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"For those about to take my life may God have mercy on your souls. May God bless your souls." These were the last words of Troy Davis shortly before he took a lethal dose of injustice Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 11:08 p.m. Davis was executed by the Georgia penal system.
Until his death, he proclaimed his innocence. Davis was convicted of murdering Mark MacPhail, an off-duty cop, in 1989 in Savannah, Ga. He served 22 years behind bars before receiving a lethal injection, which I thought was already cruel and unusual punishment .
Why was Davis put to death? No DNA linked him to the death of Officer MacPhail. No murder weapon was recovered in his case.
The conviction was largely based on eye-witness testimonies, which have been proven to be very unreliable.
Seven of the nine witnesses who testified in the case have recanted their testimony. In addition, several witnesses said they were coerced by the police to make those statements.
Where were the red flags? Something clearly isn't right about this case. Blatant disregard for human life caused the court to move forward with Davis' execution.
There is still doubt in the case. It is very possible that Davis didn't do it. Can any law officials in the United States say his death was justified?
Were the deaths of George Julius Stinney, Jr., Leo Jones, or Gary Graham— all of whom were convicted of murder and executed —justifiably?
Former Carolina Panther wide receiver Rae Carruth killed his girlfriend Carthica Adams back in 1999 and only received 18-24 years.
Not only did Carruth avoid the death penalty, but he also dodged a life sentence and will be released in 2018.
There is no doubt in my mind that Casey Anthony had something to do with the death of her daughter Caylee in 2008.
Somehow, she managed to get a break and was acquitted of first-degree murder earlier this year.
All of these cases are examples of the inconsistencies that occur in murder trials in the United States.
According to www.deathpenaltyinfo.org, the death penalty has claimed 1,270 lives since 1976.
The death penalty is used in 34 states, including North Carolina. To date, 138 Americans have been taken off death row since 1973.
If the legal system functioned properly, how did they get there in the first place? There is no official record for the number of executions that have claimed the lives of innocent people, but it surely has happened.
An innocent man ending up on death row should never happen. People who take lives deserve to lose their own lives.
Just make sure you have the right culprit before carrying out the deed. Murder should not be taken lightly.
There should be concrete evidence, such as video footage or DNA evidence, to support any death sentence.
There should be federal guidelines for capital punishment cases. Troy Davis' life should be an example of how the American injustice system currently operates.
Serious changes must be made to prevent another miscarriage of justice. This organized barbarity must cease.
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