CBS/AP/ September 22, 2011, 7:08 AM

Troy Davis executed, supporters cry injustice

JACKSON, Ga. - Strapped to a gurney in Georgia's death chamber, Troy Davis lifted his head and declared one last time that he did not kill police officer Mark MacPhail. Just a few feet away behind a glass window, MacPhail's son and brother watched in silence.

Outside the prison, a crowd of more than 500 demonstrators cried, hugged, prayed and held candles. They represented hundreds of thousands of supporters worldwide who took up the anti-death penalty cause as Davis' final days ticked away.

"I am innocent," Davis said moments before he was executed Wednesday night. "All I can ask ... is that you look deeper into this case so that you really can finally see the truth. I ask my family and friends to continue to fight this fight."

Prosecutors and MacPhail's family said justice had finally been served.

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"I'm kind of numb. I can't believe that it's really happened," MacPhail's mother, Anneliese MacPhail, said in a telephone interview from her home in Columbus, Ga. "All the feelings of relief and peace I've been waiting for all these years, they will come later. I certainly do want some peace."

She dismissed Davis' claims of innocence.

"He's been telling himself that for 22 years. You know how it is, he can talk himself into anything."

Davis was scheduled to die at 7 p.m., but the hour came and went as the U.S. Supreme Court apparently weighed the case. More than three hours later, the high court said it wouldn't intervene. The justices did not comment on their order rejecting Davis' request for a stay.

CBS News justice correspondent Jan Crawford reports that even the four liberal justices on the nation's highest court agreed - Davis had multiple chances to prove his innocence, and each time he failed.

Hundreds of thousands of people signed petitions on Davis' behalf and he had prominent supporters. His attorneys said seven of nine key witnesses against him disputed all or parts of their testimony, but state and federal judges repeatedly ruled against him — three times on Wednesday alone.

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Officer MacPhail's widow, Joan MacPhail-Harris, said it was "a time for healing for all families."

"I will grieve for the Davis family because now they're going to understand our pain and our hurt," she said in a telephone interview from Jackson. "My prayers go out to them. I have been praying for them all these years. And I pray there will be some peace along the way for them."

Davis' supporters staged vigils in the U.S. and Europe, declaring "I am Troy Davis" on signs, T-shirts and the Internet. Some tried increasingly frenzied measures, urging prison workers to stay home and even posting a judge's phone number online, hoping people would press him to put a stop to the lethal injection. President Barack Obama deflected calls for him to get involved.

"They say death row; we say hell no!" protesters shouted outside the Jackson prison before Davis was executed. In Washington, a crowd outside the Supreme Court yelled the same chant.

As many as 700 demonstrators gathered outside the prison as a few dozen riot police stood watch, but the crowd thinned as the night wore on and the outcome became clear.

Supporters lament Supreme Court's refusal to intervene in Troy Davis execution

Minister Lynn Hopkins, left, comforts her partner Carolyn Bond after hearing that the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a last minute plea of Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis In Jackson, Ga., Sept. 21, 2011.

/ AP

Davis' execution had been halted three times since 2007. The U.S. Supreme Court even gave Davis an unusual opportunity to prove his innocence in a lower court last year. While the nation's top court didn't hear the case, they did set a tough standard for Davis to exonerate himself, ruling that his attorneys must "clearly establish" Davis' innocence — a higher bar to meet than prosecutors having to prove guilt. After the hearing, a lower court judge ruled in prosecutors' favor, and the justices didn't take up the case.

His attorney Stephen Marsh said Davis would have spent part of Wednesday taking a polygraph test if pardons officials had taken his offer seriously. But they, too, said they wouldn't reconsider their decision. Georgia's governor does not have the power to grant condemned inmates clemency.

As his last hours ticked away, an upbeat and prayerful Davis turned down an offer for a special last meal as he met with friends, family and supporters.

"Troy Davis has impacted the world," his sister Martina Correia said before the execution. "They say, `I am Troy Davis,' in languages he can't speak."

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smittyc says:: Amnesty International is not in charge of our justice system. Davis was tried by a group of his peers, nine of them members of his race, blacks. They found him guilty of capital murder, a crime punishable by death. Good riddance to Davis.; reply

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usedtoit says:: it should have been hanged by the neck until it was dead 22 years ago; reply

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chicubs3 says:: The whole justice system is a mess. They do not care about the innocent victims here which are the victim's family and the taxpayers who have to pay to keep these kind of guys alive long enough for them to preach 22 years later that there might be some of the witnesses start feeling sorry for him and want to recant their story. He was guilty. The United States needs to start learning from so many other countries by saving the hurt on the victim's families and taxpayers by executing these guys, all murderers that have no use for lives of other human beings by executing them in a quick manner such as a firing squad. Working in a prison for over 30 years and seeing so much, watching inmates that hurt people on so many occasions just to see them get out and doing what they do best, continuing to hurt people. We just watched in Terre Haute, IN when an ex-offender 3 times over, the first time he was convicted he and another killed another individual, dismember the body and he gets 4 years, done 2 and got out for a lesser charge of assisting a criminal. 2 other incarcerations and out then he murders a police officer serving a warrant for another crime. Luckily this time he took his own life. Too much hurting of innocent people. Needs to stop. Start holding these guys and gals responsible for their actions. Too many in prison for murder. Had one guy convicted for murder in 1943. Released in 1967. Murdered another in 1977 and released again in 2001. Still time to kill again. Amazes me to know end. Again time to start caring for victims of crime not the criminals themselves so we never have to fear again. Let people start being able to walk streets without fear. Let people to be able to leave their front doors unlocked without having to fear someone walking in on them. Time for change.; reply

