Troy Davis Story: Final Moments Spent in Prayer
Prison documents released Wednesday reveal that Troy Davis was kneeling in his prison cell praying – just 15 minutes before his scheduled execution Sept. 21, for the murder of an off-duty Savannah, Ga., officer.
Providing a glimpse into the last moments of Davis’ life, the prison documents said guards spotted him praying around 6:45 p.m. EDT. Davis was napping 15 minutes later, at the time of his scheduled execution.
Prison logs also revealed his food intake. According to the records, Davis stayed in bed until about 7:50 a.m. when he was strip-searched and escorted to the shower.
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From there, the first of his 28 visitors arrived and a slew of emotional goodbyes followed.
At lunchtime, Davis turned down a noontime meal. He also refused to eat an early dinner, requesting only a grape drink.
According to the Associated Press, Davis began making arrangements in case the execution was carried out. He sent prison officials the names of 28 visitors. When he accidentally misspelled a name, he wrote a note to an administrator with a correction, ending it with “God Bless You.”
Davis had few personal possessions in his final weeks. They included a pair of glasses, a pen and a writing pad, two Watchtower magazines and his Bible.
He heard the Supreme Court denied his eleventh-hour plea to halt the scheduled execution, shortly before guards arrived in his room at 10:28 p.m.
Minutes later, execution witnesses started filing in. Davis was then strapped to the gurney.
Authorities pronounced him dead at 11:08 p.m.
According to an audio recording released by the prison, the transcript of Davis’ last words included a passionate declaration of his innocence as well as a strong message to supporters that encouraged the fight against the death penalty.
“Continue to fight this fight,” Davis said.
