THE EXECUTION OF TROY DAVIS
The tragic execution of an innocent Black man in Georgia
Troy Davis was sentenced to death in Georgia in 1989 for the killing of off-duty police officer Mark MacPhail. Troy, a young Black man, was convicted based on the testimony of nine non-police witnesses at trial, seven of whom ended up recanting their false, coerced testimony. No DNA evidence nor any murder weapon were ever tied to the crime.
There was a serious and convincing case of innocence that grabbed the world’s attention, which resulted in a roller-coaster of emotion as the state came within 90 minutes of executing Troy in 2008, and then successfully executing him in 2011 despite so much doubt and a massive international campaign.
The following photos tell the story of what transpired outside the prison in Georgia on the nights of Troy's 2008 and 2011 execution dates.
To read Scott's personal reflection written about this experience, visit the essay page.
THE EXECUTION OF TROY DAVIS
The tragic execution of an innocent Black man in Georgia
Troy Davis was sentenced to death in Georgia in 1989 for the killing of off-duty police officer Mark MacPhail, Sr.
Troy, a young Black man, was convicted based on the testimony of nine non-police witnesses at trial, seven of whom ended up recanting their false, coerced testimony. No DNA evidence nor any murder weapon were ever tied to the crime.
There was a serious and convincing case of innocence that grabbed the world’s attention, which resulted in a roller-coaster of emotion as the state came within 90 minutes of executing Troy in 2008, and then successfully executing him in 2011 despite so much doubt and a massive international campaign.
The following photos tell the story of what transpired outside the prison in Georgia on the nights of Troy's 2008 and 2011 execution dates.
To read Scott's personal reflection written about this experience, visit this essay page.
The following photos are from the 2008 execution date, in which Troy was spared death from a Supreme Court decision 90 minutes beforehand.
Hovering your cursor on a photo will show the caption. Click on an image to open the series in a navigable presentation with captions.
The following photos are from the 2008 execution date, in which Troy was spared death from a Supreme Court decision 90 minutes beforehand.
Captions are below photos. Or tap any image to open the series in a navigable presentation that includes captions.
The following photos are from the 2011 execution date, in which Troy Davis was finally killed by the state.
Hovering your cursor on a photo will show the caption. Click on an image to open the series in a navigable presentation.
The following photos are from the 2011 execution date, in which Troy Davis was finally killed by the state.
Captions are below photos. Or tap any image to open the series in a navigable presentation that includes captions.