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Jhamon45 says:: What I find even more disturbing is Samuel Crowe (white) another inmate in Jackson Ga. was also scheduled for execution on Thursday however the Georgia Board of Pardon commuted his sentence to life in prison the article siting his remorse and good behavior, REALLY? This man shot a store mgr 3 times, beat him wth a crowbar and pot of paint. BTW he plead guilty. Could it be that Troy Davis should have stop pleading his innocence and maybe his life to would have been spared. Question for the GA Board of Pardons how is the life of Sam Crowe convicted beyond a reasonable doubt more valuable and worth sparing than that of Davis convicted for the same charge but serious doubt surrounding his conviction, you know like the 9 eye witness accounts the capital murder case was solely built on and 7 of those witness recanted their confession. What was the basis of their decision btwn the 2 cases besides the obvious.

www.reuters.com/article/2008/05/22/us-usa-execution-idUSN2250765020080522; reply

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NYerforJustice says:: You must be a very nice person. And so very, very naive, Petty.; reply

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NYerforJustice says:

The American people deserve a better system of justice and we're not getting it. We also deserve good journalism (at the minimum) and we're not getting it. This article is a perfect example. If the person who wrote this article does not have a basic understanding of our system of justice then he/she certainly should not be reporting about it. Otherwise it's just BS or propaganda. The writer asserts in several places in this piece that Davis had opportunities to "prove his innocence." Here's the deal: In a criminal trial, our system of justice is supposed to have a presumption of innocence, which flows from several constitutional amendments. "Innocent until proven guilty." In other words, the burden of proof is on the prosecution, which must prove that the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If the prosecution does not do this, the accused must be acquitted. Otherwise, justice is not served. Justice has not been served.


SeniorChiefPettyOfficer replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Evidently, the burden of proof was proven by the prosecution because he was convicted. If it wasn't, then he was wrongly convicted and had 20 years to prove it. He did not, so good riddance to bad garbage. Ooops, sory for my hateful viriolic rhetoric.


BGF2010 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; I think what you meant was not ever trail can't be like Cassey Anthony's trail

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SeniorChiefPettyOfficer says:

If he was innocent, why was no evidence found after 20 years proving it? You are telling me that in this day and age that no new evidence exhonerating him was discovered? The guy was guilty, got what he earned (death), and people are defending this piece of chit? Anyone on here who believes that an injustice was commited by putting this guy in the ground, let me in on the evidence that evidently you only know about that proves his innocence.


blerv replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Have you even been keeping track of how many death row inmates have been acquitted over the last several years? Here's a few of them: http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/innocence-cases-2004-present#133. These are often cases where the prosecution and southern white juries were looking for a black man - any black man - to pin a violent crime on. If you look at these cases, it's plain to see that if you let enough time go by - while these men rot in prison - there will be evidence to prove that their condemnation is nothing more than modern day lynching.


emmalee677 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; http://markcrispinmiller.com/2011/09/7-out-of-9-witnesses-against-troy-davis-have-recanted%E2%80%94and-yet-the-state-of-georgia-plans-to-kill-him-anyway/ do your research *******..

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footdr2 says:

The big question is why was he convicted to begin with if "there was too much doubt"? Why didn't the appeals courts and the Supreme Court find that there was "too much doubt"?

Surely the entire justice system can't be that wrong. Can they? And if they are we have a huge problem because if there is any doubt the accused should not be convicted.

One problem is the way Appeals work, from what I have observed the majority of the time you can only appeal on those specific trial proceedings that your Attorney objected to and "preserved" at trial.

I don't believe this was the case here. Perhaps the death penalty should only be used in murder cases were there is tangible evidence not witness only testimony. I am in favor of the death penalty in Murder cases but only when there is substantial tangible evidence and is clearly beyond any reasonable doubt. One would think a Judge should play a role in the possible sentence of death in which he/she questions the doubt. But then again, if there is doubt the shouldn't be a conviction. So, either he should have been acquited or overturned on Appeal or we have to believe he was guilty of Murder. I for one don't want to pay for housing and feeding a cold blooded murderer. "an eye for an eye"


paperburn1 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; http://www.fop9.net/markmacphail/debunkingthemyths.cfm

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jcshooter says:

I just want to know where all the major media outlets were last night.


wbrazell replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; who cares

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MotocrossSurvivor says:

Southernlily wrote:
"Let me tell you something. A guilty man would never claim innocence while being put to death. A guilty man would be looking for forgiveness. How dare you judge someone you don't even know!
I never knew that man nor am I black nor do I care for alot of black people . But I do have enough sense to know an innocent man when I see one. Shame On You And Shame On The State Of Georgia!"

What kind of make-believe lala land do you live in sweetie? Guilty people don't lie till the end? More than a few killers have lied right up till the last minute. Ever hear of Roger Keith Coleman? He was executed for raping and slashing the throat of his sister in law. He claimed innocent even as they strapped him into the chair. DNA evidence proved his guilt years later.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8601-201_162-20109976-14.html?assetTypeId=30&blogId=&tag=contentBody;commentWrapper#ixzz1YiXkRw00