Jackson: Georgia inmate Troy Davis maintained his innocence until the very end, saying he did not kill an off-duty officer in 1989.
Davis made his final statement as he was strapped to a gurney. He was executed at 11:08 pm (local time) on Wednesday. Davis told the family of officer Mark MacPhail that he did not kill their son, father and brother.
He said the incident that happened that night was not his fault and he didn't have a gun. Davis' claims of innocence drew worldwide support from hundreds of thousands of people. Courts, however, consistently ruled against him.
MacPhail's family believes Davis was guilty.
Davis' execution had been stopped three times since 2007, but on Wednesday the 42-year-old appeared to be out of legal options.
Davis' supporters included former President Jimmy Carter, Pope Benedict XVI, a former FBI director, the NAACP, and several conservative figures. Amnesty International says nearly one million people have signed a petition on his behalf. The US Supreme Court even gave him an unusual opportunity to prove his innocence in a lower court last year, though the high court itself did not hear the merits of the case.
He was convicted in 1991 of killing MacPhail, who was working as a security guard at the time. MacPhail rushed to the aid of a homeless man who prosecutors said Davis was bashing with a handgun after asking him for a beer. Prosecutors said Davis had a smirk on his face as he shot the officer to death in a Burger King parking lot.
No gun was ever found, but prosecutors say shell casings were linked to an earlier shooting for which Davis was convicted.
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