MU student group protests execution
MU Students for Progressive Action, in association with the Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation, is protesting the execution of a Georgia man, which is set to take place tonight.
Troy Davis, who is set to be executed at 6 p.m. CST, was convicted with the murder of a police officer in Savannah, Ga. in 1991.
According to Amnesty International, since his conviction, seven of the nine witnesses that implicated Davis as the gunman have recanted their testimonies, and some have even pointed to one of the other witnesses as the actual shooter. In addition, there is no physical evidence linking Davis to the murder.
The execution has made headlines in recent weeks, as celebrities and world leaders, such as former President Jimmy Carter, have asked Georgia to grant Davis clemency, which was denied to him by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles on Sept. 12.
According to the stay of execution document, the board determined, after reviewing trial evidence and the arguments for clemency for Davis, that his request would be denied.
Nick Totten, a member of SPA, said Davis should have been granted clemency so the evidence in the case could be reconsidered.
"There are plenty of problems with capital punishment," Totten said. "But this man has so much evidence that says he's innocent."
The organization has advised that any persons who wish protest the execution to call the Board of Pardons and Paroles at 404-656-5712.