Troy Davis was convicted of murder based on witness testimony. That was 1991 in Savannah, GA.
One of the "witnesses", Sylvester "Redd" Coles, was actually a suspect before he turned states evidence. Here is a picture of Mr. Coles from 2007:
Here is a photo of Mr. Davis from circa 2008:
All the other witnesses, except one, have recanted their testimony citing police coercion. Only one witness is sticking to the original identification of Davis as the murderer.
At the time of his conviction, the Jury seemed to have two choices:
1. Believe one man against the testimony of 6 witnesses (possibly setting a killer free)
2. Convict of murder on the testimony of 6 witnesses.
Here is some information on some of the "witnesses":
1. Atwan Williams - "When the police arrived, I told them I could barely recognize the shooter, I was scared, nervous, I was just trying to take off." When asked if he read the back of the deposition he gave to police, he said "No Sir, I can't read".
2. Kevin McQueen - Has stated that he made up the details of a confession he attributed to Mr. Davis. He now says the confession never took place, and that he made up the confession in exchange for a lighter sentence in another case.
3. Jeffrey Sapp - "I had cops all around me. I was so scared, I'd have told them everything they wanted. They kept saying 'Troy told you, Troy told you.' I was saying the same thing they told me to say."
4. Monty Holmes - "It seemed like they (the police) wouldn’t stop questioning me until I told them what they wanted to hear. So I did. I signed a statement saying that Troy told me that he shot the cop." "When I had to go to court that first time, I felt like I had to say what was in that statement or I’d be in trouble, so that’s what I did. When it came to the trial though, I didn’t want to go because I knew that the truth was that Troy never told me anything about shooting [the police officer]. I heard the police were coming by to give me a subpoena for trial. I dodged the subpoena but they still left it with my mother. I still didn’t feel like I could walk in a court and say those things so I didn’t go to the trial".
5. Dorothy Ferrell - "I was real tired because it was the middle of the night and I was pregnant too… I was scared that if I didn’t do what the police wanted me to do, then they would try to lock me up again. I was on parole at the time and I had just gotten home from being locked up earlier that year." "From the way the officer was talking, he gave me the impression that I should say that Troy Davis was the one who shot the officer like the other witness [sic] had… I felt like I was just following the rest of the witnesses. I also felt like I had to cooperate with the officer because of my being on parole…I told the detective that Troy Davis was the shooter, even though the truth was that I didn’t see who shot the officer."
6. Darrell Collins (16 at the time of the murder) - "I testified against Troy at his trial. I remember that I told the jury that Troy hit the man that Red was arguing with. That is not true. I never saw Troy do anything to the man. I said this at the trial because I was still scared that the police would throw me in jail for being an accessory to murder if I told the truth about what happened. It is time that I told the truth about what happened that night, and what is written here is the truth. I am not proud for lying at Troy’s trial, but the police had me so messed up that I felt that’s all I could do or else I would go to jail."
7. Larry Young (the homeless man who was being assaulted when the murder took place) - "They kept asking me what had happened at the bus station, and I kept telling them that I didn’t know. Everything happened so fast down there. I couldn’t honestly remember what anyone looked like or what different people were wearing. Plus, I had been drinking that day, so I just couldn’t tell who did what. The cops didn’t want to hear that and kept pressing me to give them answers. They made it clear that we weren’t leaving until I told them what they wanted to hear. They suggested answers and I would give them what they wanted. They put typed papers in my face and told me to sign them. I did sign them without reading them"
8. Antoine Williams - "They asked me to describe the shooter and what he looked like and what he was wearing. I kept telling them that I didn’t know. It was dark, my windows were tinted, and I was scared. It all happened so fast. Even today, I know that I could not honestly identify with any certainty who shot the officer that night. I couldn’t then either. After the officers talked to me, they gave me a statement and told me to sign it. I signed it. I did not read it because I cannot read."
9. Robert Grizzard - "I have reviewed the transcript of my testimony from the trial of Troy Davis… During my testimony I said that the person who shot the officer was wearing a light coloured shirt. The truth is that I don’t recall now and I didn’t recall then what the shooter was wearing, as I said in my initial statement [to the police]. My testimony to the contrary was an honest mistake on my part… As I said in my statement given on that night, I do not and did not remember what the shooter was wearing."
These statements cause serious doubt in my mind as to the guilt of Mr. Davis. Considering the fact that his conviction was based solely on witness testimony, and the fact that most of the testimony has now been recanted, I believe that Mr. Davis deserves another jury trial. The trial should be based on non-coerced testimony, and the suspicious testimony of Mr. Coles should be eliminated.
The state of Georgia is preparing to execute a man who's guilt is clearly questionable. If you agree that innocent people shouldn't be put to death for the convenience of the state, please click here for more information.
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