Troy Davis Story: A Look at Other Controversial Death Row Cases
The execution of Troy Davis has reignited controversy over other U.S. death row cases of late.
Throughout his trial, Davis maintained that he was innocent of killing police officer Mark MacPhail in 1989, and upon his execution, asked God to have mercy on the Georgia prison officials who were “about to take [his] life.
The controversial case lacked a murder weapon, while seven of the nine prosecution witnesses recanted their testimonies, and no DNA could confirm Davis’ guilt.
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Wednesday at 11:08 p.m. Davis was pronounced dead, after saying to those at his execution: “For those about to take my life, may God have mercy on your souls. May God bless your souls.”
The Davis case is not the only controversial Death Row trial the U.S. has seen this year. While many people believe the death penalty is archaic and uncivilized, 34 states maintain the punishment. This year alone has seen 35 people put to death, according to deathpenaltyinfo.org.
Last week, convicted murderer Duane Buck from Houston escaped the death penalty following a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. Buck claimed his prosecutors used his race against him to convince the jury’s death sentence decision.
The high court spared Buck the death penalty based on these claims, further igniting a psychologist’s testimony that black criminals were more inclined to repeat violent offenses in the future over other races.
Teresa Lewis, convicted of paying to have her husband and stepson killed in 2002, became the first woman in Virginia to die by lethal injection.
Her case created controversy because her IQ was 72, just two points above the legal score that would have classified her intellectually disabled.
Thousands of people appealed for clemency, but Lewis was executed on September 23, 2010.
The case of Humberto Leal, a Mexican citizen, was not disputed because of his guilt, but controversy surrounded his legal rights.
Leal was convicted of rape in 1994 in San Antonio, Texas, where police did not tell Leal of his right to summon the Mexican consulate at the time of his arrest. The international Court of Justice in The Hague ruled in 2004 that Leal had been denied his basic rights.
Fearing the execution of Leal would harm America’s image, the Obama Administration urged the Supreme Court to delay his death, but Leal died by lethal injection on July 7, 2011.
There are currently 3,251 death row inmates in the U.S., of which 44 percent are white. Blacks make up 42 percent, while Hispanic inmates make up 12 percent.
