Troy Davis was convicted of a murder on August 19,1989 in Butts County, Georgia. Several testified against him. Two out of 34 testified that he confessed his crime to them. Troy, along with 6 others, were his defense. Davis maintained his innocence until his execution.
The victim was Mark MacPhail, a police officer working as a security guard at Burger King, who got involved in defending someone being assaulted in a parking lot nearby. No evidence was found as to who murdered MacPhail, yet Troy Davis was still convicted and executed. There are many unanswered questions. Was Troy Davis wrongfully convicted? is the question that should be thought about as I dig deeper into this supposed mystery.
People on both sides of the story are crying for justice: some for Officer MacPhail, stating that Troy is guilty and this has been going on for a long period of time. The others stating that there are too many unanswered questions before determining that Troy is guilty. Many are debating whether or not opinions should determine someone’s act. Shouldn’t a man’s innocence or guilt be based more off of evidence and truthful witnesses? However, in this case, many are saying that this case was too opinionated and authorities coached most of the witnesses, which is practically conniving and unjustified. Still, jurors questioned false information they had been given by authorities, basically saying that they did not witness Troy being involved in any killing. Troy was still executed due to a crime he didn’t commit. So,why didn’t authorities listen to the jurors?
Racism seems to be a problem in this event. Three white men from West Memphis were freed from prison due to new evidence. They were convicted of killing 3 teenage boys. Even though there was a lack of evidence, Troy was not freed from jail and suffered consequences that didn’t apply to him. Two of the men from Memphis were given life in prison and 1 of 3 was facing the death penalty. Georgia’s decision against Troy is what you call cruel and unusual punishment. There is no difference between the the two cases, because no real evidence was found between the two. Troy’s case was most likely based off of personal feelings of the police and the jury.
“Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away, and that in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty,” stated Dr. MLK. America is supposed to be a just nation and treat all people equal as a whole. It’s shocking to know that Three Men of Memphis walked free and Troy Davis is guided into death. Is racism still alive?
Troy Davis is a man who kept his faith as he struggled through darkness. Troy was convicted murder with no evidence leading towards his identification as a killer. Sometimes you have to think about others. Like the saying … “You don’t understand what it’s like until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes.” I don’t know what it’s like, but I can feel Troy’s pain. However, many questions remain unanswered, but Troy Davis is someone who has marked history. I’ll never forget this horrific event. His trial was based on opinionated jurors and it’s possible that it was also based off the color of his skin. Was Troy Davis wrongfully executed? Is there any justice for Troy? True or False? Right or Wrong? You honestly decide.
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