A Winston-Salem group is part of an international effort to save a Georgia man's life. He's Troy Anthony Davis and he's convicted of murdering 27-year-old Atlanta police officer Mark Allen MacPhail in 1989. Davis was 20 when sentenced to death row. This evening, Winston-Salem born and raised Darryl Hunt and four bus loads of supporters are returning to Winston-Salem from a rally in Atlanta in support of Davis.
Hunt sat on death row for more than 18 years after being convicted of a murder he did not commit. DNA evidence led to his release. Members of Amnesty International and of the NAACP are also involved in the efforts to secure Davis' release. He's avoided being executed three times. A fourth death warrant sets his execution for next Wednesday, September 21.
According to Hunt, seven of the nine witnesses who originally testified against Davis have now recanted their stories. Davis' defense argues these witnesses have never been credible and the fact they've changed their testimony is proof of Davis' innocence. Prosecutors claim witnesses are changing their statements because they've been manipulated.
Since Hunt's release in December 2004, he's led the Darryl Hunt Project for Freedom and Justice. It's devoted to educating the public about flaws in the criminal justice system, advocating for those wrongfully incarcerated.
March 28, 2011, the United States Supreme Court declined to hear Davis' appeal. Monday, September 19, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles will hear his case and decide whether or not to grant him clemency.
