Death row inmate fails in eleventh hour clemency bid
Davis is scheduled to die today by injection for killing off-duty Savannah officer Mark MacPhail, who was shot dead while rushing to help a homeless man being attacked. It is the fourth time in four years that Davis’s execution has been scheduled by Georgia officials.
“Justice was finally served for my father,” said Mark MacPhail Jr, who was an infant when his father was gunned down. “The truth was finally heard.”
Kim Davis, the inmate’s sister, declined immediate comment on the decision.
Steve Hayes, spokesman for the Board of Pardons and Paroles, said that the panel decided to reject Davis’s request for clemency after hearing hours of testimony on Monday from his supporters and prosecutors.
The decision appeared to leave Davis with little chance of avoiding the execution date. Defence lawyer, Jason Ewart, has said that the pardons board was likely Davis’ last option, but he didn’t rule out filing another legal appeal.
Davis’s lawyers have long argued Davis was a victim of mistaken identity. But prosecutors say they have no doubt that they charged the right person.
Davis has captured worldwide attention because of the doubt his supporters have raised over whether he killed MacPhail.
Several of the witnesses who helped convict Davis at his 1991 trial have recanted their testimony. Others said another man at the scene admitted to the crime.
The US Supreme Court even granted Davis a hearing last year to prove his innocence, the first time it had done so for a death row inmate in at least 50 years.
Among those who supported Davis’s clemency request are former president Jimmy Carter and Pope Benedict XVI.
Davis’s legal team said in a statement it was “incredibly disappointed” by the decision.
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