Troy Anthony Davis

- Born: October 9, 1968
- Was denied an appeal by The U.S. Supreme Court in 2007
- Granted stay of execution on September 23, 2008Atlanta Journal Constitution: Supreme Court Issues Stay of Execution... (September 23, 2008)
- Davis' defense claims Sylvester "Red" Coles is the alternative suspect for the murder
- Amnesty International provides a "take action" web page to write a letter on Davis' behalfAmnesty International: Take Action

Troy Anthony Davis is on death row in Georgia for the 1989 murder of Officer Mark Allen MacPhail.
Davis was scheduled to die by lethal injection at 7:00 p.m. on September 23, 2008, but the Supreme Court interceded at the last moment and granted Davis a stay of execution. On Monday, October 6, 2008, the Supreme Court opened a new term and failed to take action in the Davis v. Georgia appeal.SCOTUSblog: No Action on Georgia Capital Case (October 6, 2008)
On October 24, 2008, 11th U.S. Circuit of Appeals gave a 25-day stay of execution for Davis, he had been scheduled to die October 27, 2008.CNN: Execution Put on Hold for Man Convicted... (October 24, 2008)
Controversy

Davis' death sentence is controversial because seven of the nine witnesses who testified against him later recanted, saying they felt pressured by police officers to lie on the stand.Acj.com: Parole Board Says It Won't Reconsider Davis' Execution (September 23, 2008)
The case has attracted the support human rights organizations including Amnesty International. Jimmy Carter, Bob Barr, Al Sharpton, Susan Sarandon and Pope Benedict XVI have all urged Georgia's state parole board to reduce Davis' sentence to life in prison.ABC News: Questions Linger as Man's Execution Nears (September 23, 2008)
Mark Allen McPhail

The murder of Mark Allen McPhail occurred in the parking lot of a Savannah Burger King restaurant in 1989. According to Amnesty International, Davis' 1991 conviction came solely from eyewitness testimony as no physical evidence (including the murder weapon) was available.
Since his conviction, most of the eyewitnesses changed their story, claiming they were pressured by police into testifying against Davis.
After his scheduled July, 2007 execution was delayed, a ruling by the Georgia Supreme Court on March 17, 2008 denied Davis the opportunity for a new trial, keeping him on death row.
On October 14, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Davis a new trial, clearing the way for his execution. On October 24, 2008, Davis was granted a 25-day stay of execution.CNN: Execution Put on Hold for Man Convicted... (October 24, 2008)