Monday heard testimony from Davis as well as from members of the slain officer's family who are convince that Davis is the murderer of their loved one.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Its decision was announced Tuesday morning, and shocked many supporters who claim Davis did not receive a fair trial.
Joan MacPhail, the victim's widow, doubted whether those marching against the execution knew the facts of the case.
"We have lived this for 22 years. We know what the truth is," she said. "And for someone to ludicrously say that he is a victim - We are victims. Look at us. We have put up with this stuff for 22 years. It's time for justice. We need our justice," MacPhail told CNN.
Stephen Marsh, Davis' attorney, had expressed confidence that the board would rule in his client's favor, based on the veracity of the state's case against his client.
"We believe that we've established substantial doubt in this case, and given the level of doubt that exists in this case, we believe that an execution is simply not appropriate," Marsh told CNN Monday.
Options for the board had included commuting a death sentence to either life without parole or life with the possibility of parole. The parole board could have also considered delaying the execution, which would have allowed it to continue its deliberation of the case, or ultimately deny clemency, which it has done, clearing the way for Davis' execution.
Much of the case was centered on a majority of the state's witnesses, many of whom have recanted previous statements and have stated in sworn affidavits that they were pressured or coerced by police into testifying against Davis.
The decision by the board to deny Davis clemency undoubtedly comes as a shock to hundreds of thousands of supporters who participated in protests all across the nation over the weekend.
Amnesty International, one of the many organizers the protests, calls the decision by the Georgia board "unconscionable," owing to the group's belief that the board is allowing Davis to face execution under what it describes as "an enormous cloud of doubt."
