In the final hours leading up to Troy Davis’ execution, people of faith and religious leaders are expressing sorrow that Davis, 42, lost his final plea for clemency from the Georgia Board of Pardons & Parole on Tuesday. Many have promised to continue praying that the convicted murderer’s life will be spared.
In 1991, Davis was convicted of the 1988 murder of off-duty police officer Mark MacPhail. Although seven of the nine witnesses have recanted their testimonies, his lethal injection is scheduled for 7 p.m. E.T. Wednesday. The Associated Press reports that Attorney Stephen Marsh says the Georgia Department of Corrections also denied his request to allow Davis to take a polygraph test.
The case has garnered international attention, with Davis’ supporters including Former President Jimmy Carter, Pope Benedict XVI and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu. These and others have asked that the execution be stopped, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Bishop T.D. Jakes tweeted: “Praying for the family and friends of Troy Davis! Such a tragedy!!”
According to The Washington Post, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, Rev. Bernice King, also supports Davis. In a letter to the parole board, she said she echoes “the cries of hundreds of thousands of others in asking your distinguished body to grant Troy Anthony Davis clemency and commute his sentence.”
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article courtesy of bcnn1.com
