In the hours leading to his execution, lawyers of Troy Davis have requested a stay of execution with the Butts County Superior Court. Troy Davis was sentenced to death for the 1989 shooting of an off-duty police officer, Mark MacPhail. Davis’ execution is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday in Georgia. In Georgia, clemency requests can only be granted by a board, not by the governor.
The parole board declined clemency, in spite of testimony that called physical evidence and witness statements into question. Seven of the nine witnesses in the original case have recanted or contradicted their testimony, with supporters of Davis claiming the witnesses spoke under duress.
