Georgia delayed the execution of Troy Davis that was scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday. The state was waiting for a response from the U.S. Supreme Court, after lawyers for Davis appealed to overturn the execution order. The Georgia Supreme Court had declined to spare Davis. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles chose not to grant clemency in the case after a hearing on Monday.
Davis was convicted of murdering police Mark MacPhail in 1989 in Savannah, Ga. Multiple witnesses recanted their testimony, and some of the witnesses said another man confessed to the murder. MacPhails’ widow, mother, and children have all called for Davis to be executed.
The case has attracted national and global attention. Prominent figures from Congressman John Lewis to former President Jimmy Carter have asked for mercy for Davis, who has been on death row for 20 years.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker said on his Twitter account, ""The state should not be executing Troy Davis. … If there is even a chance that he is innocent, why execute?"
Protesters gathered Wednesday at the White House and at the prison in Jackson, Ga., where he is being held.
