Troy Davis Story: President Jimmy Carter Wants Total Rejection of Capital Punishment
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has slammed the controversial execution of convicted murderer Troy Davis.
Though Davis was convicted 20 years ago, the convict has maintained his innocence right up to the time of his death. His last words were, “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 Troy Davis story has gained support from several well-known politicians including President Jimmy Carter, who said today that he hopes “it will spur us as a nation toward the total rejection of capital punishment.”
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He went on to say, “If one of our fellow citizens can be executed with so much doubt surrounding his guilt, then the death penalty system in our country is unjust and outdated.”
Davis died by lethal injection at 11.08 pm Wednesday night.
“I saw the tube inserted into his arm, and then fluid, then jerking,” said Davis’ defense lawyer Thomas Ruffin. “It's sickening. It's worse than any film adaptation. It's more macabre and horrible than anything on film and television.”
Davis’ case highlights the death penalty in America. Hundreds of thousands of people signed a petition to stop the execution which went ahead even though seven of the nine key witnesses recanted their original testimonies.
